International Women’s Day: My Thoughts & Three Conclusions

Author: Rebecca McDonald, Founder & President

As I’ve traveled the world, I have heard of horrific stories of the lack of rights, some unrepeatable. In many lands, a woman raped must have a witness because a man’s word is literally worth 2 women. If he comes up with a male witness to say the opposite, she must find 4 witnesses. I’ve discovered faith systems where the women are not allowed to take part in ANY part of the worship. They can cook for the men but have NO say in their faith. Should their family cease to produce a male, their faith dies completely out. Men can get a divorce just by saying so 3 times, but a woman can never divorce. In rare cases, if she does, she will never see her children again. Women are denied school, can’t hold jobs even if trained as doctors or lawyers, must not run a business…the list is endless.

Growing up as an American in lands where women and girls had next to NO rights had a profound effect on me. My home was a safe place where my voice was precious & heard. Being an only girl with 3 brothers helped with the “princess status.” But seriously, my parents took me seriously to the point that my word carried more weight than my older sibling due to our approach to things. I was treated like the oldest child in many ways. Meanwhile, outside my home, my girlfriends had almost no say. They were bought and sold in a marriage contract. The culture even had “marriage brokers” the same way we approach buying a home to find the right details, price, pedigree, etc. for the male family to “consider.”

Three distinct events left an impression on me.

1) You recall my 14-year-old village girlfriend was raped (by family), fought back, and had acid poured down her throat to “silence her” literally.


Nehru: My 14 yr. old girlfriend forever silenced with acid poured down her throat.

2) For the wealthy, it was even harder in some ways with more at stake. I remember 2 upper-class girlfriends. One, the daughter of the Minister of Education, a power elite family, “met and fell in love with” a high-class boy while in the USA getting their education. From the richest Bengali family, it was “OK.” BUT, they had to go through the charade of pretending it was an arranged marriage and they’d never met. Heaven forbid a woman should choose her own path…or a boy for that matter.

3) Then as an adult, I sat in the home of another wealthy family related to the nation’s President who babysat his young son. That night while my son played with the President’s son, their daughter came in angry from university classes. Her father had arranged a marriage to another wealthy family. The sisters of the “groom to be” came to “check her out” looking her up and down in the door of the classroom like she was “a cow for sale at the market.” She complained bitterly that any family whose women treated her like “property for sale” was not a home she wished to marry into. Very simply (so liberal of him), the father just said, “Ok…I’ll look for another.” She walked off happily. I sat thinking about the fact that she was submitting happily to his giving in yet still in charge of who she’d marry.

What Does All This Prove?

Simply that for all our progress as women, we have a long way to go in many lands. I have 3 conclusions from a lifetime of working to empower women.

l) I love America despite its many many flaws. I am a woman that founded an organization and has a voice in any setting and platform I wish to pursue. Yes, it may be that I have had to fight harder, dig deeper, swallow slights…but I am willing to do so if it means lifting the broken, the voiceless, the wounded, the hurting. At the end of the day, there is no slight, indignity, or put-down that compares to those of the lives we represent. So for them, we willingly take up that cross and march on. I’m patriotic not for apple pie, motherhood, or football, but for our right to speak out! I beg you to hold your rights as a privilege and luxury. The day we lose the right to speak freely, we are not a great nation anymore. I know what that looks like. I grew up with girlfriends that had no voice. We must always allow the voice of the silenced no matter whether we like its sound or not. It is what makes us great. When you silence anyone, you give predators power. Our right to free speech in every aspect is truly what sets us apart.

2) I am a mother of 3 boys (& 1 daughter), a sister to 3 brothers, grew up as an American surrounded by the “Taliban mentality,” & work with law enforcement and clergy (male-dominated). I know the world of men and I respect it. I don’t want you to bash my boys any more than my daughter. While we must find rights for women, we must not do it to the detriment of our boys. Fixing a wrong by going to extremes only hurts everyone in the end. I have an article on this on our website. Suffice it to say, All Voices Matter Regardless of Genders. We need to stick together to lift all voices in the fight for freedom.

3) Four decades of being the “Voice of the Silenced” proves those who suffer have the most profound insights. We’d be wise to listen first to them, the experts. They may not have the solutions to the problem politically, legally, or structurally. But their voices should be the template, the mentor, the guard rails that guide significant changes. To fix something without the insight of the experts is to not fix it at all. With 2 ears and only 1 mouth, listen first and twice as long. Then be the voice of the silenced no matter how small you think you are.

