It Is Finished!!

FREEDOM!!!!

How it echoes and reverberates through my soul. Where once was desolation, fear, resentment, insecurity, and abuse now comes a garden, wide open spaces to frolic and rejoice in God's love. Freedom. Surreal. So real.

Hallelujah to a God who wants me to have this freedom more than I do and who leads me in perfect timing to attain it. Wow, so many hidden snares of the devil and myself have been unmasked. Hallelujah that God has been unveiling them to me and has been sweetly walking with me to redirect me to Him. Hallelujah, God You are SO good!

I used to love plunging into my soul to uncover what was wrong with me and try to sort it out on my own accord. I wanted to git-r-done, learn as much as I could and sort through as much garbage as I could. But I didn't realize how, by doing this, I was totally leaving God out or demanding that He heal me now. I was completely ignorant to His timing and steps. I was missing out on His heart for me.

Wow. Conviction. I can rest. There will always be things wrong with me. And perhaps being preoccupied with fixing ourselves or finding what's wrong with ourselves and dealing with it is a sin that keeps us from a pure relationship with God. Instead of always being in need and opening scabbed wounds, we should be searching out God's heart. Our focus should not be in making ourselves perfect but in finding out more and dwelling in God. Ah, so much better. Such relief! And while we are doing this, the Holy Spirit will call parts of our unclean soul to make itself known, and we (God and myself) will work through it together. This life isn't about me becoming perfect anyway. It's about glorifying God.



"God glorified is a man fully alive." This is true. God did make us and loves us so intensely. He wants us to be fully alive. That will come as we delve into Him. It's not up to us to fix ourselves. It's up to us to be open to God's love and let His Spirit transform us and move through us. Amen.

Today God opened my eyes to what forgiveness truly is. I have been terrified of the thought of forgiveness because I did not want to let the people who have certainly done injustices to be free from the debt they owe. I wanted them to understand what they did and pay. What I didn't realize was that I was paying for not forgiving them more than they were. The consequences of what they did were able to fester in me and manifest in awful ways. Why? Because by not forgiving them, I've kept my attachment to them connected and alive.

When someone screws us over, we have a heavenly contract with them to make them pay. By forgiving them, we sever that contract, that bond, and surrender the person to God. Now that person is not under me, but in God's hands. That person is now free to feel God opening their eyes to what they've done - feel the pain, remorse, regret and see the havoc they have wrecked. And that person is free to run to God in repentance (the true meaning of the word - being transformed and not living that way again). Then, they can see and experience God's love and yearning for them in full, and God can work with them to make them the person He intended them to be. Redemption. So good. One who would destroy life would be redeemed and join the team of bringing life. Woot woot! ...But, if they don't receive God's grace, then God can make them pay way better than I can. Either way, evil will be defeated in the end. Amen.

I don't have to wait until the day Jesus comes back to begin healing and to grow closer to God. Today, for the first time in 19 years, I have experienced true freedom and peace through sincere forgiveness. I am done with cycles of trying to figure out the extent of my hurt (and consequently, probably inflicting more hurt and self pity on myself). I am done with living in the consequences of their actions. The battle is already won. Jesus has already taken on the sin of my abusers so that He can claim me back as His precious daughter. He has patiently waited for me to understand that I can't save myself nor hold on to these things to identify myself and gain love.

For the first time in over 19 years, I feel like I've truly forgiven those who have marred me and have reclaimed my name as Daughter, Bride, Friend, and Beloved of God. Redeemed, beautiful, claimed, sought after, a city no longer deserted. I've let go and have fallen back into the arms of a God who will not rest until my righteousness shines out like the dawn. A God who has formed my heart, every desire and shape, and who has promised that He will complete the work He has started in me. I am God's, and I'm not going to let dumb mistakes of man keep me from Him. Amen! I have released my bond with them to God, and I am free to live with Him.

The walls are tumbling down. Amen.









Current song picks to freely frolic to - hallelujah ;)
Sweet
Freedom

photocred = Josh Warner

The Loving Heart of God

Father Heart of God
Water. Real, wet water naturally existing in the desert. We hiked up a Mount Charleston incline steady yet steep enough to leave us panting for breath when we came to this mini oasis. There was life - some plants and more small bugs than I've seen my whole trip (minus the roaches).

