lackadaisical.

Us -  “How can we pray with you tonight”

Her – “Oh, I got raped last night, so for protection. Pray that I don’t get raped again tonight”

Jaime continues on to pray with this girl and I just sat there as righteous anger boiled up within me.

She said it so calmly, so lackadaisical, as if it were a frequent prayer request….. as if rape was something that happened so common that she was numb to it.

She was the third woman that night to tell us she was raped.

Women shouldn’t have to live in fear of being raped.

Women shouldn’t have to live in fear of being raped twice in twenty-four hours.

I can’t think of anything more demeaning and demoralizing than rape.
I can’t think of something that makes a woman feel more unworthy.

When God sent Jesus so that we may have life and have it in abundance rape was not a part of that abundance. I just kept asking myself over and over again “God….. what kind of world do we live in?” What kind of world do we live in where men rape women? And worse, what kind of world do we live in where we know that this happens and we do n.o.t.h.i.n.g.? What kind of world do we live in where the City of Detroit Police Department has 11,000 rape kits sitting in their evidence room that havent been tested because they are from prostitutes?

And these are the sort of nights that keep us awake, these are the sort of nights that stir our spirits, these are the kind of nights that turn our stomachs at the disgusting reality of what happens minutes from our front doors.

“If we have hands like God and arms like Christ

we’d reach far we’d take each scar

and we’d never measure the length

we’d never hesitate

we’d never take the time to just think about it and wait

we’d stretch so far we’d have stretch marks of faith

because some people only know the comfort of their chains

some people think God only looks like their abusive fathers face

some people don’t even know there is a possibility to be saved

because they don’t know what we know

that love isn’t something you pay for

lust isn’t something you pay for

sex isn’t something you pay for

sin is something you pay for

and that price has already been paid for

with the blood of a savior

whose arms stretch so far they stretch through time

with limitless relentless restoring grace

who in our world needs to hear that today

who right beside you needs some truth today

who is your neighbor beat up and bleeding

ignored and needing on the side of the way

who is broken in bondage

in that side of the world or on this side of the street

Because they are someone beautiful

they are someone valuable

blood was shed because

they were meant to be someone free”

-Hosanna Wong

Happy Anniversary AWOL!

Today is the one year anniversary of All Worthy of Love! Today is proof that dreams really do come true.

When AWOL first surfaced I was very hesitant. I did not want to start a ministry. I did not want the responsibility. After hearing the statistic that Americans spend $16 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day to show one person that they are worthy of love while $32 billion dollars a year is spent on the human trafficking industry that shows 27 million people that they are not worthy of love, my life was wrecked. I had heard that slavery still existed, I donated money, participated in awareness campaigns here and there but I was not personally affected. I wonder now how that could have ever been true? I was that person that knew about slavery but chose not to allow it to affect my life. I mean it makes sense, it really is an inconvenience to turn a deaf ear to the reality that there are more slaves today than there ever has been before in history. I use the word inconvenience because when that truth resounds in your heart and truly captures your attention it keeps you up at night, it clouds your mind, it surrounds your thoughts, it breaks your heart and takes you to a depth of grief you otherwise would not know.

I started this Facebook event six days before Valentine’s day 2012 and encouraged my 600 Facebook friends (I mean, I probably knew half of them, right?) to donate to an organization that was abolishing slavery to show all people that they are worthy of love in place of flowers and chocolates for one person. I really did not think anything would come from this. But on the 14^th of February 600 people turned into 7,000…. In six days. The consensus of this event was that the majority of the people invited truly had no idea slavery still existed. It was then that I knew I could never revert back into knowing and doing nothing. God began to break my heart to a level I had never known. I began to grieve for the innocent lives that were robbed. I began to feel the pain of bondage. I began to understand more deeply my Makers heart and the pain He feels for the 27 million. So I said yes. I said yes to be a voice for the voiceless. I said yes to being inconvenienced every day of the rest of my life in order to bring one person out of bondage. I said yes to what breaks God’s heart. I said yes to be a part of the solution. I said yes to whatever God wanted to do with my life. I said yes to stepping out in faith on a dream that all people would know they are worthy of love. I said yes.

It has been the absolute best decision I could have ever made next to saying Yes to the saving grace offered by my Savior, Jesus Christ.

