The Power of Together

One thing that rubs me the wrong way sometimes: Competition.

Yeah, yeah - I get it. Not everyone can be a winner, and sometimes teams or athletes lose. I like the Olympics for that reason. Sports are great fun, to play and to watch. And I want my kids to grow up learning how to be good sports, and lose with grace. I also want them to try hard to be the best at what they do - their best. Competition drives prices down for us savvy consumers. Capitalism has a place. Sure. So, in some places competition is great.

But not when it comes to God's Kingdom. Church, love, justice - these are not competition's arenas.  

I'm a firm believer that the best kind of victory is one you can share. 

So, can we please exit Competition out of our churches and out of our Kingdom-driven non-profits? Please? It's getting old.

That's why I believe in coalition, especially when it comes to fighting modern-day-slavery. If we're competing for attention and money, how will that ever set anyone free? If it's me-first, look-at-us, give-us-your-donation-instead-of-them ... of course we know that can't be God's way. It's just not how He operates. You know it and I know it, and I don't even have to quote this Scripture to prove it, but I will:

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:19-23 (ESV) [emphasis mine]

Anti-trafficking efforts are so vast, so overwhelmingly difficult, time-consuming, emotionally-consuming, and insurmountable (30 million slaves world-wide was the latest estimate I read), we've got to come to grips that we must work together. 

Which is why I love organizations like The Exodus Road. They call themselves a coalition, and they are. They target the rescue pillar of the abolition movement, but that's not to say they don't work with other organizations, individuals, and leaders who address awareness/prevention and recovery/restoration. When I was doing my research and asking God where I could invest time, resources, and talents into the fight for justice - they stood out as an organization that aligned with my passion for cooperation. That's my shameless plug. Go ahead - check them out. Read, give, engage, fight. You won't be sorry to put down your competitive spirit for these guys. 

So, I've been thinking along the lines of non-profits, churches, ministries a lot lately. Call it transition, or whatever you like - I'm here and this is me and if you don't like it then let me know, or maybe just pass me up on your way to wherever you're trying to go. I'm done with insecure competition anyway. I think I was done way back in 9th grade, but that's a hard prison to escape from - not gonna lie. 

I'm just sayin. If we're all His kids, can't we just work together toward the same goals? Is it not common sense that we'll accomplish more for Christ's eternal Kingdom if we unite instead of compete? 

Okay - I get it. Easier said than done. Tell this to Luther. Denominations do have a place, so that's not what I'm arguing against. I suppose I would just like to see some ecumenical networking for the sake of justice here. Maybe that's too tall a mountain to scale.

Or maybe we have a God Who's not only bigger than mountains, but Who can move them.




If we fight together, Freedom wins.

photo credits:

tcdailyplanet

timesofmalta

One More Day - Hire an Investigator, Rescue a Slave {25 by my 35th Challenge}

[I] should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ - Acts 20:35 (NLT)

Okay, then - I'll remember. 

This week, when I turn 35, I'll remember that. I don't want to receive anything special, but I DO want to give something pivotal. 

Freedom. 

And I want you to help me. Give with me. Forget about receiving a few dollars a month, and be blessed.  When you give to this cause, it's a blessing that doesn't stop with you - it results in rescue. Slaves broken free of their chains and delivered into safe houses. Lives with a new start. No longer bound to violence, rape, brutality, coercion, or daily death threats. Boys, Girls, Women, even Men - free. 

If you could share freedom, would you? 

You can, Dear Reader. Today - you can be a part of a Search and Rescue Team. And you can be more blessed than when you received freedom by giving it to someone. 

And you can get texts like I get when it happens. Messages like this one:

Ugandan Girl FREE! In India, BRAVO team rescued pregnant trafficked woman.

Ready for this? It's the last day before Robyn's Challenge is over, and I'm not lying - I'd rather give freedom away than receive any gift for my 35th Birthday. Will you join my team of rescuers?

