Justice Jubilee

Come out and join Virginia Beach Justice Initiative, Regent IJM, and Old Dominion University IJM on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day; January 11th. Justice Jubilee is an event that will raise awareness about the issue of modern day slavery. After the film there will be refreshments, people who will be able to answer your questions, and opportunities to get involved in the fight against human trafficking. There will also be a silent auction to raise money that will go towards the continuation of the fight against human trafficking. So spread the word and come join us if you can.

Asleep in the Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em5gL0Rw4Aw&feature=related 

Check out Polaris Project for more information and resouraces about human trafficking:
http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview 

Abide in the Vine

                I have been home now for about three months.  It has been a time of growth.  After arriving home, readjusting, and touching base with my supporters, a season of waiting commenced.  I don’t know anyone who particularly enjoys a season of waiting and I have to admit that it wasn’t easy.  When I was in India God very clearly showed me that I was to go home and press into Him.  That was the only direction I received and I understood that it was enough.  So when I returned home I made it priority to seek God’s will.  At times I was more faithful in pressing into Him than others.  But I waited on the Lord, trusting that in His time He would show me the next step in my ministry process.  For three months I prayed that God would give me an opportunity to get involved in ministry while I was at home.  At the same time I prayed that He would also open a door to ministry in the realm of human trafficking.  I hoped that these opportunities would be presented to me sooner rather than later, but I also knew that I needed to trust God to do things in His time.  So in the mean time I learned a lesson in patience and in surrender; as I learned more about what it means to daily submit myself to the will of God. 

                Finally I realized that in this season of waiting I was desperately in need of community and encouragement.  I needed to talk about my struggles as well as my victories with people who were of like mind and heart.  I had my family and my church body but I also needed to stay in contact with others who had a similar heart for ministry.  When I did this I was immediately encouraged.  I was able to see more clearly the lessons that God was leading me through.  And I saw my journey in a fresh light.  Through all of this God reminded me again to abide in the vine.  John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”.  That is powerful.  Basically nothing is imposable with God, but without Him what I can do IS nothing!  Even if I am capable of doing great things by myself it would all amount to nothing.  Only when I am abiding in God and allowing Him to work through me, according to His will and in His time, will I really bear fruit for God’s glory.  Thus God’s timing is worth waiting for, and in the mean time I must abide in Christ.  But what does that mean, what does it look like to abide in Christ?  I believe that it means daily surrender.  It is not about my plans or my desire it is about God’s desire and His will.  “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9).  Abiding in God is about letting God direct your steps and it is a daily choice.  There is still so much more to abiding in Christ then this, but this was the reminder I needed.  I needed to rest in the knowledge that God is in control and be faithful to seek Him daily.  When I did this God moved.  

  

                Now I am not saying that abiding in God should be used as a means to an end; it should not.  To abide in God is an end in itself.  But in John 15:7-8 it says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”  Praise God!  He answered my prayers.  The next week I was given the opportunity to meet with three women.  They are each involved in various aspects of the fight to end human trafficking, specifically sex trafficking, in Virginia.  They are mostly working through awareness, advocacy, and prevention.  I have been able to partner with their three ministries in the fight.  At the moment I have joined with them in justice initiatives that are working in Virginia Beach and in Richmond.  I am so excited about the work being done and about the doors God has opened.  Ministry towards victims of sex trafficking has been so much a part of my heart and my life for the past six years and I am blessed do this work in my own state.  God, in His infinite faithfulness, opened a door to partner with others who are doing the work of this ministry.  And His timing is good.  I also learned a lot through the season of waiting as He worked all things together for good. 

                Along with having joined with justice ministries, a few weeks ago I was also able to begin a young adult’s ministry at my church.  It is a ministry for 18-30 year olds.  Then this past week I was able to meet with leadership and the elders to talk about the vision and purpose for this ministry.  And I received their blessing.  So now things are going full swing with that ministry and God has already moved in exciting ways through that group; seeing hearts touched and lives transformed.  So praise God!  His timing is perfect, His plans are good, and His mercies are new every day.  Great is His faithfulness!    

                Please continue to partner with me in prayer as I continue in the work of God’s ministry, as I learn each day what it means to truly abide in Him, and take on these new tasks and opportunities for ministry.  Pray that God would be my peace, that He would give me wisdom, discernment, love, and strength.  Thank you so much for your support.   