Passionate to be the Voice of the Silenced:
Becky
March 2022

Love After Trauma

Author: A Dear Survivor
February 21, 2022

Merriam Webster defines the essential meaning of love as “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person.” While that seems simple enough, after enduring traumas such as human trafficking, rape, abuse, etc., love’s definition becomes less clean cut. Love also begins to change shape after a traumatic experience like the ones stated above. For some of us, love becomes sleeping on the floor together, because beds are too much of a reminder of the things that have been done to us, and our bodies begin to seize up, leaving us unable to move – or sleep. Some of us can’t argue with our spouse because it’s a stark reminder of our past experiences and shutting down is the only way to cope. Sometimes, love looks like sleepless nights, wrapped in a weighted blanket and the arms of our spouse as we endure another anxiety attack that shakes us to the core of our being and leaves us sore, exhausted, and unable to communicate other than in soft whispers once it’s over.

The idea of finding love after trauma can be terrifying. While some of us had happier childhoods and others learned the feelings of abandonment from a young age, the one thing we all can agree on is that we can still feel the brokenness and betrayal long after we were wronged. For myself, my father taught me at a young age that I would never be good enough for any man to stay in my life, including him. I carried that with me for my entire life – admittedly, I still do – which led to continuous situations of abuse while accepting any “love” that may have wandered my way…because I craved being loved. When I found my husband, it was the most terrifying experience of my life, even more than the traumas I had already survived, because it was REAL love, it was POWERFUL love, it was a love that was kind and would never falter. What I didn’t realize was that this love would be the hardest for me to place my trust in – it was just too good to be true.

One of the first things I ask when I speak with other survivors is, “How did you learn to trust people again?” That question is often answered with a little smirk and a chuckle, knowing that’s a loaded question with a loaded answer. I ask them, mainly, because any advice I can get is valuable, but also because it truly is the one aspect most of us can relate to. Almost every time, the first sentence of their answer is, “it was really hard.” Then, I asked one survivor that loaded question, and she told me that her trust in God was so abundant that her trust in people was because of Him. She then wrote me a verse on the back of scrap paper about trust that I still hang in my home office to this day. Mind you, this incredibly strong, sweet, and wonderful woman had been trafficked and tortured after trusting in people, yet smiled the biggest, kindest smile I had ever seen and answered my question so confidently, there wasn’t a split second of time for her to even think about what she would say! I have to say, I was completely awestruck! How did she make it sound so easy!? Though I’m still working on the trust part myself, I have been blessed with a husband who is patient and kind, does not envy or boast, is not arrogant or rude, and whose love will never end.

After surviving trauma, love can “sometimes” look like many different things. However, for survivors and their spouses, love is always sitting through the highs and lows of a painful past that may never be fully understood. Love is always just being there for each other 100%, even when we may not be 100% ourselves, and knowing that is enough. Finally, love will always be full of forgiveness and overcoming any argument or situation without giving up!



Valentine’s Message

By Rebecca McDonald, Founder & President
February 10, 2022

Gruesome? Yes. Romantic? … Definitely!

What man restores the sight of a blind girl, the daughter of the judge who has called for his execution, and sends her a “valentine” farewell moments before being put to death? That is the story behind the annual expression of affection we know as Valentine’s Day. It began as a tribute to St. Valentine, imprisoned by the Roman Empire for many acts of kindness. Though his kindness resulted in a gruesome penalty, it illustrates a vital element of true love.

True love is the gift that expects nothing in return and does for others what no one else does. My favorite part of the legend is that he restored sight to a girl even though her father condemned him to death. True love—not puppy love, not blind love, but true love—does what is best for others. It restores vision and helps us see clearly.

Uncomfortable? Yes. Romantic? … Definitely!

A precious survivor, trained to be a ballerina, was trafficked as a child and later rescued by her daddy. When her future husband courted her, she pushed him away, saying, “You don’t want to love someone as broken as I am.” Wrapping her in his loving arms, he whispered back, “Yes, I do. That was not your fault. I love you just as you are.” In that safe embrace, she found healing, hope, and her voice. Today she speaks for WAR, telling her story to bring hope and healing to others.