I want true life for you. The same life I felt rushing through me when I got my S&R package in the mail from The Exodus Road. The same life I felt exploding in me when I read that a slave was rescued, her virginity kept as a choice for her future and hope. The very same life pulsing when I pray for my investigators to have victory over evil whenever I see my stickers and key-chain and magnets with these words:

So here's my audacious goal, but feel free to blow me away, friends. 

I want 25 by my 35th.  

Twenty-five brave partners by the day I turn 35. It's just a few short hours away, but I believe in God and His miraculous freedom and love for each one. For you, Sweet One. For her. For humanity. Here's how.

Robyn's Challenge: Join my Team. Hire an investigator. Rescue a slave. It really is that simple.

1. Check out how Search and Rescue works, and decide which team you want to be on. Alpha and Delta are in SE Asia, Bravo is in India, and Charlie is here in the US. (Also, if you want to know how TER manages the money we give, check this out.)
2. Fill out the Donation Form, and use the resources God has blessed you with to fund rescue and freedom with The Exodus Road. For $35 a month (less than the cost of a new pair of jeans), you can hire a team of investigators and be a part of giving freedom to women and children trapped in the clutches of their traffickers. These people bust brothels, pedophiles, and trafficking rings, and bring justice. For Real. Please don't forget! Under the portion where it says "Additional information/Select Operating Project" PLEASE type a bird in the box. This is my code for my project -25 by my 35th.  For real - rescue is what I want for my birthday. Twenty-five of my readers and friends - on board to change the world. Listen - if by next November you aren't addicted to sharing freedom in this way, by all means opt out. I'm asking you to try it for just a year, though. I think it's worth it. For real.
3. Please don't skip this part! Drop your name in the comments below, and tell me why you decided to be a part of bringing freedom to slaves. I'm going to be drawing a number (1-25 of the first readers who partner with me) out of a hat for a giveaway of Laura Parker's book, The Exodus Road, as well as a hand-made journal and a stack of my greeting cards. This is just an extra incentive and thank-you to my amazing readers who make this nest a place of God's joy. I'll contact you after my birthday to let you know you won, and get your mailing address. 
4. Like and share this post on Facebook/retweet on Twitter/share with your social network via email, because I'll bet your friends care about slaves too. (There are some handy buttons for you right down there at the bottom.)

"If we are dying of thirst, passively reading books about water quenches little; the only way to quench the parched mouth is to close the book and dip the hand into water and bring it to the lips. If we thirst, we'll have to drink." - Ann Voskamp

Our world is thirsting for freedom. Humanity pants for justice. Let us partake of the Fountain, and then be the vessel that quenches freedom's thirst. 

Lord Jesus- You know, and You see. Please help me and my readers bring freedom and love to modern-day slaves. This is what You came for and whom you died for, and it's what we do when we follow You. Thank You - I'm so thankful to be a part of YOUR freedom-fighting team. Help us to keep fighting, until everyone is free. Amen

One more week of this challenge: 25 by my 35th {uncontaminated hope}

Even my kids are catching onto this freedom thing. This lovely daughter of mine has an assignment for school - What would you do if you were president for a day? "I would free all the slaves in America today." 

And there it is - hope uncontaminated.

"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." - Martin Luther

"Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen." - Hebrews 11:1 (VOICE)

I want something good for you, Dear Reader. I want true life for you, life full of hope, and that uncontaminated. The same life I felt rushing through me when I got my S&R package in the mail from The Exodus Road. The same life I felt exploding in me when I read that a slave was rescued, her virginity kept as a choice for her future and hope. The very same life pulsing when I pray for my investigators to have victory over evil whenever I see my stickers and key-chain and magnets with these three words:

"My dear brothers and sisters, stay firmly planted—be unshakable—do many good works in the name of God, and know that all your labor is not for nothing when it is for God." - 1 Corinthians 15:58 (VOICE)

So here's my audacious goal, but feel free to blow me away, friends. 

I want 25 by my 35th.  