Some people began climbing the waterfall. This feat required strength, length, and the ability utilize the few footholds available via log and stone and to maneuver in between some of the gaps. I wanted to be able to climb to the top, but it looked pretty intense, and would have been quite a jagged fall. Simon, a great, fatherly man from Uganda, asked if I wanted to go up. I was feeling quite fragile. I said it would be awesome, but I don't necessarily feel compelled to. He said "I will go up for your sake."

The climb up and back was quite difficult, but possible because of Simon's direction and help. It was SO worth it. It was beautiful up there - beautiful water dancing between the rocks, birds soaring into the crevice where we were and into the clear, blue sky. Wow. God is beautiful. My heart began to feel the loving Father heart of God through Simon's desire to help me where I couldn't climb to experience the magnificent beauty of God. God knows what I can and can't do; He knows what I desire. He knows I can't do what I'd love to do, but meets me where I fling myself and directs my feet to meet Him in His beauty. He wants to experience the climb with me, and He does.
Photo cred: Meredith Kinney
In pic: Josh Stateham

Lessons Learneding
DTS = Discipleship Training School or Die to Self. Amen! This week, my heart has been so tried and exercised. Wow.

Honestly, to try to portray everything I've learned would be to write thousands of pages and sacrifice my writing style for the sake of typing it all in a short period of time. We'll start with this little bit.

Free to Bring Life and Death
God has been plunging into my heart and has been making me aware of the assumptions that have kept me from knowing who He really is and being close to Him.

He truly does love all of the time. He genuinely does not want us to be hurt, to be oppressed, nor to hurt others. He did not want me to be abused, He did not plan for people to rape others, for fathers to leave, for mothers to abandon, He does not set people up to be beaten and killed, does not create people for others to harvest their organs or force them into refugee camps. This breaks His heart. But He can not "fix" or "stop" it because He loved us enough to give us free will.

That is a strange and sour statement after such a grotesque paragraph. Let me explain.

Jeff Pratt eloquently explained this concept by portraying a story. There was a high prince who was loved, awed, feared, and revered throughout all of his kingdom. Yet, he fell in love with a mere peasant girl. If the prince were to approach her in all of his majesty, she would either feel compelled to marry him because of his stature out of plainly fear, awe, or obligation, but not out of genuine love. She may feel unworthy because of how lowly she is in comparison. But he loved her as she was so dearly. He could not simply go out, bring her to his castle, and bring her up to where he was, because of the previously stated reasons, so he decided to lower himself, take off his crown, and win her heart as a humble man. This enabled her to have the free will to love him or reject him out of her own will.

This story explains God's disposition to us in salvation as well as every day life and decisions. We can choose to embrace God, fall utterly in love with Him and His lifestyle, and strive to live more and more in His essence and ways, or we can turn from Him and build up walls to keep us from Him. This is our will. We are free to love Him and choose life, and we are free to build walls and bring destruction. Both happen from all of us. Both actions result in consequences for ourselves and others. God gave us the power to do this. We make mistakes that lead to mistrust, coldness, hardness, hate, abuse, murder, et cetera.

Yet there is hope. God's heart still breaks over us, and He still desperately loves, wants, and desires to redeem us and to call us the names He made for us. While we bring the hurt, He also enables us to intercede and bring life and hope back to those who have been oppressed. Wow. There is hope. There is life. Change can happen.

The Holy Spirit is in us, amen! God calls us to be His friend, to press into Him, follow Him through His joys and pains, and to move where He calls us to to bring back His children. His children He created so beautifully, wonderfully, and fearfully. The royalty who have been abused, have been lied to, have been called desolate, stupid, abused, victim, unworthy, filthy, unloved - lied to! He wants to call them back by the names He gave them - loved, worthy, righteous, innocent, lovely, redeemed, clean, healed, and desired. We have the Holy Spirit in us to speak these truths and life back into His people.

So what's stopping us!? Yes we are all broken, we all hold misconceptions that keep us from the truth of God's life and love. But let's dare to press into God. Let's allow Him to search our hearts, bring up these things, and in it's time sort through it and bring us closer to understanding His good essence. Let's grow. God, pour into us Your truth so we can pour it out into others! So many are missing out on this expansive, rockin, out of this world love that brings back life, unity, peace, and ultimate glory to the Giver and Maker of Love. Gah, I can't even express.

Dabbling in a Desert

Up to Saturday, 8-20-11

Wow... Two weeks, and I've been learning a messload of great and challenging stuffz.

Where to begin?


