Forced To Sell Their Bodies For Sex today.

Thousands of precious souls are being forced to sell their bodies against their will today.

“It would be just like Chuck,” my voice sounded funny in the quiet morning. I often say things I’m thinking out loud by complete accident.

Wednesday morning I found myself in my daily ritualistic place of prayer, my comfy chair. I must admit my mind drifted in and out of prayer and sleepy, dreamlike thoughts. I was praying about the Super Bowl. Praying for the thousands and thousands of young women and boys who are bound by chains of sex slavery that were brought to the very state I live. Thousands of precious souls who are being forced to sell their bodies against their will TODAY. Thousands of entertainment seeking sports enthusiasts have flooded into to Dallas, Texas, to watch a football game. Many of those same people will prey on the helpless for a different kind of entertainment today.

As I sat their praying desperately for an answer, my eyes caught sight of my sweet husband doing the same. Today, my husband and father-in-law are at the Super Bowl. My always creative imagination pictured David walking through the crowds of people, brushing shoulders with the hurting. And for a moment, I pictured my husband becoming the main character of the TV show, Chuck, where an ordinary guy suddenly has superhero powers to work for the CIA and save the world. I wish it was that easy.

Today, there are more human slaves in the world than ever before. 27 million children and adults are in forced sexual slavery in the world right now. It’s estimated that every year 300,000 new slaves enter the market. It is also believed that 25% of those in the United States are trafficked through the state of Texas. An estimated of 10,000 young girls and boys in the forced sex industry were present at the last Super Bowl. Only guesses can be made about how many more will be in Dallas today.

Maybe you are shocked. Maybe you have questions. Good. You need to find out the answers. We, especially as Christians, can’t be afraid any longer to open our eyes to the horrors of this world. We can’t live in our suburban homes and attend our churches, and forget about the horrible state of this world, the pain, the abuse, and the hurt. Sex trafficking is one of the biggest global problems of our current day. It’s ugly and dark, but Jesus is light.

1. Get educated. If you don’t know much about this topic, it’s time you researched.
More information HERE.
Super Bowl a magnet for under-age sex trade
Huffington Post Article
The A21 Campaign (Amazing Ministry)

2. Don’t turn your back. Be a light. This is a dark, dark issue. You can shed the light by educating others and praying for God to move on behalf of these precious souls.

3. Don’t let the problem overwhelm you. You can personally be involved in ending sex trafficking. Get involved in a ministry that is working against these efforts. Be a part of ending sex trafficking that takes place in Amarillo, Texas, or wherever you live.
Look into The Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force .

4. Learn the signs of trafficked people. Combat human trafficking.

5. My heart longed for a hero as a I prayed Wednesday morning.
My deep desire to see a man rise up and defend and rescue the helpless was the longing of my heart for a Savior. A man who is mighty for justice and healing. My longing for a world that should be a certain way, a world that isn’t as it should be. We all know this world isn’t the way it should be. It feels broken. It feels like somewhere, something went terribly wrong; now it’s all messed up. We must see, what we all know about this world is horribly true. But the amazing thing is that is the very reason Jesus came. The very reason He knew we needed to be saved from our sin and our pain. He provides the answer for all that is broken. He is the only answer for this world.

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Podcast by Christine Caine/A21 Campaign, when she came to speak at my church last month.
“It’s Time To Wake Up”

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I’m just so proud.

I would like to applaud the amazing community of North. This is the most amazing community of people I have ever been a part!

North saw a huge need in the city of Amarillo, and stood up to the pain and injustice of this world and made a difference. Our national economic crisis has touched so many, and often the most affected people are the people who are already suffering financially. Every year my amazing family, Trinity Fellowship Church to which North is a ministry of, provides Thanksgiving turkeys and dinners to the families of this area most severely impoverished. That is 900 families in the Amarillo area!! This year because of the economy and the price of the turkeys had risen significantly; it looked like the outreach would not be feasible.

The ministry of North couldn’t accept, and began raising money. In just a few short weeks, North raise $10,000 to help buy 900 families Thanksgiving turkeys! An unbelievable feat for a few hundred poor college students! But they didn’t stop there. Last Tuesday night after North, those same people invaded the Walmart on Coulter Street in Amarillo and filled 200 bags full of the rest of the Thanksgiving dinner (sweet potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, cookies…etc.).

I can’t say how proud I was of my community. I know what a sacrifice that was for most of these young adults barely making it on their own. Hats off North! This Saturday the Gospel of Jesus Christ will go into help 900 homes because of your sacrifice and effort. The coolest part of it all is that I know with what kinds of heart it was done. I know most would never want any credit. They have done it because when they were poor in heart and soul and body, there was One, Jesus, who made a greater effort and paid the ultimate sacrifice so that they could know Love and be satisfied.

And that makes me all the more proud. Forgive me, but I must shout it by blog. I’m so proud of you North!! ☺

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On a personal note, I would also like to say how proud I am of my brother Ike.

My brother Ike is 21 years old and is a religion major at Liberty University. He is one of the most influential, Godly men in my life. And he’s doing an amazing job in life and faith. He has an incredible trust in God and a purity of heart that is to be desired. He recently wrote a blog that I believe shows his character and the wisdom God is increasing in him. I would like to share it with you HERE.

