Posted in General Posts by Karina Cortes on 12/13/2011
Dear Friends and Family and Supporters
I would love you to follow me on this journey called life and to see how the Lord teaches me and uses me. I am looking forward to seeing you and your comments :-) on my new website.
Love,
Karina
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Posted in Home by Karina Cortes on 11/15/2011
Since I've been back in Birmingham I have had the opportunity to do outreach with The Wellhouse Inc. in Birmingham, the only organization in B'ham to provide shelter and care 24/7 to victims of human trafficking and for women forced into prostitution.
The first time I went to outreach we went to one of the seedy motels and I just prayer walked. Two of my favorite songs to sing on outreach is Freedom Reigns by Jason Upton and Break Every Chain by United Pursuit Band. While we were prayer walking we met this one guy, who claimed to know the Lord but was a wolf in sheep clothing. We gave him one of the fliers, asking him if he would pass along our info to any girl he knew could use our help. At about this time Maggie* peeked out her door, and then quickly shut it again. He told us that she wouldn't want any help, and then left us. We believe he was either her pimp or drug dealer. Well, we decided to pray outside her door for a while and she came out and thanked us for praying for her. Two of the women with our group just started pouring out the love of Christ on her. She accepted the flier and with tears in her eyes thanked us for praying for her.
The next week we got news that she went home to her parents and with the flier in hand told her dad that when she woke up to call these praying ladies and to come get her! Turns out that day, hours before we showed up she prayed that the Lord would send her an angel and get her out of the miss she was in. She later said, that the Lord didn't just sent an angel, he sent an army of them! She is currently receiving treatment and love at the Wellhouse!
A few weeks later I went with a group to the seediest motel in Birmingham to do ministry. There we met Michael* who was curious to what we were up to. He shared the Word with us, what he had been learning at church, the ministries they are involved in and he shared about his wife and how she worked at the church. We shared with him about the ministry of the Wellhouse and asked him if he wanted some fliers to hand out to any women who might be involved in prostitution. He said that he would take some. While we were talking with him, the Lord told me that this man was a warrior. I wanted to encourage but because the opportunity didn't come, I kept my mouth shut. We walked to another hotel and started praying there. While we were praying Michael showed up again, asking for more fliers! I then told him that I had been studying Ephesians and that he was fully equipped with the armor of God and was a warrior for Him. He said it was no problem to do the Lord's work. We gave him a few more fliers and then off he went going to different businesses and gas stations asking them to post the fliers on their property! I thank the Lord for my short encounter with Michael* not only a warrior but he too is an angel fighting against the evil that is human trafficking. As the lyrics say in Break Every Chain, "There is an army rising up, to break every chain, there is power in the name of Jesus."
* Names changed
How to Pray:
Please pray for those who are getting counseling at the Wellhouse. Pray for us as we do outreach on Monday afternoons that we would be bold. Pray for the leadership that they will listen to the Lord as He directs them in their leadership.Finally, pray that freedom will reign in Birmingham as He sets the captives free.
Thank you,
Karina
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Posted in nicaragua by Karina Cortes on 7/16/2011
What is love? One of the definitions from the dictionary is
"a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent,
child or friend."
The past month I have experienced so much love, whether I'm
giving it or receiving it.
I have seen complete strangers come together for one
purpose- to serve the Lord and to go deeper in their relationship with Him as
they live in community; and oh how they love each other- it's beautiful. They
have learned to prefer each other over themselves. They give positive and
constructive criticism because they really do want to see their teammates grow
in their walk.
I have seen my teammates love on the forgotten. They have
danced their little hearts out, just to see a child smile. A child who may not
get to smile often. We have held children who do not know how to be held. We have
seen children come to our program with a frown on their face, and leave with a
smile.
The past few weeks I have developed a relationship with this
one 8 year old boy, named Alex. The second Sunday we were there he was playing
marbles with his friends. He tried to explain the game to me, and I think that
I pretty much got the jest of it. Once it came to actually start the Sunday
activities, I noticed that he was sitting by himself. I got him to join in with
us. For some reason he was frowning, so I tickled him until I could get him to
smile. Little did I know that we had just become best friends. A few days later
we were doing our program in his barrio. He came up to me, very excited- of course,
and started tickling me. We then started a tickle war between us and a few of
his other friends, Byron, Marcelo, and Javier. It was EPIC.