The last year has been incredible. I mean I sit here and laugh at all the greatness that I’ve witnessed. If I have learned anything it is to follow your dreams. No matter what. Follow your dreams. What the world sees as impossible, God sees as possible. Even with that truth, I have felt discouraged and inadequate of making this dream a reality because the world says a twenty something year old cannot change a culturally accepted reality of slavery. The world says a young girl from Detroit cannot make any dent in an evil as large as slavery. But what the world says doesn’t hold a candle to what my God says. Yes, I cannot make a dent in slavery on my own --- but with the help of others who have said yes, we can all make a dent, we can all make a difference.  When I think of AWOL two main factors come to my mind:

1. I cannot do anything apart from God.

2. I can accomplish very little apart from a working with a team and being involved in a community.

So today on the one year anniversary – I am not more excited about today than any other day because I have done anything. I am more excited about today because I have single handedly witnessed God move and use a body to make a change. I have seen lives changed. I have seen girls leave the industry. I have seen lives restored and rescued. I have seen abolitionists rise up and say yes. I have seen girls freed from addiction. I have seen organizations come together rather than work in competition. I know that God is a God of justice and He will not stop until it rolls on like a river.

  

Thank you, Jaime Davis for your support, dedication, and heart to seek justice. Thank you for saying yes. I am so thankful to have you on this team and to have walked through the last year with you. You are an amazing President and AWOL is blessed to have you as a leader. Your audacious spirit and committed heart to loving the broken and breaking the chains of injustice encourage me. Thank you for being my sister, best friend, and ministry partner. I couldn’t imagine walking through the last year without you.

Thank you, Donna McCauley for believing in Jaime and me and welcoming us into the incredible ministry you lead. You have been a huge blessing to the two of us and your wisdom has forever changed us. I have never known a woman so obedient to God and so in love with His people. Because you said yes countless lives have come to know Christ, to know restoration, and to be freed from bondage. I cannot thank you enough for supporting AWOL and mentoring us as we walk in the path God has called us to. I love you Mama D!

To the AWOL team & Board of Directors --- greater things are still to be done – thank you for saying yes and for believing in a vision God gave me and being a part of the solution. Thank you for following God and for being HIS answer to injustice. You are world changers and it is an honor to work alongside you all in the abolition of slavery.

And to everyone that reads this, know these truths and let them resound in your heart -- God wants to use YOU to impact this world and no matter what anyone tells you – hear this, you are a world changer, you have a destiny, and your life serves a divine purpose…. SAY YES.

My call to the abolitionists:

This week Jaime and I were in Kansas City representing All Worthy of Love at the Exodus Cry Abolition Summit. It was a remarkable conference and as cliche as it sounds it was life changing. It is humbling to sit amongst the pioneer abolitionists of our time and have the opportunity to learn from them and pray with them. I truly felt that we sat in the presence of warriors who have unwaveringly accepted the call to end slavery and without hesitation committed to bridge the gap of injustice and to fight for freedom. I truly felt that we sat in the presence of the next Moses', the next Abraham Lincoln's, the next William Wilberforce's, and in each seat I saw the eyes of leaders who have committed their lives to seeing justice. We, like those, are unwavering and irrevocably committed to this movement. During the summit Jaime and I were able to speak with Ohad from the Nefarious film one on one and share about All Worthy of Love and our hearts -- We will never forget Ohad's parting commissioning to us, he looked us dead in our eyes and told us "Never give up. Don't you ever give up on those girls". That is exactly what we intend to do, we will not give up.

At the same time this week a thousand miles away there were 60,000 people who gathered as a united generation to seek God. I prayed for every single one of you and that your hearts would break and move you to action. For some, this conference was the first they heard that slavery still exists. For some this was a confirmation of what your heart is already breaking for and to you I say stand firm your army is coming. For others this was a reminder of an evil that will only be defeated by an Army of believers. Here is my message to the 60,000 who attended Passion: Sex slavery is real. Human trafficking is real. It is in my opinion the greatest evil our generation knows. The enslaved are people, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, all made in the image of God. Each one of you are in a position to move forward with all you learned or to put the reality away in your journal for another year. Each one of you are being presented with an opportunity to do something about slavery. Each one of you are a voice for the voiceless. Now that you know, you are responsible. Do not let the last 4 days be an experience, but rather let it be an encounter. Let the reality of this injustice change your lives for good. Rise up. You, every one of you are needed in the fight to set the captives free, to loose the chains of injustice, and to be the light in the darkness. You, every one of you are integral. If you are in Christ Jesus you are the answer to injustice. You are needed.

