Freedom Friday: 150 men, women, & children set free!

A woman smiles as she readies to return to her home village after living for months as a slave.

This is an amazing story of rescue coming out of IJM from this past month that I just had to share with you.

CHENNAI, INDIA – Today, nearly 150 children, women and men are celebrating freedom, rescued from slavery this week outside Hyderabad, India. More than 100 women and men – plus seven children as young as 3 years old – received official release certificates emancipating them from slavery in a brick factory.

The men and women shared how they had been physically beaten and forced to work 18 to 22 hours a day – sleeping for an hour or two and then resuming their back-breaking work in the brick kiln. A pregnant woman told how she had pleaded for rest when she was pregnant; instead, she was kicked by her manager. One man had raw wounds so deep that the bone showed through.

Freedom Friday: Caring for Widows

Continuing these Freedom Friday posts, as a way to share more about IJM with my own friends & family (who may not venture over to IJM.org on their own), I wanted to highlight one of our other casework types. Most people know IJM for our fight against bonded labor (modern slavery) and child sex trafficking. But in Uganda, we battle another form of violent oppression against the poor. We fight for widows & their children.

Straight out of Scripture: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” James 1:27

These beautiful videos can do a better job at introducing you to the topic than I could ever hope to. So please take a few minutes to watch them…

Freedom Friday: A brother who refused to give up hope

Photo: IJM.org

For a while now, I’ve been wanting to share more about IJM & our work, but haven’t been sure how to do it. For very understandable reasons, we have tight security issues, etc. So inspired by my former colleague, Jenny, I’ve decided to start up Freedom Friday, where I’ll share a story from IJM that you could probably find on our site somewhere, if you were in tune with the news stories there. This will be a great way to share more about IJM with my own friends & family, who may not venture over to IJM.org on their own.

This particular story really touched me. It is the story of a brother who refused to give up hope in finding his sister & bringing her back home. Please continue to pray for this family as they deal with life going forward and in getting Sundari counseling, etc.

Catching up with the Barnes…

In a nutshell… It has been a busy, stretching year. Time has flown by more quickly than I’ve ever been used to. We’ve now been in the DC area for 8 months, which is hard to believe.

In hindsight, I wish I had written more along the way. It’s been quite a journey. I feel like I’ve been stretched in every way possible. But in all honesty, starting a new job, part of it is a balancing act of figuring what you can & can’t say (or should/shouldn’t). Part of it has been the fact that I get home in the evenings feeling pretty drained & find it hard to exert the effort to write (or insert other productive activity). So for all that I’ve missed, here is the brief overview. If you were to call me and ask me about our transition, this is much of what I’d probably tell you…

We’re Making Progress!

So I’m clearing out the blog cobwebs to share some exciting news from my world. There’s no denying that it’s been a heck of a transition to this new life. I haven’t written much at all this year, but that’s a post coming soon. However, this was a really good reason to dust off the blog & get something written.

Yesterday was one of my most exciting days at IJM thus far. There have definitely been some amazing things happening this year that I have had the blessing of witnessing (countless people rescued, prayer answered, etc). But on Tuesday we made some major progress on the world stage.

The Road to Now

If you missed my last post, “Taking the Leap”, please read it by clicking here & then continuing on. The rest of this will make more sense if you know what I’m talking about.

It’s been a long road to get to here. To now. To this point where I feel like we’re about to jump off of a cliff. To say goodbye to everything that has kept us comfortable – probably too comfortable – for the last couple of years.

You might say that God has been leading us down this road our entire lives. He always knew where we’d end up at this exact moment. There’s something quite encouraging in that. He is the one who has led us down this path. All of our past experiences, melding with our God-given passions, are colliding together in this next big adventure.

He put me together with an amazing man who shared the same vision and passions. He planted us in Nashville for a wonderful 5 years. But somewhere along the way, we started to feel like something wasn’t right. We were content, but deep down we were restless. We were in a season of winter. We were here for now, but knew that God was somehow preparing us for something else. We just didn’t know what… or where… or when…

To share one fun piece of the puzzle… About three years ago I saw a job opening at IJM that caught my eye. It was for a Director of Marketing position. It was a complete long shot for that period in my life, but I printed it off to save as inspiration. I called it my dream job. Life went on, but I always kept my eye on IJM. I have always been a big fan of their work and have wondered that whenever it was my time to leave Thomas Nelson, it could potentially be for either IJM or World Vision. That’s just how God wired me.

A couple of weeks ago I found that folded up piece of paper while cleaning out our study. It has the date I printed it at the bottom… 1/08/2009. Now, three years later, almost exactly to the day, I will start my training at IJM.  January 9th, 2012.

And God knew it all along.

There have been many interesting pieces of the puzzle that have come together along the way. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to share more of them with you. But that is one that just makes me smile.

How have you seen evidence of God’s hand moving in your life lately? Please leave a comment below and tell us about it. We’d love to hear.

