Slavery Exists Today, Where I Live?Written by: John Wood in Freedom (Human Trafficking Awareness) on July 17, 2012

"You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know." –William Wilberforce

When I first found out that 27 million people (mostly minors) on the planet live in some form of slavery (more people held in slavery than

at any other time in human history), I didn’t want to believe it! I knew at some point in my life that I’d do something about it, but that

desire lay dormant until I heard last year that slavery wasn’t just occurring internationally, but it was occurring in my own country. Not

only that, it was occurring in the State of Florida—the place where I live. I was in shock. This simply could not be true. I didn’t want it to

be true! Yet, unfortunately, I had to face this harsh reality for myself personally. It is true. Slavery even exists where I live.

The details of this reality are staggering. Seventy percent of modern-day slaves are women. Fifty percent are children. What is worse is

that it is happening in our own backyards. Florida is ranked third in human trafficking cases in the United States, behind Oregon and

California. It is estimated that at any given moment there are between 30,000 to 40,000 pre-teen and teenage runaways in Florida.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, within 48 hours of a child running away from home, they will be

propositioned into the commercial sex trade. Children are being recruited to be sexually exploited from all kinds of places, including the

streets, schools and our local malls.

The opening quote by William Wilberforce haunts me, because I can truly never say again that I did not know. I have freedom; I am not

being completely dominated and controlled by another to do what they want against my will. You and I, who live in freedom, are

responsible to assist those who do not. My favorite verses of scripture are found in Isaiah 42:6-7 (NIV): "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."

Can you even imagine being a slave? What if it was your very own daughter? Wouldn’t you want someone to rescue her? We have that

opportunity today to be a catalyst to help set the captives free.

Northland staff and volunteers are working on a "Freedom" strategy to specifically address and respond to the issue of human

trafficking. Connecting together for education and service, we can help put an end to modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

Join the fight! Come to Northland at Longwood on Thursday, August 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in room 4213, for the Immigration

and Human Trafficking Learning Group. We'll discuss how we can respond to this issue together. I hope you'll continue to follow this

blog for updates, informational videos highlighting the problems, stories and practical steps that you can take to make a difference right

where you are. The video above illustrates the alarming reality of slavery and what one organization is doing to remove this evil.

What are your thoughts? Can you relate to how I felt when I first learned about this epidemic?

The Link Between Immigration and Human Trafficking

Written by: John Wood in Freedom (Human Trafficking Awareness) on July 31, 2012

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what

course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” ― Patrick Henry

Did you happen to catch the news within the past week about a woman found wandering the streets of Melbourne who stated that she

was a victim of human trafficking and had been held a slave? The reality of modern day slavery has hit home and we must continue to

move forward in the movement to end the debasement of human beings. I sat down to have a brief conversation with Pastor Gus

Davies (who emigrated with his family from Sierra Leone to the USA) to better understand the link between immigration and human

trafficking. I invite you to share in our conversation by commenting below.

Immigration and Human Trafficking Defined

http://vimeo.com/46180214

The Connection between Immigration and Human Trafficking

http://vimeo.com/46180213

Join the fight! Come to Northland at Longwood this week on Thursday, August 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in room 4213, for the

Immigration and Human Trafficking Learning Group. We will delve deeper into these issues when we meet this week, as well as,

discuss together what our response should be. I hope you'll continue to follow this blog for updates, informational videos highlighting

the problems, stories and practical steps that you can take to make a difference right where you are!

I Am a Slave ...Written by: John Wood in Freedom (Human Trafficking Awareness) on August 20, 2012

“Slavery can only be abolished by raising the character of the people who compose the nation; and that can be done only by showing

them a higher one.” – Maria W. Chapman

I have come to a startling revelation recently that I am … a slave. No, I am not a slave physically as it pertains to human trafficking, but I

am a slave to whatever binds me. I can be enslaved to my sin or I can be enslaved to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul often uses this

kind of intense terminology to describe his relationship with Jesus. Paul recognized that we will all be enslaved to something, but there

is One in whom slavery actually leads to freedom. Our God has so fearfully and wonderfully designed us for worship that our entire

being longs for it and so we will worship and be slaves no matter what. The only question is this: Whom will we worship? Whom are we

enslaved to?

