by Monique Zackery

The Sweetwater House has impacted my life in more ways than I can recount in these short paragraphs. Many team members would agree that meeting the girls and hearing their stories of struggle, victory, healing and redemption has a beautiful way of strengthening closer to the heart of God. I must say that giving of our time and resources to these precious young ladies brings to life Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Seeing the fruit of each of your prayers and contributions was not only a gift for the girls, but for our whole team.

We had the privilege of taking the Girl Talk Conference to the Sweetwater girls in the form of a four-day, young women’s vacation Bible school. Girl Talk is a weekend event that started in Tennessee; it was created to encourage young women with God’s Word. During our daily teaching sessions, I realized that we weren’t just there to teach the girls. We were there to learn along side them. Each team member brought something valuable to the table that we all gleaned from.

Through the vacation Bible School we learned, with the girls, about how to believe the voice of God over the opinions of man. We learned that each of us has a significant purpose and we can all make a difference for the Kingdom. We learned what it means to walk the road of forgiveness and we gained a greater understanding of redemption and the work of the cross. As the girls responded to each of the lessons by sharing their stories and applying Biblical truths to their lives, I was reminded of our commonalities. Regardless of our background, economic status, life experience, or culture, we are all in need of the same thing: Truth. That Truth is Jesus. Being at the Sweetwater House was a beautiful time of linking hearts with the girls to point each other to the Son, then sit back and watch the Spirit move - molding all of us and changing us forever. Thank you for taking part in that special miracle by supporting this incredible ministry.

Photos:
- Debbie Brew and Monique
- Monique and the Sweetwater Girls

by Melanie Carter

by Margaret Callahan

On Wednesday, as Isabela stood up in front of all of the Sweetwater House girls, the staff, and our team from Nashville, TN to share her story, no one had any idea of the impact she would have on us. She shared about how her father and mother had both died in 2002 when she was in Junior High School, leaving her and her siblings alone to care for themselves. One of her sisters also suffered from a stroke and blindness, eventually dying. Each of these events, she shared, could have caused her not to believe in God but an inner voice always spoke to her saying, “God knows all the why’s in this life.”

The tears she had been holding back as she shared her story were now freely flowing. She shared how she pressed on and found a job selling soup on the streets so that she could buy the basic necessities for herself. She moved in with some extended family that treated her like the maid in exchange for one meal a day and a place to sleep. While she had all she needed for survival, her life was hopeless and she could never have imagined the wonderful plan He had in store for her.

One day, Isabela’s uncle heard about Sweetwater House and encouraged her to apply… and she was accepted! Her tears were full of pain from the past and joy at how her life had changed… and then… each person in the room practically gasped as she fell to her knees and began worshiping God singing the Nicole C. Mullen song “Redeemer”. Her words were all but impossible to understand because of the intense level of emotion. She was in the throne room kneeling at HIS feet, and we all got to be there with her. Slowly, one person, then another joined in singing, “Now I know my Redeemer lives, I know my Redeemer lives, Let all creation testify, Let this life within me cry, I know my Redeemer lives.” It was a sacred time of worship that we can all carry with us wherever we go.

by Shayna Hobbs

Job 42:2 says “I know that YOU can do all things; no plan of YOURS can be thwarted.” I want to testify that this is the truth. Before our trip to Ghana, Monique asked if anyone would want to speak on Forgiveness. I felt the Holy Spirit pounding on my heart and I spoke up immediately and said “I’m supposed to give that talk.” I was scared stiff. This is the topic that has been a continual, deeply rooted theme in my life. But I knew I could not ignore this calling. I knew that God wanted to use me in a powerful way and I truly desire to be obedient to Him.

The day of my talk I could barely function. I was nauseous, and overcome with worry. Praise God, again, He was my strength and I was able to push through. All I can say is that it felt like a power surge going through me, like a bolt of lightning channeled through me as I spoke. God completely took over, and thank goodness because I was a mess! He spoke through me, and I was in awe at the details, structure, flow and deliverance of the entire talk. I was an open book, and shared many difficult details about my testimony and the week leading up to the trip. I told the girls that I was not up there teaching or preaching, but actually learning with them as I spoke. God said some powerful things through me about forgiveness.