This is a picture of a group, from our young adult’s ministry, that went out door to door and collected Thanksgiving food for needy families.

7 Month Update - Switzerland, Ireland, & India

Setting Captives Free News Update:

After seven months of travel, learning, and ministry, I am back in the United States.  Before giving you an update of all that has transpired in the last seven months, I first want to take the time to say thank you.  Thank you so much for your support; your financial gifts, prayers, and words of encouragement.   There truly are not words enough to express to you the depth of my gratitude.  I am constantly reminded of God’s grace and goodness; of the immense blessing it is to be a part of the body of Christ.  I see how God uses His people, in various ways, to accomplish His plan and to multiply His kingdom.  I am in awe of His goodness.  Thank you so much for partnering with me; for joining in the call that God has placed on my life.  Thank you for making the work, which God has done in and through my life  in the past seven months, possible through your support.

SWITZERLAND:   

        
       In January I arrived in Wiler, Switzerland, where I spent the first three months of a six month missions training program, with Youth with a Mission (YWAM).  I was attending YWAM’s Justice focused Discipleship Training School (DTS).  YWAM’s goal is to know God and to make Him known.  The first three months of the missions training program were spent at the base in Wiler learning what it means to know God.  We also learned more about modern issues of injustice.  We studied the nature and character of God and of man, God’s heart for justice, and God’s heart for missions.  Something that God was teaching me throughout my seven months of travel was what it means to love.  Before I left for Switzerland God gave me one very clear command.  God spoke and said, “Love people for Jesus Bethany”.  This command is what should define our lives as believers.  God is love and this is what we are called to; above all else we are to love.  Every other command and call is enveloped in the call to love.  So from the beginning I knew that whatever God had in store, above all, He had called me to love people.  The first three months in Switzerland was just the beginning; the theme of learning to truly love people was woven I throughout my travels. 

 During the three months of training in Switzerland, we participated in local outreach.  I tutored three teenagers, from Sri Lanka, in English.  The DTS also had a major focus on intercession.  It was a large part of daily life on the YWAM base.  We took prayer walks around the Capital city, Bern, and also in Biel.  During this time God taught me a lot about the power of prayer, about how to follow His leading in prayer, and about the power of prayer in regards to spiritual warfare.  I was so excited about the lessons God was teaching me and I experienced noticeable growth in my prayer life.  God spoke and led me in ways that brought me a deeper understanding of God’s will and of what it means to live and walk according to, “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen” (Heb. 11:1).  

CALL TO  INDIA:

During my time in Switzerland God was also preparing me for the next step in His plan.  About a month into the DTS, God gave me two specific verses.  One was the parable of the talents; Mathew 25:14-30.  The other was Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps”.  These two verses did not seem to complement each other.  So I asked God to reveal what it was He wanted me to understand from these verses.  First of all God took me to Proverbs 16:9.  He told me to give up my assumptions.  Until this point I had not realized I had built up any assumptions about my life, or my future.  So I asked God to reveal my assumptions to me, so that I may relinquish them; and He did.  One of these assumptions involved India.  God showed me that over the years I had assumed that, at some point, God would call me to India.  All that God had done in my life, and called me to in the past, seemed to point to this future call.  But until this point, I had never specifically sought the Lord’s will in regard to India.  God showed me He had never specifically called me to India; not yet.  I was assuming, without consulting Him first.  So I wrote down the assumption and gave it to God. 

Then I wrote out another list; a list of the talents which God has given me to invest in His kingdom (Matthew 25).  For many years I wondered how my gifts coincided with the call God placed on my life.  It seemed to me that there were others, whose gifts where better suited for the call God had given me.  But as God revealed the gifts He had given me, to invest in His kingdom; He assured me that He had a plan.  I now had a list of assumptions, and a list of my talents; I gave them both to God.  Within the first week of this action, God began to move.  I had given India back to God and it now seemed that He was directing me to India.  Through a series of events, God quickly began laying India back on my heart.  God showed me that He did not say He would never call me to India.  It seemed I was throwing the baby out with the bath water.  Because He said give up the assumption, I was giving up everything.  He simply wanted me to seek His will.  Once I did, and I gave India to God, He gave it back again.  After a number of very clear signs, God revealed that He was calling me to take a trip to India; after I completed the DTS.  I had no idea how, or where I would stay.  I just knew that God had called me; even for a very short time.  So I said yes and I waited for Him to show me the way.

