Heart Set Ablaze...

This past weekend was the spiritual awakening that I absolutely needed. My church, Victory World Church, hosted its annual Resilient women's conference. I went last year and enjoyed hearing Valerie Burton speak. I knew our speaker was going to be Christine Caine from Hillsong Church in Australia. I had never heard of Christine and we sing a lot of Hillsong songs for worship. What caught my attention was the fact that Christine was an advocate for the anti human trafficking movement.

Little did I know she was going to change my life.

Christine Caine blew me away! I have heard lots of motivational speakers, preachers, evangelists, you name it, over the years but never has one little petite woman leave me with a heart set ablaze to change the world and wake up the sleeping body of Christ to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. She has a tell it like it is, no sugar coating, true and honest approach to removing the veil of denial, normalcy, and complacency in the lives of people professing to be Christian.

She came from nothing. Literally. She was abandoned by her mother in a hospital, unnamed and unwanted. She grew up in a poor Greek Orthodox family in Australia. She was sexually abused for 12 years. She learned she was adopted at the age of 31. Yet she went on to be apart of the leadership team for one of the most dynamic and influential churches in the world. She has traveled the globe leading crusades for Christ, spreading the gospel to some of the darkest nations in the world. It was 4 years ago that she was in the Frankfort, Germany airport did she learn about the issue of human trafficking. Being a leader of a church, she was appalled that form of modern day slavery was still happening when there are billions of Christians in this world.

She decided to that human trafficking was not going to continue on her watch.

She established the A21 Campaign, a grassroots organization that has established safe houses in Greece, the corridor for the world's human trafficking. This organization is taking on the global human trafficking issue on like no other organization I have ever seen. Since God has already put this social injustice in my heart, I felt like I was in the right place at the right time hearing Christine speak with such passion and urgency for the church to get mobilized and take back the lives of those that are enslaved. There was such a move of the Holy Spirit on Saturday morning, before Christine even came up to speak again, and as the worship team sang, I was so overcome with His presence, His urgency, His heartbreak, I was in tears. Crying my eyes out, singing His praise at the top of my lungs. My heart was breaking for what broke the heart of my Savior.

I had this passion to set the captives free and I wasn't doing anything about it.

I needed that. I needed that jolt. I needed that renewed spirit. I needed that sense of urgency, that heartbreak, that wake up call. I needed to be reminded that there are 27 million people held in slavery around this world, more than any other time in the history of man kind. I needed to know that 1.4 million of those slaves are sex slaves. I needed to know that traffickers get the women pregnant and sell those babies to pedophile rings across the world. Babies as young as 6 months old, sold for sex, with no documents, no papers, no one even knowing they exist on this Earth.

Where is the church?

I have been rescued from the darkest places in my life so that I can rescue others. Isaiah 61 is my heartbeat. I have been called to proclaim freedom for the captives, to comfort those who mourn, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

I am ready to be a trailblazer. I am ready to empty myself so that I can be filled with the Holy Spirit and used in any way He see fits. I yield to my own will, my own desires and I full surrender to His will. I am excited. I am on fire.

I am on His mission to set the captives free.

Real Men Don't Buy Girls

As global as the issue of human trafficking is, there are so many people in the world who have no clue its happening on such a large scale let alone in their own back yard. Luckily enough, there are some cells that have caught wind of what's happening and have decided to get in the trenches with the average Joe to make a difference.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have launched the Demi and Ashton Foundation that is taking this injustice on head first. They have testified in front of Congress, done various interviews and press conferences, done amazing social networking to get the word out and will be appearing on Piers Morgan's CNN show tonight. They are putting in the work, speaking out and getting their famous friends involved instead of just lending their name and celebrity to the cause.

I applaud their work for real. All it takes is for one person to step up and do something. The power of one.

"It's Hard To Be An Abolitionist" Ashton Kutcher Talks to Russell Simmons | Global Grind

Children Are Not For Sex

As the days wind down and it gets closer and closer to my departure to Peru, my heart is still unsettled at the thought of the reason I am going. I am going to of course spread the gospel to street kids on the streets of Lima who fight daily to just stay alive. These children are treated worse than animals. It's funny that the city officials will randomly vaccinate stray dogs but will try to burn street kids alive. These kids are literally fighting to survive. Those that do also have to fight to not be trafficked for sex. It's a lose lose situation. You either get killed or are picked up and forced into prostitution...girls and boys. Children. Heart breaking.

