Life in all its Fullness

I recently spent a weekend at Wistaston Hall, Crewe (www.orc-crewe.org/wistaston-hall/) at the Oblate Summer School.  The theme of the weekend was ‘Standing on their Shoulders’ and the sessions were led by Edwina Gateley, a fascinating woman who hails from Lancaster. Edwina founded the Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM) and she now lives in the USA where she reaches out to women in drugs and prostitution – see her website: www.edwinagateley.com. Over the weekend Edwina shared stories of a number of extraordinary women, whose lives have made, and continue to make, a lasting impact on our world – environmentalists, martyrs, reformers, mystics and writers.

One of the women whose story Edwina shared was Brenda Myers-Powell.  Brenda suffered sexual abuse in her childhood and went on to become a prostitute for 25 years until, one day, seriously injured after being thrown out of a car and dragged along the ground, she asked God to help her - she ended up in a ‘safe house’ run by Edwina. Brenda experienced compassion and healing and, in 2008, this strong woman together with another, Stephanie Daniels-Wilson, founded the Dreamcatcher Foundation (http://thedreamcatcherfoundation.org/), which fights to end human trafficking in Chicago. Brenda’s moving account of her life can be read here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33113238.

Women's Crisis Drop-in Centre with the
SURVIVE-MIVA funded van outside.

Hearing and reading about Brenda’s life and Edwina’s role in it brought to mind the work of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Cagayan de Oro, the Philippines (featured in issue 57 of SURVIVE-MIVA’s magazine, Awareness: http://www.survive-miva.org/downloads/Awareness57.pdf). The Sisters run a Women’s Crisis Centre, which provides shelter for women and children at risk from human-trafficking gangs. I reproduce here, once again, the words of Sr. Leah Ann Espina, Director of the Centre: “Being the most industrial city in the region, the urban sprawl and poverty is enormous, and the lack of available jobs means that combined with limited education, many young women and children are forced into prostitution and begging, becoming victims of illegal ‘recruiters’ who promise a better future for them. In reality, they end up trafficked to other parts of the country or even to neighbouring countries on falsified documents, and our interviews with them reveal that ninety percent of them have been abused in some form in their home villages and family environments before they came to the big city – they mistakenly see it as a form of escape.”

A SURVIVE-MIVA grant of £10,800 enabled the Sisters to purchase a van to tour the slum areas i

The Sisters with the SURVIVE-MIVA funded van
on the day of its delivery.

n order 

to educate women on their dignity, rights and responsibilities, and also to take the women & children staying at the Women’s Crisis Centre for medical check-ups, court hearings, activities outside the Centre and for home visitations.

The Good Shepherd Sisters face many difficulties (even death threats from organised criminals) but they are determined to support the women and children who are in danger. As Sr. Leah Ann told SURVIVE-MIVA, the Women’s Crisis Centre is there to:

‘Seek ways and means for girls and women to be liberated from all forms of exploitation, abuse and discrimination and to take opportunities to enjoy
 fullness of life.’

As Brenda Myers-Powell affirms:-

"So I am here to tell you - there is life after so much damage, there is life after so much trauma. There is life after people have told you that you are nothing, that you are worthless and that you will never amount to anything. There is life - and I'm not just talking about a little bit of life. There is a lot of life."

As Jesus promises (John 10: 10-11):-

'The thief comes only to steal and destroy.
I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.'

Volunteer Women Advocates pose with the new van from SURVIVE-MIVA
after a monthly meeting at the Drop-in Centre.

Theresa Codd
Assistant Director (Development), SURVIVE-MIVA