Twenty-five brave new partners by the day I turn 35 next week. It's just a few short days away, but I believe in God and His miraculous freedom and love for each one. For you, Sweet One. For the woman from Uganda and her baby. For the boy and the girl here on our streets. For humanity. Here's how.

Robyn's Challenge: Join my Team. Hire an investigator. Rescue a slave. It really is that simple.

1. Check out how Search and Rescue works, and decide which team you want to be on. Alpha and Delta are in SE Asia, Bravo is in India, and Charlie is here in the US. (Also, if you want to know how The Exodus Road manages the money we give, check this out.)
2. Fill out the Donation Form, and use the resources God has blessed you with to fund rescue and freedom with The Exodus Road. For $35 a month (less than the cost of a new pair of jeans), you can hire a team of investigators and be a part of giving freedom to women, boys, and girls trapped in the clutches of their traffickers. These people bust brothels, pedophiles, and trafficking rings, and bring justice. For Real. Please don't forget! Under the portion where it says "Additional information/Select Operating Project" PLEASE type a bird in the box. This is my code for my project -25 by my 35th.  For real - rescue is what I want for my birthday. Twenty-five of my readers and friends - on board to change the world. Listen - if by next November you aren't addicted to sharing freedom in this way, by all means opt out. I'm asking you to try it for just a year, though. I think it's worth it. For real.
3. Please don't skip this part! Drop your name in the comments below, and tell me why you decided to be a part of bringing freedom to slaves. I'm going to be drawing a number (1-25 of the first readers who partner with me) out of a hat for a giveaway of Laura Parker's book, The Exodus Road, as well as a hand-made journal and a stack of my greeting cards. This is just an extra incentive and thank-you to my amazing readers who make this nest a place of God's joy. I'll contact you after my birthday to let you know you won, and get your mailing address. 
4. Like and share this post on Facebook/retweet on Twitter/share with your social network via email, because I'll bet your friends care about slaves too. (I have some handy buttons for you right down there, next to "# comments" link.) Us bloggers love when you help us out like that.

And you can start receiving texts like this one when our team reports in:

FREEDOM! 12 yr-old girl rescued early this morning! Her mom and pimp were selling her virginity for $2000 USD. BRAVO Team rescued her and arrested perpetrators.

"If we are dying of thirst, passively reading books about water quenches little; the only way to quench the parched mouth is to close the book and dip the hand into water and bring it to the lips. If we thirst, we'll have to drink." - Ann Voskamp

Our world is thirsting for freedom. Even my daughter, free as she is, longs to share her freedom with the enslaved. Humanity pants for justice. Let us partake of the Fountain, and then be the vessel that quenches freedom's thirst.

Thank you for being on freedom's team.

Today is the Day for Freedom {25 by my 35th challenge}

This is Tuesday. Yesterday a woman was rescued by my Search and Rescue Team (Bravo). I know because I get a message every time a slave is freed by the team I sponsor. Over the weekend she was being sold as a commodity of sex in India, a foreigner from Uganda, pregnant and trapped. Today - she has been given freedom. With this freedom she has chosen to press charges against her trafficker, and I am praying that she and her unborn child will choose the restoration found in Christ.

Because while we can fund rescue and investigators/police can perform raids and prosecutions, only One can offer freedom from her past of shame. But I've seen redemption before, and I'm confident that He who started this is faithful, and will bring all of this to a glorious completion of freedom (Phil. 1:6). This Ugandan woman and child within - they are worth it.

We are freedom fighters. Soldiers in Christ's Freedom Army.

But sometimes it's easy to forget that.

Sometimes it's easy to read the Bible or Church history and think, I'm nothing compared to that, what can I do? 

"All of those former heroes of the faith are dead. You are alive in your generation. A Bible proverb says that it is better to be a living dog than a dead lion. You may wish to be Abraham or Isaac or Jacob, but remember that they have been asleep for long centuries, and you are still around! You can witness for your Lord today. You can still pray. You can still give of your substance to help those in need. You can still encourage the depressed.