I found this clip on Facebook from a local pastor who is stepping up to speak out for the children of Atlanta who are bought and sold like property on the streets daily. I am thrilled that celebrities are getting wind of these atrocities going on and are using their voice to speak out. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have a non profit that is geared to educate and bring awareness to human trafficking. But it was this clip by Ashley Judd that touched my heart and brought me to tears. Her words aren't the words of someone who heard about the problem and felt compelled to help. Her words are the words of someone that has seen first hand the devastation that comes along with knowing a child has been a victim of sexual exploitation right here in Atlanta.

Please keep my Peru missions team in your prayers as we prepare to bring some light and hope to a generation of children who need it the most.

Watch "Ashley Judd: Children Are Not for Sex" on YouTube

Not For Sale

It's been a while since I have posted an entry. Life has gone into crazy over drive. I realize my days and free time a very limited but I am enjoying the chaos. I have a financial class that I take on Monday nights for the next 13 weeks to help me be a better steward of my money. I have Fusion services on Wednesdays, either small group or small group planning meetings on Thursdays, I am usually hanging out with kids or friends, Saturdays at 7AM I have my Beth Moore bible study group until 9AM. In the afternoons, I usally am hanging with friends or the kids. Sundays is church. At some point in the week, I manage to cook, clean, do laundry, do homework, make it to work and a host of other things. Sleep falls in there at some point!

Back to the task at hand. I was browsing on the Not For Sale website, when I ran across the Peru section that talked about Lucy Borja and the Generacion organization that we will be working with. They posted a video clip of some of the street children of Peru and it broke my heart. Just to hear the story of how life for these children are is enough to make anyone want to take the world on just so they can know peace and happiness. These are the children that are in a fight everyday to keep from being bought and sold for sex and labor. Thank God for hearts like Lucy. Even though she is not a Christian, she still has a heart like Christ.

Not For Sale | Latin America from Not For Sale Campaign on Vimeo.

Who Will Save The Children?

A short but sweet blog post.

I just had a thought. Taina mentioned to us at the Peru missions meeting that one of the key pieces of content to add to our missions support letter is why me want to go to Peru. Not the teams' vision or our church's vision for the trip but why do we personally want to go on the trip.

My answer is simple. If I don't fight for the victims that have no voice, who will? The Bible says that the harvest is plenty but the laborers are few. There are so few people that fight for the innocent children who are forced in to sex trafficking or other forms of human trafficking. Atlanta has been one of the top cities in the country for commercial sexual exploitation of children for years. In Peru, government officials don't even acknowledge that sex trafficking and slavery is even happening there. If no one talks about it, the problem doesn't exist right? Tell that to the children that are bought and sold each and every day.

Angel and a Princess

Today, my heart was heavy for Shaniya Davis. This 5 year old angel died 1 year ago today. She died at the hands of the man who bought her for the purpose of having sex with her. Yes. Her mother sold her 5 year old daughter into sex slavery. 5 years old. I still remember seeing her picture on the morning news, all dressed in white, looking like my 4 year old niece's twin. I thought I saw my niece Kameron staring back at me, kidnap victim, alone, scared, young. I still remember thinking about Shaniya all morning and all afternoon. I remember follow the news reports and any tips from the AP wire I could find about whether or not she was found. I remember praying for this little girl. I remember reading on change.org that her body had been found along the side of a North Carolina highway. My heart literally broke into pieces.

I admit I was absolutely on fire about what happened to that little girl but I didn't know what I could do to help the cause. A few weeks later, I contacted Innocence Atlanta, who connected me to Redeemed Ministries, where I took the Hands that Heal training. My eyes were opened wide to the issue and I was astounded by the stats and lack of resources. Hundreds of girls on the streets every night and only a hand full of beds available in all of Georgia, if they wanted to escape the life. Crazy I know. Where is the justice?

Fast forward to June and it's Princess Night for Sunday to Sunday. My life would be forever changed by a young 19 year old girl named Sabrina. A girl who had been a prostitute for 3 years. Her rescue was something out of the movies, the sheer volume of time coordinating schedules for her care was mind numbing but the nights I spent in her presence were priceless. She shared about areas of her life freely and was almost like a kid again. Though Sabrina eventually went back to that life after coming and going a few times, I will never forget her face. I will never forget her love for Starburst and Vitamin Water. I will never forget her stories, or her nightmares as she slept. She will forever be our Princess.