But hear this, the enslaved need more than a casual prayer every now and then, the enslaved need believers to get on their faces day after day after day and to storm the gates of Heaven on their behalf. The enslaved need more than sympathy. They need more than apathy. Fighting sex slavery is war. Anytime you mess with a man's money you better be prepared for war. Prepare yourself. It will get ugly, it will be dark, it will be hard, and not every case will be successful in your eyes, but it will be worth it. Do not judge your own effectiveness. You have been delivered and now you are called to be deliverers. Do not give up on them. Never give up. Pray that God would cast out laborers into the harvest of sex slavery. Push the agendas of Heaven over the agendas of Hell. You do not play defense. You are a warrior. He that is in you is greater than he that is in this world. The darkness does not overcome the light. Jesus is the author of Justice and He came to destroy the work of the devil. Understand this, prayer is your first priority. Continue to educate yourself and understand the in's and out's of this catastrophic evil. The leading forms of sex slavery are pornography and prostitution. Silence is not mercy, it is the corruption of justice. Do not let your compassion for the task exceed your passion for Jesus.

Never forget that not long ago you were in captivity, you were in chains, you were in bondage, you were enslaved. Do not forget where you come from. Do not forget that it was a Sovereign, Holy God who picked you out of your captivity, your chains, your bondage, your enslavement and said 'Follow Me'. As Dan Allender put it, you will remain faithful to the degree in which you are in touch with brokenness. Rise up. This is your generation.

Also, pray for Benji Nolan and his wife Lauren as well as the entire team at Exodus Cry. This year they will be filming for Nefarious II and after hearing the vision I know for a fact this will change everything. They need your prayers.

We are back in Detroit empowered, encouraged, and equipped.
A warrior for Freedom,
LF

If you want more information about Human Trafficking or what we do in Detroit, email me at lindsey@allworthyoflove.org or Jaime at jaime@allworthyoflove.org - We are scheduling through June for informative teachings. 

stop child trafficking now walk

I had this vision the last week of July (2012) of hosting a Stop Child Trafficking Now walk in Detroit. I was in a season of stillness but eager to do something more to bring awareness to the city I live in that human trafficking exists. Initially I thought my agreement to be the Walk Coordinator was for NEXT September…2013. When I realized the walk was for THIS year I sort of panicked…how in the world could I pull off a 5k in 2 months when most coordinators have 12. I had one week to find a venue. Really at that point I just thought, ‘okay Lord, if this is something you want me to do I need you to do it through me’. I envisioned a walk at Belle Isle, being in the City, being in the place that once brought communities and neighborhoods together. I applied to Belle Isle. I applied at a local park. I applied at a local high school. And then silence. The day of the venue deadline, Belle Isle approved me. 

As the weeks progressed and walk day came closer and closer I was blown away at the support I received. The organization Stop Child Trafficking Now based out of NYC truly has the most helpful staff. My contact, Rachel was incredible and the Detroit walk would not have been possible without her consistent support, encouragement, and assistance. I even received promo materials from the Augusta walk coordinator. It was like a small family. The walk day quickly approached and I was blown away at how things came together. I had never coordinated a 5k before, all I knew was I wanted to stand up as a voice for the voiceless and if one person heard that human trafficking exists that didn’t know before than everything was worth it. The night before the walk a few of my girlfriends came over (Jdavis, Hannah, Sara, Jeana, and Erika…thank you!) to help bake & decorate cookies with facts about human trafficking and to make signs for walkers to carry that also had human trafficking facts. The forecast for walk day changed from sunny and 55 to rainy and 45 the day before. I didn’t accept rain… it was not happening. I believed the Lord would cease rain. But, the walk would be rain or shine. Trafficking is not dependent upon the weather, so neither would the walk be.