I hope you have not missed something good from God's hand because you felt you did not measure up to Gideon or Isaiah. In this your generation, give God all of your attention! Give Him all of your love! Give Him all of your devotion and faithful service! You do not know what holy, happy secret God may want to whisper to your responsive heart." -A. W. Tozer

I want something good for you, Dear Reader. I want true life for you. The same life I felt rushing through me when I got my S&R package in the mail from The Exodus Road. The same life I felt exploding in me when I read that a slave was rescued, her virginity kept as a choice for her future and hope. The very same life pulsing when I pray for my investigators to have victory over evil whenever I see my stickers and key-chain and magnets with these three words:

"My dear brothers and sisters, stay firmly planted—be unshakable—do many good works in the name of God, and know that all your labor is not for nothing when it is for God." - 1 Corinthians 15:58 (VOICE)

So here's my audacious goal, but feel free to blow me away, friends. 

I want 25 by my 35th.  

Twenty-five brave new partners by the day I turn 35 next month. It's just a few short weeks away, but I believe in God and His miraculous freedom and love for each one. For you, Sweet One. For the woman from Uganda and her baby. For the boy and the girl here on our streets. For humanity. Here's how.

Robyn's Challenge:

1. Check out how Search and Rescue works, and decide which team you want to be on. Alpha and Delta are in SE Asia, Bravo is in India, and Charlie is here in the US. (Also, if you want to know how The Exodus Road manages the money we give, check this out.)
2. Fill out the Donation Form, and use the resources God has blessed you with to fund rescue and freedom with The Exodus Road. For $35 a month (less than the cost of a new pair of jeans), you can hire a team of investigators and be a part of giving freedom to women, boys, and girls trapped in the clutches of their traffickers. These people bust brothels, pedophiles, and trafficking rings, and bring justice. For Real. Please don't forget! Under the portion where it says "Additional information/Select Operating Project" PLEASE type a bird in the box. This is my code for my project -25 by my 35th.  For real - rescue is what I want for my birthday. Twenty-five of my readers and friends - on board to change the world. Listen - if by next November you aren't addicted to sharing freedom in this way, by all means opt out. I'm asking you to try it for just a year, though. I think it's worth it. For real.
3. Please don't skip this part! Drop your name in the comments below, and tell me why you decided to be a part of bringing freedom to slaves. I'm going to be drawing a number (1-25 of the first readers who partner with me) out of a hat for a giveaway of Laura Parker's book, The Exodus Road, as well as a hand-made journal and a stack of my greeting cards. This is just an extra incentive and thank-you to my amazing readers who make this nest a place of God's joy. I'll contact you after my birthday to let you know you won, and get your mailing address. 
4. Like and share this post on Facebook/retweet on Twitter/share with your social network via email, because I'll bet your friends care about slaves too. (There are some handy buttons for you right down there, next to "# comments" link) Us bloggers love when you help us out like that.

"If we are dying of thirst, passively reading books about water quenches little; the only way to quench the parched mouth is to close the book and dip the hand into water and bring it to the lips. If we thirst, we'll have to drink." - Ann Voskamp

Our world is thirsting for freedom. Humanity pants for justice. Let us partake of the Fountain, and then be the vessel that quenches freedom's thirst. 

Today is the day of freedom, so why not make today the day you enlist yourself as a freedom fighter? Only 2 weeks left in my challenge ...

photo credit: Smithsonian Journey

I Hope This Disturbs You ... But That's Not Enough

As promised, I'm writing to you, Cherished Reader - to offer my pulsing heart on a platter in hopes that this love will land in you. By now it's no secret:

Precious people are being bought and sold like a commodity, and if our generation continues to turn apathetic eyes away, human trafficking will destroy us all.