Yet before I could go to India, I still had another three months of training to complete; the mission portion.  After learning what it means to know God, it was time to make Him known.   For this portion of the DTS, we split up into three teams, going to three different countries for ministry; Ireland, Ethiopia, and Bulgaria.  We prayed as individuals and asked God, to which country was He calling each of us.  God called me to Ireland.  So with both India and Ireland on my mind and heart, I embarked upon a three month mission trip to Ireland.  Though I did not know it then, Ireland was about to capture my heart in a special way; the culture, the history, the people of Ireland, and their plight would make a lasting impression.

IRELAND:

There were eleven of us on the Ireland team; though eventually we were only nine.  Before we left for Ireland we knew we were going to have to trust God to provide for us.  We had no place to stay in Ireland.  So far we had no ministry opportunities booked on our schedule; none of our contacts had ever responded to us.  We were also in need of thousands of dollars.  Some of the members on our team had been unable to raise enough support and still needed finances.  It was clear, to everyone in the DTS that the Ireland team was in for an adventure.  As people prayed over us and received words for our team, the resounding themes were the words, “of inner city Dublin, knocked on doors of churches and ministries, insurprise” and “flexibility”.  God had a plan for our team, but we had to be flexible and be ready for whatever God called us to; we had to be willing to obey and serve.  So we landed in Dublin on the first week of April, and then stayed in a hostel for a week.  The first day we broke up into teams of three and walked the streets troduced ourselves, and offered our services. We were in the country for three months, had a heart for ministry, and we were willing to serve in whatever way possible.  It reminded me of the time Jesus sent out His disciples.  They went with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  If they were received in any town they stayed and ministered.  If they were not, then they shook the dust of the town off their feet, and they went elsewhere.  This is very similar to what we did that first week in Ireland.  We talked to Catholics and Protestants alike.  We went to churches, ministries, Christian organizations, and shelters.  Some people received us with open arms and grateful hearts, while others gave us the cold shoulder.  But, praise God, within the first week our schedule, for the whole three months, was filled.

Our entire team learned a lot about God’s provision in Ireland.  He provided financially; by the end of the DTS every member of our team had full support.  Also physically; when we needed shelter He always provided in the nick of time.  In ministry He was faithful to open doors and opportunities to invest in people and serve in various ways.  I also learned a lot about the value of service.  Ministry in Ireland consisted of a lot of, “washing feet”, so to speak.  Much of the ministry we did involved seemingly menial tasks.  We did a lot of cleaning and painting.  In this I realized the tasks we were doing equipped others.  We were serving them and enabling them to do the ministry, in which God had called them.  While we were painting a church or cleaning a mission, we were doing tasks would have taken the ministers away from their ministry.  By doing these tasks, we were serving the body of Christ and the people of Ireland.  We enable established ministries to be more effective.  This is washing feet; true service with a willing and loving heart, no matter what the task. 

Along with basic service, we did a lot of work with the homeless, toddlers, children, youth, inner-city kids, the elderly, and with families.  We did a lot of prayer ministry, leading home groups, leading worship for various groups on a regular basis, and we built many relationships.  Some of the relationships we built lead, in a young lady coming to Christ, and resulted in lifelong friendships.

I would love to go into great detail; to tell you all about the plight of the Irish people.  To tell you about their history, and why past events have lead to the struggles they face today.  I wish that I could thoroughly convey to you the hospitality, the warmth, the openness, the richness of the Irish people; not monetarily rich but a richness that goes beyond monetary gain and straight to the heart.  I also wish that I had time to convey the deep wounds which run in the heart of many of the people of Ireland.  The nation is experiencing major financial difficulty; there are many out of work.  This only adds greater numbers to the suicide rate and to the number of broken families.  Not only is the present situation of the country in dire straits, but the people dealing with a past full of hurts, fears, and division.  With the combination of these things, Ireland filled my heart with compassion, with love, with a passion, and a great desire to see God move in a powerful way across the country.  I was filled with such a great desire to see God effect change in Ireland, through His people; to bring healing, unity, wholeness, peace, joy, and hope like only Christ can bring.  Three months I spent serving the people of Ireland learning from them, knowing believing and non believing Irish, and developing lasting relationships with them.  I can honestly say that Ireland has captured my heart.