When I asked her hubby, “What advice do you have for people dealing with survivors and intense trauma?” His answer was, “Patience. My wife sleeps on the floor. Beds are a trigger. I used to accept that and sleep on the bed next to her. Now I just sleep on the floor with her.” Those words melted our hearts. True love took him from a bed to the floor—hardly a comfortable life choice, but a loving one!

A Mother’s Love Raises Mighty Men

A little girl grew up wounded and abused. She found true love in a godly man, healed from her scars, and became a strong, determined woman of God. Together they raised three boys. She purposefully brought them up to be powerfully protective, loving, tender husbands and fathers. Before going home to heaven, she had one request: that funds given in her memory be used to help others find the healing she had found.

Her husband and sons came to visit me at WAR Headquarters. Their father smiling beside them, the three sons—now husbands and fathers themselves—spoke of their mom’s impact on them as they grew up, their voices becoming tender and gentle as they relived her story. As I listened, I saw the powerful effect of a strong woman raising strong boys to be mighty, protective men. As a mom, I had begged God to give me “eyes to see” and wisdom to raise strong yet tender men—men like my husband, who loves extravagantly and sacrificially. Now I sat in a circle of protective men like those of my own family.

As I fast and pray for funds in 2022, I am humbled and thankful for gifts that allow your donations to be doubled—and I am inspired by a tiny woman named Ann who heard me speak and was determined to change lives forever. Join her and others in helping the House of WAR establish emergency housing to provide shelter for women running from danger to safety.

Unconditional Love Gives Sight

As you read this, WAR partners are bravely walking the red light districts of the world with the message of unconditional love, the gift that asks for nothing in return. Night after night they faithfully invade the darkness, whispering, Come to the light. There’s healing and hope.

During our Circle Tours, we march into the most notorious red light district of Asia bringing gifts and a message of hope for women in captivity. We go with seasoned partners who will follow up with the women. One time in one bar alone, 24 women slipped notes to our partners with their phone numbers, paving the way for secret rescue.

During the Valentine season, these hellholes—not fun places to begin with—come alive with false promises of intimacy. Neither glitter nor neon lights nor darkness can hide the rats in the corners, the hollow look in the eyes of tiny girls, the lonely desperation of buyers, and the shrewd, calculating evil of predators who trade flesh for money, innocence for despair, and life for death.

Those who carry the Light of the World into such places have night vision: supernatural insight to cut through the glare and see others with God’s eyes. If you want to help, consider giving to our Outreach fund that allows us to distribute gifts and show kindness to those trapped in red-light districts throughout the world and here in the U.S.

Finding True Love

I can say from my own experience that a soul mate is the real Valentine. I watched my parents weather the valleys and mountains of life and stick together come hell or high water. When I found my perfect complement—my soul mate—I followed him around the world, and as a result, the House of WAR was established. My husband tells that story and many others in his new book, sold on our website. In chapter 5, as he tells “his side” of our love story, he says, A soul mate protects you from yourself. A soul mate won’t let success go to your head, failure go to your heart, fear go to your confidence, or loss go to your soul.

This Valentine’s Day we are apart once again as I speak and travel to share the message of WAR. We gladly give up this time each year to serve others with the unconditional love. This Valentine’s Day, ask yourself what act of love you can extend to those in need, to those little men and women you are raising, and to those who love you unconditionally. One thing is certain: giving is more blessed than receiving!

With Unconditional Love for Valentine’s Day,

Becky McDonald



Christmas Around the WAR World!

Christmas Around the WAR World

For many of us, Christmas is often a time where we experience feelings of warmth and nostalgia as we recall happy holiday memories and anticipate creating new memories with those dear to us. We plan weeks, maybe even months, in advance to organize the perfect holiday gathering and choose the perfect gifts for those we love.

While Christmas began as a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ, people from all over the world have embraced this festive season and added their own traditions along the way. Celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike, Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a cultural event. While every family may have their own way of celebrating, Christmas is a time where families come together and share in the festivities of the season.

For millions of Americans, Christmas is synonymous with traditions like baking holiday cookies, decorating a Christmas tree, singing carols, and exchanging gifts. Stockings are hung from fireplace mantels, and people enjoy classic Christmas films and attend holiday concerts and parades. On Christmas Eve, it is traditional to leave some cookies and a glass of milk for Santa!

But what do Christmas traditions look like around the world? You’ll soon discover that many countries have their own unique traditions. In fact, Christmas isn’t even observed on December 25 in some places! However, while Christmas traditions around the world may vary, sharing a joyous spirit is a common theme. Let’s travel around the globe and learn how Christmas is celebrated within the world of Women At Risk, International!

