Word Made Flesh is a contemplative community. One of the ways that we contemplate what God is doing in the world and in our lives is through the reflection articles that we write. We invite you to read, learn, and celebrate with us.
The Cry for Submission: Letter from the Editor by Emily Fales
My First Trip To A Bolivian Brothel
It’s pouring rain. In a time of the most severe drought this country has known in decades, there’s no room for complaining about the wet and cold. We welcome the storm, although it does complicate our objective. We walk into the first brothel; only red lights illuminate the shadows of utter darkness inside. The heavy…
Travel, Transitions, And All Of The Things
Well I arrived safe and sound here in the Land of a Thousand Hills with NO complications at immigration! (Can I get an AMEN?!) It has been a pretty busy week. Traveling/getting to know the city, bible studies, shared community Rwandan meals, and a welcome dinner! Did I mention how thankful I am that Shelbye has been…
We Finally Have Our Own Space!
This year has brought us so much change. We finally have our own space! A new Community Center! We bought a condo, a semi- basement, about 2,000 square feet, and have transformed the dusty bare brick shell into an inviting, colorful labyrinth of rooms. As we (WMF Moldova staff) visited with friends in the U.S. this month,…
Looking Forward To The Future With Hope
When we came to visit Annete she was sitting on the floor of her two-room house organizing the bag of clothes a friend from church had donated to her. It is rare that any of our friends in Kangondo—a slum nestled in between two of Kigali’s wealthiest neighborhoods—are able to find work, so Annette’s gift of clothes to…
Mourn With Those Who Mourn
It’s September in Kroo Bay, an expansive area located on the coastline in central Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. Home to more than 6,000 people, this community is primarily made up of makeshift structures pieced together from bits of scrap metal, sticks, garbage, and mud. The neighborhood lies at the bottom of a large hill…
Growing Up in the Red-Light District
When she was eight, Janis and her family moved into a simple home in downtown El Alto, a chilly urban outgrowth of Bolivia’s administrative capital, La Paz. Growing up, Janis and her three sisters loved the new neighborhood, where the streets were often jammed with public transportation and market stalls. They were a vulnerable household however;…
Meet The Summer Interns
We love having interns around the office. This summer we’ve been lucky enough to have two talented young ladies join our team. Say hello to Toria and Krista ! Meet Toria University: Asbury University Hometown: Nicholasville, KY Why did you want to intern…
Mother’s Day in Bolivia
Yesterday we celebrated Mother’s Day and the drop-in center was filled to the brim! Fourteen years after the official launch of the ministry, I scanned the faces of all who came and was struck by the layers of history and the stories represented. Weddings, births and funerals. Suicide, alcohol, rape. Redemption. Survival. Growth. Little ones…
Life Here
Life here in Bangkok is all about the little moments. It’s pausing to look around in the park and seeing my Thai friends teaching taekwondo to a class of 20 children from low-income families, the elderly group over by a cluster of trees doing tai-chi in yellow shirts, a handful of young parents watching their…
The Process Of Restoration
The renovations at our new Community Center have been under way since January and progress is visible. Last week one of our pre-teens came to see the place for the first time and exclaimed with delight, “Hey, you could actually live here!” I am so glad she saw that side of the coin as I…