I was that girl. I was the poster child for broken homes, generational curses, low self esteem as a child, lack of self worth, lack of direction, lack of God. Raised by a single mom, low income, mom's boyfriends in and out, no father of my own, abused for years. Raised in church but never knew God. I was that girl. I look back and I promise it was by the sheer GRACE of God that I didn't end up being pimped out by some grown man as a kid. Yeah I was smart in school and had friends, but I had more inner turmoil, more dark secrets and shame than anyone ever imagined. I needed love, I needed someone to notice me, I needed someone to love me and take care of me. I was always one "hey pretty girl" away from being lead completely astray. I was that girl. I guess that's why my heart aches for girls that become victims because that truly could have been me. I fit the profile of the 12 year old girl being forced into sex slavery. I was that girl.

When I think of all that God saved me from, even when I didn't know He was working in my favor, I can't imagine my life not speaking up for those whose life mirrored mine years ago. Pastor D always says there is purpose rooted in pain. God can use something bad in your life and use it for good. I am allowing Him to use me, mold and stretch me anyway He sees fit. I cannot even begin to show God my gratitude for redeeming me, for His perfect love that has cast out fear, for His amazing power that I cannot fathom with my natural mind, for rescuing me from a life that would lead me straight to Hell, for calling me His Beloved. I was that girl, bound and broken, but I have been set free and made whole again.

Victory Over Craigslist, but the Fight Continues

The popular site, Craigslist, has come under some serious fire in the past couple of months because of their adult ad section. The blatant sexual ads have become almost like an internet catalog for men looking to buy sex. The sex trafficking industry has used sites like Craigslist to expand their clientele base, moving from the seedy tracks to cyberspace. There is no shortage of underage girls and enslaved women being bought and delivered to the highest bidder.

Yet, after the media storm shed light on this new avenue of sex trafficking, many states put pressure on Craigslist to remove their adult section and finally take responsibility for their part in the global crisis. On September 4, 2010, Craigslist finally stepped up to the plate and removed the adult section from their website. This proved to be a small victory in the ever expanding sex trafficking business.

Although this is indeed a victory to be applauded, we must not get so lax and think that is the end of the war. The demand for sex is astronomical and the supply is simply moving to a new location. Many experts are weighing in on the fact that although Craigslist has removed their adult section, there are plenty of other sites available and in use right now to promote prostitution. Sites such as Backpage.com and Adultfinder.com are welcoming the former Craigslist pimps and johns with open arms.

I applaud Craigslist for removing the adult section, but I am confident in saying that it was more of a PR move than a mandate. Why isn't the government doing something to crack down on sites that are obviously involved in the exploitation and trafficking of women and children? We have Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act to thank for that. This piece of legislature states that "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." In other words, Craigslist nor any other website can be held liable for what is published on their sites or the actions that occur as a result of something posted on their site. The powers that be have pretty much left the door open for sex trafficking on the Internet to continue until these types of sites are held accountable for their part in the promoting and advertising sexually exploited victims.

The battle has been won, but the fight continues. Hopefully, at some point, companies will stop hiding behind the law and stand up for victim's right. Until then, advocates will continue to put the pressure on them, one site at at time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_230_of_the_Communications_Decency_Act

http://www.citmedialaw.org/section-230

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2010/09/06/tst.craigslist.censors.adult.sec.cnn.html

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/05/craigslist.censored/index.html?iref=allsearch

Men in the Sex Trafficking Industry

On August 31, 2010 one of the major headlines of the day was the report that police in Spain infiltrated a male prostitution ring. I was just as surprised as the next man because most people equate prostitution and sex trafficking to women and children. Rarely do you hear about men being forced into the sex trade industry. Just because male prostitution is rarely reported doesn't mean it's rarely happening. Male prostitution is much more prevalent that I thought.

