Linwood House Ministries

Hope: A Guest Post

Hope. At Linwood House, that is exactly what I experienced—a little taste of the hope that is stored up for us in heaven.

By Julie Clark

I’m no theologian, but I think we all yearn for things to be set right. For there to be no pain. For there to be no struggles in life. And we all, all long for that ‘rightness’.

At Linwood House, I was there to see how “The Journey” looks, feels, and tastes… with the purpose of replicating it for the women we serve here in Columbus who have been caught up in Human Trafficking and street prostitution. But I did more than ‘observe’. I dove right in! I was able to reflect on and discover more of why doma seeks to serve women and children who have been victimized and traumatized. Linwood House reminded me that we ALL desire to taste a little more hope.

For 3 whole days, I could do nothing but be immersed in that hope from God. Everything-- the breathtaking ferry ride to Linwood, the beautiful landscaping around the house, attention to detail in the house-- the soft, cozy beds, the conversation over coffee, the guided art exploration led by an amazing artist, Pamela Masik…. Everything spoke of God’s hope.

The beautiful women on The Journey, and the women that doma works with who have been living on the streets- worn, torn, addicted, and broken— women who have been victimized and traumatized their entire lives, have lived with so much pain. These are women who have never lived outside of a cycle of poverty and abuse… you hear their stories, and you know that there must be a God who will set all things ‘right’. They need hope to break free from these cycles, to be healed and to live in freedom. And I was reminded over and over again that we ‘were all once slaves’- that we all need God’s hope.

Several times, Pamela asked for the ladies on The Journey to participate in exercises to help them process their thoughts. At times, it was really intense—with several ladies processing deep trauma out loud with friends, and sometimes silently through their art. With each guided activity, I saw the onlooking volunteers, one by one, pick up a paintbrush and give in to the ‘pull’ to participate. Why? Because we too had ‘stuff’ in our heads – and we were given a safe place to explore—knowing, hoping that God will set all things right…

At Linwood House, curling up in the library on a rainy day with the fireplace burning, with shelves and shelves of books, I was reminded that I am just a broken vessel, to be used to reflect God’s glory, to exist to be an ambassador of truth… and that I, too, need to be continually redirected to God’s hope. But we all can be messengers of this hope, the hope that is stored up for us in heaven. In the same way that a tiny flower can send the message, or a work of art, or a 3 course meal on sparkling china, we too can commit to send this message of God’s hope to everyone that crosses our paths… because surely, if we all long for ‘rightness’, we all can point to God’s hope!

The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven… that has come to you!
Colossians 1:5-6

Julie's love for Russia began in 1993, when she was just a teenager. Returning home from a brief trip visiting orphanages, her eyes were opened to the injustices and human rights abuses that others in this world face daily. Knowing then that she wanted to someday start an organization to address these issues, she began exploring what that might look like. Formal studies in Special Education, International & Comparative Education, School Administration, and International Human Rights Law, prepared her for some of the complexities of working in cross cultural contexts. Working for several nonprofits along the way, she and her husband launched doma international, working with vulnerable women and orphaned children across the globe. Her entire family has been pulled into this engaging and rewarding life. With a supportive husband and 3 amazing children (ages 3 and under!), they divide their time between Columbus, Russia, Ukraine, Ethiopia and Uganda.

The Artist's Way

"Love of beauty is Taste. The creation of beauty is Art." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last week we celebrated the June Journey (photos here) with full three days devoted to the creative expression of art. We were privileged to have Pamela Masik with us as a guest facilitator, but more importantly, an artist with a beautiful heart for women who are journeying to hope and healing.

What I loved most was that there were a variety of different mediums used to help the women express and tap into the creative parts of themselves... painting, drawing, sketching and even journaling. The first day began with the women learning about tools they could use everyday. Adapted from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, The Morning Pages are three pages written as soon as you wake in the morning; no editing, no judging and even no re-reading. Just three pages of all that is on your mind, spilled out onto your page to create room for creativity. The Artist's Date is time carved out each week for just you, nature or music or anything that fuels your creativity.

On the second day the women had the chance to experiment with sketching and painting. Some chose to paint a still life, others chose to paint an abstract self portrait and they were all amazing! It's incredible to see how much gets expressed without any words at all, and each woman was so recognizable in her work without the need for explanation.

On the last day, each woman received a letter she had originally written to a person who has been an encourager in her life. The beautiful twist was that each letter was actually a letter of affirmation to themselves. It was very moving to see each one re-read that letter as if to herself, and to be open to receiving those words that are often so easy to give to someone else but not ourselves.

