Follow Up To ~ "A Not So Pleasant Topic"

(If you missed my previous post, I would encourage you to read it here.)


The last few days have been quite interesting. As I have continued my research my heart has grown heavier. Oregon has a HUGE problem with human trafficking. Here are a few quotes from the website "Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans" ~

“It's as if Oregon was designed with Human Trafficking in mind.” ~ Chris Killmer


What do Oregon's international airport, maritime port, Interstate 5 corridor, proximity to Canada, abundant harvest fields, and large urban sex industry have in common? Together they've created the 'perfect storm' of opportunity for turning freedom-loving Oregon into a west coast magnet for modern-day slavery.

There's more that I could share, but I'll let you go there if you want to read it.


The biggest problem is awareness. People are either in denial or completely oblivious - as I was. I have mentioned the problem of human trafficking to different people but haven't found anyone who knew it was a problem in the US . . . . . . until last night.


Last night I called a friend that I hadn't talked to in a long time, though we "see" each other on facebook. Human trafficking is her passion, the burden of her heart, and it has been for the last 3 or 4 years. She was encouraged by my interest in the subject and was a huge encouragement to me. She volunteers at a resource center serving homeless and at-risk for homeless youth and has a real heart to have a place, someday, where victims of human trafficking can recover.


She told me a story that really touched my heart.


She was at Taco Bell the other day, and there was a homeless teen wandering around asking people if he could use their cell phone. She watched as four people turned him down. Then he asked her. She had him take a seat, so she was able to hear some of the conversation. He had ran away from home months ago and was calling his mom in Roseburg to tell her that he wanted to come home. She was coming to get him. Sounds a little like the prodigal son. What if there had been no one to let him use their phone? What would he have done next? What would I have done if he had asked to use my phone?


The other night I was at the annual banquet for Wilderness Trails. One of the songs that was sung was Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace". As they sang the chorus, and I looked at the chains laying on the table, my heart broke once again for the many who are not free . . .

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains

Unending love, Amazing grace

I'm not sure yet what God wants me to do. Not For Sale started Freedom Sunday this last March. The next one will be March 13, 2011. I noticed that there were only nine churches in Oregon that took part of them. The only two south of Salem were here in Jackson County. Wouldn't it be great if every church in Jackson County was a part of the next one? What would happen if the church, as a whole, saw the problem and started to reach out? What would happen if we became the hands and feet of Jesus to our community?

A Not So Pleasant Topic . . .

This post is a little different than my usual posts . . . but I'd really like to share what is on my heart.

About a year ago, Christian Audio's free mp3 book of the month was "Just Courage", by Gary Haugen, the founder of International Justice Mission. That was the first time (other than the movie Amazing Grace) that I heard about human trafficking. I was moved by the book and began to follow IJM (sorta), praying for those who are victims of human trafficking.

I'm not sure how I first heard about Not For Sale, but I "liked" them on Facebook and then got to read their posts when they came through my news feed.

This last week everything changed.

Not For Sale posted this for their status on Facebook: "Check out the NEW Chocolate Campaign | Watch "The Dark Side of Chocolate" and learn why "Free Chocolate" is so important!"

After watching the trailer on youtube, I found this other documentary . . . . and I will never be the same. My eyes have been opened and my heart broken. Here is the first part of the documentary. Everyone needs to see this . . .

My heart was broken as I saw what these children had to experience. How some were sold, or taken from their families. How they were beaten if they didn't work fast enough. How they couldn't afford shoes. How horrible their living conditions were . . . . . all so that I could enjoy a chocolate bar?!? As I got into the documentary a little bit, and all the big name brands for chocolate were ruled out by their part in child slave labor, I learned what that "fair-trade" symbol meant that I've seen in our local grocery store's health food department. Unfortunately I learned that even that label was not good enough . . . that even some of them were discovered to have children as slaves on their farms in west Africa.


I was very pleased to find a website, Free2work, that "grades" different companies on their action (or non-action) against child slave labor. There are still quite a few companies missing, but at least there were two chocolate companies listed that had a good grade! Theo Chocolate was one of them - a strange name, I know, but you can go and read about it.


