So I'm back but I'm not done. In Atlanta this last month we had the privilege to work with Wellspring Living. Let's just say, Wellspring is pretty legit. Wellspring was formed in 2001 and exists to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse overcome their broken pasts and move towards hopeful futures. There mission is to confront the issue of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation through advocacy, education and treatment programs for girls and women. If you are unaware, Atlanta ranks in the top three cities in the United States and among the top in the world for sex trafficking of children. There are 495 girls exploited in Metro Atlanta per month and an estimated 7,200 men knowingly or unknowingly pay for sex with adolescent females in Georgia each month.
These statistics aren't all that's proof that this is happening in this state or in this city. I've stared in the eyes of these young girls , ages 13-17, who have been trafficked. They are beautiful daughters of the King. Although they look a lot older than their age, it's evident by conversations about stuffed animals, the Biebster, and Miley that they are only girls. Girls that have had their innocence completely stolen away. My heart broke every time our eyes met. And this is happening in my backyard?
In a journal entry in Thailand, I wrote "Brothels... I stood in front of brothels today." I can almost recall exactly how I felt when I wrote that statement. It was a reality that I had never seen but only heard. The brothels in Thailand were rows of massage parlors with apartments topping them and it was said that most girls inside had been trafficked. While we walked around the area during daylight, we interceded for the women who were inside. I remember how heavy and how gloomy it felt. There was some serious darkness in that neighborhood. The church that our ministry contacts at SHE attended happened to be placed right in the middle of it all, being the Church.
"Brothels? In Atlanta? No way right?" That's what I would have said 5 months ago. I knew sex trafficking happened in Atlanta. I also knew that prostitution was illegal, but that's about all I knew. One of our last days of ministry we set out to do outreach and prayer and intercession in an area of Atlanta that is known for it's massage parlors and strip clubs. (Piedmont and Cheshire Bridge) I remember being so anxious on the way there. I felt the Lord telling me that what I would see that day would change me. We approached a building that may have seemed abandoned to some, but by it being freshly painted and accompanied by a lawn man.. we were not fooled. Cinder blocks filled in every window and the only thing sharing it's parking lot was a misc. sex store. We prayed in that parking lot under the toasty sun. We wrote scripture on the ground. We claimed the land for Jesus. We buried scripture. We interceded for the women on the other side of those cinder blocks who are in bondage. The Lord was there. His presence deep in us and His Spirit guiding our moves and words. The power of prayer is unfathomable. Can prayer stop corruption in law enforcement and end sex trafficking? I believe so.
Brothels.. I stood in front of brothels, brothels in Atlanta. This is happening in this city and in the same neighborhood as my church. It's a shocking reality that I can't sit around and do nothing about. After the trip I was given the opportunity to be a fulltime missionary for Wellspring Living and work with the developing outreach program, projects, and advocacy. I accepted it as of this past Tuesday and will begin raising support shortly. I cannot wait to start the journey that the Lord has for me at Wellspring. I am so honored and privileged to work for the best rehabilitation program for sexually exploited women in the United States. I love that Wellspring Living is founded and based on prayer and because of this the Lord has granted them so much favor. They depend on Him for everything. It truly is His ministry.
I know this going to bring me closer to my Father, as I depend on Him for my every need. He is so good and I have faith that He will provide. I am so thankful for His faithfulness and favor during the few weeks of being home. He has brought healing to my family and is drawing us closer to Himself. We have a God who graciously pours out love on His children and during this time He is revealing how beautiful and precious I am to Him. He is my Romancer and healing is found in His arms alone.
Even though this may be my last blog, you're probably going to hear from me fairly shortly. I just want to thank you for supporting me on my journey these past 4 months and ask that you might pray and see if God is calling you to support me financially and by prayer as I partner with Wellspring Living. I could have not have seen what I've seen, prayed what I've prayed, and reached out to these beautiful women in Jesus' name without your support. THANK YOU again. The Lord is moving in some of the darkest places in the world. There is hope! There is light!
For more information about Wellspring Living: www.wellspringliving.org
If you have any questions or information on what you can do to end sex trafficking please email me: MerridithT@gmail.com
Team Wellspring: Julia, Sinamon, Dana, Jenny, Anna, and Natasha. I spent four amazing months with these beautiful passionate women. I miss and love these guys so much. 7 strong in a mini van!