After the talk, I thought I was done, but the Spirit nudged me to keep going in a new direction. I asked everyone to close their eyes and think about the person who has hurt them the deepest, and to go to that place and feel that pain. It was a very intense moment, heavy with tears. Many of these girls have been abused, abandoned, and hurt beyond measure. This was an extremely difficult thing for them, but a very necessary thing for the process of healing in their lives. I then told them to release it to God, and start the process of forgiveness. BE SET FREE.

I later heard stories that THIS was the breaking point for many of the girls. They were opening up now, talking about deeper things in their lives, choosing to forgive. This talk was used to bring deliverance and healing. I even heard that many people on the team experienced the same thing! I give all the glory to God. It definitely wasn’t me, because I felt like I was falling apart, like my life was falling apart. But I thank Jesus; He uses broken vessels. I was a vessel for the Lord in my brokenness, used to bring deliverance to these precious Sweetwater girls and through the process I, myself, was healed.

Photos:
- Shayna Hobbs (center) with Sweetwater Girls
- Ghana Team 2011 (Back L to R): Dante Williamson, Melanie Carter, Karen Walker, Pastor Chris Williamson; (Front L to R): Monique Zackery, Margaret Callahan, Stefani Johns, Shayna Hobbs, Alisa Malone, Doris McMillan

by Debbie French, Co-Founder of Today’s Choices

After twenty years of serving Christ through the ministry of Today’s Choices, here in the U.S. and Ghana, West Africa, the time has come to ENTRUST these things to the next generation, who have faithfully served with us. For almost twenty years, God has been transforming the lives of young girls at Sweetwater House in Ghana.

It has been our privilege and honor to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and his transforming power, and it is with great anticipation that we are watching his plans unfold to continue His message of setting the captives free! Christ came that we might have LIFE and have it to the fullest, and young girls are experiencing that LIFE every day at Sweetwater House.

So it is with great joy that we want to introduce you to the next generation of leaders at Sweetwater House — Elizabeth (Lizy) and Samuel Brew! God has raised up this faithful couple to continue the work of serving Him and our precious girls at Sweetwater. They are family to many of us here in the States and we are humbled to serve with them.

Samuel and Lizy truly are FAITHFUL followers of Christ who are able to teach others, and they are excited about taking Sweetwater House forward, by faith, watching God continue to transform one life at a time.

We want to say “THANK YOU” to each and every one of you who have prayed, supported and gone to Ghana with us over these many years. It is because of your continued faithfulness to this ministry that we have been able to see so many young girls delivered from the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light! We are eternally grateful!

So, this is not the end — but the BEGINNING! It is the beginning of God’s story of redemption for the next generation in Ghana, W. Africa. Churches and individuals will continue to take and serve with Samuel and Lizy at Sweetwater House, and we look forward to the next twenty teams years of watching God’s story unfold.

“All they asked was that we continue to remember the poor.” Galatians 2:10

As Today’s Choices closes its doors and transitions Sweetwater Ministries to our family in Ghana, all we ask is that you will continue to remember the poor with your gifts! This will be our last newsletter, and we are asking YOU to give the greatest gift you have ever given to Today’s Choices so that we can give an amazing blessing to our girls in Ghana. We are trusting and believing God to bring in a mighty harvest through this letter, so that our girls will continue to eat each day, have a secure home to stay in, and provide for the staff that so faithfully serves them each day. Will you please search your heart and ask the Lord what you can give? The operational costs are $4,000 a month, so please help us reach our goal of $48,000 to continue to provide for them in 2012.

May God bless each of you,

Pam Hawkins and Debbie French (Co-Founders of Today’s Choices-USA)

Photos (from Top to Bottom):
- Co-Founders: Debbie French and Pam Hawkins
- Samuel and Lizzy Brew
- The Brew Family (L to R): Stephen, Lizzy, Samuel, (front) Debbie, Emmanuel
- Emmanuel Brew, Dante Williamson, Stephen Brew

Many of you may be reading this and thinking I want to make a difference or get involved but I don’t know how or I don’t have much to give. I am here to tell you that there is no such thing as a small gift to these young women. It costs less than one dollar to feed one of the Sweetwater girls a good breakfast so that she can be focused and ready to learn how to sew that day. It costs $20 to buy one girl her very own bed sheets, something she has never owned in her entire life. It costs less than a dollar a day to provide a girl with all of the toiletries and personal care items she will need, including everything from soap to a toothbrush. You can change a life NOW… by making “sweetwater” available to one girl in Ghana, West Africa.

