Victims of Sexual Violence Ministry Archives

Picture of Simeon from the Democratic Republic of Congo

21Sep

The Man with the Golden Heart

Nothing adequately prepares one, nor is one ever the same, once exposed to the savageries of war. The hidden scars of Simeon Muhunga bear witness to that chapter of his life.

05Sep

Triumph Over Shame

The bright colors and smiling faces of these young women in DR Congo exude contagious joy! Though they have endured pain and shame at the deepest level, they have made the choice to rise up and believe that they can have a future and a hope, despite the toughest odds a woman in Africa can face.

08Aug

A Different Kind of Beautiful

Life is full of contrast. In my travels to various places, I’ve found this reality to be stark and resonant, yet bursting with color and wealth far beyond material riches.

Picture of girls in Kenya enjoying pizza

22Jun

Pizza Party!

Multiple faces squished together and crowded the center of my camera’s viewfinder. Feet clad with shoes purchased by many of you triggered raucous laughter and excitement in the courtyard at Cindi’s Hope in Nairobi, Kenya. Oh, and it was also Pizza Party Day! …A treat we came to provide along with ice cream, seldom experienced by these kids.

Fred and Judith, partners of the Victims of Sexual Violence Ministry of Heaven's Family

22Jan

Meet The Kiwanukas

In November of last year I had the privilege of traveling to Uganda to meet Fred and Judith Kiwanuka. They hosted me at Divine Holistic Ministries (DHM) in Jinja, which they founded ten years ago.

Picture of 7-year old Gabriella who emptied her life savings to give a wheelchair to a child in Africa

01Dec

Gabriella’s Gift

When Gabriella learned of the plight of the poor in Africa and how Jesus has called us to give to those in need, her 7-year-old heart was moved to action. She made the choice to empty her life's savings and mailed it to Heaven’s Family as an act of love for Jesus and obedience to His Word. She didn't realize how much her gift was about to change a life!

picture of Rebecca of Rwanda smiling, teary-eyed

10Oct

“I Love to Pray”

My heart broke as I learned of how Rebecca (not her real name) suffered in silence for so many years. But she was not the only one.

25Jul

Songs of Thankfulness

I have just returned from my first trip to Africa as director of the Victims of Sexual Violence Ministry. I was fortunate enough to visit the Women of Wellness (WoW) Center, in Goma, DR Congo, for the graduation ceremony of quite a few talented and truly special young women. This place is filled with treasures of inestimable worth; beautiful women who have overcome great hardship, poverty and oftentimes tragedy. But they never cease to inspire me with their tenacity as they face each new day with thankfulness.

Representative picture of "Sarah" for Victims of Sexual Violence Ministry

28Apr

Hope for the Silenced

The Victims of Sexual Violence Ministry works in many poor nations around the world to help those who have been sexually exploited and abused, but this kind of tragic victimization also happens right here in the US and other developed nations. So when the Lord recently opened a door for a partnership to be forged between the VOSV Ministry of Heaven's Family and the organization of longtime friend Julie Rigsby—right here in my native Texas—it immediately felt like the Lord's leading.

01Mar