The theme of slavery is woven through the very fabric of our being. Honestly, that can be a bit scary, and it is healthy to have a reverent

fear of the consequences of that reality. In the same way that slavery exists on a spiritual level, it also exists on a physical level. If you

are reading this, you have been called! You may not fully believe it, but you are being called to set captives free. You have the power to

set captives free, because you yourself are free! You are God’s answer to slavery!

Here, I continue my conversation with Pastor Gus on how we as the Church can respond. You will also see below some very practical

ways that you can empower yourself and others to respond to this vital cause.

http://vimeo.com/46180215

What Can You Do?

Pray — This battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).

Get connected — Contact the Human Trafficking Hotline from the National Resource Center to report a tip, connect with anti-trafficking

services in your area or to request training and technical assistance, general information or specific anti-trafficking resources: 1-888-

3737, ext. 888 http://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/national-human-trafficking-hotline/the-nhtrc/overview

Educate yourself — Do you have a smartphone? Download the “Trafficking In Persons” (TIP) General Awareness Training app. You

can also take the training online: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/training/dhs_awareness_training_fy12/launchPage.htm

Tell others — Look at your community and relationships. Recruit others to work with you on social justice issues. Through awareness,

we can recognize and respond.

Be mindful of what you’re buying — Are the things that you’re buying being made by actual slaves? Find out at:

http://slaveryfootprint.org/.

More ways to join the fight — Read the U.S. Department of State's 20 Ways You Can Fight Human Trafficking:

http://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/index.htm

Come to Northland at Longwood on Thursday, September 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., room 4213, for the Human Trafficking and

Immigration Learning Group and together, let's move forward in this movement to end slavery. I hope you'll continue to follow

this blog for updates, informational videos, stories and practical steps that you can take to make a difference right where you

are!

Opportunity to Take Action on Human Trafficking

Written by: John Wood in Freedom (Human Trafficking Awareness) on September 5, 2012

I just received this email from Pastor Gus regarding what World Vision is doing to put an end to human trafficking. Take a moment to

read the information below from World Vision, and then make a quick call to encourage the passing of the critical Trafficking Victims

Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).

So honored to be in this movement with you! See you at tomorrow's meeting!

Today is a national call-in day to urge Congress to pass the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).

One year ago, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the cornerstone of the U.S. effort to fight human trafficking, expired because

Congress failed to act in time. The same is at risk of happening this year.

Political talk won’t end human trafficking. But your action can. Congress will not act until you do. Just 10 phone calls in a day to a

congressional office gets attention and can make a difference. Here are four ways you can join us to make a difference today and

throughout the week:

1. LEARN MORE: Visit www.passTVPRAnow.org to learn more about the TVPRA, download resources about the legislation and

advocacy, and download phone numbers and call scripts.

2. CALL AND TWEET YOUR SENATORS: Call both of your senators and ask them to pass the Trafficking Victims Protection

Reauthorization Act (S 1301). Then organize 10 of your friends to do the same! You can download the phone numbers, twitter handles

and call script for your senators here.

3. GET CREATIVE: Think creatively about how you can engage with your elected leaders, community, and friends about your passion

for fighting modern-day slavery. Whether it’s calling your senators every week until the TVPRA passes, educating your community

about modern-day slavery, or learning about how you can fight slavery in your daily life, make a commitment to fight modern-day

slavery. Then, share your commitment on our ACT:S Challenge page.

4. GO BEYOND JUSTICE: Start an ACTIVE group this fall that explores how to connect faith & justice and takes action on issues

urgent to the world’s poor.

Again, visit www.passTVPRAnow.org to learn more and download resources to help your commitment to stop modern-day slavery.

Be a Voice for the VoicelessWritten by: John Wood in Freedom (Human Trafficking Awareness) on September 26, 2012

President Obama talks about ending human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

When the leader of the free world speaks, people listen. How do we combat slavery? When people of all kinds realize the power they

really have and then take a stand! The President of the United States has power, but so do we! May we all rise up together and be

exactly what God has called us to be: a voice for the voiceless! God is calling you: “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).