This is a blog I wrote while in India! At least one more Indian blog will be on it's way before the end of the trip. India is definitely still pressing on my heart even while doing ministry in America. All of easter morning it has been on my mind... the faces I met and God's movement there.
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Oh wow.. I'm in India!! Yes.. and my blogs have been lacking. How do I feel about india? Well, since Mumbai is the only part I've seen I can't judge the whole country. It has caused me to feel a whirlwind of emotions though. I have cried a lot. I have laughed a lot. I have seen beautiful things that I can't express in words and then looked straight into the eyes of extreme poverty and social injustice.
The one thing that this nation is equip with, though they may be few, are amazing amazing Jesus like people who are carrying the gospel into places that have never heard His name. They are basically ballers of the Word. The two men we have worked with have literally risked their lives and are so dependent on the Lord that it blows my mind. They pray for this nation like it is no one's business and they have so much fruit on them that you would need a fruit basket the size of the georgia dome to hold it all. They live to to carry the name of Jesus.. that's what they do everyday nonstop and their praise and passion for the Lord is incredible. The stories they have told us about ministry and their own lives have been amazing. Last night Pastor Vada told us that one night he went up to a village on top of one of the mountains and told a whole community about Jesus. Person after person came to know the Lord that night. Sooo good. I asked my leader, Dana, " How do we go back and live like this in America? How does it work?" We really don't know.. but I do know that we are to proclaim the name of Jesus wherever we go and whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. So that is my plan.
Going door to door in the slums and praying over families who are apart of the church there is one of the things we have been doing here in Mumbai. We walk into the slums past pigs and poo and are welcomed so generously into homes by the most amazing chai tea and crackers. Some of my favorite times this far have been going into these homes and laying hands on people and praying for their needs such as healing, provision, peace in their household, and education. God hears our prayers and he will provide the needs of His people. I can't tell you how much I love just being in those homes and sitting on the floor worshiping, praying, laughing, and hanging out. It's what true community looks like.
The other ministry we have been doing here is working at a day center in the middle of the brothels. The day center was also once itself a brothel. The children who come to the day center are children of women who have been trafficked from Nepal and the pimps and madams in the area. Abye, who is a man after God's own heart and is probably the closest man to resemble Jesus that I have ever met started this day center. His love for these children and the women, pimps, and madams is absolutely incredible. He knows everything that is going on with the kids that come to the center and genuinely cares for them like they were his own. Getting to know these kids has been amazing. They are so precious and already know so much about Jesus at a young age. They leave everyday with a song in their mouths. Whether it's "Jesus is my superhero" or " Jesus loves me" they are taking it back into the darkness. I've got these three little girls that want so much love from me that I have to continue to ask God to pour it on them because the love I can physically and emotionally give them isn't enough. He's teaching me to love like Jesus loves. Along with being at the day center, we have also ventured out to a narrow hallway of brothels with Abye, who has become friends with most of the pimps and madams in that area. We had the opportunity to go in and pray for these women. I can't tell you how surreal and humbling it is to sit on a bed of a brothel and to be welcomed in with coke and cookies and for a madam/pimp to ask for prayer. It seriously is one of the moments where you're like how can anyone ever understand what I'm feeling right now. I remember praying "God.. pursue this woman! Come after her! Change her heart. Set the captives free through freeing her!" We also had the opportunity to pray for two of the girls that had been trafficked from Nepal. I remember trying to fight back the tears while praying for a 25 yr old like myself whose face is so heavy and hurt.. Praying that chains would literally be broken off in the name of Jesus. It was hard because we couldn't physically do anything. We couldn't rescue her and take her back with us. The madam was standing right there the whole time. Abye is trusting that God will show Himself to these pimps and madams through his ministry to them and that the light that comes pouring out of the day center will light up the darkness. (and it already is) His prayer for that place is for it to be called the White Light district instead of Red Light. Though my heart is heavy for those women, there is hope! God is working in that place and I am so humbled to be apart of his transformation of it.