Americas

Christmas is widely celebrated throughout both South and Central America. Most festivities include Nativity reenactments, family dinners, and fireworks. On Christmas Eve, Guatemalan families eat tamales and wait until midnight to set off firecrackers. While the sky lights up with fire and noise, a prayer is said around the Christmas tree, and presents are opened shortly after.

In Peru, December 24th is called La Noche Buena, or “Good Night,” and it is the main day for Christmas celebrations. In the evening, families go home to feast on elaborately prepared dinners and open gifts. Gifts are spread around a Nativity manger instead of a Christmas tree, and family members usually hug, kiss, and thank the gift-giver before opening their present. At midnight, adults will toast with champagne, while children toast with hot chocolate made with cinnamon and cloves. Afterwards, families go outside to watch fireworks.

Celebrating Christmas in Haiti comes with many special traditions. On Christmas Eve, children fill their newly cleaned shoes with straw and place them on the porch for Santa to replace with presents! After a late-night church service, families gather together to eat the main meal called reveillon, which means “waking,” and it is a time to celebrate the awakening of Christ with a feast. The meal normally starts in the early hours of Christmas morning and lasts until dawn!

Europe

One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas in Italy is with the Nativity scene. Traditionally, Italian families will put out a Nativity scene on the 8th of December, but the figure of the baby Jesus isn’t put into the manger until the evening of December 24th! Families attend a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and if it’s cold when they return from the service they might have a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of Italian Christmas cake called Panettone which is like a dry fruity sponge cake. On Christmas Day Babbo Natale, or “Santa Claus,” might bring some small gifts, but the main day for present giving is on Epiphany. Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas, and this special holiday commemorates the visit of the three wise men to the Christ Child. On Epiphany night, children believe that an old lady named ‘Befana’ brings presents for them, and they hang stockings up by the fireplace for her to fill. If you live in parts of northern Italy, however, it might be the ‘Three Kings’ who bring you presents instead of Befana.

On the island of Cyprus, Christmas is celebrated with a set of unique local traditions, many of which center around food. Along with other traditional sweets, people bake christopsomo on Christmas Eve, a sweet bread whose name means “the bread of Christ” and typically has a cross kneaded into it. It is eaten on Christmas Day along with a huge buffet. Typically, gifts are opened on New Year’s Day rather than at Christmas, to honor Saint Vasilis, the Greek saint associated with Santa Claus. On New Year’s Eve, a traditional cake called Vasilopita can be found in every home. It is left out on the table with a glass of red wine in order to be blessed by Saint Vasilis on his way to deliver the gifts. The next day the family cuts the cake, and the person who finds the hidden coin in their piece is believed to be the lucky one of the year!

Asia

Christmas isn’t an official holiday in China, but it is becoming more and more celebrated each year. Because such a small percentage of the population is Christian, Christmas is often only celebrated in major cities. In these big cities there are Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations on the streets and in department stores. Sometimes the postmen dress up as Santa when delivering letters before Christmas! As a festive treat, people will give each other ‘Peace apples’ on Christmas Eve because, in Chinese, Christmas Eve means “peaceful or quiet evening,” and the Mandarin word for apple sounds like their word for “peace.” They package the apples in special boxes or wrap them in colorful paper, sometimes adorning them with Christmas messages.

In Nepal, Christmas is celebrated more among Christians, however, other communities will also participate in parties and nonreligious celebrations during the holiday. Believers will attend Christmas parties with friends and family, exchange presents, and decorate their homes with Christmas lights and Christmas trees. The trees will be decked with ornaments such as bells, stars, reindeer, and miniature wrapped gifts. At midnight on Christmas Eve, many Nepali Christians will attend special church services and on Christmas morning, those celebrating Christmas will visit friends to wish them a merry Christmas. In the evening, families host a special Christmas feast with traditional Nepali foods, along with pumpkin pies and Christmas puddings!

Christians love to celebrate Christmas in India! Instead of having traditional Christmas trees, families will decorate a banana or mango tree. Most families also have a Nativity scene with clay figures and endeavor to create the best one! In Southern India, Christians often put small oil-burning clay lamps on the flat roofs of their homes to show their neighbors that Jesus is the light of the world. Midnight mass is a very important service for Christians in India, especially Catholics, and the whole family will walk to the church that is decorated with poinsettia flowers and candles for the Christmas Eve service. The main Christmas meal is also eaten on Christmas Eve, and presents are exchanged.

