IT’S 3AM AND I WAKE UP from a dead sleep. I immediately sit straight up in bed as my eyes try to adjust to the pitch-black room and I see nothing. My ears tune in to the silence, there’s no noise that could’ve woken me. I enter the room and I sense this emergency setting into my thoughts. I close my eyes and call out His name and pause. Jesus. In my mind, I question what this could be. My eyes are still closed and I go into prayer, requesting an army of angels, as many as necessary to surround a building I now see in a vision. I have an ariel view of a concrete building that appears to be in a war-torn country and its nightfall. I see the angels descending in uniformity circling the building from the outside. A wave of emotion comes over me as I can now see into the building, a room full of children who appear to be hiding. I cry out to Jesus requesting Him to keep them hidden from plain sight. I Many of us are completely unaware that slavery is happening not only in other countries, but right here in our own back yard.
ask His Spirit to fill the room and allow the children to feel His presence. Jesus, release your peace and give them a calm confidence that they will survive. Please allow your angels to whisper prayers for them to pray. Jesus answer their prayers and deliver them from the evil ones lurking about. Allow them to feel your love so strongly that it becomes undeniable. Tears are streaming down my face as I notice a specific girl in the room. I begin praying for her, don’t give up, call out Jesus’s name and allow Him in. It seemed as though I was speaking directly to her as I promised her, He will deliver her into freedom and restore her life. I remember praying until I felt the atmosphere shift into His care and the countenance on the children’s faces began to ease. I didn’t let up until I could sense that specific girl knew in her heart of hearts, she would be rescued and restored. She now had a knowing, a hope, that she would make it out. This alone would save her from taking her own life through the night. I begin thanking Jesus for the power of His love and protection. I’m running down a list of things I am eternally grateful for and I cannot help but feel a passion stir in my heart for freedom, truth and love to reign in this world…. and if I’m being honest, I also wanted to see a few heads roll. Around 10 years ago, I was sitting in a Sunday service at a local church when a guest speaker was there to discuss a global epidemic on human trafficking. Her name was Christine Caine, founder of the A21 organization. A21 stands for abolish slavery in the 21st century and up until that point, I had no idea how massive this issue was. I listened to her share stories; stories of girls as young as 4 years old being auctioned off as sex slaves on platforms similar to those used in 18th-19th century America. Stories of newborns who were being sold into pedophile rings and as it went on, rage from the pit of my stomach built up. Toward the end of her talk, she made comments similar to the tone of, each individual makes the choice to either let it happen or to find ways to fight it. Human trafficking happens when the world closes their eyes and pretends something isn’t happening. She talked about the goods and services we as Americans purchase and how we no longer care about the process in which it took to get them to us. The statistics she shared about modern day slavery and the multi-billion dollar industry that it is with only 1% ever saved, had my stomach in knots. I sat there with this overwhelming sense of pressure, as if it were on me to save them all. I began running through possible solutions and how I could begin by buying fair-trade. But I’m only one person, what good is that going to do, clear my conscious? What about the people who need to be rescued out of being sex trafficked and the restoration and healing they will need? Often we think, I can’t do it all and then we become paralyzed and do nothing. Christine says, “We can’t do everything, but we all must do something. If we find the one thing that we can do, then together we will all make a difference.” The call for me that day was loud and clear. I now had a new passion and desire to be a part of the solution to end human trafficking and play a role in the restoration process. For years, I donated to A21 because I wasn’t equipped to do much else. Quite some time later, I began a new career that allowed me to have more time to do the things that matter most in life, well at least for me. I pursued my relationship with God like never before and my gifts were in a strong development process. I was becoming equipped in ways like never before. When the Holy Spirit is waking me at 3am to pray for a group of children I’ve never met, not knowing where they are or even if they exist, I obey the call. I began interceding for this global issue. It was also strongly imprinted on my heart years ago to help the hopeless find their hope, find the truth and be delivered from spiritual bondage, and be restored new. For the last two years, I’ve hosted what is called “Walk For Freedom” for A21 and alongside thousands of other “walks for freedom” taking place around the globe on the same day. This walk is a silent protest and symbolism for all those still trapped in slavery today. It’s done to raise awareness, not just awareness that human trafficking exists, but how to identify it taking place in public. It’s done to raise resources and funding for A21’s organization who have what I like to call “boots on the ground” in 12 different countries around the world, rescuing, advocating and restoring the lives of those set free from modern day slavery. Through this volunteer work with A21, I have been introduced to some wonderful people and local organizations working to restore lives right here in Sacramento. It’s like an epicenter, ranking #2 in the nation for the highest amount of human trafficking. I met with Rachelle Dit more, co-founder of the City of Refuge, who works day and night in devotion to see people set free. The first day I ever visited the City of Refuge, Rachelle came out to greet me, simultaneously a team member of hers had just walked through the door. Rachelle excused herself for a moment to brief the team member about a woman with her child who had been taken in just hours ago, raped and left in a field the night before. I thought to myself, this is her everyday work life scenario. These are heavy life issues they deal with on a regular basis. Just a few days prior to this, Rachelle spoke at our “Walk For Freedom” event. She shared a story of a girl who just hours prior to our walk, had broken out of a moving vehicle and ran away from her trafficker into a church on a Friday night, where Rachelle just so happened to be. Rachelle says “we have to partner with God wherever He is. We have to give Him permission to interrupt our day and our lives.” Her prayer for our city is “that the region would see the heart of God by acts of justice and mercy and the Capitol would remain aware of how it’s responding in the eyes of the state and country. That people would see the church as the answer.” City of Refuge is certainly a pulse in God’s heart beat for our city. They are in the trenches working to return dignity, restore lives and rebuild our community. I leave you with these final thoughts. God has a solution to everything, what is He saying to you about Human trafficking? The impression He gives me is, to invite Him in! Into everything we do, He wants to connect with us. That’s His original plan for us! Let’s be more intentional to ask Him what’s on His heart, how to respond, what the truth is on the matter and what lies do we need to renounce and break agreement with? He will respond. He always responds, in love and in truth and by the power of His Spirit people are set free!
FOR MORE ON HOW YOU CAN BE ONE PERSON WHO DOES ONE THING: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities and powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
A21 operates on a global scale partnering with governments and law enforcement to rescue, advocate and restore lives in collaboration with God. City of Refuge is in our hometown and they support people in our community by offering holistic transformation for individuals affected by a history of brokenness, abuse and exploitation.
There are more ways than one.
Be an advocate on a political level.
Give of your time and solutions.
Educate yourselves on how to identify human trafficking, because it’s happening all around you. If you suspect it, report it. Save this number to your phone. National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888.
“the call.” When God puts something on your heart, don’t second guess it or push it off for another day. This world needs the light you carry and your specific gifts.