Brief Overview of the School

Orientation was just that - orienting. I came to the DTS not knowing much about YWAM let alone their discipleship training schools. Apparently there are a bunch of them all over the world, and the main priority for this is not necessarily to spend all of our time fighting against human trafficking. I've been learning that the focus is to really tune into God and what He wants to do with my life. Wow. Intense. A full 6 months of doing nothing but drawing closer to God, learning about Him, and applying what I learn to real life situations - especially human trafficking.

This passed week's topic was "Hearing and Obeying God." Sounds pretty standard, right? But it's SO intense! Learning how God speaks to us now, learning the consequences of responding/ignoring, and actually applying that to life! Learning how to listen for direction/movement in my own life as well as interceding for others; Learning the importance of really knowing God's word to fight against opposing/false direction etc. And man! God is SO good! The word is really coming alive to me!

Our speaker, Paul Childers, is working on memorizing the New Testament and has already learned a bunch of it... I want memorize the whole Bible! So good! Ah, I've been really digging Ephesians and Ezekiel 37 - check it!

Spiritual warfare is also so tangible here in so many different forms. From people getting random migraines that have gone away through prayer/rebukes of the devil's attacks at intense/enlightening moments to breaking down strongholds that have been holding people back from truly knowing God and hearing from Him. There's SO much!


Outreaches

Walter Hoving Home
Last Thursday we went to a place called the Walter Hoving Home. It's a pretty intense ministry that takes in different girls - some have been prostitutes, strippers, drug addicts, abused, or just going through a really hard time. The staff members all have been through the program themselves and can minister to the new girls coming in. The girls had certain assignments and tasks as far as housekeeping and daily devotionals and Bible reading. They went on trips, can see counselors, and were involved with the local church.

They were all so hospitable and quite incredible in their own ways. Some were unsure about what they were doing and why they were there, and others were so excited to be there and to get their life going in a different direction and fully discover and become the beautiful women God made them to be.

I loved hearing their stories. I really wanted them to know that I didn't see them as "bad people" or even as the labels they've been given - "whore" "prostitute" "druggie" "worthless" etc. Gah! They all had so much beauty and potential! I am so excited to pray with and for them and see how God works in their lives.

Some people don't stay there very long and do end up returning back to the lifestyle they have lived before. If you could pray for them and the ministry, that would be so fantastic. Seriously, spiritual warfare is huge. There is so much life and growth for these girls, and the devil hates that and wants to destroy as soon and craftily as he can. But God has given us the grace and option of choosing life thanks to the powerful, able Name of Jesus. Let's use that, gosh darn it! Let's not belittle the power of the devil, nor underestimate the power and authority of God and the place He has for us for intercession!


The Strip

And, oh, the "glorious" strip... *angsty sigh*

Last night, around 9:00pm, our lovely team of 13 students plus staff joined together to prepare for our outreach to the strip. Ah, I love our team!

Since we'll have many times to do outreach, we weren't given a whole lot of direction for this visit. We were told to just be who we were and talk to the people we felt God was telling us to talk with. Sam, the fellow helping to lead this outreach, prepped us by asking us to name why we, individually and as a group, are here in Vegas. We did an exercise where we mingled around with each other and just spoke life and truth into people and remember the truth about who we are. Sam reminded us that it is easy to remember our lovely thoughts of being children/princes/ses of God in the comfort of the base, but once we step onto the strip, those thoughts will shrink and the stilettos will look so huge.

We each named our fears and hopes for going to the strip, and prayed against/for them. Sure, the devil has some hefty strongholds there, but God was leading the way there, would be with us there, and would be there after we leave. And he's got a mass army of angels ready to beat up some devil hiney! He's so big and boss! Heck yeah!

As often happens, I felt a pretty strange, slightly anxious, but mostly hopeless/futile when driving into the strip. Usually when God is about to move in big ways, I feel the opposition pretty easily/consistently - especially before and after. On the highway, we looked to our right and saw a big stretched hummer limo with the back window down to expose a purple, neon-like glow and a woman sitting/facing a fellow, glass in hand, and a smile/wave/wink to us and other cars passing by - certainly advertising.... Is this real?

On the strip, we partnered up and made ourselves open to hear and follow where God directed us. Walking down the steps of the Bellagio, I passed a woman who seemed quite frenzied. She was breaking up some ice behind bushes, and dumped it in a cool full of water bottles. As she began walking with it, I asked her what the water was for. She gave me a confused look, and I repeated my question. She said "Oh, one dollar." All the while, she was looking around her, a look of almost fear and desperation was in her scattered gazes. But my partner, Cherilyn, and I continued on.