In preparation for Christmas or Bara Din, which means “Big Day,” Christian Pakistani families decorate their homes and place a star on the roof. The crib is an important decoration, and sometimes there are crib competitions! On Christmas Eve, churches are packed for the midnight service, and the choir sings very special hymns. In some places, there are fireworks that help celebrate the start of Christmas. People wear their best colorful clothes, dance, and exchange presents. Families gather on Christmas evening and enjoy eating a special meal together.

With only a small minority of the Thai population being Christian, the celebration of the birth of Jesus is simply not the huge event it is in predominantly Christian countries. Even though Christmas is not a holiday traditionally celebrated in Thailand, you can still find shopping centers and malls decked with Christmas lights and decorations, and hotel staff can be seen wearing Christmas hats in the days leading up to Christmas. Christmas trees also appear amongst the palm trees, and Thai school children practicing their English can be heard singing “Jingle Bells.” Christians in Thailand celebrate the coming of Jesus in small gatherings, and some even invite members of their community to come hear the Christmas story. Their message is simple: Christmas is about Jesus; Jesus is about love, and we want to love you because we follow Jesus.

The Philippines has the longest and most lavish Christmas season in the world. People there like to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible, and the playing of Christmas carols can be heard as early as September! The most popular Christmas decoration in the Philippines is the parol, which is a bamboo pole or frame with a lighted star lantern on it. It is traditionally made from bamboo strips and colored Japanese paper and represents the star that guided the Wise Men. Christmas Eve is very important in the Philippines, and many people stay awake all night into Christmas Day! On Christmas Eve, Christians attend the Christmas Eve mass which is then followed by a midnight feast, called Noche Buena. The Noche Buena is a large open house celebration with family, friends, and neighbors dropping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! A traditional Christmas treat they enjoy is ‘puto bumbong’, tubes of bamboo stuffed with purple rice, butter, sugar, and coconut.

Africa

In Egypt, Christmas Day is celebrated on January 7 instead of December 25. During Advent, Egyptian Christians fast from certain foods and sing special praise songs. On their Christmas Eve, families go to church for a special service. When the service ends, people go home to eat the big Christmas meal. All the foods contain meat, eggs, and butter—all the yummy things they didn’t eat during the Advent fast! On Christmas Day, people celebrate together in homes and often take kahk, special sweet biscuits, to give as gifts. Santa is called Baba Noël, meaning “Father Christmas,” and children hope he will climb through a window to leave them presents!

For the people of Ghana, Christmas Eve night is when the celebrations really begin. Church services have drumming and dancing, and children often put on a Nativity play or other drama. The choirs come out to sing, and people dance in front of the priests. Songs are mostly sung in the languages the people understand best because this makes them feel that God speaks their language. Sometimes these services and dancing go on all night long! On Christmas Day the churches are very full, and people come out dressed in their colorful traditional clothes. After the church service on Christmas morning, people quickly go back to their houses to start giving and receiving gifts.

Christmas in Uganda, known as Sekukkulu, is the most important holiday of the year, and it is a joyful season characterized by time spent with family and friends. Festivities begin on Christmas Eve with a “watch night” service, and Christmas carols and church bells can be heard all across the country. Churches are decorated with candles and rich colors, creating a festive atmosphere. Preparations for the feast on Sekukkulu also take place on Christmas Eve with children traditionally helping to prepare the home and food for the following day. Christmas is not about the giving and receiving of presents as it is in the western world but instead about spending time with family, eating food, dancing, singing, playing games, and storytelling.

In Zambia, most activities at Christmas revolve around church and coming together as a community. As part of the Christmas service, Zambians will hold a Nativity play, complete with biblical figures and a crib for baby Jesus. A couple of days before Christmas, people often go caroling around the local streets for charity, and children are encouraged to bring a present for less fortunate children to church on Christmas Day. But what really makes a Zambian Christmas unique is that all the adults will typically eat and celebrate together in one house while the children have a Christmas party of their own in a different house!

Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas comes in the summer. The Christmas meal is often eaten outside, and if it’s really hot, they might even have a barbecue! On Christmas Eve, the community gathers to sing Christmas carols and attend candlelight church services. Families decorate traditional “fir” Christmas trees, and children leave a stocking out for Santa Claus, also known as Sinterklaas. On the afternoon of Christmas Day, people visit family and friends or travel to the countryside to play games or go for a swim. Pulling Christmas crackers is also an activity they enjoy.