I'm pretty sure you've heard the numbers already, but in case you haven't:

I found this article and video this morning, not by chance I'm convinced, about a navy-man-turned-activist who saw trafficking first-hand in the Philippines (my family origin) and then here in the United States. His video was so compelling that I can't help but share it here. Seriously - please watch it. It will be worth the nine and a half minutes of your life.

"You should feel a little outraged ... and upset about this. And that's great, but that's not good enough."

"We all drive demand. We all tolerate sex everywhere."

"It's really time to stop walking on by."

Are you ready? Here's my open door to you, Dear One - my tears running over, my heart in my hand, my world blurring into a vision of what could be - RESCUE.

I'm absolutely, truly, no-doubt-about-it convinced that God's people need to be about the business of freedom. It is for freedom that we have been set free, through His blood on the Cross. And some may say, "Great - I'm freed to be free." But what if that verse means, "You have been set free to spread this freedom and to make freedom for others?" It is for freedom ... Your freedom? Of course. But even more. Even greater things. Humanity's freedom.

Today I'm asking you to take a step and put your money where your faith is, on behalf of the slave next door and the slave around the world, because real rescue is possible today. 

I'll tell you a secret. Every day I wake up and wonder - will I get a text today? Will my team send me a message like this one: 

FREEDOM! 12 yr-old girl rescued early this morning! Her mom and pimp were selling her virginity for $2000 USD. BRAVO Team rescued her and arrested perpetrators.

And after that wonder, I pray. Oh, please God - I want rescue today.

I'm on a team of abolitionists and rescuers, supporting with others like Bravo Team in India, a group of investigators who work undercover with local authorities to Search and Rescue modern-day slaves, and bring them to restoration homes where they can be offered what we all need: freedom. 

Let's put the Word first, and let the love of Christ compel you, before I tell you how this is going to work.

"Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life." - 1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NLT)

I want true life for you. The same life I felt rushing through me when I got my S&R package in the mail from The Exodus Road. The same life I felt exploding in me when I read that a slave was rescued, her virginity kept as a choice for her future and hope. The very same life pulsing when I pray for my investigators to have victory over evil whenever I see my stickers and key-chain and magnets with these words:

So here's my audacious goal, but feel free to blow me away, friends. 

I want 25 by my 35th.  

Twenty-five brave partners by the day I turn 35 next month. It's just a few short weeks away, but I believe in God and His miraculous freedom and love for each one. For you, Sweet One. For her. For humanity. Here's how.

Robyn's Challenge:

1. Check out how Search and Rescue works, and decide which team you want to be on. Alpha and Delta are in SE Asia, Bravo is in India, and Charlie is here in the US. (Also, if you want to know how TER manages the money we give, check this out.)
2. Fill out the Donation Form, and use the resources God has blessed you with to fund rescue and freedom with The Exodus Road. For $35 a month (less than the cost of a new pair of jeans), you can hire a team of investigators and be a part of giving freedom to women and children trapped in the clutches of their traffickers. These people bust brothels, pedophiles, and trafficking rings, and bring justice. For Real. Please don't forget! Under the portion where it says "Additional information/Select Operating Project" PLEASE type a bird in the box. This is my code for my project -25 by my 35th.  For real - rescue is what I want for my birthday. Twenty-five of my readers and friends - on board to change the world. Listen - if by next November you aren't addicted to sharing freedom in this way, by all means opt out. I'm asking you to try it for just a year, though. I think it's worth it. For real.
3. Please don't skip this part! Drop your name in the comments below, and tell me why you decided to be a part of bringing freedom to slaves. I'm going to be drawing a number (1-25 of the first readers who partner with me) out of a hat for a giveaway of Laura Parker's book, The Exodus Road, as well as a hand-made journal and a stack of my greeting cards. This is just an extra incentive and thank-you to my amazing readers who make this nest a place of God's joy. I'll contact you after my birthday to let you know you won, and get your mailing address. 
4. Like and share this post on Facebook/retweet on Twitter/share with your social network via email, because I'll bet your friends care about slaves too. (There are some handy buttons for you right down there, next to the little pencil.)