Taking the Leap

(Photo by Savit Keawtavee)

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1

It is time to for us to leap. To give up everything we have known and grown comfortable with over the past five & a half years. God is calling us to our next big adventure.

I have resigned from Thomas Nelson and have accepted a job as Marketing Manager with International Justice Mission. (IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression.)

We will soon be packing up our lives and moving to Northern Virginia.

There is no doubt that God has been preparing us for this next adventure for a long time. We have both been feeling a little restless, knowing that God was up to something. We just didn’t know when, where, or what.

I believe, wholeheartedly, that this is a position that God has created me for and has been preparing me for. He knew this was coming, long before I did. I can already see His hand at work through every bit of the process thus far.

“For we are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 (The Voice)

I am excited. I am nervous. And I am just a little bit terrified.

I ask for your prayers as we take this leap of faith. We have a lot of logistics to work out in the next month. I also invite you to stay tuned to our adventure. I’ll be posting a lot more frequently here with thoughts along the way. At the upper left of the page, you can either choose to subscribe via email or subscribe to the feed via RSS (if you use Google Reader or something similar).

Here’s to the journey ahead…

Gifts That Give Back

Here’s a post I wrote for the website that I manage at work, God’s Word in Action…

Are you still looking for the perfect gift for someone on your list this Christmas?

Do you always get Dad a tie & want to do something a little different this year?

How about getting a gift that gives back?

That’s where this handy list comes in. Ties get stuck in a closet, fruitcakes sit uneaten, and the latest gadget will soon be replaced with something newer. This year, consider purchasing items that will really make a difference in someone’s life. Many organizations will let you donate to fulfill a specific need (buy a goat, provide job training for women, etc) and provide you with a lovely card to present to your recipient letting them know that you’ve done this in their honor. There are also items like jewelry and coffee that you can purchase to give to your loved one knowing that the proceeds go to a wonderful cause as well.

So what are you waiting for? Check out the list of great ideas below & get shopping!

World Vision

What do you buy for the person who already has everything? World Vision’s Christmas gift catalog offers many ways to give a gift in honor of a loved one while helping someone around the world.

Here are some needs that you can help fill:

• A backpack & school supplies for a child ($22)
• 2 chickens for a family in need ($25)
• Seeds, tools, & training in Africa ($30)
• Feed a family in the US for 3 days ($48)
• A small business loan for a woman ($100)

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Click HERE to flip through their gift catalog.

International Justice Mission

IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law. IJM fights injustice around the world, focusing efforts on rescuing slaves, victims of sex trafficking, and more. In all of its casework, IJM has a four-fold purpose: victim relief, perpetrator accountability, victim aftercare, and structural transformation.

Their “Gifts of Freedom” catalog allows you to join them in helping secure justice for victims around the world.

Some donations options include providing a bicycle for a former slave, aftercare help for a trafficking survivor, desperately needed medical care, funding to equip investigators, etc. Click HERE to explore the options.

Blood:Water Mission

Blood:Water Mission is a grassroots organization that empowers communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crisis.

For their current Christmas campaign, you can buy a bag of cement in someone’s name. It’s usually not at the top of a Christmas list, but in sub-Saharan Africa, it’s a generous gift. Cement is the main component of most water and sanitation projects. In many of communities, it’s also one of the most expensive pieces of these projects. Although not glamorous, this gift will help transform lives for our neighbors in Africa. Each bag is $25 & for a limited time when you buy 2 bags, a 3rd bag will be donated free. Click HERE for more info.

31 Bits

What female on your list doesn’t love jewelry? Now you can buy some beautiful jewelry to give as a gift and know that it is helping women in Uganda too. 31 Bits is a socially minded business designed to give internally displaced women in Northern Uganda an opportunity to counter poverty. By giving women access to the international market, they are able to earn an instant income, providing homes, food, and education for their families. Their program equips women by providing literacy education, financial and vocational training, holistic care, and strong support systems, empowering individuals to further their careers and attain social equity.

And their jewelry is rather fabulous! Check out the collection HERE.

Project 7

Project 7 is a cause-related company that makes every day consumer goods, like bio-bottled water, gum, mints and coffee. They aren’t asking you to buy more stuff, just change the products that you already buy. For every purchase of a Project 7 product, some good is done in seven areas of need – Feed the Hungry, Heal the Sick, Hope for Peace, House the Homeless, Quench the Thirsty, Teach them Well and Save the Earth.

Their items make excellent stocking stuffers. Check out their online store for coffee, gum, mints, and more HERE.

Are you giving any gifts that give back this year? Have any other great organizations or websites to share?

Good Reads: Terrify No More

I finally got the chance to read a book that has been sitting in my stack for months, Terrify No More. It is written by Gary Haugen, the president & CEO of International Justice Mission (IJM).

It’s no secret that IJM is one of my favorite organizations (read my previous post about them here). For those of you who are unfamiliar, IJM is “a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression”. You can read more about them on their site.