The day of the walk. It was raining on our way out to Belle Isle at 6am. I just laughed and kept thanking God that it wasn’t going to rain during the event. I was greeted by friends who showed up early to help me set up and before I knew it walkers were piling up. The walk would not have taken place without the help from my friends… I can’t remember a time in my life where I’ve ever felt so loved and so supported. I truly have the greatest friends I could ever ask for. Some people even drove two hours to participate. We started the event with the National Anthem sung by a good friend of mine (thanks, Tim and thanks Brian for the amazing sound!) I shared a little bit about what the walk would look like and shared some statistics about why we were walking. We were walking for the 300,000+ kids that are trafficked in the United States every year. We were walking for the 27 million enslaved. We were walking for the lives that are sold for $90 (not per night, but per life). We were walking for the children. We prayed and then everyone gathered at the starting point. We had a red ribbon to be cut and for me personally this was the coolest part. Two of my closest friends held the red ribbon; I was in the middle of it and facing 75+ people who were holding signs about abolishing slavery and my generation taking a stand that they will not stand for slavery. It brought me so much joy. As I cut the ribbon to release the walkers I shouted “FOR FREEDOM”. It was a moment I hope I never forget.

Photos by: Stephen McGee

In that moment none of the chaos or stress mattered. I was so full of joy and so thankful. My family was all there. My friends were all there. People I didn’t even know were there (so rad). Channel 4 News was there. It was amazing. It didn’t rain once the whole time we were on the Island..not one drop! We had 94 participants registered for the walk and over $3400 raised (still 11 more days to fundraise). I had some awesome team captains, Hannah, Robin, Jeana, and Erika who all helped make this event happen.

 

 The walkers came back fast and everyone gathered in the seating in front of the stage. This was exactly the vision I had in July and had no idea this venue even had seating. I knew this was the moment God had prepared me for. I shared my heart on why I fight for freedom, I shared about Stop Child Trafficking Now, about my time in Thailand and in Detroit, and most importantly I commissioned the entire group to take a stand against slavery and to not just let this event be a one day movement but a lifestyle change of being an abolitionist. 

Anyone of you who are reading this can make a difference in this world… you were destined to.

Human trafficking is real and awareness is our greatest tool in putting a stop to it. There are more slaves today than ever before in history. It’s time to rise up as a generation and take a stand as one voice, together, and combat trafficking. Now. This is just the beginning. Next year’s goal is $25k and 500 walkers.

SCTNowDetroit - Our first walk was amazing! Thank you to everyone who walked for freedom. Thank you volunteers, you made the day happen! Keep fighting. Keep pushing. Keep dreaming. You are all world changers and modern day abolitionists. Let's be a generation that stands up as a voice for the voiceless!

For freedom,

Lindsey



the cost

Last night I decided to start reading “God in a Brothel” by Daniel Walker again. Post Thailand everything just seems different. I was reading Walker’s words about how he would have run in the opposite direction when he stepped up to fight for freedom if he knew then what he knew now. I couldn’t help but relate. I wept at the end of chapter three. Just thinking of how hard it really is and the big picture of what I am getting myself into. I’m sad to share my friend that I wrote about yesterday who was left for dead with her throat slit passed away. I’m thankful she is in Heaven. And if you don’t think God loves the prostitute (or prostituted) let’s have coffee. I’m thankful that she is no longer going to be disrespected. I’m thankful that she is resting in eternal glory and being lavished with the love she so desperately searched for here on earth. I’m thankful she no longer knows the hell she lived in while on earth. I’m thankful that God is wiping away the tears from her eyes and telling her how loved she is. I’m thankful that Heaven is real.

I never really thought about how hard it would be… I knew that my heart broke for injustice but the sorrow and despair I would endure on account for the broken was not something I envisioned in this walk. I’m thankful I know what it is to hurt for God’s people and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to pray with my sweet sister the weeks leading up to her reunion with Christ. I sat in my bed last night and asked God if I really knew what I was getting myself into. Did I really understand all that encompassed saying ‘yes’? Do I truly grasp the hurt of these streets? Am I strong enough to sit down and have conversations and hear about the horror innocent women are enduring? Is He sure He called the right person? And the answer to all of that is –yes-. God is stronger. God is greater. He that is in me is greater than he that is in this world. I refuse to be like the one who knows about the evil and yet does nothing.