INDIA:

Yet even while I was in Ireland, the call to India was still with me.  The call was not to go to India for the rest of my life.  God simply told me I was to take a trip to India; after the DTS.  To me this meant I would go home, raise more support, and look into opportunities for ministry in India.  I would contact various ministries, find places to stay, and work out a trip for a few months after the DTS.  But again, I was making my own plans; I was assuming.  But God had other plans.  When God told me to take a trip to India, I made a list of contacts I had there.  I was in my second month in Ireland, and God threw a door to India wide open.  One day, my dad reminded me of a young lady we knew, who had done ministry in India.  She was from Virginia and had recently married an Indian pastor.  She had a heart to work with victims of sex trafficking, and would be moving back to India permanently.  I had spoken to her once, a year before.  She had said if I was ever in India, that I should visit her.  Dad said he would be seeing her dad, so he could get her contact information for me again.  But where he expected to see her dad, the young lady herself was there.  She was with her husband and they would soon return back to India. 

They explained that God had called them to begin their own ministry, to victims of sex trafficking.  They have a heart to open a home, for the daughters of women who have been trafficked.  When they heard I was planning a trip to India, they immediately invited me to stay with them.  They would set up opportunities for me to visit ministries in India, ministries involved in working with victims of the sex trade.  They would teach me about the culture, the people, the opportunities for ministry in India, and I would have a chance to find out what it would take to do ministry there.  They offered all of this to me through my dad that day, and in that moment God provided a clear open door.  Through one meeting, He had provided a place for me to go, people to stay with, ministries to visit, and an opportunity to learn and grow; it offered so much more than I ever could have asked or expected. 

A couple weeks later I had the opportunity to talk to the young lady myself.  She again offered the same invitation to me.  But the catch was that, because of time restraints, I would have to get my visa in Ireland and go straight to India, from Europe as soon as the DTS was over.       This meant that I would have to send excess luggage home, raise more support from Europe, cancel my plane tickets, buy a new ticket, and acquire a visa from a country where I was not a resident.  But I knew that God had called me, He had given me a clear open door.  He made it clear that this was His will, so I trusted Him to make it all happen.  And He did.  Up until the day before I left for India, He was still making a way where there seemed to be no way.  I finally arrived safely in Chennai, India on July fourth.  I was greeted by my hosts and another American girl who was visiting them. 

My first week in India consisted of becoming acquainted with the church in which the young lady from Virginia's, new husband was a pastor.  We volunteered at a leadership conference they were having, and we helped the young couple as they lead a camp for about fifty young adults.  This was a remarkable time.  At the camp, God laid the foundation for all He would teach me during my stay in India.  He wanted to teach me about holiness.  He wanted me to intensify as I pressed into Him, and He wanted to teach me more about spiritual warfare.  India is a place where the spiritual realm is given respect and full recognition.  Demonic manifestations are common place.  The body of Christ in India is well aware of the warfare required to combat, and annihilate strongholds and attacks.  They live out their faith in the power of the spirit.  Indian believers know that in order to win the victory over Satan it requires a full out counterattack; not simply a defensive stance.  While in India, God gave me a greater understanding of what it means to live and minister, in the power of the spirit.  He taught me that holiness and the power of God are inseparable.  Holiness itself is a choice while righteousness is a gift.  Thus choosing to walk in Holiness, daily and increasingly, is directly correlated with the extent to which God can use you.

Thus God showed me that He had much He wanted to teach me; I was to seek God, listen and learn.  While in India I was able to participate in prayer ministry and I volunteered at a local school on occasion.  I was able to spend a great deal of time with Indian Christians; to learn about the culture and the people.  I was given the opportunity, twice, to visit a home for orphans called David’s Home.  David and his wife are Christians.  They take in orphaned or abandoned children and treat them as their own.  There are nine children in the home.  They live by faith.  Each day the kids wake up at 4:30 am to pray and each child fasts one day a week.  They trust God to provide for their every need, and He does.  Even the Hindus have recognized the work David is doing, and sometimes they bring food for the family.  The home is full of love and joy.  The children are precious and I was so happy to be with them; those children captured a special place in my heart.  I was also, twice, given the opportunity to help minster in a district, in Chennai, known as VRP.  This is the area in which most of the prostitutes live.  Once a week a few people from the church go and host a Sunday school for the children of the prostitutes.  The kids sing, do crafts, pray, and memorize scripture.  Though many people in the cities have learned some English, these children have not.  Yet, just the sight of a white person drew dozens of children from throughout the district.  They would crowd around us and follow us through the dingy streets.  They would call out the only English they knew; “hi” or “bye”.  When we stood still long enough, they would stroke our hair or touch our skin.  I would teach them a few English words, or practice the few Tamil words I knew.  They were so precious, so hungry to be loved, and so hungry for attention. They clung to me.  By the time I left, my cheeks ached from smiling.  After the first visit, I loved them, and it seemed that they had accepted me as a friend for life.