As for the book, here is the official description from Amazon.com. Terrify No More -Young Girls Held Captive & the Daring Undercover Operation to Win Their Freedom:

In a small village outside of Phnom Pehn, little children as young as five years old were forced to live as sex slaves. Day after day their hope was slipping away. Tireless workers from International Justice Mission (IJM) infiltrated the ring of brothels and gathered evidence to free the children. Headed up by former war-crimes investigator Gary Haugen, IJM faced impossible odds-police corruption, death threats, and mission-thwarting tip-offs. But they used their expert legal finesse and high-tech investigative techniques to save the lives of 37 young girls and secured the arrest and conviction of several perpetrators. Terrify No More focuses on this dramatic rescue story, and uses flashbacks to tell those of many other victims who were given a second chance at life by this amazing organization.

It is an intense book. At times it was very difficult to read about the abuse that these girls suffer day in and day out. Personally, out of every kind of evil that I can imagine in the world, none makes my stomach turn worse than child sex trafficking.

And while some of the graphic details included in the book were hard to confront, it is the reality for the 2 million children in the world who are trapped in the commercial sex trade (according to UNICEF, 2010).

I am always a proponent of awareness and education when it comes to issues like this. We all need to be made aware of what’s going on in our world, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us. Only then can we be moved to help do something about it.

What fascinated me the most was learning how the IJM investigators work – how they gather information, go undercover for video evidence & facts, the complications they often face in getting the local governments & police to support them (who are often part of the problem), and finally how they go in (and sometimes very literally) pull the girls out to freedom. Their work & their courage amaze me.

I am so grateful that there are people in the world willing to risk everything for those trapped in these unspeakable situations.

One thing that Gary does a great job emphasizing is that while we can often feel hopeless in trying to help everyone, the team at IJM is always focused on the one. The one precious girl rescued from a brothel or the one man freed from a life of slavery in a brick kiln. Each is a tremendous victory.

And while I didn’t actually get to finish the book, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the issue of child trafficking and the admirable work that IJM does to fight it. I started telling the girl next to me on the plane about it and ended up giving my copy to her. I’ll have to get another one soon…

“Learn to do good; Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:17 (NKJV)

The work of International Justice Mission

Last night I had the honor of being able to volunteer at the International Justice Mission‘s Nashville fundraising dinner. I’ve been a fan of them for quite some time, but had never personally interacted with them. I was excited to go experience their organization in person. As it was a fundraiser, it was $200 per person. Not something I would normally be able to attend. But I found the right contact to sign up as a volunteer. In exchange for helping set-up & clean-up, we were able to then attend the dinner also. It was a powerful event. They do incredible, and intense, work. I learned a lot.

International Justice Mission (based out of DC) is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. Please visit their site to learn more about them.

Did you know that…

There are 25 million people trapped in slavery around the world?

There are more women, men, & children held in slavery right now than over the course of the entire trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Over 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade.

Sickening & disturbing. (I recently read something from Max Lucado where he said that we ought to get ticked off about these horrible things going on in our world. If we are not ticked off about them, then something is wrong with us. Getting boiling hot mad is the first step. Only then will we be moved to action.)

IJM goes in, gathers evidence, and literally will then storm in and pull people out of their bondage. It is scary and daunting work. They are in constant danger. But I am so glad there is someone like them in the world to help.

Back to the evening’s events… They shared about the work of IJM, including several personal stories of people who have been freed (a girl from Cambodia freed from sex trafficking, a family from India freed from a salt mill, & a widow in Uganda (I think that’s right) who was being forced off her land unjustly). They then had a live web cam conversation with the girl from Cambodia. That was amazing! She, & her sister, were rescued a couple years ago. She is now doing well and is working in a bakery, hoping someday to start her own bakery and use the profits to help others.

Amy Grant then performed a few beautiful songs. (Her Better Than a Hallelujah took on a new meaning that night for me.)

And finally, Gary Haugen, IJM’s founder & CEO, spoke. He has an amazing background, coming from the Department of Justice, where he served as the Officer in Charge of the U.N.’s genocide investigation in Rwanda. Read more about him here.

It was a very moving evening. And very educational. I am so glad to have been able to attend.

I wanted to share that with you in hopes of educating others that these problems exist in our world today. These are issues that make us uncomfortable and that are so big & daunting we may feel compelled to look the other way, rationalizing “well I can’t do anything to help that.”

This quote appeared on the screen at one point last night and it grabbed my attention:

“Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Are we ready to take responsibility? Are we ready to act and help out those that truly are “the least of these”? There are ways to help. You can help financially support the work of IJM. Or go here to learn about other ways that you can get involved.

And finally, here is an article that also talks about the U.S. sex trade and what we can do about it: The U.S. sex trade flourishes: your role in the fight

There are millions of people around the world right now that are being exploited as slaves. Now that you know, are you ready to take responsibility?