"If we are dying of thirst, passively reading books about water quenches little; the only way to quench the parched mouth is to close the book and dip the hand into water and bring it to the lips. If we thirst, we'll have to drink." - Ann Voskamp

Our world is thirsting for freedom. Humanity pants for justice. Let us partake of the Fountain, and then be the vessel that quenches freedom's thirst. 

Human Trafficking: Why I'm still in the fight

My husband preaches about the beauty of a marriage bed's purity. Yes, God did create sex and sexuality for our delight and His. But only within the protected boundaries of marriage. People can argue against that, dance around it, or call it old-fashioned. Humans have been trying to usurp truth since the beginning, though. It has never worked for us.

Our family of four attends a home game of high school football, and during my favorite part, the halftime band performance, 15 year old girls in the band front dance as seductively as I've seen women dance on a pole at the strip club (where our church ladies visit to minister the Gospel to dancers and bouncers ... Yeah - you should ask me about the miracles God did there last week). Men ogle at at the girls on the field and a friend says she heard two of them behind her make creepy comments. My ten-year-old son watches this too.

In Brazil a seven-year-old girl is named carnival queen by her own father, the carnival president, who plans to parade her in front of lusting men for 80 minutes in the heat of Rio de Janiero. Thankfully, someone speaks up. 

It “would increase the treatment of children as sexual objects in Brazilian society,” said Carlos Nicodemos, director of the Rio de Janeiro state Council for the Defense of Children and Adolescents. “We can’t put a 7-year-old girl in a role that traditionally for Carnival has a very sexual focus.” (full article, though I don't recommend the page due to other racy ads around it)

An FBI sweep rescues over 100 minors from sexual slavery in the United States, and it is only scratching the surface of awareness. I thank God for 100 lives with a new chance at freedom, and I pray they will take it. Plead for them to receive restoration. Implore the Father for caring adults who will show these broken children a different Way. 

My Search and Rescue Team texts me updates from half a world away about raids, rescues, and investigations. Little girls with hopes and dreams, pigtails and ruffles on their dresses are raped and sold - their virginities auctioned off to the highest vile bidder. Some things the devil steals cannot be returned. But God can restore, and wants to use ordinary people like you and me to make it possible.

The gripping horror of what happens to women and children this very minute overwhelms me like a tidal wave and sometimes I wonder why I'm still fighting. I come back to the same answer every time I ask that same question. 

Because Jesus didn't give up on me. And I follow Him. So I can't give up either

This week I'd like you to pray about taking some ownership of the solution. Real rescue, real investigative teams. Your generous monthly gift, matched with mine and other readers of my musings in the nest - combined to fund the teams who bring hope and life to the darkest horror imaginable. For about a dollar a day, you can "Be the change you want to see." -Ghandi

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners." -Romans 5:6 (NLT)

He rescued us. Can we rescue them together, with His help? 

Think about it. Next Tuesday I'll tell you how to join up with my other readers for Robyn's Challenge to hire an investigator to rescue a slave. And maybe, like me, you'll get a text like this one:

"FREEDOM! 12 yr-old girl rescued early this morning! Her mom and pimp were selling her virginity for $2000 USD. BRAVO Team rescued her and arrested perpetrators."

Would you pray with me this week about whether God wants you to stay in the fight too?

Stay tuned, get me in your inbox, and join me next Tuesday for the challenge!

Oh yeah - one more reason I'm still in the fight? I know I'm on the winning team. 

Well, what do I do with this?

Thank you for grace, Dear Reader, as I've taken August as a hiatus from blogging. Sometimes a writer needs to leave thoughts unpublished, and I'm fully convinced that what I DON'T say is equally important as what I do. Words are heavy and sometimes take a long time to be weighed. Rest assured, my journal is full of thoughts, and some of them are forthcoming here in the nest. I'm thankful for your patience, and His.

