HOPE

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." -Eph. 6:12

Yesterday [01.11.12] was National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. And while I was already very educated on this subject, God brought so much to light just in one day.

About a year ago, I met the founder of Fashion4Compassion [@Fashion4C].  F4C is a non profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about Human Trafficking,  but also raises funds for victims of HT once they have been pulled from the chain and rescued. F4C raises money through donations and FREEDOM CHAIN sales and drives. As I began to talk with her and doing research, my eyes were opened to this HUGE and continually growing international problem. I think one of the hardest things I learned was that in the US, there are less than 100 beds for victims of child sex trafficking once they have been rescued! WHAT!? Where do all these women and children go!? They fear everything. Do they turn back to prostitution to make ends meet? Anyways...the organization was in it's new stages so I was able to jump on board and use my God-given talents to help in any way I could... photography, communication, graphic design & social media were some of the main things I helped with. But other things I helped with were continual prayer and support in all of the efforts and planning stages.

As the year went on and I continued learning new [and quite overwhelming] statistics, my heart truly began to hurt for these victims. This was not their choice. Most were FORCED into MODERN DAY SLAVERY. Many people think this just means forced prostitution, but there's way more than that. Sex trafficking is a major part of HT, but there's also labor trafficking, soldiering [young boys] and many other forms of 'trafficking'. HT is defined as: 'the movement of individuals w/ the primary purpose of forced servitude or sexual slavery.' I seriously don't know even where to begin. Isaiah 4:22 reads,

"But this is a people ROBBED and plundered; they are all of them SNARED in holes and HIDDEN in houses of BONDAGE. They have become a prey, with no one to deliver them, a spoil, with no one to say, RESTORE THEM!"

For a few months, God opened doors with great job opportunities so the most I could do was pray. But this is NO small job. The HT process is so twisted and dark that seriously the ONLY way it will EVER stop is with God's intervention. We as God's people are called to be prayer warriors. We often pray for ourselves and our struggles, but there is something so peaceful [even when things get crazy] knowing that you are working with an army that fights such bigger battles than whether you are going to lost those last 10 pounds, or whether your clothes are cool enough.

Recently, God has opened my schedule to where I can be more involved in fighting for these victims. And when I say fighting, I don't literally mean that I'm out in brothels kicking some huge dude's butt and physically rescuing girls and children. While this would be awesome and I would love to be a super hero, it's just not that easy. There are organizations out there who have one main mission and it's to do what I just said. But there are other organizations fighting in other ways. Because there are SO many twists and turns and dark and dirty people who run these trafficking chains, it literally takes an army fighting from all directions to break one down. But there is HOPE! His name is JESUS! He came to give us ALL hope -- and we are called as His people to be the voice of those who 'have no voice.'

Throughout all my experiences working with Fashion4Compassion [which has now started a new branch called Force4Compassion], I would tell people locally and people would literally look at me with huge eyes and jaws dropped, then ponder for a few seconds and follow up with, "Oh, well that doesn't happen here" [meaning in our little Destin bubble].  Ohhhh my why you are so wrong! Sorry to scare you but it DOES happen here! In the US, most of the trafficking that goes on happens in California, New York and FLORIDA [yes. this is our state which is currently ranked #2 for trafficking in the US]. This article was in our local paper and and explains more detail about local issues:

Human Trafficking: a million-dollar industry in Destin

That will definitely open your eyes, if nothing else will. It's just so sad and what's even sadder is how blind people are to the problem. I don't say this to scare anyone. As Christians, this should not scare us, but it should fire us UP to go kick some bootey! [haha -- I really wish I knew Karate!] IN the last few months, my church has become very passionate about this issue and has helped start a local group called ECHO [Emerald Coast Humanity Outreach]. They along with community members [some very prominent people as well] have decided to take a stand and are not going to allow this horrid crime to happen on our home turf any longer! Also, last week, our church invited Christine Cain to speak and o buddy, when I heard this news, I think I literally jumped out of my seat in my office! Christine Cain [along with her husband] founded the A21 campaign which is one of the main organizations globally known for combatting HT. When I say combatting, I literally mean that. She has probably been to some of the dirtiest places in the world where HT is part of their lifestyle and seen lives saved and lives be changed.

CC spoke to Women of Destin (ladies from all over the community attend these events) and SO many eyes were opened and hearts softened for the victims of HT because of her message. She also spoke to all three services at my church, and while she wasn't speaking specifically on HT in the services, I know there are more people aware of it because of that weekend and that's so exciting to me. Just making people aware of the issue is so hard because they don't want to see it happening in their back yard. They don't 'want' to know it's going on. We all just want to live in our little bubble [and Destin definitely is a little bubble] and go about with our business and do our daily thing and 'Praise Jesus' from our safe little homes on our safe little beaches. BUT we are not called to be SAFE! Did God take the 'safe' route when He send his ONLY son to the earth to die on behalf of OUR dirty sins!? Nope. He 'crossed the street [as CC stated] and saw the problem [our sins and that we were condemned to hell if someone did not live a perfect life on our behalf] and made the effort [sent Jesus-His ONLY son] and because of that, we all have a choice and we should all have Freedom. UNfortunately we live in a dirty world and some Human Beings [who are just as special to God as we are] are forced to live a life that we [in our perfect little bubble] can't even begin to understand. It's sickening really.

Christine said, 'Compassion is not compassion until you cross the street and go to them [the people you are hurting for].'  We often times 'feel sorry' for these victims but move on with our lives thinking, 'there's no way I can make a difference because the guys that run that trafficking ring are MAFIA DUDES!' As Christians, we have our own HUGE DUDE on our side! GOD! HELLLLOOOOO Christians! Wake up! It's not about our limitations but about God's SuperNatural ability! CC said, "Jesus came to make us dangerous to Satan! Not to give us a 'safe' life!"

That weekend truly opened my eyes not just to the problem, but to how much I am limiting myself to. My favorite quote from CC all weekend was:

'God has plucked us out of eternity... positioned us in time and  ... and given us talents to make a difference in the world!'

Powerful words spoken through her that weekend. After that, I continued to pray and while I was on the A21 Campaign's website, I saw that the organization has a page that lists 21 Ways to help. Also, they have set Jan. 11 [HT Awareness Day] through Jan. 21 as specific days designated for people to be involved and become more aware. I've decided to fast for these 10 days and use the A21 Prayer Guide to lead me in praying and spiritually battling for the victims, traffickers, the government, against the root causes, for increased awareness, for the church and for the A21 campaign.  I hope that if you have come across this blog, that you may also take some time to learn more about this issue that is the 2nd largest global organized crime today and generates approximately $32 billion per year.

"The Effective, FERVENT PRAYER of a righteous man AVAILS MUCH." -James 5:16