Renew Camp 2014 Wednesday (Day 4)

I know I should not pick favorites. But, I must say that this day would be one of my most favorite Renew days ever. So many amazing things happened, some I can write about and others I must tuck away in my heart.

The day began early…go figure! I was up by five and Poppy and I were at the school around 6. He came to help with breakfast and I hope that next year I can get him there for even more of Renew. 5/11 of his grandchildren participated so it was nice to have him there.

Just prior to breakfast, I had a conflict that brought my whole forgiveness/onion analogy from the night before back to me. In less than twelve hours, I was being tested and given the opportunity to peel back a new layer of forgiveness. God was merciful, reconciliation occurred, and I should have known from that incident alone that the battle was hot, hot, hot!

We set off to our job site and I was beyond thrilled. Cornflakes and Golden Grahams were assigned to the New Creation building. Just a month before camp, New Creation bought the old Pamela’s Secret building on Route 11 South. Formerly a porn shop, this place is now being redeemed and will be used as a coffee shop/boutique. We will sell products created by survivors of human trafficking, while raising funds to support them and others who are in recovery. We will serve as a hub to educate our community and raise awareness about trafficking, so that more lives can be spared such a hellish reality. Our main focus during Renew was to do cosmetic work to the building, covering all traces of the old, hideous, Pepto pink paint, covering the old signage, writing prayers and scriptures on the walls and praying through each room.

Because of my asthma, I asked to work outside of the building. The interior has a lot of water damage, so mold and dust abound. I was assigned to the roof that covers the front porch. Sara and Bekah joined me and we did a final coat of paint on the window frames, causing the old pink to disappear for good. The highlight of my week…maybe my LIFE…was being able to take white paint and roll over the old Pamela’s Secrets sign…”NO MORE SECRETS!!!” What an amazing honor, to wipe away the old and cover it with white, “washing” it as white as snow. How significant. I wept as I thanked God for His faithfulness to take something old, dirty, vile, filthy and disgusting and transform it into a place of new life! I cannot find words to convey how powerful that moment was.

Andrew had kicked off our day with an explanation about what New Creation is doing in our community and the passion that he has to fight trafficking. He is military trained and is in the process of getting specialized training to take down traffickers. He volunteered for the week to assist the teams from Renew and he did an amazing job. He kept worship music playing all day and was sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. The projects didn’t own him. When he felt a heaviness, he called us together and we spent time praying through that. At lunch, he allowed us time to rest and talk through some of the things we were feeling. At the end of the day, he led us in prayer and released us to write prayers and scriptures on the walls. What a beautiful experience, to be a part of redemption and restoration.

One prayer I prayed months ago was that those who were former clients/customers of Pamela’s Secrets would become supporters of New Creation. The doors have not yet opened for business, but we are seeing this come to pass already. Just before we cleaned up for the day, a van pulled up. A young woman and her mother got out and asked if they could speak to someone. After sharing their story, they asked if they could speak to the youth. I took them to meet Andrew and he introduced them to the group. Ashley was a customer who bought drugs from the former owner of the shop. One night, while she was high, she tried to outrun the police. A high speed chase ended in a crash that should have killed her. They brought the medical helicopter to the scene of the accident and flew her to UVA. They almost lost her several times in route and she was in critical condition for some time after. God spared her life, she and her brother testified against the former porn/drug dealer and he is now in prison. His incarceration led to the loss of the building, and God worked wonders to allow New Creation to buy it. Ashley is part of the story of redemption. She is still struggling with many consequences of her past life, but I believe God is making all things new for her and that He who began a good work will complete it. Hearing her story was meaningful for the students.

There were several other powerful encounters during the day, but I am not free to write about them here. I stand amazed, once again, at how God crosses our paths with people for His plans and purposes. He is also using the redemptive transformation at New Creation to bring healing to those who visit there and work there. Glory be to Jesus! I had the honor of praying with some who were struggling to be in the building, for it brought back their own memories of abuse and addiction. I thanked them for being brave enough to face those things and asked God to cover and protect them.