            During my last week in India, we traveled twenty-three hours to Mumbai.  In Mumbai we spent two days visiting Bombay Teen Challenge (BTC).  The first day we first went to a section of slums.  We sat in the BTC food van and served the men and women who came to us.  Then we went into the Red-light district; the largest in the world.  We were closely guarded by the staff of BTC.  We spent a couple of hours in the one-room dentist office.  We talked with the dentist and the nurse who service women and children in the district.  They have built relationships with them and know many of their stories.  The small room is surrounded by brothels.  Even the room over the office is a brothel.  All down the street are the grimy buildings that serve as the brothels; prisons to the young women and children who are sold inside.  Many of the windows are barred and down below.  Many of the pimps can be seen standing guard.  Even as we spoke with the BTC staff I could see a woman watching us from behind a barred window.  Next we were taken to the BTC HIV clinic around the corner.  Again we spoke for a long time with the women who staff there.  They told us many stories as had the dentist before.  They also spoke of all that is involved when trying to rescue women from the brothels.

The next day we visited three of the four Jubilee homes and Ashagram; all run by BTC.  The Jubilee homes house children who have been rescued; either from the red-light district, or they have been orphaned or abandoned.  The first home has forty-three kids.  This is the home for the youngest children; the majority are five and younger.  There are seventeen kids who are HIV positive; though the children, themselves, do not know it.  When we arrived they ran to us giggling and clung to us.  We spent time playing with the kids and my heart was torn when it came time to leave.   The other two homes housed girls from the ages of six to eighteen.  Again we spent time with them.  They called me sister, gave me a tour and we talked, laughed, and sang. 

            We also spent a number of hours at Ashagram.  Ashagram is the complex where BTC conducts the rehabilitation program.  Men and boys live on one side and women live on the other.  Within Ashagram are those who where once drug addicts but have come to BTC for help.  There are boys have been rescued by BTC, from various situations.  And there are women who have been trafficked, have found hope, safety, security, and a future in within the walls of Ashagram.  The complex has two sections; one for men and one for women.  There is also a large cafeteria, where women learn culinary and waitressing skills.  There are two other large buildings, where the inhabitants of Ashagram are taught various job skills.  One building is dedicated to hand crafts.  In one room, women work diligently to create leather crafts.  In another room, women make jewelry. In the last room women make clothing and bags.  All of these are sold around the world, and they provide an income for the women who have found refuge at BTC.  The other building is dedicated to music.  Within this building, men are taught how to play various instruments, they learn about sound equipment, and are taught various aspects of the music business.  Many of them have traveled with BTC and given performances.  There is such a sweet spirit at Ashagram.  Joy, peace, love, and hope all seem to run deep within all those who call Ashagram home.  It is truly a remarkable place and God is doing a powerful work through BTC in Mumbai.  Being able to spend two days with the staff of BTC, being able to visit them, see the work they do, and to learn from them was an experience I will never forget.  It was an answer to prayer and an opportunity like no other. 

On the third day in Mumbai we visited a church known as Rama House.  The building is in the red-light district.  It was once a brothel, run by a pimp, who was one of the most powerful women in Mumbai.  Through a series of miraculous events, the pimp came to Christ.  Through her, many of the women she had trafficked came to Christ as well.  Then she turned the brothel into a church.  We were able to spend a couple of hours with some women on staff there.  Again, it was an incredible time of fellowship and of learning from these women.

            When it finally came time to leave India, the country, the people, the culture, and the work God is doing there had made a lasting impression on my life.  God did a deep work in me.  He planted a seed of understanding.  He gave me a bigger picture of what it means to truly walk in His power and a deeper understanding of His love.  Throughout the seven months of my travels I can honestly say that the resounding theme was love.  Everywhere I went God imparted such a deep love in me for the people I encountered.  I was granted a bit more understanding of the Father-heart of God.   I feel that both, in Ireland and in India, I left a bit of my heart behind.  In Ireland a new love grew in me for the people and the nation.  In India, a love for the people and the nation had already been planted in my heart about six years ago.  Now that seed, which was planted, had an opportunity to grow and flourish.  No matter when it happened, both places made a lasting impact on my heart and my life.

