Domestic "Help"

A friend of mine sent an article tonight via email. This email deals specifically with children trafficked from Africa into the United States but it is a problem that happens everywhere. It is hard enough to read and imagine what this young girl went through but the close of the article made me physically ill. Her captors think absolutely nothing of what they have done and so continue.

Child Maid Trafficking Spreads from Africa to U.S.

This is a problem of culture, poverty and violence. It is an evil undescribable and people need to continue to arm themselves with knowledge. How many people saw this little girl in the kitchen window and "had no idea" ?

Proverbs 31:8-9

Blessed Christmas

For today in the city of David there has been born

for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

~Luke 2:11

May you and yours be blessed this Christmas

May those who are far from family and friends be doubly-comforted by the presence of the One who came to give His life so we all may have life.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Just in Time for the Holidays

It never ceases to amaze me the creativity of the human mind. When it is used for good, it is often with incredibe results. When it is used for evil...well...it can sometimes feel like the good don't have a chance. A few articles I read this morning in:

The Jamaica Observer

Market Watch - Weekend Edition

AsiaOne News

Philly.com (Philadelphia, PA news)

Newsday.com

And these are just a few of the articles a quick search on 'human trafficking' in Google netted me.



Proverbs 31:8-9

The SOLD Project

Another idea for your gift giving this season. I received this information in an email today from The SOLD Project. If you're still wondering what to give to someone, check out their site. If you want to have something physical in your hand to give someone, check out their online store for items made by rescued slaves.

This Holiday Season, give a gift in your friend or loved ones name! Gift giving this year is seeming to take a turn towards justice - people are simplifying, and asking 'what really matters?'. Consumers are demanding fair trade, and wanting to give gifts with stories. The SOLD Project recently launched our scholarship program in the northern villages of Thailand, which gives scholarships to children at-risk of exploitation.And so we ask you: This Christmas, what story will your gift tell?

$365 sponsors a child for a year of education

$110 provides school uniforms for a child

$50 buys a child their set of schoolbooks

$35 provides a years tuition to a child

$10 buys shoes for a student


When you donate online at www.thesoldproject.com/donate, The SOLD Project will mail a custom postcard to the person receiving your gift, alerting them to your generous donation. Minimum gift donation is $5.


And don't forget to check out our store for crafts made by street children in Chiang Mai as part of their art therapy program! Online Store


This year, you are giving more than a gift. You are giving a story, and changing the lives of children.With love, appreciation, and hope,The SOLD Project [for more gift ideas, you can also browse art donated to The SOLD Project by visiting our etsy store. all proceeds go to benefit the project]


Etsy Store

Holiday Shopping

A friend of mine sent me an email today, reminding me about The Emancipation Network's site and store.

As an idea for Christmas shopping this year, check out the various websites and stores available. There are so many extraordinary and beautiful items for sale, made by men, women and children rescued from trafficking. Your purchase of these items goes directly to supporting those who were without hope and are now free. You help them earn a decent living, provide for themselves and their families, an independence they never thought possible.

So - when you are shopping this year, consider checking out TEN's site (Free The Slaves has partnered with TEN so their store has some of the same merchandise in it). They have some wonderful, handmade ideas for your gift giving.

You can also check out the International Justice Mission's Holiday Gift Giving Catalog. They're another option if you're looking for an unusual gift, a unique item that also helps those trapped in the slave trade.

Blessings!

Proverbs 31:8-9

Coalition Update

It occurs to me we had a Coalition meeting almost a week ago and I haven't spoken a word about it in the interim. Of course, a short week at work (with a full week's worth of work to get done), Thanksgiving and piano lessons have about swallowed up every available minute since the meeting.

Hope you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know mine was interesting. You can't have Thanksgiving dinner without having a few hiccups during the day and we certainly had a good one. Another entertaining memory to talk about as the years go by.

Coalition business. We seated our officers and passed our mission statement, action and strategy plans. We also discussed the possibility of hosting a Film Festival at area churches. I have asked anyone interested in helping with the Film Festival let me know two things. (1) By December 8th - any films you think we should use and if you are willing to help with the Festival. (2) By December 15th if you know of an available venue and what using that venue would entail.

If you think your church would be interested in hosting a segment of the Festival, please go to whomever you need to talk to, find out if the space would be available either the weekend of February 13 or February 27.

Please don't hesitate to enlist your friends and family members as possible volunteers. We will need a lot of bodies to cover each church. Possible volunteer needs are: concession sales, merchandise sales, panel discussion member/leader, announcer/speaker before each film, clean-up, set-up, etc. I'm sure there will be more but that is what has come to mind so far.

Finally, please give serious prayer and thought to the Film Festival. We do not want to step ahead of God on this one so if we are not meant to be doing this, we want Him to close the doors. Any money raised will go to support the Coalition as it steps out in its business - specifics of that will be provided at our next couple of meetings as we round this out.

I'm sure I have forgotten a few things in this post so if something jumps out at you, please ask. Also, if you are interested in volunteering, please send me an email or leave a comment here with a way to contact you.

Blessings!

Proverbs 31:8-9

Shared Hope International

If you were unable to attend the Shared Hope International fundraiser dinner on Thursday, November, 20, 2008, I am so sorry. It was a wonderful evening of meeting fellow abolitionists and hearing the heart of Linda Smith. Above all of that, though, was the beautiful story of a young woman Shared Hope has helped restore.

To see this young woman, to sit across the table from her, hear her voice and her story you cannot help but be drawn in and then realize what you don't see or hear. You do not hear anger or bitterness or self-pity and as someone who was forced to work in a brothel from the time she was 14 until she was 17, you figure she has every right to feel that way. She does not.

Instead what you hear is her give all glory to God. She offers praise to Him with almost every word she speaks. She doesn't show any anger for her time as a slave, she instead shares grace and love and hope. All of which she found and knows because of Jesus Christ. She speaks of meeting up with the man who sold her into slavery (her brother, by the way) and the look of shock and fear on his face when he realizes who she is and then the abject relief he felt when she told him she would not do anything to him. That she had forgiven him. As she speaks you can see this picture in your mind and you are left speechless. Could I be so graceful? I doubt it.

It was all I could do to hold back the tears (the flood that is, a few did escape) because every time I looked at this small, beautiful child of God, I wanted to hurt the men who hurt her. Yet she spoke of forgiving them. I wanted to yell, scream and throw things because of those who are still being hurt. Yet she has gone right back into that world, serving the women who are still there. I want to wrap every woman and child who have been sold as slaves up in my arms and protect them. Yet she is going to school for her degree in Business so she can offer them specific, concrete ways to live independently if they are able to get free from their captors.

You can show me pictures of what is considered beauty. You can show me pictures for weeks or months at a time. It will not matter. Nothing, absolutely nothing in this world is as beautiful as the light of Jesus shining through, the picture of true hope and restoration. I have never in my life witnessed anyone as beautiful as that young woman from Nepal.

Linda Smith has written a book, From Congress to the Brothel and it is available through Shared Hope International's website. You can go here to order your own copy. When you get done with that, please explore Shared Hope's website. What they do, what they offer and what you can learn from them is amazing.

If you would like to learn more, please ask. Most people who know me know I can speak for a very long time on this issue and am more than willing to do that. Please do not let the information overwhelm you. As Linda herself has said (and I am paraphrasing here) - all you have to do is show up. God will show you the rest.

Have a blessed weekend.

Proverbs 31:8-9