At the dawn of September, I'm glad to be back here, writing again on Tuesday about justice and the fight against human trafficking. I hope to give you an update tomorrow on Simple, and of course I've been counting my gratitude, so Thursday will be another glorification of God as I share how He's given me new gifts. And, on Friday - I have a fun writing prompt, followed by "a little bird told me" on Saturday. So -without further ado - back in the saddle, back in the nest, back with you, Dear Heart.

When it comes to trafficking issues, I've noticed that (like many things) people have given over to debating instead of acting. Why do you suppose that is? Why do we like to argue, balk, discuss, and banter when there's so much to do? We could argue whether or not we should be talking about global trafficking before we address the issue here in North America, or we could debate what's more important - rescue or restoration. How about this - let's bicker about how effective organizations are or are not in the war against human trafficking. 

Or maybe ... we don't. Maybe we should just do what God has prepared for us to do.

Without all that chit chat. 

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." -Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

The degradation of a human to a commodity is an atrocity. So what will we do about it today? 

Here are a few suggestions, but I hope you'll listen to Father before you take my advice. My hope is that those two align.

1. Pray with me. When you're driving and you hit a red light - pray for red light districts around the world, and "red light conditions." Choose a time to fast, and intercede for the oppressed, enslaved, imprisoned. Plead on their behalf. Use the Scripture such as this (for example) :

"[The slave is] worn out waiting for your rescue,
    but [she has] put [her] hope in your word.
82 [Her] eyes are straining to see your promises come true.
    When will you comfort [her]?
83 [She is] shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke,
    but [she has] not forgotten to obey your decrees.
84 How long must [we] wait?
    When will you punish those who persecute [us]?
85 These arrogant people who hate your instructions
    have dug deep pits to trap [her].
86 All your commands are trustworthy.
    Protect [her] from those who hunt [her] down without cause.
87 They almost finished [her] off,
    but I refused to abandon your commandments.
88 In your unfailing love, spare [her] life;
    then [we] can continue to obey your laws." -Psalm 119:82-88 (NLT)

2. Be part of a Search and Rescue Team. I've been following, supporting, blogging with the folks at The Exodus Road for nearly a year now, and I can testify that they are genuine, full of integrity, and passionate about freedom. They are making real rescue happen, and changing lives every day with the hope of God. Start getting reports of God's hand of grace in the lives of modern-day slaves today. You won't regret it. Want to be on my team? I'm with Bravo (in India), but you'll find three other teams domestically and abroad, so pray and DO. Rescue a slave today.

3. Speak up. The more people who know the evils of trafficking, the better. The more we stick our heads in the sand and self-focus, the worse. I don't know how else to put it. People matter to God, so they matter to me. It's worth whatever uncomfortable conversation I need to have. Freedom is available, but it's not free. I use my voice most often in print, but you must use your voice where God deems it most effective. And don't worry, He'll give you the words you need at the time you need it.

Search and Rescue {be a part of a team}

I don't really like waste. Not food or water, and especially not time. So I try to find simply what matters most and do that. Call me a walking triage. Only, it's not straightforward very often. Not in my life, and not right now. Not here.

It's not simple, though I haven't stopped pursing it. What matters most is a complicated, 10,000 piece puzzle, when all the pieces are scattered and lost. So far from simple; I think I've lost again.

Well - I do what I know, when I don't know what to do. I pray.

Evening, morning, and noon I will plead;
    I will grumble and moan before Him
    until He hears my voice.
18 And He will rescue my soul, untouched,
    plucked safely from the battle,
    despite the many who are warring against me." 
-Psalm 55:17-18 (VOICE)

Then I wait. Listen. Stop, slow, pause. It comes like a soft rain - again, like always. The next page.

But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9 (GNT)

The suffering of victims shoots pain into my soul like stuck thorns, thrice asked to be removed. But no - His grace is sufficient. How? I don't know. But I do know it is. He's never been anything but faithful to me. And He is much better at control than I am. So I surrender it to Him again, and do what I can. Encourage others to do the same. Let Him have the rest. Or maybe let Him have it all. Let go of the burden I wasn't meant to carry, and just bear the load He shares, bear it with Joy.  Because where else can I go? He holds the Truth. He is the One.