The next Sunday we had a very special children's church. Nicaragua had
just celebrated Children's Day, so we did a very special program with puppets,
new dances, 5 clowns, a few dramas and a piņata! Alex was late, but he ended up
coming and didn't leave my side. He even came back for adult church at 3 pm. He
saw me and was so excited and just waved. As soon as the service was over, he
came over to me and told me "te quiero mucho."
Jesus said in John
15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone would lays down his
life for his friends." Jesus showed us great love by laying down His life for
us. The least I can do is live my life for Him and experience His love through
the people in Nicaragua.
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Posted in nicaragua by Karina Cortes on 6/28/2011
For those of you who know me, you know that I do not like
beans. Well guess what we've been eating...if you guessed beans you guessed
correctly. For some reason though, these beans, I've been able to tolerate-
Thanks be to God! He's given me the ability to eat beans and not throw up. 555
There are so many cute babies around me. We live in a
compound that houses children from all ages the youngest being 5 and the oldest
being in their mid-twenties. While we are here we go out to the barrios
(neighborhoods, slums). My heart broke for this little one year boy. I tried to
converse with his grandmother. From what I was able to understand, he was ill.
The doctors didn't know what was wrong with him. He may have fluid in his brain.
He could not hold his head up right. I invited them to our program, they did
not come, but I went back to their house after and asked if I could pray for
them. She invited me inside and he was lying in his crib, not being able to
hold his head upright. My heart broke and I did the only thing I knew how to do
was pray. I am asking you to do the same. Pray for healing for this precious
little boy. He did not show any expression at all on his face, and his
grandmother did what she only knew how to do was love him.
Bailar. That's right. The past few weeks we have been
dancing in the streets. We go to the barrios and invite children and adults to
watch our program. We dance to silly songs, songs that praise Jesus, and we do
dramas. Dramas that are comedic and dramatic. We pray for the children and
invite them to come to the church. It's not the easiest thing I've ever done,
but it's rewarding. It's amazing to see what the Lord does through our
abilities or lack there of. He is getting glory out of us, all we have to do is
be willing.
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Posted in Home by Karina Cortes on 5/27/2011
The last four months have been: challenging, growing, heart-breaking, inspiring, hard, exhausting, and good. God has taught me so much about myself and about what He is doing around the world. He has grown me in boldness and confidence. He has brought freedom to my life and is bringing freedom to Cambodia, Thailand, India, and Atlanta. Jesus came to set the captives free, and as His child I was able and will continue to be His hands and feet in that area at home and abroad. He has taught me that He is in the business of redeeming and restoring, not just myself but whole cities like Pattaya and Atlanta. He is the true King who reigns! He brings healing not just to me, but to the beautiful Thai women in English class. Following Him requires sacrifice-whether it's giving up time away from friends and family to serve Him; or modern conveniences, but it is worth it because He is worth it. Why? Because He gave Himself, the ultimate sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. Why would I not want to sacrifice my all for Him?!? The Lord rained down His favor and me and our team. We were walking in the "F.O.G" all four months as one teammate put it (Favor of God). We were blessed with incredible ministries and surrounded by contacts that poured into us. I have learned to surrender my desires and dreams to Him, it's not easy, but it's so worth it! He has taught me how to listen to His voice and how good it is to obey Him! He has shown me what it is like to overcome the darkness and to be an instrument of His glorious, marvelous Light. He has shown me and taught me about Hope, Love, Peace, Grace, Mercy, Justice, Faith, and has given me a Fire that the enemy of darkness will never extinguish!
Eph. 6:12 says: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
In other words, our battle isn't against traffickers, pimps, Johns, house moms, slave-traders, and mamasans. But against Satan and his minions who use greed, lust, and power to bring about evil in this world.
I'm not saying that these people are not responsible for their actions, because they are! I want them to be brought to justice, but more than that I want them to know Jesus Christ! There is a greater force behind them, and he is the true enemy. For in reality, we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. However, He is faithful and true to forgive us our sins and bring us into community and fellowship with Him. What a mighty God I serve. It was such a privilege to serve Him in this capacity the past four months. I can't wait to see Him use me in the next two!