We sat down with a lovely lady who was making flowers and hearts out of dried palm. She told us that she picked up the trade while she was struggling to provide for her kids. She had quite an intense story. Cherilyn and I prayed for her, bought some of the flowers, and continued on.

We felt kind of frazzled and not exactly sure who to talk to or what to do. We had about two minutes to meet back with our group, and I again saw the woman passing out water. I passed her, and felt God nudging me to go back and talk with her. I walked back, and gave her the palm flower. Oh God, speak through me - what does she need to hear? What does Your heart long to tell her? "God wants you to know that he thinks you are so beautiful and He loves you." She looked a little confused, and her gaze was still darting about as if she was scared of someone watching her. I asked her if I could pray for her, she didn't really respond. I closed my eyes and began to pray that God would show her His love and protect her etc. I looked up about halfway through my prayer, and she was staring at me in either confusion or wonder. After the prayer, she searched the crowd again, then gave me a big hug and said "thank you." Tears were lining the rims of her eyes.

Looking back on it, I am not sure if she really understood English. I really feel like she was probably trafficked - her darting glances searching for her trafficker, afraid of appearing unproductive.

I couldn't take it. "Singing in the Rain" began playing while the Bellagio fountains danced in the air and lights. Families, couples, friends, and tourists pressed up against the railings to watch in wonder, laugh and enjoy. A screen of showgirls were right on the other side of the fountains, trucks advertising "hot girls, delivered to you" passed by, "flickers" who were probably trafficked as well, continued to pass out cards of naked women and numbers, and that lady was still there, holding the palm flowers - a beautiful daughter of God, lost in a mob of darkness.

How can people enjoy this place? Why do people come here? Their entertainment and joy is built upon slavery and terminal death! I discovered I had a hard time believing that there was actually any hope for these atrocities. God works through all testimonies, right? So maybe He wants them to be where they are now, and He will redeem them when He sees fit.

The next week (this past week) was the Father Heart of God week. In this week, God has challenged a lot of my misconceptions about who He is and how He loves us, His beloved creation. (Insert dramatic music to intensify cliffhanger to next blog here c; )

Departing. Arriving.

Here I am!

Here I am... I just realized what I typed after I typed it... Here I am... reminiscent of Isaiah? Probably.

It's 1:21 am here in Las Vegas, and about 4:21 am back at the home places... and I don't feel I could sleep right now.

It was hard packing and leaving home. After a night of hanging with some lovely friends and eventually sharing hearts and brains together, I came home and started bawling. It's beautiful to watch people and relationships grow. It'd be easy to say I didn't want to go because of you, my friends, but in the same breath, God has often empowered me through you. Thank you for challenging me to be uncomfortable and to get dirty and bleed for God.

Uncomfortable. Yes. While packing/preparing these past couple of days, I kind of began to lose sight of why I was going. This trip didn't seem real (and still doesn't :-P). It became a "yes, I'm doing A, B, then C" logistics, but was losing the connection with God for the ideal of the trip. Does that make sense? I guess I was focusing on what I was leaving rather than what I was picking up. I want to remember now :-P

I hate packing. I didn't know how much not/to bring, and my suitcase ended up being heavy and awkward - I think I overpacked and left out some important things (such as the correct sort of travel bag for outreaches). I want to get better at this. I want to be prepared. I want to get rid of all of my stuff and just rely on Jesus. I explain this in a very physical sense, but I also mean it in a spiritual sense.

I want to get rid of the crap. All of it. The dumb distractions and idols I set before myself, the layers of security I build between myself and the true character and true community with God. I don't want to lose sight of God for obvious barricades such as thinking/doing generic bad things, but I also don't want to lose Him in my ambitions for ministry/missions/outreaches. I don't want to lose him in the priority that I place in relationships and friends. These latter things are great things, but when I consider how I spend my time thinking about and acting on, these things are certainly becoming idols. Idols. Things that are taking time from God rather than glorifying Him. I want to be rid of the crap so I can be completely present for Him. Here I am.

Here I am in Las Vegas. I step out of my second plane, and BAM! So much advertisement everywhere. It's nearly ridiculous. The epitome of distraction and our culture's desperate desire for entertainment and self satisfaction. Gah. Am I here for Las Vegas? Certainly not, and I was excited to hear some of the staff (who are super awesome) say they weren't fans of Vegas either. So why are we here? Because God wants His love to move in this place. And I think God's pretty awesome, and I want to be there with Him wherever He will let me go.