Please consider giving a tax-deductable donation to Today’s Choices. Look over the list of options below and find the one that is right for you or give another amount of your choosing.

Make Checks payable to “TODAY’S CHOICES” and mail to:

P.O.Box 1349, Brentwood, TN 37024

It is always astonishing to watch God’s mercy and grace to fall on an individual and grant the gift of ETERNAL LIFE of knowing Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

As I shared my story of His grace and redemption on the first day of Orientation at Sweetwater, and then proclaimed His gospel of resurrected life, I watched as one girl, Betty, stood to her feet to receive His gift of LIFE for her. Then….another stood…and another, until eleven beautiful young girls all came forward in humility to receive Christ as their Savior. “AMAZING GRACE….How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found….was blind but now I see”.

As we prayed together, confessing our sins and acknowledging our need of a savior, He was faithful to reveal Himself at SWEETWATER HOUSE and pour out the gift of His Holy Spirit to these precious young girls.

The day of salvation came on Monday, September 20, 2010, and as I watched the week unfold, I saw eleven young girls hungry for the Word of God and to know his plan for their lives. I saw their faces turn from sadness and hopelessness to joy and expectation of what God has in store for their life. They were beginning to understand that it was not by accident that they came to SWEETWATER HOUSE…..but that they were CHOSEN, by the King of Kings, and that HE had adopted them as his BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS and their lives would never be the same. There is nothing more amazing than to watch a life transformed by the Grace of God. The angels were rejoicing on September 20 as they witnessed eleven girls step from darkness into the light of His Presence!

However, there was a small problem. There were no books. Over the course of the next couple of years, we began to collect books here in the U.S. and take them over when teams visited. This was a slow process.

Then in September of 2009, Brian and Troy Waugh, a father and son, took a trip to Sweetwater. They wanted to see what God was doing in Ghana. And while they were there, they caught a vision and they have run with it. Over the last year, Brian and Troy have sent three large shipments of the donated books to Sweetwater. Our library has been radically transformed through their efforts and vision. Thank you Brian and Troy for your service and action!

Margaret has volunteered with Today’s Choices since 2004 when she went on her first short-term trip to Sweetwater Ministries. In 2007, she lived at the school for a year. While she lived there, she operated as the Interim House Mother at the school, taught English to the students, and communicated needs and updates between Sweetwater Ministries and the U.S. Board. She has a great desire to serve God by working for this ministry full-time. Some of her duties are:

• Leading and preparing American teams to go on annual short-term mission trips to Ghana.
• Maintaining strong and consistent communication with the Ghanaian Sweetwater staff.
• Informing supporters in the U.S. regularly with updates through electronic and mail-out newsletters.
• Maintaining the website and Facebook pages.
• Fundraising for the ministry through various avenues (including sponsorship for the 24 students).
• Various administrative projects.
• Managing and planning all events and meetings.

We will need to raise approximately $3000 per month to pay her salary and expenses. Would you consider partnering with us financially so that she can help this ministry to perform with excellence and with greater efficiency? We would love to have your support as Today’s Choices and Margaret take this leap of faith.

*All gifts are tax-deductable and can be written and mailed to Today’s Choices, P.O.Box 1349, Brentwood, TN  37024. If you would like to designate it, you can do so in the memo line of the check.

SWEETWATER HOUSE is so excited to announce that we now have a BEAUTY SALON where 12 young women will be trained in Cosmetology for 3 years and receive a certificate after graduation, so that they can become hair dressers in Ghana. It has already become a “gathering place” for our students and the women on our staff who love to come at the end of the day and let Bernice, our new instructor, wash their hair and decide on which style they will choose for the week.

Not only is it a place to learn, but it will provide a source of revenue in the future for SWEETWATER HOUSE, as we open it up to the women in the community. As women come to have a small luxury in the midst of the poverty, they will SEE with their eyes what our GREAT GOD is doing at SWEETWATER HOUSE and in the lives of 24 beautiful young women who live there each day.

It was such a joy for me to see this place become a reality and watch the smiles on the faces of the students as they walked through the door the first time. We want to THANK all of YOU for helping this VSION become a REALITY for our girls in Ghana.  It truly is an amazing facility where girls will be trained and lives will be transformed.