I remember during The Unholy Land tour with S2S, Avery told the story of a young male prostitute who refused to come off the streets because he was in such high demand. For some reason, I naively thought that any man that is selling himself on the streets is probably doing so willingly, probably to support a habit or uphold a certain lifestyle. I couldn't believe that somehow a man could be forced into that lifestyle the same way a woman with a trouble passed could be coerced and trapped. The connection just wasn't there for me, until I read the headlines. 14 people were arrested in Spain because of their involvement in a global sex trafficking ring involving 60-80 men. These men were made to believe that they would they would be traveling to other countries for better jobs and a chance at a better life. They were told they would only have to pay back their airfare to Spain. Yet, upon arrival at their destination, their passports were seized, they were given cocaine and Viagra and immediately put to work as prostitutes for male clients. The men were advertised in newspapers and websites to help increase their demand. They were on call 24 hours a day, expected to perform on demand. They were forced to live in tiny cramped house with 6 to a bed. If they complained, they were threatened with beatings and death.

Slowly, the story of these men started to sound similar to the stories of women trapped in the sex trafficking industry. These men were looking for a better life and believe the lies that their pimps told them. I'm certain that they were not told they would be sold to strangers for sex. I'm certain they weren't aware that they would be drugged and beatened. I am certain they did not know that trusting a stranger's promises would have them trapped in what seemed like an endless cycle. You see, whether foreign or domestic, male or female, the deception of the pimps and traffickers is all the same. They prey on the weak and the desperate, those they can easily manipulate and control for their own gain.

Since Atlanta is a hotbed for sex trafficking, I attempted to get some statistics on male prostitution in the city. Although I was not able to find any clear cut numbers, I did come across the vice arrest page for the Atlanta Police Department. This page was comprised of over 270 men and women arrested for prostitution or soliciting. Of those 270+ mug shots, 38 were men arrested for prostitution. 38 men arrested for selling themselves for money. There is no way to tell whether they were selling themselves willingly or by force, but those 38 faces were a wake up call. These were 38 men that were arrested and accounted for but, the number of sites that came up for male prostitutes, escorts, or rent boys as they are called, was astounding. I tried to find if there were any organizations that focused on rescuing and rehabilitating these men and came up empty handed. I understand that the major of the people caught up in sex slavery are women, but where do these men caught up in the same cycle of despair go if they want to break free?

The sex trafficking industry does not play favorites. Though women are in much greater demand, this economically booming industry destroys the lives of men, women, and child. Though progress is being made each and every day to combat this global issue, there is still a long way to go in this fight. The sooner we all realize that no one is immune from being pulled into this lifestyle, the better equipped will can become at fighting back.

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-31/justice/spain.male.prostitutes_1_national-police-male-prostitution-ring-airline-ticket?_s=PM:CRIME

http://www.atlantapd.org/index.asp?nav=vicearrests

A Day in the Life of an Atlanta Pimp

I witnessed a lot over the last couple of months that has caused a stirring in my heart. God has completely broken my heart for victims of the sex trafficking industry. I had always felt like God was leading me down a path that involved working with women, but I believe He has clarified His purpose when I encountered Princess. For those not familiar with Princess's story, she is a 19 year sex trafficking victim who was rescued from that life after 3 years. Her rescue team: just a group of people from the Fusion Young Adult Ministry who are true doers of His word and not just hearers. Her life has made such a lasting impression on me that words can not even begin to describe.

During the times I spent getting to know Princess and the life she left behind, in the back of my mind, I always had a ton of questions. Many of them she answered without me ever having to ask a single thing. However, I was always left with so many unanswered questions. How could he treat a person this way? Why did he force her to sell her body for 3 years to complete strangers? Why did he fill her head with such lies about loving her and protecting her when he didn't do either? What happened in his life that made him this way? Why doesn't he care? Why is his heart so cold?

I think I may have found some answers from the most unlikely source: a pimp in Atlanta that shared with ABC News what his life is like. I found an article entitled A Day in the Life of an Atlanta Pimp. How befitting.

Kenneth "Fresh" Vaughn is a 33 year old Nashville native who frequents Atlanta for business with his family. To Fresh, Atlanta is a good place to go for money and respect. His business, pimping. His family, the three girls that work for him by selling themselves for sex. Fresh says that he "provides security and guidance in return for their hard-earned money." Makes me wonder what kind of security he is providing when he sends the girls off alone on "dates" with strangers who could beat, rape or kill them? Is he providing guidance when he shows one of his girls how to get a man's attention at a hotel pool with just a wink?