Well, I believe my brain may be mushy and my eyes super heavy from sleeping probably about 8 hours total (maybe) in the past 3ish days. I feel like I didn't type everything that I wanted to, but I suppose it'll have to wait until another post.

Tomorrow... today (lolz) is going to be a "rest day," and that is exactly what I want to do. I want to cut off my idols and completely rest and prepare myself to be completely open and receptive to God's heart, essence, character, and will. Oh LORD, let it be so!

For those interested, I'd super appreciate prayers for myself, the staff, the volunteers, outreach, etc. I think this is going to be super intense and a pretty hefty target for spiritual battle. Pray that each of us, individually and as a community, will fervently seek out God, that He will meet us and truly be with and through us. In Jesus's Name, keep the devil far from this/us. Amen!

Upcoming Events and Recommended Resources

Me Talking at Calvary Full Gospel's Youth Group
When: Friday, 6-24-11, 7:00p.m.
Are you in 7-12th grade? You should come to Calvary Full Gospel Assembly of God church in Bridgeville (I know, it's a mouthful, but it's also a pretty awesome church) today (Friday 6-24-11) at 7:00pm. I'm going to be talking about what human/sex trafficking is, how it's fueled and fanned, what I'm going to be doing (especially through YWAM's Abolitionist DTS), and what any, single person can do to stop modern day slavery.

LOVE 146 <-- click here to check out the website
When: July 5th, 2011
Where: New Hazlett Theater - 6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Members of this dance ensemble have personally witnessed some of the horrors of sex trafficking in children. Their passion is to spread the word through dance. I believe it is sponsored by The Project to End Human Trafficking (name sound familiar? They were the ones who presented at CCAC South Campus - they kind of rock and work to end human trafficking in the Pittsburgh area).
Oh, and did I mention ~ **FREE PARKING AND ADMISSION **

Recommended Documentary
Demand <-- Click here to watch
I just found/watched this tonight. This documentary interviews people whom have been trafficked, traffic, work to fight against it, and those who buy the sex services. It does a great job of explaining the processes and effects. Check it out.
If you're interested, I found this via this youtube video: Sex Trafficking in Las Vegas

Recommended Book
The Politics of Trafficking: The First International Movement to Combat the Sexual Exploitation of Women
I just began reading this book, and it's pretty intense. It basically covers how gender, sexuality, and national interests have and do affect international policy - specifically regarding sex trafficking. It takes a look into how movements and awareness began about 100 years ago, how they were handled, and their effects.
"Addressing an issue that is still of great concern today, this book sheds light on the ability of international nongovernmental organizations to challenge state power, the motivation for state involvement in humanitarian issues pertaining to women, and the importance of gender and sexuality to state officials engaged in nation building."

Preparations

Hello friends!

Man, this past month has been CRAZY... but in some of the best ways. I've been learning a lot about myself and bits of the world.

I've been reading this book by Dan Allender called To Be Told. As many of you probably know, I'm a huge fan of that Allender feller - thanks Dave Synowiec. Basically, it is about discovering the themes God has placed in your life and finding the ways God has specifically designed you to reveal His glory. Intense. This requires a lot of "reading" of your personal and even familial past and present. Once you begin to discover your own personal themes - what passions, history, stories, flaws, desires, and convictions - you can begin to embrace the pen God has given us to fill in the skeletal future with purpose, passion, and intention. Wow. Yes, please, and thank you.

"I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It has shown me that everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us, on the inside, looking out." Alex in Everything is Illuminated

I'm always amazed that when God tries to teach me something, I can see it nearly everywhere. What makes me, me? Were there members of my family generations before me with similar passions, struggles, stories? Did they pray that their work would be continued through generations? Which members were abused and started cycles of abuse? Which tried to end them? Which went on to greater things? What were their struggles? How did they overcome? What things did they want to be remembered for? What legacy did they leave? In what ways did they influence my family's values and which ones do I even unquestionably, unknowingly hold and live by? I want to search these things out to get an understanding of how the cyclical successes and failures reach even beyond myself and maybe even how to correct them. Maybe if I can understand these things on a personal and ancestral level, I'll be able to expand my mind and work with others to understand the roles cycles/themes play in a grander, historical and present level. Maybe I could live out my themes on all three levels. Or maybe I'll just have more questions and feel overwhelmed, but it's worth a shot.