Woven into all of this time together was the growing awareness that God, the first and ultimate Artist, has gifted each one of us with creativity and beauty. It is that gift within us that allows us to see it in ourselves and in our world.

For the next eight weeks, each of these women will be participating in a weekly art class at Pamela's studio. They will continue to explore the artist within and us it as a way to express more of their healing journeys. Perhaps you too would like to experiment this summer with creativity, with Morning Pages or even the Artist's Date! We look forward to seeing where God takes each of us as we continue to journey into the hope of our stories.

The World Cup's Ugly Side

From Relevant Magazine, an article on an issue near and dear to our hearts, having lived through the Winter Olympics this year. (Thanks to our friend Tom Davis for bringing it to our attention.)

Human trafficking is always an issue, but grows even more prevalent at worldwide events like soccer's biggest stage.

By Jaime McIntosh, executive director for International Justice Mission, Canada

As the World Cup heats up in South Africa, new sporting controversies and legends are sure to grab our attention, as they have in years past. Devotees are sure to remember, for example, the exploits of Argentinean attacker Diego Maradona in the 1986 games. In addition to scoring what is remembered as "the goal of the century" in the quarter-finals match, Maradona had snapped what appeared to be a miraculous header past the outstretched goalkeeper. Dubbed the "Hand of God" goal after the match, Maradona later revealed that it had been a flick of his own hand--concealed by a quick head fake to evade detection--that illegally propelled the goal into the net.

But as we turn to this year's Cup (starting tomorrow), there is a far more serious form of illegal movement than a footballer's (or soccer player's) cunning play that demands our attention: human trafficking, a global phenomenon powered by coercion and deception, which may increase around major sporting events and other times of increased transnational movement.

Whether for forced labour or coerced sex, the global business of human trafficking is booming. In 2005, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that human trafficking had annual profits of $31.6 billion, making it the third-largest grossing sector of organized crime, after drugs and weapons. A crime against humanity, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime defines the act of human trafficking as one of "... recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them."

South Africa, home of the 2010 World Cup, has been documented as a source, transit and destination country for trafficking in men, women and children, according to the U.S. State Department's 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report. That means people are trafficked from, through and into South Africa, some for labor, while others are forced into South Africa's many brothels. While South Africa has taken steps to pass a comprehensive anti-trafficking law, that legislation is caught up in a Parliamentary committee, where many believe it will languish for months--long after the World Cup leaves town.

Read the rest here

Broadening Horizons, Expanding Worldviews, and Coconut Cream Pie

As the last of the jet lag has cleared, we were back in the Great Room this week looking forward to a reunion with our friends... and what a great week it was.

On Tuesday evening, our supporter and friend Jodie Doerksen brought three grade 12 students from White Rock to the Great Room for an "official tour" of the downtown Eastside and to learn more about the ministry and what we do. Who else would we call on in a time like this? Of course, our friend Elizabeth. She arrived promptly at 6pm, dressed to the nines, and ready to show these young women her community. An hour and a half later they returned to the Great Room and, over dinner, we talked about all they saw and experienced, shared more of the heart of our ministry, and had great talks about how the journey into hope is what unites us all. They left that evening brainstorming about one or two special events they would like to plan at the Great Room this summer. This must be one of the signs of aging, but I was so encouraged to see a younger generation with hearts towards justice and hands that wanted to make a difference.

Thursday morning we gathered at the Great Room for our 11am Women's Circle. What awesome conversation. Over tea, croissants, cheese and strawberries Jen, Elizabeth, Grace and myself talked about life, relationships, recovery and God. I love Women's Circle, quite possibly one of my favorite times of the week. If it couldn't have gotten any better, our friends Jacynta and Jackie showed up. What you need to know about Jackie is that she is an amazing woman on a journey to Hope... and she is a phenomenal chef. As a welcome home offering to Jen and I, she walked through the door with a homemade coconut cream pie. Let me tell you, everything you're imagining it to be, it was--and more. And there is nothing like the laughter and conversation that unfolds with women as the circle broadens and dessert is involved. We devoured the pie, and as I looked around I felt full in every way and grateful for these women in my life.

This week we are headed to Linwood House for our June Journey. This Journey will be completely focused on art, and we are honored to have our friend Pamela Masik as our special guest and facilitator. If you don't know Pamela's story or her work be sure to check out  www.masik.ca.

I hope this week finds you in many circles of friendship, story and hope. And I hope there is dessert.

~ Sue Todd

Do you have a group that wants to learn more about the Downtown Eastside and our work there? Let us know... we can help!