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Posted in General Posts by Karina Cortes on 5/11/2011
A few days ago I went to Starbucks with my team. After being there for a few hours, I was bored and wanted a change in scenery. Heather was going to go to meet up with Laura (our squad leader) and I decided I would go with her. Little did I know that this decision would change my life.
When we found Laura, she was telling us that the Real Life staff was looking for leaders for this Summer, then she asked me if I would like to be one. Right then and there she asked me to pray about it. So I did, and I actually listened to see what He had to say. He spoke over all my doubts and said very encouraging, "Go for it." I asked Laura why she thought I should be a leader. She said that she would like to see me in a leadership position. She then asked me why I don't want to do this, because the reasons I didn't want to were the reasons that I should. The first obvious reason was that I wanted to go home, I wanted to be with my small group and my friends. I have really missed the teaching at Brook Hills and that community so much, I was ready to go back. The other reason, was that I didn't think I could actually be a leader. I have been around some amazing leaders these past 4 months and I don't think I could do what they do.
So I told Laura I would have to talk to my parents about it, but that I was pretty sure the Lord was leading me to do this. Well, at house church, that "pretty sure" turned into a "YES". I got so much confirmation at our contacts house church. We met a friend at her apartment and I asked her, "What are y'all studying?" She said that their house church was "Spirit led" so they study whatever the Spirit tells them too. That kinda freaked me out. I don't know what that means, but okay.
So during worship one of the guys from the group stood up and said, that he felt the Lord saying that he just wants us to say "yes". He looked right at me when he said this. Heather looked at me and knew what I was thinking. Then someone said that the "Lord wants to exceed our expectations" of course He does, He want us to be so dependent on Him that we can't but trust that He will. Then I got another confirmation, someone said that we can't turn down things because we aren't "qualified" He qualifies us. I felt like the Lord was telling me that I am ready for this, that He will supply and provide and guide me in this next step. One of my team mates was praying for me and said that Acts 13:2 came into her head. It talks about how Paul and Barnabas were "set apart" for the Work of the Lord. The Lord has set me apart to lead this trip. The funny thing about Acts coming into her head, is that I had been studying Acts for the past 4 months and have been learning so much about Peter, Philip, and Paul's missionary journeys. Learning from the early church.
As if I needed anymore confirmation I called my mom. I told her that I felt the Lord leading me to lead a real life trip. I was expecting a lot of opposition, because I faced it before when I decided to go on the Race. But surprisingly she said that she would support my decision.
I told Laura I would do it and the next few days were filled with talking to people at AIM and having interviews. I kept waiting for them to say no to me. But they didn't. When I was told that I was accepted and that they would love to have me as a leader. I was so excited and I felt so much love for the girls I was going to spend the next few months with. It's weird, how can I love people that I haven't even met, but I do. It's only through the Lord and by the Lord that I can.
I was talking to another squad mate about it and he was really encouraging when he said that I would make mistakes, but that it'll be okay. God is sovereign.
The hardest part about this process was telling my small group that I would not be home this Summer. It will be hard to be away from my family and friends, but as I told my friend Sarah, what else would I be doing? Working a job that I didn't like? I want to invest in people as they go through this journey! I'm excited to see how much they are going to grow and how much I am going to grow.
A selfish reason for doing this is, that one day I hope to be overseas, and I will have teams come to me, so I need to be a leader so that I will know how to communicate to leaders. But I'm so excited for this summer. It's going to be awesome! It's going to be hard. I've already vowed to be better at communicating this Summer than I was the last four months!
Please pray for me as I go through this weird transition of saying goodbye to my team, squad, and going back "home" only to enter into a new community. It's going to be a bittersweet next few weeks. Also pray for the $1500 that I have to raise...if you feel led to support me just click on the support me tab! :-)
I'll be leading a team to Nicaragua where we will be in Jinotepe doing evangelism, preaching, construction, service projects, door 2 door, working at a senior center and rehab center. Plus a lot more! Thank you for all your support.
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Posted in Atlanta by Karina Cortes on 5/5/2011
I know that Human Trafficking is a world wide issue, but I never knew how much it really is prevelant here in the US. I've seen more darkness here than I have seen anywhere else. I thought walking down streets in Pattaya was shocking, I was even more distraught seeing what I saw in strip clubs in Atlanta.
The spiritual atmosphere in India is thick, but so is prayer walking through hotel's in red light districts in Atl.
