Sparrows seem to be rather ordinary, simple birds compared to the flashy, exotic varieties around the world. They aren’t considered special or significant, but common. During Biblical times, four sparrows were sold for two pennies, with an extra bird included, because they were worth so little. One would think something thought of as so cheap and ordinary wouldn’t merit any significant mention. However, sparrows are one of the very few birds mentioned in the Bible.
Strip Clubs in the U.S.
Weeknights, as many families are eating, playing games or watching Prime Time, women around the U.S. prepare to care for women in the sex industry. These volunteers are moms, wives, and daughters who are passionate about empowering other women. Outreach teams bring everything from hot meals or baked goods to high-quality beauty products to those working in strip clubs and massage parlors across the country.
What the women bring is more powerful than lip gloss. They are bringing the love of Christ and the message of the Gospel. Their unconditional love is displayed through their consistency and allows them to learn the names of the dancers, pray for them, and connect them with resources they may need (should they decide to leave the industry). Condemnation is not even in their vocabulary. They go in knowing we are all sinners. But, most of all, we are all created by the Most High God and can be princesses in His Kingdom.
Almost 90 percent of women in the sex industry have experienced some form of sexual abuse as children. Many of the women in strip clubs were lured into the sex industry as minors; some women find themselves under the control of a pimp (a trafficker by definition). These traffickers can be violent in their approach to the women and often force them to prostitute, on top of working in the local strip club.
In a recent study of 130 prostitutes by the Foundation for Research on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 82 percent reported they had been physically assaulted, 83 percent had been threatened with a weapon, and 68 percent had been raped while working. These are the women society has forgotten, which is exactly why the work of these outreach teams is so critical.
The issue of human trafficking has come to light, proving itself to be an epidemic. It is no longer seen as a dark corner crime. With brave abolitionists beginning to take a stand against this injustice have come many different ways to get involved with the fight against sex trafficking. Direct outreach into strip clubs and massage parlors operating as brothels is just one of the ways we can make a difference. If direct outreach is something you’d like to get involved with, we urge you to do a little research on groups who may already be doing this sort of thing in your area. Prayer is of utmost importance, and it’s something we can all do to practically care for those in the sex industry.
Every day we see the sides of highways flooded with billboards advertising the local strip club. In fact, in large cities, some cabs and taxis have ads for strip clubs or escort agencies on the roofs of the cars. Every time you pass a billboard, some kind of advertisement, or a physical venue, we urge you to pray. Prayer is not insignificant – it’s a force powerful enough to change the hearts of pimps and traffickers.
We will be praying for you as you discern which way God is calling you to serve. Above all, it is our hope you would begin to look at these billboards and venues differently – that they aren’t simply provocative signs or buildings on the side of the road. They represent places where girls are being bought and sold in our cities –every single night. These women are real people with real passions and desires. Some of them have never heard the true Gospel of Christ. We hope you’ll consider being His hands and feet – becoming Christ with skin on – to those in the sex industry in some way.
Sold Movie
THANK YOU FOR A SOLD OUT EVENT
Celebration Cinema North,
(Wave Room and Theatre)
2121 Celebration Dr NE,
GR 49525
June 28, 2016
Ticket Price: $20
Doors open at 5:45 p.m.
Join WAR, Int’l for an interactive screening of the new movie, SOLD. We will hear from Becky McDonald, our President and Founder, and a Nepali safehouse partner prior to the event at 6:00p.m. on the breadth of human trafficking. There will be hor d’oeuvres and shopping for guests, as well.
Earthquake in Ecuador
The deadliest quake in South America since 1999 recently shook Ecuador. Authorities continue to count the dead, and that number has now surpassed 654. Another 58 people have been confirmed missing. Ecuador’s government stated that 113 people were rescued alive immediately following the earthquake on April 16, and currently more than 25,000 people remain in shelters. A partner of WAR, Int’l informed us there was a second earthquake, a 6.2-magnitude quake, in the same area after the initial blow.
Estimates place the damage caused by the earthquake to be nearly $3 billion for the already economically unstable country. Authorities say the reconstruction effort will take years. This week, survivors of the quake have begun to bury their dead as the world watches in horror. The news broke our hearts at WAR, Int’l as we received word that some of the girls in one of our partner’s programs have family and friends on the coast where the quake took place. Many of these girls still wait to hear whether or not their relatives have found adequate shelter.
In the wake of this disaster, we hope you’ll join us in prayer for the nation of Ecuador. Pray for their reco
very – a long road they will walk in the years to come. Pray for the girls in programs so dear to us, that they would hear from relatives and find courage and strength during this time. Our heart aches for the hurting, and it is our desire to come alongside them in their desperate time of need. Right now, we can do that by getting on our knees in prayer for them, and we hope you’ll join us as we pray for the people of Ecuador.
National Day of Prayer
As believers in Christ, we believe in the power of prayer. We believe that prayer breaks strongholds and can set the captives free. On Thursday, May 5, 2016, our country will participate in the 65 th Annual National Day of Prayer. This year, the event will be in conjunction with nearly 45,000 other groups from across the nation. Whether you participate in the day of prayer each year, or this is the first time you’ve heard about it, the National Day of Prayer is a phenomenal opportunity to humbly bring our requests to the Lord with thousands of other people in the United States.
The goal of this day is to pray collectively for our nation. At this time in our country’s history, there is much prayer needed, but there is also much to be thankful for. When it comes to human trafficking, our country has made great strides to see justice brought to women and men engulfed in the chains of slavery. But, we have a long way to go.
As you find yourself praying for our country, whether during your morning prayer routine or specifically on May 5, we encourage you to lift up the least of these within our borders. Pray for the women coerced into prostitution, the pimps, the “johns,” and the traffickers. Pray for law enforcement officials – that they would be attentive to the needs of trafficking victims within their individual precincts. Pray for policy makers and senators who work tirelessly to see freedom brought to the oppressed. Pray for medical professionals who are sometimes the first line of defense in the fight against trafficking. Pray for moms and dads, working hard to provide for their children in safe, loving environments. Pray for the Church, that women and men would begin to sound a battle cry for trafficking victims.
As we head into an election year, we also encourage you to pray for a leader who cares about human rights issues, like human trafficking. The National Day of Prayer is an opportunity for us, as believers, to lay our requests at the cross, knowing that our hope is in the Lord, and not in man.
We will be on our knees for those who deserve justice this National Day of Prayer, and every day before and after May 5. We invite you to join us in lifting men and women to lives of dignity and hope this month.
For more information about the National Day of Prayer, please click here.