Fact vs. Truth

It will take a couple of blogs for me to tell you about my trip to Greece, so I want to begin with a lesson that I learned about focus. It is important that our perspectives are correct when learning about human trafficking because of the horrific nature of the crime.

Being submerged in how a nightmarish crime works can feel so hopeless when you look at the facts and statistics. You look at the numbers as being overwhelming, the men who use women as animals and hate and anger are the first feelings that arise when you see the injustice. But none of those feelings are from the Lord. Those responses are not grace or love driven, so we have to stop immediately, and ask God "what do you say about this?"

I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

Isaiah 42:6-7

It is easy to see that the women in slavery are captives, but the people who trick women and children and kidnap them are captives too. A man that uses a prostitute is a captive and the pimps, madams and mob are captives. When we can stop seeing the oppressors as evil and start seeing them as the captives also, we are seeing the world through truth and not facts. We do not battle against flesh and blood so keeping our focus on the true battle is key in abolishing human trafficking. Perversion that Satan has injected into our cultures is the what causes this crime. Choose to hate the Devil, not the people he uses as pons to further his territory.

Fact - there are around 50 million slaves in the world today. Looks like a hopeless task.

But when I met six girls who were rescued and are now safe and putting their lives back together, it made that mountain of a statistic seem small.

In just two years A21 Campaign has had over 70 women go through their restoration program and have assisted another 900.

I want to encourage you that if you want to make a difference in someone's life, allow God to restore you first. Seek out classes and wisdom on God's restoration, make the effort to find inner healing, it will be the most important investment you will ever make.

- Katy

The House That Built Me

Tomorrow I leave for my mission trip. I have been waiting for this trip to arrive for 11 months! I told Kyle last night that we could have had a baby quicker than this trip! But, the time has finally come and I am humbled to be on this team and have our church send us out to explore how we can better aid the women and children in slavery.

Last weekend were the final services in our church's current building. In worship this past Sunday morning, I thought about the day Kyle and I came to church here for the first time, Mother's Day 2006.

I remember clearly the conversation Kyle and I had after that service. I said "I have no idea what he was talking about." And Kyle said "Me neither. But I liked it." There have been about million times since then I have had that thought, and I am so grateful.

Kyle and I were raised in a church that laid a healthy and stable foundation for us. We were taught the truth from a young age and it gave us a solid beginning. Some would say a good foundation is enough, but God desires more.

Our next chapter was about finding out what we believed. Not leaning our parent's faith, but discovering a more personal relationship with God than ever before.

The house that raised us sent out with a big fantastic wedding.

And now the house that built us is sending me out. Not just for a 2 week trip, but to my destiny to free the captives. I feel overwhelmed when I think about it.

I am so grateful for both of these chapters, and I am excited about the new journey that is beginning at 3 pm tomorrow.

- Katy