Before this trip I prayed, "Open up my eyes to the things unseen." While prayer walking through a hotel I closed my eyes. I was scared by what I saw. I saw an evil spirit, maybe a demon. When I opened my eyes I heard shouting and the sound of something breaking. I heard what that spirit was attacking. I told the Lord, next time I want to see angels, and He did. The following week we prayer walked through the ghetto. Our contacts had befriended a pimp and so we went to pray for him. I asked that we would pray for the world. When he said that I thought of the song "waiting for the world to change" I prayed that he would be a change agent- the good kind.
see, Human Trafficking is so much bigger than us. It's a spiritual battle. That's why I think this is what makes it so dark. The enemy wants people to get trafficked to lose all hope, to be eaten away by the flesh and to endulge in it. But the Lord is all about redeeming people and restoring them. It's a battle. There are angels on God's side and demon's on the other side and Man in the middle on both sides. Which side do you want to be on?
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Posted in Home by Karina Cortes on 4/18/2011
In one of my past blogs I wrote about how the Lord had a season in my life still left in Alabama before I move to Thailand. I was going to wait till the end of these month to share that with you, my faithful blog followers, but I woke up at 3 am this morning thinking about this Kingdom Dream of mine and couldn't sleep until I wrote this down. I think the Lord wants me to share with you now, so that you can be praying on how you can be involved these next few weeks so that when I get back "home" your heart is already prepared.
For those of you who don't know, human trafficking occurs right her in Alabama. It is a source, transit, and destination state. Run away girls are at high risk of being trafficked. Many girls are brought from South America to Atlanta and travel through Alabama to get there. I read an email about how a mother sold her daughter as a prostitute in Homewood. That's right quaint little Homewood is not exempt from the evils of human trafficking. Before I left for this trip one of the officers that I know for work told me a story of human trafficking in Alabama.
He pulled over a van because the driver was swerving. When all the passengers had gotten out of the car there were 10-20 women that gotten out of the car. ( I don't remember the exact number). The traffic told the officer that he was taking these women to Atlanta to sell. He was going to get $500 a head. At the time Alabama didn't have a law against human trafficking and because of a lack of resources and space the officer had to let them go. there was no where to house these women. Bluntly put he didn't want to go through all the red tape in Washington to help these women and didn't have the tine. THIS IS NOT OK. Now don't get angry at the office because sometimes when you don't know what to do, it's easier to do nothing. That's why I want to do something. Here's what that something looks like for me. See this story has haunted me the whole time I've been overseas.
While I was in Peru my small group and I realized that we were so willing to be a "missionary" oversea's but not in our own country. I now saw this new truth in a different light- I am so willing and ready to go to Thailand and fight Human Trafficking, but it's taking place in my own backyard.
The Lord has place in my heart to have a transition/ safe house for these girls who are/have been trafficked in the Greater Birmingham area. A place where they can be safe, learn English, get health care, etc, while they wait for their t-visas or a way to get home.
I'm not going to lie, I'm kinda freaked out right now. Just like the disciples were when they saw Jesus walking on water. But Peter had faith and he got out of the boat. I'm a little frightened, but I have faith and I'm stepping out of the boat and into the water. I'm gonna keep my eyes focused on Jesus and hopefully I won't get distracted and sink. But if I do Jesus will be right there to pull me up.
I'm freaked out because I'm 24 years old. Starting a nonprofit was not part of "the plan". According to the plan I was to be married by now. According to the plan- I was supposed to be winning Oscars by now. HA how funny high school Karina is. Starting a non profit was the last thing I wanted to do when I was studying business. The plan was for me to work for someone. See, when you work for someone you have the security in knowing where your paycheck is coming from.
The final realization that the Lord has given me is that my job in this dream was just that-to dream it. My life long calling is to be in Thailand. So someone will need to eventually take over this. I don't know who. Maybe it's one of the first girls who come through. Maybe it's my parents after they retire. Maybe it's you? So now that you know will you join me in prayer? Pray and ask how the Lord will use you in this Kingdom Dream. Maybe you are supposed to help me do research and learn how to get a nonprofit started. Maybe you are supposed to teach English, or life skills, or help with health care. Maybe you are supposed to be a counselor.
