Conclusions for January

Today is a big day.

It concludes my month long fitness challenge to raise funds to support BASICS, a Milwaukee organization that provides aftercare to girls rescued from sex trafficking and education to the public about this horrible injustice.  It is also the last day that I will choose my daily attire for a month.  I will explain that second statement in a post that I will write tomorrow.

Over the month of January, I exercised 46 MILES.  My highest sponsor in my fitness challenge generously pledged $2/mile.  That’s $92 to support the awareness and education of sex trafficking.  That’s $92 to support the restoration of young girls rescued from a life of slavery. 

Over the next week, I will calculate the total amount of money raised and give an updated total at that time.

I shared some of my exercise experiences in my previous post, so I will refrain from listing the details of every walk I took this month.  I will, however, share a couple of things that have impacted me as I have “walked” through this fitness challenge.

Challenge of comfort
I alluded to this a bit in my last post, but I realized even more today as I reluctantly dragged myself up from a nap under cozy warm blankets to take my last walk, that this month has challenged me to release my own comfort  in order to provide for those in need.  There were many days in which I couldn’t wait to get outside to enjoy the unseasonably warm Wisconsin weather.  There were other days, though, that I really would have preferred to stay inside where it was warm, but decided to give up my comfort to continue fighting for those who often don’t have a voice of their own.  I think God is much more concerned about justice than my comfort.  Each month of this year, as I work to raise awareness about modern-day slavery and human trafficking, I am hoping to challenge my comfort level in order to seek justice.

Power of Prayer
God has increasingly been teaching and developing me in the area of prayer.  About 2 – 3 years ago, I was the girl terrified of praying out loud with others.  Now today, I am able to be a model to encourage others to share their requests out loud as I confidently pray in group settings.  During this fitness challenge, many of my outdoor excursions began or turned into prayer walks.  I have grown to love walking around my neighborhood praying specifically for people, organizations, countries, etc. and have had the opportunity to see many answered prayers. 

I will share just one story of answered prayer.  My friend, Jenny, has a heart of justice and a strong passion for the people of Pattaya, Thailand.  In the summer of 2011, she traveled to Pattaya and stayed 3 weeks with Angela, the director of Pattaya Slum Ministries, a ministry that reaches out to children in the slums and young women who have fallen into prostitution or become victims of sex trafficking.  During her time there, Jenny fell in love with the people, and felt God calling her back for which she thought was going to be about a year beginning in August of 2012.  A few weeks ago, Jenny felt a change of heart, feeling God was asking her to shorten her time in Pattaya for a variety of reasons.  Her passion stayed true, and her heart continued to break for the people there.  About two weeks ago, however, she was faced with the potential of not being able to live out her passion in Pattaya at all this year.  I had the privilege of walking closely with her through this time, and lifted her in prayer during my walks.  I am excited to say that Jenny WILL be going to Pattaya, not for a year, but for almost 3 months this summer.  This may not have been her original plan, but through her desire to follow the One who knows her best, and through the prayers of those who love her, she has been able to trust that God has the better plan, which not only allows her to follow her call to Pattaya in 2012, but also to embrace an important new relationship and a fulfilling career.

Walking to RAISE AWARENESS and FUNDING

With just one more week to go to raise funds to fight against sex trafficking in Milwaukee, I have exercised approximately 34 miles so far.  I had estimated 10 – 12 miles per week, so I’m right on target. 

Since I am not currently a member of a gym, nearly all of my miles have come from walking outside.  Since it is winter in Wisconsin, there have been some cold walks, but I am beginning to LOVE LOVE LOVE sauntering down the sidewalks of Wauwatosa.  There have been days in which I have really wanted to stay inside where it was cozy and warm, and then I would think about the girls who are enslaved, many being raped several times a day.  That made it easier to get my legs moving outside.  I have walked to the grocery store, carrying bananas and pears back home in my mini backpack all while the wind is blowing so hard, my hood is continuously knocked off my cold ears.  To the library many times bringing home books about human trafficking and of course, the Baxter Family series by Karen Kingsbury.  I even ventured to the eye doctor with my glasses tucked away in my backpack (note:  eye doctor’s offices don’t always have drinking fountains so if you are walking, pack a water bottle!).

With 7 days to go, I continue to walk even when people think I’m crazy to be outside in the frigid Wisconsin weather.  These girls need me to walk.

Just the BEGINNING of a YEAR to RAISE AWARENESS

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month.


God has been tugging at my heart to FIGHT AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING in Milwaukee and around the world since the summer of 2010. In May/June of that year, I participated in Love146's Tread on Trafficking, which was a fitness event to raise funds to combat child sex trafficking. In a month and a half, I exercised 86 miles and raised over $1,000 for Love146's prevention and aftercare programs.

Since then I have begun a monthly prayer group focusing on sex trafficking in Milwaukee, Thailand, and around the world. In November, I attended a 7-hour Human Trafficking Training that gave me plenty of resources not only for combatting this issue, but also for counseling trafficked victims.

As I have been thinking about 2012, I know God is continuing to ask me to fight the injustices in this world. As I learned about National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I couldn't help but get excited about the opportunity to start out my year fighting these evils called modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

My goal EACH MONTH of 2012 is to raise awareness about modern-day slavery and/or human trafficking.

IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, I will be tracking the miles that I exercise to raise money for an organization called BASICS in Milwaukee. Mike Moses of BASICS has developed a Human Trafficking Awareness Program that EDUCATES high school students and church groups about this issue. Mike has also just begun an AFTERCARE mentoring program for rescued victims of trafficking. The Milwaukee aftercare program is one that supports the victims in many ways: learning how to trust again, developing life skills such as cooking, time management, or resume writing, re-entering high school or preparing for a GED, obtaining a driver's license, etc.

I am praying that my family and friends will be moved to financially support the fight against this incredible injustice by sponsoring me through this fitness challenge.

I consider it a blessing to be a part of God’s work in this world. My prayer for this blog is that each person that reads it may gain a little bit more knowledge about modern-day slavery and human trafficking, and in their own way will find a way to combat it.

For more information about modern-day slavery and trafficking, click here --> http://love146.org/slavery

Other websites:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/
Not For Sale, http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/
Call & Response, http://www.callandresponse.com/
International Justice Mission, http://www.ijm.org/

FACT: 6 girls are rescued per month in the city of Milwaukee alone. Those being rescued are the small minority of those being trafficked.