SHE ministry is incredible ministry that we will be working with in Phuket, Thailand this month. Phuket is the hotspot for tourism in Thailand and is known for some of the most beautiful beaches and islands in the world. Apart from that it is also known for being most famous for it's sex toursim which also lures in western men from all of the world. The beach known best for this is Patong Beach, which is about a 15 min drive from SHE, where we will be staying all month. Patong Beach has a street in particular called Bangla Rd. that is famous for it's bars and thai women. The "bar girls" are women along Bangla Rd. that work in the bars. They are paid to work the bars by visiting or playing games with customers or dancing. These women also can be bought by customers for the night. Most of the girls we will be working with are in the open (outdoor) bars along Bangla Rd. and are working there by choice or because of the money they need to support their families who live in other areas of Thailand. At SHE we go into these bars by a coke or sprite or other soft drink and make conversation with the women. From then on we will go back and visit her and build a solid relationship. If we feel she is genuine and really wants help out of the bars we lead her in the direciton of SHE ministry, which offers women a way out of the bars and into other trades. Another way to get them involved with she is through the English classes offered two days a week in the Patong beach area. Ministry at SHE works! While we've been here other teams have had girls come out of the bars and have been introduced to Jesus. It's amazing!
Bangla Rd.
When you first step foot on Bangla Rd. this sense of heaviness quickly falls. Spirtitually it's a very dark place. Perversion is everywhere and prostitutes line the street. Stepping into the bar scene is not a typical american bar scene. There are girls dancing on tables and flocking to any man that takes a seat at their bar. It's kind of like hooters on steroids. Spirtual warfare is real. We have to armor up and pray it up before ever setting foot on the road. We actually go on prayer walks throughout the area before our night of bar minsitry. We also have to look at everyone even the men.. the customers, some American some European, with God's eyes and not eyes of judgement or anger. Our Jesus died for them as well and we have to look at them with love, which at times can be super challenging.
Thus far on Bangla
So far... we've had two nights of bar ministry. The first night was just an introduction to Bangla. The second night the bars were all closed so four of us went to the beach area where some of the girls hang out. We ended up sitting at some steps where a group of thai girls were sitting and just prayed for them. As we sat, we watched as western men would come up and talk to them. After we left the steps we walked to the beach and started praying and declaring who God is over Bangla Rd and Thailand. It was powerful to gaze up at the stars in the sky and look out at the Indian Ocean, who our God had so intricately created. We then prayed hard that the men would be gone by the time we got back to the steps, which totally happened. One of my teammates, Susan, had something she felt like God wanted to say to one of the girls so out of her boldness she took it on. I think her boldness caused the three of us to step out. I quickily started a conversation with one of the girls named RaRa. She was full of joy, laughter, and energy. She shared everything with me.. I mean.. everything. She told stories of customers and how one had even died while she was with him. She told me that she didn't like what she did but she has to provide for her family and regular salary jobs don't pay enough and the hours are too long. I asked her if she wanted to leave her job as a sex worker and she said maybe next year. I then brought SHE ministry into the equation and handed her one of the handouts that explains what SHE is in thai. She kept it and was very thankful for it. I then asked her for her number because one way of building relationships with the girls is by taking them to lunch. I can't wait to see what God has for this relationship with RaRa. Please pray for her and for our relationship to form and grow. God kept telling me that night to speak truth to her.. to speak out that she is beautiful and that she is loved by her Creator.. her Father. Everytime I told her this she would hug me and kiss me on the cheek. I want her life to change. I want her to know that there is hope in a new and better future. That there is love from a Father that is greater than anything she could ever imagine and that there is grace that covers all. I want to tell her that she was created in His image and that the King of Kings is enthralled by her beauty. She takes his breath away. As I say these things.. and I think these things it makes me wonder if I really believe these things about God. Do I believe He is my romancer? Do I feel Him whispering into my ear about His love for me and how His thoughts about me outnumber the grains of sand. It's definitely something I want. I want more of Jesus. I want to ascend to the heights and fall deeper in love with Him and carry His name to the end of the earth with boldness and strength.
Prayer
Please just be in prayer for my teammates. I know a lot of junk is going to be thrown at us and is already being thrown. It's hard not to get a headache or feel seriously heavy when walking into a bar. The enemy is real.. but we've already won. We want our eyes to shine the light of Jesus into these girls. We want boundless energy and joy that fills the air on Bangla Rd. and we want to walk thick in the Holy Spirit and let Him be our guide.
Pray that I can hear His voice.. sometimes I feel like my ears are filled with cotton and I can't hear Him. This comes with being intimate with Him.. so time with Him daily has to happen in order to walk into what he has called us to do this month.
Fun Facts (PS.)
I haven't taken many pictures yet but definitely will be uploading some soon to fb.. be on the look out.