So then I was wondering . . . what can I do?? Yeah, I can avoid buying certain kinds of chocolate . . . but is there anything I can do to help those who are trapped as a labor or sex slave? Estimates say there are 27 million of them! I found this handbook on the Not For Sale website - The Abolitionist Church Handbook. I think they are working on an updated version, but it was helpful. I decided the first thing I needed to do was to see how bad human trafficking is where I live.


Apparently WA and CA both made laws against human trafficking several years before OR did. I read that the city of Portland is second for most rescued children . . . . and that for several reasons Southern Oregon has become a magnet for human trafficking - slave prostitution playing the biggest part. I've still got a lot of research to do, but my hope is that I can play some part in "setting the captives free". 


I also learned that orange is the color of freedom. I'm not a huge fan of orange (unless it's in a sunset or sunrise :0), but for this cause, I think it is worth it. So I dug out some thread and made myself an orange ring. That'll do for now. 


I came across another organization the other day that I would like to mention. Make Way Partners.

I was so pleased to see the name of Jesus, right there on the home page . . . . and their stated mission: 

Passionate to share the 

Hope of the Gospel 

with the least of these

Jesus is the answer. He can set them free and heal their hearts. Who will join me in being His hands and feet here on earth, to reach out to "the least of these" in His name?


I hope that I have sparked something in you . . . . that you will do your own research and see what it's like where you live, and what you can do. I would love to hear from you! How is God leading you?

PS - Oh! I forgot to mention . . . . I was so grieved to learn that the US and the UK are the two primary destinations for human trafficking. What happened to "the land of the free"?!?

Crucified With Christ

What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?

Andrew Murray gives this answer in "Abide In Christ":

"The entire surrender of all self-will, the complete denial to the flesh of its every desire and pleasure, the perfect separation from the world in all its ways of thinking and acting, the losing and hating of one's life, the giving up of self and its interests for the sake of others - this is the disposition which marks him who has taken up Christ's Cross, who seeks to say, "I am crucified with Christ; I abide in Christ, the Crucified One.""

Fear or Faith

. . . . . or some might like to call it stupidity. :0)

(These pictures belong to my brother . . . please don't take them without permission.)
 

7:31 pm on Sept. 20th.



My family has devotions together every morning from 7:30 to 8. On the days that I would run, I would head out right afterwards, but I needed to make some changes in my schedule. The best solution seemed to be to get up a few minutes earlier and get my run in before family devotions. So that was the plan for this morning. As 6:30 rolled around I noticed that it was still really dark outside (how quickly the days get short!) . . . and I started to get a little concerned. (We live out in the country, and there are wild animals out there . . .) So I googled the sunrise time . . . 7:22!! I started to wonder if I should really go for a run. I mean, we've all heard stories, right? And we've even got these nice pictures, taken right on our property, in these last few weeks. The cougar has been twice!

What Are You "Into"?



"Egg-stremists"

Earlier this summer, we were at a gathering and I was talking with a man who was giving up everything, and, with his wife, headed off to the jungles to be a missionary pilot. It was so fun to see how God had led him and his wife into this new adventure (now that their children were out of the home).

At one point in the conversation he said to me something like, "So I know your brothers are into electronics, (ham) radios, computers . . . . what are you into?" . . .

Abide In Christ (cont.)

I'm on day 23 of Andrew Murray's "Abide In Christ" - and lovin' it! I just had to share some quotes from today. (If you missed my original post, you can find it here.)

"If Christ finds us willing to trust ourselves and our interests to His love, if in that trust we give up all care for our own will and honour, if we make it our glory to exercise and confess absolute dependence on Him in all things, if we are content to have no life but in Him, He will do for us what the Father did for Him. He will lay of His glory on us: As the name of our Lord Jesus is glorified in us, we are glorified in Him (2 Thess. 1:12)"

I almost vacuumed a frog!!!

Yep. You read that right! I was cruzing right along when I noticed a spot I'd missed next to the baseboard. I came back for a second swipe and it moved!! This poor little froggy was only 'bout the size of a nickel. He was pretty cute!

So of course my brain went to thinking if there could be a lesson here . . . . . no, I don't think there's any possibility of me vacuuming up prince charming when he comes along . . . . :0) But as I thought about it, this little froggy was a blessing. He made me smile, and best of all, he made my sister (who wasn't feeling too well) smile. :0)