Ike baptizing folks in Zambia, Africa

Ok, now that I have given away all my gold stars of the day. All I can say is have a great day, and you hear from me again Sunday! ☺

KR☺

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“Cause” Thoughts by a Panhandle Pilgrim

This is a blog post by Ryan Richardson, a member of the North Leadership Team. I thought it was incredibly inspiring, and fitting to post it along with the recent posts on my blog. If you like what you read, please visit Ryan’s blog, “Thoughts by a Panhandle Pilgrim.”

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Cause

Serving and loving Amarillo.
On the surface level, it is not an overly complex statement. From Washington west and sixth south (give or take a few blocks depending on where exactly you are) Amarillo is a quiet, conservative center for the Texas panhandle. With an economy -relatively- untouched by the recession (as a waiter, I happen to know that isn’t entirely true), a quaint (if remarkably flat) view, an overabundance of coffee shops, and the general wave-at-everybody mentality Amarillo looks, sounds, and even feels like the perfect suburban town in the Midwest. The word average would fit almost perfectly if it weren’t for the amazing people and community that we all seem to find here. Nothing you can really target to complain or complement otherwise.

But let’s dive, just for a moment, beyond the surface. Let’s travel to northeast Amarillo… an area most of the town doesn’t go to, and may not even realize exists. And what you find is that the statement “Serving and loving Amarillo” may not be as simple as we have all chalked it up to be. I won’t go into exact statistics and details as most of you have been to the recent North sermon about statistics of poverty, teen pregnancy, the refugees who call this ‘quaint Midwest town’ there home, but in general that is exactly what you find. The quaint, quiet, conservative town disappears, and what you find looks a lot more like Juarez, Mexico with various Oriental signs spread throughout, instead of the nice, relaxing atmosphere of Roaster’s that so many college students have become accustomed to.

Yesterday (Tuesday) a small group of Northerners made our way past the boundaries of the Amarillo most of us know and love to a little place called Faith City Ministries located on 2nd street between Buchanan and Taylor. A building that’s actually surprisingly easy to miss… in point of fact, one of our group actually did miss it as it was her first time there. But within that building, people take the statement ‘serving and loving Amarillo’ to new levels. In that small unnoticed building the poor and homeless of Amarillo can find a warm meal, clothes, chapel services where the Gospel is proclaimed, and for a few hours each day a place where they are welcomed… where they are loved… and where the society that so regularly shuns them falls away.

I’ve spent time there sporadically over the years, watching the interns (former homeless or former prison inmates themselves who have found the Good News of Jesus Christ) go through the program to be taught skills to acquire jobs. And to be helped back onto their feet in a world that constantly wants to see them fall back down. And so it was yesterday, my first time there in over a year, that I find a place that’s quite different than the last time I was there. There are a new round of interns in the place, including a new intern director- a really happy, friendly, and driven guy named Lynn. But one of the most impressive things: the homeless themselves. It’s hard to catch, but I noticed that they have become some of the most selfless people I have seen in awhile. (perhaps they always were, and I just never had the eyes to see) Over the course of the meal, I put my waiting skills to use carrying drinks and food out to them and keeping those drinks full (a little funny, I never thought I’d use those talents for anything else…. ever). But over the course of the meal, I had some of the people, unable to put a meal before themselves, eat maybe half of their plates that Faith City had provided them and then happily look for others around them who had finished theirs and ask me to take their half eaten plates to those who had none left.

You can also see amazing things in the interns themselves. Men who have fallen into dark places, and are even now in hard times laugh and joke with each other, expressing what can only be described as joy with each other even in the midst of trial and hardship. And you see loving men and women who have escaped the boundaries of the Amarillo we are all so comfortable with to love the ones that the world and society has shunned.
Serving and loving Amarillo… Makes you think doesn’t it?

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P.S. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 12ish to 1ish we will be heading out there to serve lunch. Feel free to join, and contact me if you have any questions.

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Blogs that I like today.

I walked to work today. It’s beautiful out, and I used the time to pray. Passing cars saw my mouth moving and my hands flying, but I don’t care. There are just those days were it seems like God’s beauty is everywhere, and I can’t help but say something about it.

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As the sun peels back petals,
Every time I hear your name
I dance.

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Walked right by Big Tex on my way.

In other news, if you ordered a “Jesus Loves Strippers” tshirt to support my CAUSE, your shirt is in! Find me at North or comment here or email me! 🙂 AND if you send me pictures of you wearing your shirts, I’ll be sure to post them on here. 🙂

Me wearing mine!! The new ones are in 'boyfriend' material!! EXTRA soft.

And finally, I’ve recently come across some incredible new blogs! 🙂 You are going to want to check these out for sure.

The first one is by my pastor, Jimmy Evans. He pastors my church, Trinity Fellowship Church, and has an amazing marriage ministry and television show, Marriage Today. He is also the author of many influential marriage books.

Check out Pastor Jimmy Evan’s new blog HERE.

I’ve also started reading what is, in my opinion, the most incredible blog for young women that I have found. It is my an awesome chic by the name of Fabienne Harford. Here is her “About Me:”

“I love Jesus. and I love the Church. and I love that I get to teach and write for my church. I work for the get Trained ministry at The Austin Stone Community Church. and I love tv marathons on rainy days. and I love writing. and I love the Austin Film Festival. and I love coffee shops with good friends.”

Her blog is called “thoughts from fabs,” and you can check it out HERE!

That’s all from me for now, it’s back to work. I’m working on a second blog in my “A Woman of the City” series. It will post on Sunday! Have a great week. 🙂

KR:)

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