What are my themes? While I have been learning that themes can be discovered and named, I have been finding them in the midst of some great joy and deep pain that I'd much rather avoid and ignore. Achk, I feel like God has been revealing some of my themes to me, almost unconventionally, of late. Some words that come to mind?

Being wanted, being rejected.
Self worth vs. worthlessness.
Being pleasant/pleasing - especially to others.
Passion vs. idleness and despair.
The power and struggles of real love/community.
Provision.
Honesty and truth vs. manipulation and deceit.
Inspiring growth and life vs. escape/stunting/death.

There is so much! All the while I often take a step back, look at the beauty of the trees bursting with vivid greens against the stunning blue sky, hear the birds chirping, smell a breeze carrying the scent of flowers and fresh cut grass and think, "wow, life can be really beautiful in its simplicity." Let's just live right now and not over-complicate it.

But all of those things are still there in that time of personal simplicity and peace. I am laying on this piece of grass, looking at the world through a western lens because my ancestors wanted this land and maliciously killed or psychologically oppressed whoever stood in the way. I can reason "well, that was terrible of them, but now we are much more sophisticated and would not oppress people in such terrible ways for greed or pleasure." That would be a lie. I am laying out here, watching the moon while a 14-year-old in Las Vegas is being pumped with drugs and forced to meet a quota of 8 customers tonight so she does not have to be gang raped by her traffickers. I can go home and enjoy a roof over my head, warm clothes, and a nice cup of tea. But I certainly did not gather the materials, build the house, sew the clothes, nor pick the leaves myself. Where did they come from? Did the people who prepare it for me have a place to live? How old were they? Were they paid or were they threatened with rape and torture? Human slavery is alive and well, and America is one of the biggest buyers. Sometimes I want to sit next to the slave, trafficker, and consumer to just admire the sky together - each of us in awe of the beauty and remembering the bliss of simple humanity.

We can't be blind anymore. We can't mindlessly indulge on these cycles that rip the humanity of some people so that the "elite" can live comfortably. How do we begin to reverse this? How do we bring peace, healing, understanding, and compassion back to the world? Maybe by beginning with ourselves - remembering our own humanity - our faults, passions, joys, struggles, and cycles. Remembering the cycles of our family and working to break addictions to feeling superior and putting the "inferior" "in their place." Maybe by working on diminishing the demand side of slavery by being smart about what we buy and in what activities we engage. Maybe by understanding the themes in our lives, finding what breaks our hearts, and using that passion to team up with others working for similar goals.

Yes, this is what my journey has consisted of as of late: discovering and desiring to discover more about myself currently, my past, my family, and the general trends of people in history and today. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. There is so much! So much history, so much cultural diversity, so much individual and large social contexts! There is so much good and beauty, and there is so much filth and unfathomable destruction. We should want to know more of both and to discover what the heck God desires to write with us here. But it is of little worth if we hold these convictions just in our heads; Eventually, we'll explode. Therefore, it is essential that we actually pick up the pen and write. God has a beautiful story to unveil - each detail capable of showing an ounce of the essence of His glory. It is our honor to be the hands that get to help it unfold. As of late, God has been teaching me what that means and has been preparing me to write with Him.

Upcoming Event and Sarris Easter Candies

Upcoming Event

Community College of Allegheny County - South Campus

Monday, March 28
The Project to End Human Trafficking: Ending the Trafficking of Women and Children
11:00 a.m. - Tigers' Lair - Room A-306
The mission of the Project to End Human Trafficking is to work toward the elimination of trafficking in persons, especially women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. PEHT engages in anti-trafficking coalition building, educational outreach, direct service to victims, and collaboration with other national and international organizations in the global fight against human trafficking. Learn more about what you can do to help.

Sarris Easter Candy Fundraiser

Easter time is coming, and I hear that people like sharing delicious things, like chocolate, on this day. Wouldn't it be so awesome to be able to share some of the tastiest chocolates in Pittsburgh and be able to help people who are at risk or have been a victim of sex trafficking? Well, friends, it is true that life does offer awesome opportunities like that.

Instead of buying the chocolate you were planning on getting at a store, you can buy it through me, and a percentage of the price goes directly towards helping me attend the Abolitionist DTS. If you are interested, please feel free to e-mail, Facebook, call, text, and et cetera as soon as possible. You can click here to check out the brochure of delectable possibilities. All orders and monies have to be in by March 31st.

Please feel free to spread the word to friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, and/or your niece's hamster.

Thanks for your consideration!