And the Lord proved his faithfulness. our first stop was Ft. Myers, Fl where we connected with Summit Church. we met a glorious couple who happened to have the only safehouse for rescued victims of sex slavery. we made a lunch date and went over their non- punitive approach to aftercare. I took notes vigorously because their program was wicked successful and more importantly it was biblical. they have been working with law enforcement, task forces, and coalitions for years, as well as DCF ( child services ) . they knew the hurdles , the jumps , the mountains. we could not come across a couple with more knowledge and wisdom on aftercare. we went to the Collier County Coalition meeting the next day with them and saw a different side of this fight to end slavery. the lawyer side, its not so heartfelt.
nonetheless we learned a ton about the different faces of this fight.
Every city hasn't been as busy, we went on to tampa- connected with Underground church. great community! In Orlando we met people from Status Church at a coffee shop called Downtown Credo. It is a non Profit business that donates all the proceeds back into the needs that are specific to orlando. also! Maya strange does all the baking for tasty treats. she is the wife of Relevant magazines owner.
in Tallahassee we were blessed to connect with IHOP . witnessing their hearts for change was encouraging, they prayed over injustice and our journey. they took up an offering at the end among the few missionaries that were present. we were sent to Atlanta with $120 in cash. so humbled.
Lowell , a man who started the first rehabilitation center in FL said this to us, "We are not abolitionists fighting human trafficking, We are first Christians doing the will of God. right now this is on his heart for us. if tomorrow it is orphans in Uganda, we go there. " This helped put things in perspective for both of us. I think in some ways this tour, at least for me was just another way God wanted to show me what it looks like to completely rely on him for provision, direction and guidance. There were nights we weren't sure where we were sleeping, and nights we werent sure if the bed we were sleeping in was kosher. We also encountered amazing people who encouraged us in our journey, sharing their hearts and wisdom with us. Though people have told us that we are inspiring - I am certain that I have received more than I have given.
There was a night Brandon and I were going to visit a young adult service at a "hip" church in Atlanta. we were so hungry we thought we would grab food and then just go to the service late to connect with the pastor after. we sat down at a restaurant and felt completely convicted for half assing this oppurtunity to connect with this church. we left before the waitress took our order and went to the church still a little late. but the parking lot was empty. I thought, welp we tried. we filled up across the street and were ready to head home but then I saw a man with full dreads and a beard carrying the world on his shoulders. he crossed the street to meet his companion, a young dreaded blonde and two mutts, also with a large backpack. I asked Brandon if we could give help them/ give them a ride/if he could take him if they tried attacking us. so instead of connecting with the hip church we took Eric and Lauren, mudpie and flea to dinner. it may not have been on the agenda that night, or a goal on paper but Lowell was right. We are called to do God's will at all times of the day- sometimes that looks like telling a church about sex slavery and sometimes its sharing life with strangers.
connections were made. people were educated. we were stretched. and humbled and blown away.
this post skims the surface of our experiences. I want to thank all of you who were praying for us and encouraging us along the way.