Also, I will be in Birmingham in just a few months and will need a job. Could you start praying for me in that? Last time I checked I had a few hundred dollars in my bank account, and a house costs a lot of thousands. In order for me to get a loan, I have to have an income.
In conclusion, I'm really excited! I was up for three hours this morning because I was so excited! Are you excited? If not maybe you should re read this blog and start praying on how YOU will be a part of abolishing Human Trafficking in Alabama.
I can not wait to see you and hear your hearts and what the Lord will reveal to you. I
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Posted in India by Karina Cortes on 4/12/2011
Oh India, there are so many words to describe you. Most of them wouldn't be very complimentary. However, the word that has left it's mark on me the most is the one, "Broken". Only a person with a heart of stone could work in one of your slums and not be broken by what they see.
- Absentee fathers that have either gone to the city to work, or have died, or who have just abandoned the family altogether.
- Children who are so precious that are hungry not just for food but for love.
- Women who are strong, even though the men see them as weak. They are the ones who are providing for their families and raising the children.
- Violence- kids are constantly fighting each other, hitting each other not just with their hands but with sticks.
- I meet women who because they have borne daughters, their husbands have left them.
- A precious child of God, who because her two children died short after birth, her husband left her.
- Women who sell themselves so that their children can eat.
- Families who are so poor yet invite us into their homes and share what little they have with us.
- I am broken as I hear the call to prayer a couple of times each week as they seek out Allah and try to earn their way to Paradise.
- Broken by Hindus worshiping one of the 3 million gods knowing that none of the idols are mighty to save. (Isaiah 44:9-20)
- I am broken as I hear a false gospel preached on Sundays...the prosperity gospel.
One passage that I meditated on a lot while i was here was also from Isaiah. Isaiah was prophesying the Messiah.
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 53: 2-9
Christ was willing to be broken for us, because our sins broke His heart. He did all this so that we could have a relationship with his Father.
India is broken because most Indians do not know the Man of sorrows who carries their sorrows. I am broken because I want them to know this Man who has healed me with his stripes. Even though the physical needs are great, their spiritual needs are greater. The founder of World Vision once prayed, "God break my heart for the things that break yours". I too, have prayed that prayer and am broken.
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Posted in Thailand by Karina Cortes on 3/15/2011
For the past two and a half years I have been telling people that I am in love with Thailand. The first time I visited this country I was in Chiang Mai. I fell in love with that city. I was depressed my senior year in college because I knew I was supposed to be in Chiang Mai-be in Thailand and I wasn't. I wanted to drop out and move. My amazing friends and family helped me through that time and helped me trust in God's timing. What drew me to this trip was that we would be going to Thailand. I would be returning back to the country that I had fallen in love with 2 1/2 years ago. I'm not going to lie, I really really really wanted to go back to Chiang Mai. Mostly because I was afraid that if I went to any other city, and didn't love it, that I would have been a liar. I didn't want to realize that it was Chiang Mai that I was in love with and not Thailand. BUT God knew what He was doing when He sent my team (Arise60) to Pattaya and Bangkok. He reassured me that I AM in love with Thailand and Thai culture, and Thai people.
But why Thailand? On paper, Thailand doesn't seem like the country I would want to invest my life in. I mean, the food is spicy. The language is tonal and hard to learn. It rains a lot. It's humid. Why would God send me here? I don't know why, but I know that He is. Whenever I think about moving anywhere else, i get this gnawing feeling in my Spirit, that choosing somewhere else would be disobedient. Yes, I would LOVE to move back to California, but California is not Thailand. Yes, it would be easier to go to Peru, but Peru is not Thailand. Yes, I love my church family in Birmingham, but the Church at Brook Hills is not located in Thailand.
I'm not saying that once I get home, I'm packing my bags and moving to Thailand. I would like to, but I don't think my season in Alabama is quite over yet. (insert sigh of relief from friends and family here :-))
I am saying that I am going to move to Thailand someday, and I love all the three cities that I've been, so Lord, if you want me to move to Chiang Mai I will, or Pattaya, or Bangkok, or the village area I will.
For those of you who want to know how you can pray for me: please ask God to reveal to me which city He would have me to live in. Also ask what side of ministry I am best equipped for bringing HIs Kingdom and what platform to use. I believe that these next two months are going to be crucial in answering this second question. I just hope that I won't be oblivious and miss it.
Thank you!
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