The article points out how the turn over rate in the sex trade industry is very high, so pimps must do regular recruitment. Fresh's newest family member is Rachel. She's a blonde 19 year old from New York, but is considered a veteran in the sex industry. Her mother, also a prostitute, introduced her 10 year old daughter to the lifestyle, where she has been stuck ever since. Fresh picked her up at a bus station. That's where he does a lot of his recruitment. Bus stations are filled with troubled young girls escaping bad lives, in search of someone to care for them.

"They're low-level hustlers that have the gift of gab. And they have a very, very keen sense of how to pick up on a young female's weakness."

Men like Fresh prey on vulnerable girls, many of which are running away from sexual or physical abuse in the home. Pimps can easily spot the lost looks in her eyes and woos her with nice cars, clothes, and the promise of being her boyfriend. He promises to provide everything she needs and she falls for it. Little does she know that in exchange for the guise of being provided for and protected, she will have to give away her mind, her body, and her soul to show her loyalty to him. She is no longer allowed to think for herself, to make her own choices, pick out her own clothes, have a bad day, call in sick, or leave. She is his property, his money maker, his slave. He does not care about her feelings, her dreams, her pain. It's strictly about making money.

Fresh considers himself a "young black entrepreneur." He uses various methods to sell his girls, namely the Internet. He posts pictures of them online and delivers them to waiting customers at hotels. For the remaining girls, he has them hang around the hotel pools and gyms, catching the eye of potential johns. He also has his girls work "the Track," an area of streets and seedy strip malls known for prostitution. In Atlanta, the Track can either be Fulton Industrial Boulevard or Metropolitan Avenue. The Track is usually deemed the area for the lowliest prostitutes. Girls are left alone to walk the dark streets and alleyways filled with drunken and sex starved men looking to have their fantasies fulfilled. The pimps are usually watching from afar in the comforts of a parked car. So much for providing protection.

Fresh has convinced himself that he is a savior to those girls, a father figure. "They sacrificed their minds, their hearts, their bodies for the nonsense that they go through every day for me," Fresh explained. "Therefore I give it my all, 110 percent. I give them protection, knowledge, guidance, wisdom, instructions, knowledge, understanding." When there is fighting amongst the women, Fresh quickly reminds them that their job is to make money for him. He tells them that they are free to leave whenever they want to, but reminds them that they would be trading their current life with a life of working at McDonald's. The fighting ends and Fresh is reassured that he still has control of their minds. After he is done verbally abusing and berating the girls, he "builds them back up" to maintain their loyalty. He consoles them, even takes one of the girls and sits her on his lap and asks "Why are you sad?" He pours into them a false sense of love and security, and the family remains intact.

At the conclusion of the article, it mentioned that Rachel never returned to Fresh after a night on the Track. Fresh did not seem the least bit concerned. I was not surprised because it was no secret that he did not consider her as anything except property. I was reminded of what Princess shared with me about pimps and girls that leave. She said that a pimp is not going to waste time searching for a girl that has left. He will easily pick up more to replace her that night. The supply of broken and bruised girls is endless. For the girl that has run away, it will only be a matter of time before she comes back to her pimp willingly. She has no home to go to and no friends to turn to. He is her everything and provides everything. She will leave with no money, no clothes, and no mind of her own. She wont last for very long with out him.

Fresh shed a little light on what it's like to be a pimp in Atlanta. It saddens me how pop culture has watered down and glamorized the "pimping" lifestyle and made it the idol of many young men and women. When you look past the money, cars and clothes, I wonder if these impressionable minds would feel comfortable forcing a 10 year old girl like Rachel to be raped for money on a daily basis? Would they be okay with stripping away every ounce of dignity and self worth a young girl has in order to "keep her loyal?" Would they be okay with threatening to kill if their girl ever dared to walk away? Would they be man enough to follow through with those threats to make a point? I don't think they would. But, there are real pimps that are okay with it all. They do it everyday. Right here in Atlanta.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=132654&page=4

Lost Ones

Atlanta is a famous city and word is spreading fast around the globe. No, it's not because Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympics or because of its rich history for being the birthplace of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It's not because Atlanta is home to many celebrities like Usher and Elton John, Fortune 500 companies and the like. Its most important claim to fame in this day and age is sex. That's right, sex. Word is spreading like wildfire that Atlanta is the place to go for sex.

If I had not learned about Atlanta's dirty little secret a year ago and seen it with my own eyes a few weeks ago, I would have been like the majority of the people that live here that have no clue. I would have been ignorant to the fact that Atlanta is one of the top cities in the country for sex trafficking of children. Yes, children. Men are paying to have sex with children every day. Right now.