Cambodia was incredibly hard to leave. I loved, moonwalked, encouraged, played, had boytalk, taught handbells to "All Things New", "hapraned" (exercised), had heart to hearts, and formed real realtionships with the guys and and a friend of mine on staff at Daughters.
And also the family that runs SHE is an amazing British family. So pysched to serve them this month. They are seriously like our mom and dad. I've already connected with them over soccer, Coldplay, and U2 and unlike the Irish girl last month.. they appreciate good sports and good music. (she told me that noone in the UK likes soccer, Coldplay, and U2)
We are living in a house full of teams working at SHE.. other World Race teams and a YWAM team. Let's just say there are a lot of girls in this house. We sleep in bunk beds and mine overlooks a local school's soccer field.. oh snap. Our food is rice and mystery thai stir fry basically every night and we have no AC and hot water. Life is good though.
Days we aren't at bar ministry we are working in the thailand jungle.. hacking trees and clearing vines on the new land that SHE is going to build on. It's good to be outdoors and sweat. Weekends we have free and get to beach it up. Beaches are beauuutiful here. This weekend, out of our personal funds, we are going island hopping, which should be incredible. Pictures to follow.
We are a 5 min walk from 711 where there is chocolate milk, snickers bars, amazing ham and cheeses, and home of the coke slurpy.. Oh and praise God for iced coffee in asain countries. Who knew condensed milk could change my world.
The past 2 weeks in the coconut carving room at Daughters has been amazing. Relationships are being built with these men and I'm really learning how to encourage, serve, and just have a ton of fun with them. We may have even partaken in bit of moonwalking with a little MJ in the background. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It was hardcore laughter... the kind where you're hunched over gasping for air. It looked like some of them were trying to ride the nordictrack and do the running man at the same time. So good! Oh and one of the missionaries, who is my mom's age and is a long terming it at Daughters, gives the king of pop a run for his money (ok well, maybe not.. but seriously she has moves). Through God's goodness and my silliness, I think it's made the guys more comfortable to open up to me and share a little bit about who they are. So as we sat at the dusty coconut carving table chatting it up last Friday, one of my favorites, Sam, decided to tell me his story. His story is painful but beautiful. God pursued hard after Sam and is still going at it.
Sam's Story
So here we go... At the age of 5, Sam's parents died in the genocide in the late 70s, along with 3 million other Cambodians. He then was left with his older sister and her husband. As soon as he was old enough, he was forced to work to provide money for them. He studied a little English at some point and then went to work translating for tourists on the riverfront. While working by the river one day, he was approached by a gangster, as he described him. I don't know if he was forced into work with the gangster or if he did it because he had to provide for his sister and her family. Either way, he was trafficked. The gangster took him to a brothel and forced him into becoming a woman. His identity was changed as he played the part in Cambodian's sex industry. After years of hurting, abuse, etc.. he was approached by missionaries one night while he slept by the river. They told him about Daughters and about the Sons program and asked him if he wanted to come. He decided to go with them and back at Daughters he was introduced to his Rescuer and Restorer. God has pursued this man! He seriously is without a doubt the most joyful person I know and is also incredibly goofy. I think my whole team can second that. He is now a role model to those men who are now on their way to becoming men of God. Every time I see him, there is this huge smile that blankets his face. He is not in the least bit scared to tell you it's because God is his father, he depends on Him and because of his dependency He has provided Sam with everything he could ever need. Friends. Home. Transportation. Food. I tried not to cry as he told me his story. To see this man who is so joyful being abused and made up like a woman made me so sad, mad, and maybe even a bit angry. I wish he had never had to go through that, but how amazing is God's pursuit of him. God found him, and called him out of darkness, broke his chains, and brought him into the light. His face shines so brightly you have to be completely blind folded to miss it. I want that same dependency that Sam has on God. I want to depend on Him with my life like Sam and to choose joy over all the ugly things in this world. Sam's story is a beautiful God story.
"Chains be broken
Lives be healed
Hearts be open
Christ is revealed"
Took this pic at Toul Sleng Prison where prisoners were held captive and tortured during the reign of Pol Pot's regime. Light breaking through chains. Setting captives free. Setting Sam free.
So guys, upon arrival my dear friend Mary Hollis, who is on another World Race squad, surprised me at the airport in Phnom Penh. She basically busted through an open window to give me a hug. Mary is one of my best friends from Albany. She's amazing and is one of the reasons I'm on the race right now!