And I find seek hope, even through the pieces. Like this:

Tattoo artist helps trafficked victims

Sevenly's project this week: Help for rape victims


This week I'm reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Hopefully I'll have a review for you next week. Her writing halts me. By far this is the best and worst thing I've read in years - this description of trauma she bore:

Then there was the pain. A breaking and entering when even the senses are torn apart. The act of rape on an eight-year old body is a matter of the needle giving because the camel can't. The child gives, because the body can, and the mind of the violator cannot.

And yes - that is the horror millions of girls experience every day - sold, bought, raped. 

So, if like me, you're ready to do something - give this a try: I got this from The Exodus Road, the coalition for whom I blog - and I'm hoping you'll join a team. I am!

The number one question we get as we talk about the work of investigations and rescues is a logical one. You’ve asked us time and again:
“How Can I Help? What Can I DO?”

And this is the question, I think, that haunts most of us. We long to make a difference in the world that is human trafficking, and we want to see sex slaves freed. Yet the obstacles loom large, and they primarily involve the reality that the majority of us physically can’t do the actual work of investigation and rescue– particularly in the areas of the world where sexual slavery is rampant. 

And we’ve racked our minds about this for six months, because we live the tension, too. And while we do our best to bring people to the front lines of the rescue efforts we’re involved in through social media and communications, we wanted to develop a program where people who couldn’t go physically could actually hire someone to kick down a door on their behalf.Enter the Search and Rescue Program.

This week we are launching a program that we think will effectively answer the question of how you can personally fuel and empower literal rescue. Essentially, we’re inviting you onto a real-life investigative team. From our experience, it takes about $35 for a night for one of our investigators to engage in local surveillance. Since we already have teams on the ground and since most of our teams are volunteers, we are able to fund investigations with a fairly lean financial model. If you’d like to join a team, you will be “hiring” one of our investigators to go literally look for children and victims on your behalf in some of the darkest corners of the globe. Investigators will then take that intel to local police partners and will develop cases and raids from that initial intelligence.
The search fuels the rescue. And by investing in our teams, you would be putting boots on the ground, sending eyes to look for the enslaved. 
It’s the closest thing to the front lines we can get you. And it’s the most direct way we can find to give everyone the opportunity to fight for rescue.

Interested in Joining the Rescue Movement?
Stop by our new Search and Rescue Program landing page. You might want to check out our Search and Rescue FAQ page, as well. Read over the teams available for sponsorship and see which connects most to you. Follow the links to adopt your team, and we’ll be mailing you a welcome packet with information about your investigators and several small thank you items from our home office here in Colorado.
And then moving forward, every time you see a rescue shared or an update given from the field connected with your team name, you’ll know that you were a valuable part of that success.
We had a field investigator say to us the other day,

  “Tell me how many kids you want to rescue, and if I have the resources, I think our team could make that happen.” – Exodus Road Coalition Partner

And this statement from a team that has rescued 150 victims of sex slavery in the last month alone because of their commitment to justice and the funding we were able to provide them. (This is our Bravo Team, actually.) 

If you’ve been asking the question, “What Can I Do?” Perhaps this could be your answer. Check out the Search and Rescue program, please tell your friends, and consider joining the (literal) rescue movement. 

I'll leave you with prayer today.

Father, when nothing makes sense and everything is a mess all around and we can't triage what matters most, we remember it's You. You matter most so we seek Your face to find Your hand. We pray for direction and You show us how to love what You love and hate what You hate. You give us open doors to help those in need. Those who suffer and cry and groan for Your help. You've provided their answer. It's us.  So we say Yes to search and Yes to rescue. And we do what we can. Trusting it all back into Your Hands.  Thank You. We don't have to be afraid. May Your name be praised. Amen.