Angels in Romania

I met a wonderful woman named Roberta, and her husband Doug last week. They run a home in Romania for abused and pregnant girls/women. They actually live in Romania, they were just in the States visiting. Roberta inquired about The Tablet of My Heart, and the more we spoke, the more I felt compelled to offer the book to her. I ended up sending her off with 9 and an audio CD. These girls and their hardships are nearly unfathomable. Talking with Roberta for the brief time that I did, I walked away heartbroken. I only know the name of one of their girls, the youngest; Daniella. I don't suspect her name will ever leave me. Her mother was raped for the first time at the tender age of six years old, by her own father. She lived on the streets of Romania as a run away for 20 years. Beaten by her boyfriend, addicted to drugs and pregnant, she came to Doug and Roberta for help. She lived in their home for victims and they counseled her through the pregnancy hoping to see her through, to move on to live a happier, fuller life. Unfortunately, Shortly after her daughter was born, she fled and returned to the streets. Daniella is three months old and in the care of Doug and Roberta. Thank God, that at the very least this young woman gave her daughter the gift of a chance at hope and happiness by cleaning herself up for long enough to give birth. How heart wrenching on the other hand, that she couldn't find herself worth as much. My story has now traveled over seas and is in the very hands of young women like Daniella's mom, who see themselves as worthless, as I did, because of the wrongs that have been done to them. I hope they find strength in the pages. you see - they don't have many people to talk to about their fight with this demon. Sexual abuse is not a welcomed subject. Finding someone to relate with them, to their pain, is near impossible. It is no easy task to find help and encouragement in a country where, according to Roberta, Sexual "abuse" is not classified as child abuse at all. There is little help for them, there is little compassion for them, and there is little talk about the subject entirely. Prayerfully they can see The Tablet of My Heart as inspiration to talk about their pain, to help them heal from it. An example that there is no shame in being the victim, and inspiration to lay down the burden of pain so that they do not remain one. I will be keeping in touch with them, and as they have inspirational stories that they want me to share, I will gladly pass them on. In the meantime, please, continuously pray for Doug and Roberta. Pray for their victory over abuse in Romania through Jesus Christ. Pray for the girls whose lives they are trying to save, and, when you pray - Don't' forget to thank God for Daniella, I wonder what miracles God might use her for. After all, when you consider where Daniella might be at this very moment, had Doug and Roberta not answered the call....I suppose we can rightly say that her safety alone is a miraculous thing.

Try, if you can, to step outside of your grown up skin and slip into the skin that you wore when you were a child. Pick an age - whichever age you remember feeling most vulnerable. Now, think of an adult that you trusted with your whole heart.Your mom, your dad, your aunt or uncle...? Now, instead of wrapping yourself in a warm and comfortable memory, let the room turn dark. let that vulnerability evolve into absolute helplessness. Let that trust disolve into a pool of fear and confusion. I'm certain you know where I am going with this....you can let that scene fade.
uncomfortable, wasn't it? Well, now picture trying to tell someone.
Every day, children all over the world face this horrifying blackness. Often, the children who find the courage and the words to tell, end up in a court room - facing the person who robbed them of an entire childhood. There is no comfort there, it is cold and empty and frightening. put yourself in that witness chair. Imagine a small sea of faces that you have never seen before watching you with wide eyes, waiting to gobble up every one of the words that finds it's way out of your throat, then chewing them a while before they decide whether to spit them out or not. And that one face, the face of the person who hurt you. Now tell them the most intimate, private, embarassing, shameful event that ever happened to you - and tell them in detail. The betrayal, the fear, the uncertainty.
Now...look back out into that sea of faces. Standing out from the rest, rough faces, tough faces, faces ontop of broad shoulders covered with leather and patches. bandanas wraped around their heads to tame wild hair that falls over shoulders sturdy enough to carry weight of this moment for you - and there isn't just one face or two, there's an island of them. An island in that sea of faces. Now imagine that they are there for you.
Those are the faces of BACA. Bikers Against Child Abuse. You know them because they came to your house and told you they would be there. They rode on their roaring stalions, an army of them, right up to your front door to tell you that you are in their family now, and that they protect their family without question or hesitation. They came to tell you that you can do this, and that they will be there to make sure that you don't feel alone and vulnerable any more.
now tell me....do you feel a little stronger, like maybe you can do this?
I would have.

Check it out: http://www.bacausa.com/

BACA has accepted 10 Copies of The Tablet of My Heart to distribute to the children that they "adopt".
Send them a thank you note, for their commitment to leaving a heavy boot in the A#@$ of child abusers! God love 'em.

Love, Elizabeth

Hey, Check out the library page at www.tabletofmyheart.net!!!!
I have an idea, we'll see how it pans out, follow me:
I want to lend out books. I have ten of them set aside. The idea is to get this message, the message that there is freedom from the dark shadows that are cast by abuse, into the hands and hearts of people who feel that they have reached the pit of their pain - and fear that there is no way out.
I'd like to see people leaving messages in the book, for others who borrow them to read. I'm hoping to see this get some attention and really reach right in to people's darkness. If all goes as well as I am hoping, maybe I could even add more books to the library - not just mine. Books that inspire and lead people to hope and healing. Any suggestions?? I'm incredibly open to ideas!
When you have a minute, read Proverbs 3:3