Written by Barb Dunn, Beauty for Ashes Short-Term trip: Costa Rica, June 2018
A team of 12 ladies flew to San Jose, Costa Rica in June to hold several Beauty for Ashes retreats. We stayed at the Casa Transforma House, which is an awesome ministry that not only prepares women with work skills, but is a safe place for women to share “their stories” of heartache and pain.
It was an honor and a joy to be used by God to listen and pray over several beautiful women. We heard many painful stories, but God was faithful to heal hurting hearts with His love. He gave beauty for their ashes of pain. One of the ladies asked why God wanted her to talk about the hurts in her heart. God wanted her to know His scripture in Luke 8:17 that says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” As she understood the meaning of the truth, God’s truth was revealed to her. God wants to take the hurt so it doesn’t have a hold on us anymore. This is what happens when we share our stories. It was a joy to see her being freed of the weight of her burden. As we cried with the ladies and hugged them, many said they felt the love of Jesus.
One of the team members, Jean, brought some paper crowns so each lady received one so they could decorate it with gems, scriptures and truths. As the crowns were completed, we all went outside and shouted our “truth” to the mountains. It was truly a prophetic act that reinforced what the Lord was doing in their hearts. Each lady felt special and knew that they were princesses of the most high God.
Jesus told us in Isaiah 61:1 that, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives and to open prison doors to those that are bound.”
I believe that our team was powerfully used by God this week to allow freedom to come to hurting women. It was a privilege and an honor to be used by God to bring His love, mercy and grace to so many hurting ladies.
I am looking forward to my next Beauty for Ashes trip. Being part of the Lord’s plan to bring healing to a world of hurting people is what I long to do. I so appreciate the ministry that God has formed and the healing that the Beauty for Ashes program is providing women all over the world.
In His Service,
Barb Dunn