Embracing Christmas Traditions

Maybe learning about these global holiday traditions has given you some ideas on new ways you can celebrate Christmas with your family. From midnight firework displays in Central and South America to a “summer” barbecue in South Africa, there are plenty of ideas to choose from! As part of the Advent season, perhaps you can incorporate some of these traditions into your own activities. Not only is it fun, but it also helps us appreciate the inherent beauty and values found in other cultures. Let’s celebrate the special moments of the Christmas season with love in our hearts—for both those gathered around our own fireplace and for those in lands far, far away. At the heart of Christmas is peace and goodwill to all men. Let’s strive to make that a reality every day of the year.

You Heard Our Battle Cry and Joined Us in the Fight!

LOOK WHAT YOU DID!

YOU HEARD OUR BATTLE CRY! A primal roar went up from the House of WAR’s Team of Lions. A sincere thanks to all of you, we not only met our 911 Giving Tuesday goal, we surpassed it! The Staff of WAR were doing a jig (an Irish one to be exact), ringing bells of joy! We’ve never set a goal this high before. But then the need has never been greater than under COVID’s escalation of risk. We DON’T RUN, HIDE, OR FEAR…we embrace it with HOPE!

ONE CALIFORNIA DOCTOR is how this started. For two years, he encouraged us to do a match on Giving Tuesday with his generous promise as the jump start. This year, it started a small flood of three other matches. We hit our goal only $3,000 short and when this doctor sent in his match, he made up the difference! I woke to pray at 5:00 am and opened my computer to see his note. I’ll admit it. I wept. I wept for the heart of a doctor, a healer who we have never met. Yet even still, his heart is for healing those we lift done in honor of his own mother! I wept that we have a Good, Good Father who hears the cry of the broken-hearted allowing us the privilege of wrapping arms of love around them. I wept that each one of you so faithfully and sacrificially empower us to be a safe place.

THEN WE GOT ANOTHER SMALL MATCH, promising to go through the end of the year. This means the barometer of giving on our website will stay up. We’ll watch with wonder again at the House of WAR!! I’m blown away (as usual) by the House of WAR. I NEVER take for granted – even for a minute – your sacrificial gifts. I know that a match is such an encouragement to those of us who give smaller gifts knowing $100 = $200 and gives twice…Each gifts is being doubled AND being deployed, bringing hope and healing in crisis, offering a hand up to inherent dignity! I see these gifts. I know some of you who send them have little to give…single moms, widows, kiddos bringing coins, even sometimes incarcerated. Yep…they write precious notes saying it is time they sacrificially give back from their tiny earnings. Whether big or small, these gifts gut me and honor those they lift. Ancient Scripture says, “When you GIVE to the poor, you LEND to the Lord.” You’re paying it forward, giving out of a heart of love and will be repaid on the “other side”. Thank you for trusting us to lift theleast of these.

THE 911 FUND LETS US RUSH TO AID THOSE IN DANGER, even ‘prevent’ the danger. It takes emergency calls from friends, family, or the victim in evil’s cross-hairs, bringing life-saving rescue, stitches, X-rays, and all kinds of interventions. At that moment, there is no time to ask for donations. This fund can respond in an instant. So, it is critical we keep it replenished, ensuring funds are available on a daily basis.

YOUR GIFTS LIFT THOUSANDS, rescuing a three-week old, three teens, two runaways, seven women, two men, one family on the run, as well as helping investigations into murders of trafficked, legal fees, medical care for domestic abuse situations, refugees…those are the ones I know off the top of my head and am personally involved in for 2021. Thousands of calls are handled by staff. Most cases we will never be free to talk about…but because of you, these are real stories.

WE SURPASSED OUR $80,000 GOAL RECEIVING $81,135…and still counting since today’s mail hasn’t been opened yet! We will watch with wonder until the end of 2021 to see what this Mighty Army of the House of WAR…YOU…will do! Check our progress here: warinternational.org/givingtuesday

From our house to yours this Holiday season, Peace, Hope, and Joy as we march into 2022! 
TO GOD BE THE GLORY OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER AGAIN!

ROARING THE ROAR,

REBECCA MCDONALD
&
THE HOUSE OF WAR