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Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital city and where we will be residing for the next month. We actually got hooked up with a hotel room with warm showers, which supposedly is high living for racers. Phnom Penh is hot, humid, and full of mopeds and tok toks (took-took). We ride a tok tok everyday to our ministry contact, which is basically a moped with a carriage on the back of it. What an experience it is to be on the roads. There are so many people using these transportations.. it's insane. No one gets in wrecks and no one has road rage. It seriously blows my mind. Street vendors are always lining the streets selling anything and everything. (from haircuts to fish heads to entire cooked goats) I've eaten a whole lot of fried rice and hot dogs are not the same here.. gross. I feel like pictures will do more justice than my words.
more pictures here: (uploading was taking years on our american online dial up.. haha jking) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025696&id=195400049&l=2c2acc4882
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Daughters
My ministry contact, Daughters (www.daughterscambodia.org) is seriously off the chain. It's so legit. Please watch the video below so that you can understand what they offer. We are volunteering at the Daughters' day centre, which is in the heart of an area of Phnom Penh brothels and it reaches out to girls working as sex workers and offers them ways out of the situation, including different kinds of trades. (making jewley, clothes, and accessories) I love it there and have made some awesome friends. All of the items made are sold in the shop, which has a store, a spa, and a cafe. Everything made is beautiful and I want to buy it all!
A Day at Daughters
Everyday starts at 9am. On Friday, my teammates, Anna, Natasha, and I started out in the fabric room organizing different fabrics with some of the gals. Organizing is something I need work on and I know God had me in there for a reason. haha. We then have lunch, which on Friday consisted of walking to find legit street food, which is pretty challenging considering we want to take care of our tummys. After lunch, Mon- Thurs we have prayer for an hour. We get to sit over one of the sewing rooms and intercede and pray a down-pouring of God's love to fall on the women and men sitting below. It's some powerful stuff yo. Sooo good! So so good! On Friday we don't have prayer, but have chapel with all the men and women from Daughters, which includes worship with an actual Cambodian worship band. (2 guitars and a keyboard). Singing "come now is the time to give your hearts" in Khmer and English is pretty incredible. God is at work and the women's testimonies were proof of it. Most of the girls and guys know Jesus, but some of them are new to the program and do not. Pray that God moves in huge ways and into their lives. On a completely different note, I also got frisked twice by the staff member who gave the sermon during chapel. It was used as an analogy of how to check your mind and make sure only truth is coming in. I didn't know it was coming. (it was like.. bam. frisked) Ok, now to one of my favorite parts of the day.. coconut sanding. Oh my dear, the friends I've made through coconut sanding are incredible! The men who sand coconuts are apart of a program for men coming out of sex work, called Sons. Some of them have been living as women and have now transitioned into finding their identity in Christ as men. For the ones who haven't transitioned... it's awesome just loving them as they are. Friday, we had so much fun sanding coconuts... from singing Hosanna to being laughed at for trying to khmi dance by smacking coconuts together. My goofiness had the whole table rollin'. I'm excited that God has placed me with these men for the next month, and I am so psyched to encourage and love on them. It's going to soo great!
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My Passion
Through this.. I have seriously figured out what I'm good at and what God has put a passion in me for. I love connecting with people. I don't know what that will look like as far as jobs go, but I without a doubt know that this is what God has created me to do. From touch teaming at PCC to trying to pronounce and learn everyone's name at Daughters.. I love it! I love loving people and I want God to be glorified in that. I've also learned that I kind of like photography. I don't think I'm that good at.. but you can be the judge.
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We have Saturday and Sunday's off so we just got back from a sweaty tour of the Royal Palace, where there are a lot of pretty gold things. God is moving through Phnom Penh.. and I'm proclaiming He is the God of this city!
Ok soo.. Passion.. ya know how I asked you guys to pray for Passion and for a generation to rise up and bring His Kingdom to earth? Well, let me tell ya folks.. I think it's happening! It's amazing! 22,000 college students gave over ONE MILLION dollars so that Jesus could touch parts of the world through 10 amazing causes. I can't explain to you what it was like to see college students empty their pockets and bank accounts because they want to take action and make His name known around the world.