Human Trafficking is real. It is hell on earth. And for some crazy reason I want to continue fighting for freedom because I know that God’s love is worth sharing and that these precious souls who are trapped are worthy of FREEDOM. I woke up this morning with a fight still in me. I am reminded that no matter how hard, how difficult, how painful, how tragic this fight is…… the cost is worth it. I am reminded of my decision to follow Christ Jesus and similar to His love for me…..that decision is unconditional.

shaken to the core.

I cannot recall a time in my life where I was ever so shaken to my core. And as much as my first impulse is to get it out of my mind and not to think about what took place last night, I can’t. The fear that trembled as each girl retold the same story that took place the night before. The hopelessness in their eyes and deep desire to be removed from their current situation paralyzes me. Eighteen minutes, 14.6 miles from my front door is a man rapping women and slitting their throats. When I first began serving the prostitution community there was a rapist going around and leaving young women to die in abandon fields smothered in a pool of blood from their slit throat. The first week I went out to serve there was three women found dead within the last week. Months have since passed and I’ve begun to build relationships with these women. I recognize them. I know their ‘names’. There is no stronger relationship than one built on the saving grace of Jesus Christ and that is exactly what we have built with these women. We pray with them, cry with them, and hurt with them.

But last night changes everything. A woman I know, someone’s daughter, someone’s friend, a beautiful young woman was found Sunday night in an abandoned house brutally beaten with a 2x4, raped, and left to die in a pool of her own blood flowing from the large slit across her throat. Each girl told us the same story and each girl said they did not know her last name so no one could go visit her in the hospital. It’s so much like Thailand; these girls have street names, heck I don’t even think any of us know their real names. Can you imagine transitioning into a life where you are not only abused, taken advantage of, raped, and the like but then you have you identity removed, too? Can you imagine someone calling you by a number? Can you imagine someone calling you a different name than the name you’ve been called all your life? No one can visit this girl because no one knows her real name. This breaks me.

Devastated to hear the news, we continued on to our next friend. I would have to say that of all the woman we meet with and pray with, this one has captivated my heart in a way I can’t explain. I see right through her hard exterior. I see her pain. I see her hurt. And as my friend said, she has no idea how to function anymore she is so hurt. It is as if she is lifeless. I was in the van the first night we came across this young girl and even then she was fearful to come to us. These streets are NO place for young women. I’ve watched her over the last several months continue to withdraw more and more from us, more and more from life. She is broken. Usually she is timid to come to us for prayer but last night she was completely different. Fear was consuming her. She was afraid to come near us. Afraid to talk to us. Afraid to let us pray for her. Afraid to let us hug her. She had just been raped by two men at the same time and pistol whipped in her head. Blood covered her open wound on the top of her head from where the pistol landed. And all I can think is please let me hold you. Please let me hug you and take you home with me. Please let me cover you in love. Please let me wash your feet. Be my family. Come with me. I want to scream YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN THIS! YOU DESERVE MORE THAN THIS! GOD LOVES YOU!

Another girl we spoke with had an encounter with the same man over the weekend. He got her naked and raped her in his car. When she fought him he cut her leg up with his knife, opened the car door, and pushed her out of the car while moving…she was naked. I could pour out my guts on this keyboard in despair and anger. Can you even fathom being treated like such a piece of garbage?

We located the van that is allegedly responsible for all you’ve just read. We followed him for blocks until we were close enough to write down his license plate number and description of his van. We then wrote it down and passed out copies to all the girls we could find and told them to stay far away.

Words do not suffice the anguish in my heart today as I write this. 14.6 miles from my front door.

The devil thinks this neighborhood is his playground….. well my response is this: Let our names be feared at the gates of hell as we exalt the Savior and redeem what BELONGS to the LORD! The darkness HAS NOT overcome the light. We need to wake up world. Human trafficking is not a third world problem. It’s a Detroit, Michigan problem. It’s a EVERYWHERE problem. Our war is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. These girls are worthy of love. They need to know how much Jesus loves them. They need to know that there is hope. They need to know that this is not what they deserve. They need to know that Heaven is real. That Jesus Christ is real. That He loves them with an everlasting love that can never be shaken. Oh dear God, please save my sisters, please rebuke and convict the heart of this man on the streets and lead him to salvation, Lord please deliver the brokenness of my sisters, and God please use me to whatever capacity You will. Send laborers, Lord……. Help me to love these girls like You do. Open doors to remove them from the streets. Protect them, in Jesus name.