R ealize
E ducate and
A ctivate out of
L ove
You can't do anything if you don't Realize the problem and its scope. You must Educate yourself so that you can recognize what is trafficking and what is not. If you truly Realize and Educate yourself, you can't help but want to Activate and make changes in your life to fight this evil. However, if it is not done out of Love - the kind of Love that comes from God - you will grow tired and give up the fight or angry and do something that you will later regret.
In 1994, I was in Bangkok, in the middle of a mission that took me to the heart of the five major world religions and ministering with Christians to those who lived in each of the areas we visited. It was evening and we decided to head down to the souvenir market for a short time to see how life in Bangkok was lived.
I had heard of brothels and massage parlors and prostitutes, but before that night, I had never seen it so up close and personal. Scantily clad women, some topless, were out in public trying to seduce men. The men in our group had to make sure there was a lady from our group as any man seen without a woman was approached and solicited openly and numerous times as we tried to talk with the vendors and look for appropriate souvenirs.
You may ask – why did you go there? Every place where there were products for sale, people were also for sale. There was no way to escape it. It was overwhelming and drove us to our knees to pray for all of those who were buying, selling, and being bought and sold.
In 1994, I didn’t know the words “human trafficking,” but that is exactly what I witnessed. Many like to think this only happens “over there somewhere,” but I must tell you it is in our own backyard. Trafficking happens in Bartlesville, in the state of Oklahoma, and all over our nation. So what do we do about it?
In the fall of 2009, I attended a special training at Wesleyan World headquarters in Indiana, where I was given tools to conduct awareness and training events for those who want to stand up and fight against human trafficking. This training was given through FAAST (Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking) which includes The Salvation Army, Assembly of God and The Wesleyan Church, to mention just a few. Hands That Heal has been tried and tested and found to equip church members and communities in the fight against trafficking.
I have spoken to our District Superintendent, Rev. Max Colaw, and the DBMD about my passion for this area of ministry. I have attended the past two years of District Conference, sharing my vision with pastors and lay persons in our district and plan to continue to attend these conferences to network with churches and people in the Tri-State district so that we can work together in fighting this incredible evil.
The DBA of the Tri-State District has officially sponsored me as I go out and speak to Wesleyan churches, mostly in the Tri-State District, or other places as I may be asked to go and conduct training seminars and do awareness events. They are specifically helping me in four areas:
1. Financial accountability – I want to be able to show that all monies receipted are responsibly used for ministry. The Tri-State district manages mileage and expenses to show that I am not in this to make money or take advantage of the goodwill of others.
2. Tax-free donations – If there are persons who want to donate towards expenses or fund initiatives to fight human trafficking, donations can be made to the Tri-State District, who will provide a tax donation receipt.
3. Prayer support – My home district will be praying for me as I go out and speak in various locations.
4. Family support – My home district will also be aware of my families needs and help take care of my parents, husband and son while I am away.
This initiative to raise awareness, educate Wesleyans and promote prevention and recovery efforts was started with World Hope and is spreading throughout the denomination. The Tri
My plan is to charge only $50 plus actual expenses for any church or group that wants me to come and speak at an awareness event. I would charge $100 for conducting a training seminar. The actual expenses would include airfare and/or mileage, meals, lodging, and materials needed for each attendee. The fee would help cover the training materials that I have already purchased, expenses to get the training needed, and any future training and materials I would need to update my portfolio. This money could also be used to contact and advertise my services to churches and groups in our area.
If you want more details about the specifics of the various topics I would cover when speaking or the detailed training I would conduct, I would be happy to meet and talk with any who are interested.