While at Passion, I got the amazing opportunity by chance to volunteer with an organization called Word Made Flesh who has an aftercare program called the Suti Sana project in Bolivia. The program is a 6 month program that restores prostitutes and victims of sex trafficking by introducing them to Jesus and supplying them with therapy and counseling. They then supply them with a job, which consist of making beautiful purses! Students were trying to support 10 girls to start the program in February ($3600 = 1 restored woman). Students funded 21 women!!!!!! Needless to say.. a dance party to Lecrae followed shortly after (shout out to Michelle and her mad moves). While working alongside some of the staff, I got to hear stories of what happens at Suti Sana. It was amazing. Another aspect that I loved hearing about was how they would go into the brothels frequently in the largest red light district in Bolivia and bring the girls hot cocoa and just hang out and build relationships with them. The girls didn't understand why they kept coming back or why they cared. It was because of Jesus.
Jesus, that's who matters. That's whose fame I'm going to proclaim from the mountain tops in these countries and back here in the states. Jesus is the reason I'm fully alive and I want to bring that freedom to the captives. The joy of the Lord pouring out of me will speak for itself. I just want to be a vessel for His words. I want that and I need to dig hard and deep into His character to become that.
I leave in less than two weeks. As time slims down.. doubts fill my head but then those doubts get smashed when divine conversations occur. At Passion I met a World Racer that got back over Thanksgiving and her words of encouragement will forever stick with me like crazy glue. The timing of our meeting was impeccable. It was a time when I was majorly stressed about leaving in two weeks. Can I do this? Why am I doing this? Am I ready? We shared some intimate conversations during this time and her story of how God grew her boldness through the World Race was incredible. Tears filled both of our eyes while we stood at the end of the human trafficking tunnel and I knew with out a doubt that this was His plan for me. As Passion went on, more and more conversations with students and volunteers made me more pumped about bringing His Kingdom.
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I'm not going to lie.. about a second ago I was complaining of a sore throat and my tiredness, but just writing about this is making that seem so dumb and small. Before I leave you, I'd like to just ask for your prayers during this time. I want to fully trust in Him for the next week and a half and not be stressed about packing, etc.
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One Last Thing:
Once my gma's check goes through... I WILL BE FULLY FUNDED!
Thank you guys so much! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God is soo good. He is! Once I see the check go through in my AIM account it will probably lead to a social network freak out, just warning you guys.
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Hundreds of intense prayers and encouraging notes will shower the girls who enter the Suti Sana project in February. Incredible! http://www.wordmadeflesh.org/tag/suti-sana/
My attitude and actions have just been pretty crappy lately. Once I step into a bad mood I end up hanging out in it for awhile. I know intentional time spent with God and in His Word is the medicine but sometimes that bad mood creeps in and causes there to be a lack of motivation or even the want to want Him. The bad mood was frustrating me so much that I let it all out on Him earlier today (may have yelled). It was such a huge relief even though I felt nothing was solved. Tonight, on the way home, I was pretty guilt ridden because of my awful mood. Music tends to be my escape and I remembered a simple song on the album in my cd player that was about how He responds to us when we fail. I felt like I've seriously thrown away a good couple of days since being in Albany because of my mood but even though I wasted them and have had a craptitude, He responds with mind boggling grace and says it's ok. Needless to say, I blasted it.. and just let His grace wash over me with those lyrics.
I don't know if anyone out there can relate, but just so you know folks.. there is no condemnation for us, guys. He's not ashamed. He loves us and will clean us off however many times we fail. He's not mad. He welcomes us into his embrace and intoxicates us with His words. Listen. Our God is love! I can type that out.. but sometimes it doesn't sink into my heart.
And when that sinks in... ohhh what a generation God can change.. families He can mend.. restoration he can do in us and through us. Falling head over heels in love with our Savior is what I need.. It's what I want so that doing for the Kingdom would just come out of pure love and there would be no me involved.
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Before I could finish this little bite size of bloggy goodness, I spoke to a dear friend who speaks so much truth.. it's ridiculous. I identified the cause of my bad mood. I identified that the enemy wants me to stay guilt ridden. I identified that he wants that cause to have a stronghold over me. I said.. that ain't happenin' son.. my God is greater.. He's bigger and stronger and He has already won... so run and tell that homeboy, homeboy, home, home, homeboy. (oh yes)
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I leave in less than a month, crazy! Before I leave though, I have the opportunity to serve students at Passion 2011. Pray that God changes hearts and will rise up this generation to bring His Kingdom to earth Also, pray for the fine folks who make this happen. This conference is so meaningful to me. Last year, God healed me from some serious hurt and I also became aware of human trafficking. God does amazing things through Passion.. amazing things.