Atlanta is also known as a sex tourist city, thanks to another claim to fame, Hartsfield Jackson Airport, the world's busiest airport. A husband browses through a catalog of young girls on the internet and place his order online while his wife is preparing breakfast for the family. He kisses his children goodbye before boarding a plan to Atlanta "for business." He touches down in our great city and checks into his airport hotel room right before lunch. As he makes himself comfortable,he thinks back to the years of pornography that he had placed in front of his eyes. When the images on the pages and on the screen were no longer enough, he sought out the real thing. Having one affair after another was too complicated because women became emotional, wanted him to leave his family. He decided to pursue a less complicated route, sex with anonymous young girls. They catered to his fantasies, did not ask questions and were gone by the time the money hit her hand. A knock on the door, brings him back to reality; his online purchase had arrived. He will spend the next few hours paying to have sex with a child that could easily pass for his own teenage daughter. After the transaction is over, he boards a plane back home, usually in time for a late dinner with the family. Sounds simple enough, right. That's because it is.

On any given night, a young girl dresses herself up in a short skirt, a tight shirt, and heels to go to work. No amount of makeup can mask the pain and emptiness in her eyes. She thinks back to the troubled home of abuse she left a few years ago, in search of someone to care for her. A man approached her as she was alone in the mall and offered to give her a place to stay, to love her and provide for her. He said everything she needed to hear, words of affection and love she did not receive at home. In exchange for his love, she has to have sex with strangers every night for money. Her boyfriend takes care of all of her needs so showing her devotion to him in that way didn't seem like that big of a deal. She had never been taught her worth or how to be loved. This was all she knew and that was all he asked. She brings herself back to the present time, 5 years later with her boyfriend/pimp who still requires that she show her love on a nightly basis. He keeps a close eye on her from a parked car, alleyway, or behind bushes. He maintains an invisible leash on his property. The pretty young girl walks the tracks of Fulton Industrial Boulevard or Metropolitan Avenue in search of as many dates as she can score so she meets her boyfriend's nightly quota. The number of dates she has determines whether or not he will welcome her back with open arms or an open hand slap across the face.

As the pimp sits back and watches his young worker drive off on yet another date, he thinks about on how he got to where he is. He grew up in fatherless home, with a mother who was involved in one abusive relationship after another. Left to fend for himself most days, his only example of how a relationship was supposed to work was watching his mother work everyday, while her boyfriends played house. On Fridays, he watched his mother spend her earnings lavishing her boyfriend with nice clothes and shoes. He was lucky to get a meal. His mother seemed happy since she would never try to leave such a dysfunctional relationship. Her boyfriends gave her attention in exchange for her money. Topped off with the media's glorifying men who objectify women, he was left with a distorted way of viewing women that no one bothered to correct. He learned that women should cater to him and lavish him with whatever his heart desires, no matter how she had to get the money. He soon learns that sex sells, in more ways that one. He encountered a young girl in the mall five years ago, alone and helpless, and decided to see if he could sweet talk her into being his girl. The helpless girl wasted no time sharing her story and he wasted no time filling her head with promises. They walked out of the mall together and began a cycle of love for sex and sex for love.

A husband, a young girl, and a pimp. These are the lost ones. They are lost right here in Atlanta. They are lost in a world where they are seeking love and satisfaction in ways that will never be enough. These are the lost ones who do not know the love of the Father, a love that is sustaining, never failing, a love that covers a multitude of sins. A love and a devotion that redeems broken lives and saves souls. A love that heals scars, mends hearts, and pieces together broken dreams.

These are God's lost one. They are searching for Him and don't even know it. He is waiting for them with open arms. He has equipped His army of believers on Earth to help show them the way, the truth and the life. God has given us enough love to share with that co-worker who is struggling with pornography; with that friend that lives in the troubled home that is desperate for love; with that fatherless young man who needs to know the love of the Father.

These are God's lost ones. And He is waiting for us to help them home.

Amazing s2s opportunity

As I mentioned in my 1st post, some amazing things have happened in my life over the past few weeks. My young adult ministry, Fusion, has kinda like its own dedicated missions team called Sunday2Sunday or s2s. s2s is the brain child of Avery and Dede Nesbitt who decided to create a way to do missions work right here in the city. And boy does Atlanta need some missionaries!