When I was in India God showed me that, while I am at home, I am to intensify in pressing into Him and seeking His will.  So I am praying, contacting different ministries and organizations, and I am waiting for God to reveal His will; one day at a time. The Lord has provided organizational structure, leadership, and accountability through Freedom Ministries.  I will continue to serve under that banner for the near future, as I continue to partner with other ministries.

 I want to thank you again, for joining me in the call God has placed on my life.  I will continue to keep you updated on the work God is doing.   

May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance,

           

Bethany Carmichael

India At Last

                  

            I am now writing from Chennai India; the fourth largest city in India.  Chennai is on the south-eastern coast of India.  It has been such an incredible journey that brought me here; created and defined by God’s call and provision.  Six months ago I had just begun the missions training program in Switzerland.  Five months ago I was preparing for three months of ministry in Ireland and God started me on a journey, which would ultimately bring me to India; after completing six months of training and ministry divided between Switzerland and Ireland.

 Now here I am, in Chennai.  I have been in India for a little over a week, and already I have learned more than I could have imagined possible in such a short amount of time.  I am living with a young couple.  The husband is a pastor here in Chennai and the wife is from Virginia.  There is also another girl staying with the couple.  She is here for similar reasons as me; learning more about what it will take to do ministry in India.  Being here has granted me an incredible opportunity, not only to learn about the culture and the people, but also about the body of Christ in India and the need for ministry here.  It has already given me a broader understanding of what it means to part of the global body of Christ.  And I’m learning more about the power of God, which is ours in Christ; by the spirit. 

Shortly after my arrival, I very clearly felt God telling me that this month in India is to be a time of listening and learning for me.  I am to be still and know He is God, and be willing to walk with open eyes, and to receive whatever it is that He has to teach me while I am here.  I also realized that there is a lot I can learn about spiritual warfare while I am in India.  India is a place where the spiritual realm is given respect and full recognition.  Demonic manifestations are common place in India, and the body of Christ here is well aware of the warfare required to combat and annihilate strongholds and attacks.  Here, the body of Christ lives out their walk of faith in the power of the spirit.  It is required that they walk in this power, because they are well aware of the challenges they face daily in the spiritual realm.  They are much more aware than the western world, that in order to win the victory over Satan when they are attacked, it requires a full out attack, not simply a defensive stance.  In the past week God has been teaching me what it means, and looks like, to walk and minister in the power of the spirit.  He has taught me that the power of God and holiness are inseparable and that holiness itself is a choice; righteousness is a gift and holiness is a choice.  Thus choosing to walk in Holiness, daily and increasingly, is directly correlated with the extent to which God can use you.

While in Chennai I have been able to participate in various ministry opportunities.  I have visited a home where children who have been orphaned or abandoned live as part of a family.  That was a precious time.  We played, made crafts, played soccer, created games out of whatever was available in the yard, and experienced so much love and joy.  It was tough saying goodbye to those precious children.  I was also able to sit in and assist in a classroom of four year olds, as they worked on their English lessons.  I taught them how to sing, “head, shoulders, knees, and toes”; that was a lot of fun and brought me a lot of joy as well.  We also assisted with a conference at the church where my hosts attend and pastor, during a leadership conference they held for two days. 

Then, this past weekend, we headed up into the mountains to help out with a retreat being held for young adults.  During this retreat God very clearly confirmed for me, that He has a plan.  He spoke and said that He will use me to speak into people’s lives.  He also said that His power is on me.  Now He is calling me to intensify; to press even harder into Him.  He will fulfill His purposes for my life.  Now is the time, I am to press into Him, to learn from Him, to hear from Him and obey; what ever it is that He will reveal to me as His call while I am here. 

So praise God; see now He is doing a new thing.  I am truly enjoying my time here in India.  Most of all I am excited about all that God is doing and teaching me on a daily basis.  I am so excited to see what it is that He will reveal to me about His call and His will for my life.  I can also say that I absolutely adore the children of India!  All I have to do is smile at them and their faces light up.  But the most encouraging thing about the kids has been that kids are kids; no matter where in the world you go.  They are all hungry for love and acceptance.  The most impacting thing I can do with them in the short time I have is to spend time with them, invest in them, play with them, and love them. 