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As far as financial support goes, I've got about 500 dollars left to raise and I'm feelin' pretty good about it. God is providing through amazing friends and family! Thanks a ton and I hope to have another update soon about my lovely ladies on my team.
I feel like I keep putting off writing this one because I don't know if I can accurately explain what happened during training camp. It was such a life changing experience.
I came to camp feeling pretty heavy and I left feeling completely free. It's the most free I've ever felt.. like NO LIE. Every time I explain to my friends what happened at camp I say, " Dude, God cut that junk off." I probably should rephrase that next time. In order to bring freedom that Christ offers to the nations, I myself have to be free. Things that I thought I was responsible for, sin that had started taking root in me, and my fear were all chopped off at the foot of the cross. He took my box of shiitake mushrooms and smashed it. He also whispered in my ear and told me that I'm beautiful, His thoughts for me outnumber the grains of sand, and that his love for me is unfailing. Yes, I've heard these things before, but have never actually felt the heat of His breath on my ear.
Staying free is a bit harder than I had imagined, but that's when standing on top of your bed and declaring God's freedom over yourself and calling out the enemy's lies works wonders. I seriously just did this 10mins ago.. never felt better.
I think one of the most important things I learned this past week was that God speaks life and that any thought that is not life giving is not from Him, and through this I've learned how to speak life to people.
I cannot tell you how psyched/amped/pumped I am for this trip. In fact I may have just double fist pumped or even moonwalked across the kitchen floor. God is going to use each and every one of my squadmates to bring His Kingdom to this earth in supernatural ways. I REALLY BELIEVE THIS! Speaking of my squadmates, they are awesome! I feel like that adjective is too overused to describe them. I've never seen a group of people more passionate in my life. These folks believe that OUR GENERATION can END human trafficking!
I know that ended abruptly but no worries there is more to come about my incredible team, Wellspring, and some details for the trip. Stay tuned!
Again, thank you guys for supporting me. Your prayers and texts throughout training camp were off the chain and incredibly appreciated. $3,000 for this trip to become reality! Love you all!
Holy moley.. I can not tell you how AMAZING it is to see God provide through generous hearts of coworkers, friends, and family.. such generous hearts. I am thankful and blessed by all of you!!! This trip seems to be inching closer and closer and the reality of it is starting to sink in. I have training camp starting this Saturday and ending the following Wednesday. Expectant to see the Spirit move in big ways in those days of training as God begins to mold us into a team, ready to bring His kingdom into the dark places.
This week has been full of prayer for my church and it's impact on the city of Atlanta. As I pray for this city, I can't help but think about the fact that we may possibly have the chance to be here the last month of the trip, which fuels the fire in my heart for injustice to end in Atlanta even more. I want women and children who don't know their worth to hear they have father, a daddy, that is enthralled by their beauty and that nothing they've done can cause Him to love them any less. I love my church and how we are going to bring the light and the love of Jesus into a community by not just being a building, but a people who step out of the doors and show the love and the hope of Christ to a community who is in desperate need of life. This challenges me to live this out daily and bring the light of Jesus into my job, my family, my apartment complex, or anywhere else I may venture into.
I am so thankful again for those of you who have partnered with me on this journey and can't wait to update you about the happenings at training camp.
Support Update:
I have $3,465 to go of my $7,300 goal. Yeah fellas that means I'm halfway there. God has been faithful and has provided though amazing, amazing people who believe in this cause. Can't tell you enough how thankful I am for you.
Pray:
freedom from distractions
me and my teammates preparation for this trip
boldness in my daily life
humility and selflessness
lessons would be revealed through current trials
support
He would reveal things that have yet to be surrendered
"holey moley" was provided by my little friend Landen. Cutest kid ever!
Well friends, as you can tell this is my first blog post. I've never been a blogger but am excited to embark on this new journey. Please stay tuned to bigger and better blogs and to see how God walks me through this exciting time of preparation for the The World Race: Human Trafficking Edition. Right now I feel nervous, scared, excited, and spirit-filled all at the same time. I know that the enemy is trying to throw some road blocks in my way but our God is stronger and is moving me closer to Him and towards this adventure. I'm extremely thankful for encouraging friends and family along the way. This trip could not happen with out you!