So I got the chance to go on the June 2010 s2s missions tour and man...talk about life changing. s2s's mission is to open your eyes to the city and world we live in so that you can't leave unchanged. And trust me...ministering to the homeless, laughing and talking with those that depend on kind strangers for food and praying for sex trafficking victims on the streets put life into perspective. It breaks your heart for what breaks the heart of God.

I left the experience wanting to continue doing something, anything. Even if I couldn't go back out and sit with some of the people I encountered, I wanted to let the world know about the atrocities right here in our city. I'm a Facebook junkie and I often post articles and my own commentary about social justice issue and I guess Dede and Avery were noticing. It struck me the other day that I needed to have an outlet to vent my frustration and I knew journal writing wouldnt be effective. I would get bored and not keep it up but would still have all these thoughts and emotions bottled up. So what else could I do...start writing. I have always liked to write though I got out of the habit of writing creatively years ago. But now was my chance to let my voice be heard, well to an extent. I didnt want anyone reading my blog just yet. I wanted to share my own private thoughts and start getting some sort of structure and order to all the chaos in my head.

Almost as soon as I posted the desire to start writing again, Dede and Avery commented and inboxed me about writing for s2s's blog about the plight of the city and country. They had never any seen any of my writing but they wanted me to blog for s2s!!! I was excited, honored and absolutely nervous. Avery and Dede are awesome and down to Earth but I hold them in high regard cause they are leaders that I admire. s2s is their baby and I wanted to make sure I do good work.

I have so many articles to comment, its the narrowing it down to relevant issues and to not sound too preachy. So I took a stab at my first s2s blog entry. I hope they like it cause I'm kinda proud of it. Thanks to all of my new friends that inspired that entry.

http://sundaytosunday.org/index.html


One Simple Thing

I made some new friends recently. There’s Samuel, tall and lanky, almost like a gentle giant. He speaks softly as he tells stories about his life and family. Then, there’s Wallace. He’s a licensed barber who was taught how to cut hair by the same man who taught his mother 40 years earlier. There’s Robert, who works construction, and has a weakness for sweets. Melanie, the avid movie fan, has a laugh and quick wit that makes anyone feel right at home. Lewis is a former rodeo bull rider from Jacksonville, FL with a love for fishing. He has a heart of gold and smiles at the thought of his 13 year old daughter like any proud father would.

My friends are all people who are full of life, hope, and faith for the future. As the day winds down, just like us, they prepare themselves for bed. While we check the locks and windows before climbing into bed, my friends line the steps of warehouses and churches with thin, tattered blankets and their belongings stuffed in a bag as a pillow. They are regular people just like you and I, except they are all homeless.

These are the names of some of the homeless people that the city of Atlanta chooses to ignore. They are not just a statistic. They are not just the people we avoid eye contact with as we stroll pass Woodruff Park. These are not just people to pity during the 90 second news clip during dinner. These are God’s children, just like us. So why have we forgotten them?

The world teaches us through the media that the homeless are a nuisance, a burden to the city. They tarnish the image of prosperity and safety our city officials try so desperately to portray. But when was the last time a police officer or a politician stopped and spoke with the man sitting alone by the fountains of Woodruff park? When was the last time you stopped to bring a warm blanket and meal the woman sleeping on a church steps?

So, the question many ask is “What can I do to help the homeless?” Yeah, we can all do our Christian duties and volunteer at homeless shelters or food banks passing out hot meals and smiles. But when your assignment is done, what do you take from that experience? What do you remember? The nice thing you did for the less fortunate? The lady in the green shirt that asked for a second helping? The man in the red hat that just stared off into the distance? The little kid with the holes in his shoes?

Is that it?

What were their names? Where was the lady from? Does the man with the red hat have any family in the city? What does that little kid want to be when he grows up? Do you remember? Did you even stop and ask?

I’ve read countless articles and news reports about the plight of the homeless. Plenty of facts, stats and weak solutions. But I don’t recall seeing many names and stories associated with these percentages. Why? Cause a name and a story makes that lady in the green shirt real. It’s hard to ignore a bright eyed kid with dreams for the future and holes in his shoes.

Again the question is “What can I do to help the homeless?” The answer is very simple. Take a minute to stop and ask them their name. Sit along side them and let them tell you their story. Make them real and watch God change your heart towards them.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/05/07/homeless.project/index.html