Now, I am still not quite used to the fact that everywhere I go people stare.   They either press close, or they smile and wave at me as though I was a celebrity.  This is simply because seeing a white person is a rare occurrence here.  At first I was uncomfortable with this.  But then I realized, especially for the women I have met through different ministry opportunities we have had, that a simple smile and a hello from me in that moment, when I have become a spectacle because of my ethnicity, creates a connection and an open line of communication like nothing else ever could.  I have been amazed at how a simple act such as a smile, a wave, a simple greeting or acknowledgement, or even just helping a young woman apply a bit of blush can bless these women and mean more to them than I could ever have known.  Likewise with the children; a smile, a wave, a greeting, a simple pat on the back, a simple game of soccer, or picking flowers can bring a permanent smile on a child’s face for a day and create a friend for life.  What a joy it has been to spend time with the Indian people; to learn from them, to eat, sleep, and talk with them.  I have already been blessed beyond measure by this trip to India and there is still more to come.     

Support Letter for India

I have now been with Youth with a Mission (YWAM), receiving missions training, for five months.  I completed the first three months of the lecture phase in Switzerland, and I have been in Ireland for over two months doing outreach.  Doing mission work in Ireland has been a huge growing experience and a blessing beyond what I could ever have imagined.  I have developed such a great love for people, for the culture, and for the country of Ireland.  I can honestly say that God is on the move in Ireland and He is doing a good work.  I have seen firsthand, in the Irish people, a need for restoration, a new identity, and a hope that can only be found through the grace offered by Jesus Christ.  Because of the support that has been given, I was able to enter ministry here in Ireland for three months of outreach, and it has made a permanent impact in my life. 

                Yet even as I have poured into the work God has me doing in Ireland, He has also been preparing me for what He in store for me after Ireland.  I will complete the missions training program with YWAM on the 2^nd of July, but because God has called me into missions I knew that He would bring a new missions opportunity in His time.  Though the future was unclear and I had no idea what I would do after YWAM, I knew that God had a plan.  I just had to trust Him and He would make the path clear. While I was still in Switzerland God met me at my point of need.   He gave me clear direction and called me to India after my six months with YWAM is over.  While His call to India was clear I had no idea how He would open the door for ministry in India, or even where in India He wanted me to go.  So I prayed and waited for God to open a door.  Then about a month ago I was able to get in contact with a young woman I met about a year ago.  We originally met through a contact my dad made through his ministry.  For a year she had done work with women and children who had been sex trafficked in India; which is the same kind of missions work I have been called to do.  She is now married to an Indian Pastor.  We had spoken over the phone once about a year ago and she said if I was ever in India to come see her.  So I was able to get in contact with her again while I have been in Ireland.  She is now living in India, and God has called her and her husband to begin their own ministry to women who have been sex trafficked in India.  So not only did she invite me to visit India and stay with them but she also said they would love me to stay and work with them in the new ministry they are beginning.  Wow!  What an incredible opportunity and a huge answer to prayer!  

                The whole process of waiting on God to direct my steps, then the way He called me to take a trip to India, and then in the way He gave me a place to stay and an offer to enter into long term missions in India has been miraculous.  Right now the plan is that I will fly to India and stay there for about a month.  I will live with the young couple that I mentioned and they will teach me about the culture and take me to visit different ministries that are doing the same kind of work they will be doing in the future.  During this trip I will basically be doing missions reconnaissance.  I will be learning more about what it will take to do ministry in India long term and it will give me an opportunity to learn if God is calling me to India for ministry or not.  Another reason I am only going for a month is because I will have to come home and raise fulltime support if indeed God does call me back to India.    

                I have already applied for, and received my visa for the trip; praise God!  Now I am waiting for Himto provide the finances.  When I raised support for the missions training program with YWAM I was only budgeting for the six months that I would be with YWAM.  So my trip to India, so far is not funded at all.  But God has given me a very clear call, He has opened the right doors, He has provided the visa in time, and I know that He will provide the finances as well.  I will need money for a plane ticket to India and home again.  I will also need money for living expenses for the month I am in India.  So I am asking you to please join with me in the call.  I need financial support so that I can go to India and answer the call God has placed on my life to, “Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow” (Is. 1:17).  I want to thank you so much for all of the encouragement, prayers, and support that have been given in the past.  Because of the faith and obedience of the Body of Christ I have been given the privilege of entering into cross cultural missions and seeing God move in grace and power around the world.  Thank you so much for joining with me in ministry.