Will slavery end in our lifetime? No. Will slavery ever end? No, as long as we live in a fallen world with other human beings there will

always be slavery of some kind. So why should we do anything at all? Good question, there is story by an anonymous author that

answers this question perfectly:

While walking on the beach, a man saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the

sea. As the man came closer, he saw thousands of starfish that tide had washed up onto the beach. Unable to return to the

ocean during low tide, the starfish were beginning to die. He observed the young boy picking up the starfish one by one and

throwing them back into the ocean.

After watching the seemingly futile effort, the man said, "There must be thousands of starfish on this beach. It would be

impossible for you to save them all. There’s just too many! You can't possibly make a difference."

The young boy smiled as he picked up another starfish and tossed it back into the ocean. "It made a difference to that one," he

replied.

Are you ready to take a stand? If so, where do you start? If you have not already done this, one very practical way is to find out how

many slaves are working for you at Slavery Footprint. This is an excellent resource being used to make us all aware of the things we

buy and whether those products were made by actual slaves or not. This is a big deal. Take the survey and find out for yourself how

many slaves are working for you. Then, you can take action by sending letters to companies that sell products that are made by slaves.

Slavery Footprint and How We Can Take Action Slavery Footprint: Free World App

What else can you do? Join the fight! Come to Northland at Longwood on Thursday, October 4, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in room 4209, for

the next Human Trafficking and Immigration Learning Group. We will continue to delve deeper into these issues when we meet to move

forward in this movement to end slavery. I hope you'll continue to follow this blog for updates, informational videos highlighting the

problems, stories and practical steps that you can take to make a difference right where you are!

More Resources: Fact Sheet: the Obama Administration Announces Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking at Home and Abroad

Themes in Slavery“Injustice is an abuse of power that takes from others what God has designed for their life: dignity, respect, ability to choose to work, relationships.” – Gary Haugen, President IJM

Movie Video Clip: Amazing Grace – watch minute 24:40 – 27:40.

Theme of Power

What is power? Great ability to do, act or control; strength; might; force; authority.

What is powerlessness or vulnerability? Open to attack; that which can be wounded or injured.

--What makes someone vulnerable??

There are various limitations that could make someone vulnerable: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial and social. Being completely honest with ourselves, these are just a few:

o Physical-- Being a female. Being a child. Being elderly. Being “out of shape” or overweight. Being injured, having a disease or ailment. Inability to defend oneself. Sleeping. Being fatigued. Not having any clothing. Not having any food or water. Not knowing how to exercise. Not knowing how to eat healthy. Not knowing how to bandage a wound. Not knowing how to do CPR or the basic functions of a doctor. Not having oxygen.

o Mental— Having a mental Illness. Having a behavioral ailment.

o Emotional— Inability to reckon with past hurts. Lack of unconditional love. Prominent insecurities/anxieties. Low self-esteem/self-worth.

o Spiritual— Not having Jesus Christ in your life. Inability to forgive. Inability to ask for forgiveness. Inability to be honest.

Believing lies about oneself, others and the world.o Financial—

Living in poverty. Not having a job. Not having enough income.

o Social— Not knowing how to read. Not knowing how to write. Not knowing the language of the land. Not knowing the geography of the land. Not knowing the culture of the land. Not knowing the resources of the land or how to utilize them. Not having enough schooling/education. Not knowing the people of the land. Not knowing the “powerful” people of the land. Not having a weapon. Revealing intimate personal information. Not having any shelter.

--How many of these vulnerabilities do you have? How many can you do something about?--How many of these vulnerabilities do you not have? That is then the POWER that you have!

Extreme vulnerability in people’s lives provides the demand for slavery, which to the carnal sinful man is merely an opportunity to exploit or victimize.

Is there anything more important than power?

The desire to heal or destroy lie in the hands of every man, but this desire becomes extremely important and evident in the hands of those with great power.

Theme of Desire

What is the heart of the matter? The desire to heal comes from God alone and alas we’ve come to center of this great issue of slavery…it’s always a spiritual issue.

Heal ------------------------------------------- DestroyLife -------------------------------------------- DeathRighteousness ------------------------------ SinSlave ------------------------------------------ Slave

Who are you enslaved to? Who is your master? Romans 6:15-18.