               

May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance,

               

 Bethany Carmichael

 

 In the Slums

 

In the city

Building Relationships in Dublin

Ireland - Weeks Three & Four:

(This update was written about a week ago… sorry for the delay.  I didn’t have internet access)

I can hardly believe that it has only been three and a half weeks since our arrival in Ireland.  With each new day I develop fonder affection for this country, for the ministry opportunities here, and for the people we meet along the way.  I can already tell that leaving Ireland will be a very difficult thing to do.  The first week back in Dublin has been absolutely amazing!  All week our group, of five people, has been working at Dublin Christian Mission (DCM).  DCM is an amazing place; located in the inner city of Dublin it reaches out to the children and youth of the working class in Dublin.  Throughout the week DCM hosts Christian clubs for different age groups of young people; from young children up through youth.  The building itself has a gym where they can play games and have sessions (or lessons), there is a lounge, a game room, a computer room, an art room, a snack bar, and a kitchen.  The staff that work there are dearly loved by every young person involved in the clubs, and by their families.  The sense of community and family that is found at DCM is very special.  Once you experience it, it draws you in; being able to work long term in that ministry would be a precious blessing.  In serving DCM this week we were able to work with a number of clubs, and we were also able to bless the leadership of DCM by thoroughly cleaning the entire building.  In all, we took four days to clean the three story building.  The leadership is very busy with the ministry itself, they have no one on staff to clean, and with dozens of kids coming in and out of the building every day the building was in dire need of some spring cleaning.  So we were able to bless and better equip the leadership of DCM, to carry out their ministry, by dedicating some time to just serving them through cleaning.   

 After the cleaning was done, one of the leaders of the clubs took us around to the flats where a number of the kids, who attend club, live.  We were able to see kids who had been in and out of the DCM during the days we were cleaning; we met their parents, got to experience the tight nit community they are a part of, and we learned a lot about the history and heritage of the people.  We learned about things I had never heard before, things you won’t read in your history books.  We were told about oppression, abuse, and corruption that many of the Irish people experienced in the, not so distant, past.  We heard some personal stories, and as for myself, it gave me a greater passion and love for the people of Ireland; an even greater appreciation for who they are, their way of life, and their culture. 

By the end of the first week back in Dublin I had worked with the Sunshine club (4-8 year olds), the Unity Girls club (10-12 year old girls), with a boys club (about 10-12), and with the Teen club.  It was a great week!  The kids where absolutely amazing; so much fun!  During the Teen club I actually met and played soccer with a young man who has been recruited to the Liberty University men’s soccer team.  He will be going there in the fall.  Because we had soccer as a common interest I was able to engage in conversation with him; I continue to find that soccer is indeed a universal language unlike anything else.  On Sunday we attended a church where many kids and staff from DCM go.  We met up with the young man who will be going to Liberty and with two other guys who are apart of DCM.  And since then, we have been able to meet up with them and spend some time with them on a number of occasions.  It has been so good being able to form connections and build friendships through the work we’ve been able to do here.  I am really excited, in particular, about having met the young man who will be going to Liberty in the fall.  It has been great being able to continue building a friendship with him; I don’t believe it was just a coincidence.  I was able to offer him my family’s home as a place for him to stay during school breaks, since he will not be able to come home to Ireland.  Being able to form these relationships has been more encouraging than I can say.  On Monday, May 2^nd, we will be leaving Dublin and heading to Cork for a month.  Though I am excited about going to Cork, I am really going to miss all of the people we have met during our time here in Dublin. 

This week, the second week of our return to Dublin, we have been working at the Light House, feeding the homeless.  We have sorted clothes, organized the clothes closet, made a lot of sandwiches, and served a lot of hot food.  On average, there about 150 people who come through the soup kitchen, on any given night.  So during our two weeks in Dublin we have worked with kids, teens, homeless, and we have also been able to bless a couple of local ministries that are doing an incredible job of bringing the light and hope of Jesus Christ to the people of Dublin.  It has been such a blessing to join with these amazing people; to witness their faith in action, and to see a glimpse of their great love for the Irish people.  It has been an incredible two weeks of ministry.  God is moving mightily in Ireland and the work of His kingdom is very evident in Dublin; we have been so blessed to be able to be a part of it.  Please pray for Dublin Christian Mission, that the good work they are doing will continue, that it will be blessed, and that they would continue to see the fruit of their labor.