All things in our lives (especially those things in which we are powerful in) must be under complete submission to God or else those very things will ultimately be used to destroy others and ourselves.

 “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” – William Wilberforce

Ending Slavery Practically

Movie Video Clip: Amazing Grace – watch minute 45:00 – 49:45

Slavery Then…

Movie Clip – Amazing Grace dissected:

Great Britain 1787 – Slavery viewed as a means to improve the economy. General perceived fear that if the Brits didn’t have slaves the French and other countries would and thus take

advantage economically. Morality was secondary. Their worldview was skewed. Without slaves they feared they would have no plantations and thus a dwindling economy. Why would someone be afraid to stand up against slavery?

o Slavery was generally accepted.o Slavery was financially profitable.o Slavery was a sign of prestige and power.

Slavery wasn’t viewed as slavery; it was viewed as a way of life or just another business. People must know the truth and thus the education process begins- just one piece of the puzzle. Read Acts 19:23-28.

Slavery Now…

Why would someone be afraid to stand up against slavery today?o Slavery is unknown or shrouded.o Slavery is viewed as a free choice (i.e. various prostitution or farm/construction workers)o Slavery is viewed as abuse, but perhaps not actually “slavery.”o Slavery is still financially profitable.o Slavery still takes a great deal of control and power, therefore can be very difficult to dissemble.

The End of Slavery

How do we really end slavery? Practically speaking it is simple:

Redemption: rescuing those who are currently enslaved. Prevention: preventing those who are not enslaved from becoming enslaved.

Who does the redemption or rescuing of slaves?

Local, Federal or International Law Enforcement. Licensed counselors in aftercare facilities.

What if I am not a law enforcement officer rescuing victims? And what if I am not a counselor counseling in an aftercare facility? What can I do?

We must be co-advocates with law enforcement and counselors in minimizing the potential for victimization by removing vulnerabilities and empowering ourselves and others in every way, but these changes will not be effective unless the Spirit of Lord is the change.

What are some ways in which we can minimize the potential for victimization?

1) Educate :

“my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” – Hosea 4:6

a. Provide continual education about the dangers of human trafficking for the congregants of Northland, a Church Distributed and the local community.

i. Goal: 1. Minimize the potential for victimization for both children and adults. 2. Increase the number of advocates able to identify victims to police.

b. Human Trafficking Awareness for Congregation:

i. A sermon topic speaking on the issue of human trafficking and modern day slavery. ii. Human Trafficking Awareness Trainings:

1. Awareness trainings conducted by qualified experts. 2. Included in the training will be: (1) what human trafficking is and is not, (2) the scope of human trafficking,

internationally, nationally, and locally, (3) opportunities to serve.

2) Serve :

“Knowing is not enough, you must apply; willing is not enough, you must do.” –Bruce Lee

c. The creation of response groups specifically oriented around the issue of human trafficking.i. These committees/response teams could address the needs of victims by providing a number of services and areas

for resource donation, thereby increasing the number of potential donors rather than drawing resources away from current outreach efforts.

ii. We will not reinvent the wheel:

1. Government Resources.2. Slavery Footprint.

iii. Create multi-faceted HT response groups to address victim’s needs and or minimize the potential for victimization.

1. Medical/Dental Services2. Transportation3. Shelter4. Translation Services5. Food6. Employment/Education Services

iv. What are your hobbies/gifts/talents? You can use these very interests to put an end to slavery!

3) Connect :

d. With other governmental, faith based and non-profit initiatives in order to mobilize a unified approach via:i. Research and consider doing Street Grace’s model (an alliance of churches) in Atlanta, Georgia www.streetgrace.org

ii. Website consulting.iii. Education of law enforcement and government officials.iv. On-site and off-site (via internet conference) educational workshops.v. One-on-one mentoring of leaders who are developing “pet projects.”

vi. Financial support.

Concluding Exhortation:

Remember by whose power that the captives will be set free: The Spirit of the Living God. Remember why you are fighting for freedom to set captives free. Why? Remember your calling. Remember that though this is about setting captives free, it is also about you. Are you doing this in love?

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3