Sunday, October 31, 2010
Eat Love Shop
If you haven't already clicked on the Eat Love Shop poster on the sidebar, here's your chance to check it out. Please consider coming for the day (next Sunday) in support of Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters (MAWS). I will have a Jolica table there and would love for you to stop by! See www.endtheviolence.ca for more information.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Catching Up on Listen Up TV
It's been busy, so I was a bit behind in watching the weekly episode of Listen Up TV online. Last week's program is called "Legalized Prostitution in Canada" and I encourage you to watch it:
www.listenuptv.com/listenup/shows?show_id=195
www.listenuptv.com/listenup/shows?show_id=195
Friday, October 29, 2010
Come On Craigslist - Do the Right Thing!
Maybe if enough provinces stand up, Craigslist will finally do the right thing and stop aiding in human trafficking:
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/alberta-joins-list-of-provinces-asking-craigslist-to-drop-online-sex-ads-105599433.html
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/alberta-joins-list-of-provinces-asking-craigslist-to-drop-online-sex-ads-105599433.html
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Get Out & Vote!
I just want to encourage those of you who have the right to get out and vote today, to do so. I don't particularly enjoy the pre-election hoopla of campaigning and false promises, but I do take the opportunity to vote, knowing that if I had been born at another time or in another country, as a woman that right might not be afforded to me. So please exercise the right and vote today!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Walking Wounded
One more quote from Jim Palmer (Wide Open Spaces, p. 45 - 46):
"Here's to all the walking wounded. . .
to those still carrying a little heartbroken boy or girl inside;
to those who feel rejected and lonely;
to those who woke up with a dull ache inside;
to those who are wondering where God is in the midst of their deep pain;
to those whose past wounds have been pulled opened yet again;
to those weary and worn out and longing for some place called home;
to those in the darkness who can't seem to find the light;
to those who wonder if they will ever find love;
to those who feel misunderstood;
to the abandoned and discarded;
to those who feel they are running out of reasons to get out of bed each morning;
to those in the clutches of depression;
to those who are smiling on the outside but dying on the inside;
to those suffering in silence.
Here's to all the walking wounded. . ."
"Here's to all the walking wounded. . .
to those still carrying a little heartbroken boy or girl inside;
to those who feel rejected and lonely;
to those who woke up with a dull ache inside;
to those who are wondering where God is in the midst of their deep pain;
to those whose past wounds have been pulled opened yet again;
to those weary and worn out and longing for some place called home;
to those in the darkness who can't seem to find the light;
to those who wonder if they will ever find love;
to those who feel misunderstood;
to the abandoned and discarded;
to those who feel they are running out of reasons to get out of bed each morning;
to those in the clutches of depression;
to those who are smiling on the outside but dying on the inside;
to those suffering in silence.
Here's to all the walking wounded. . ."
Monday, October 25, 2010
Christmas Little Travellers
With only 2 months before Christmas, I received some special Christmas Little Travellers! They each sell for $10. The reindeer is about 7 inches tall (depending on antler height!) and the angels ornaments are about 2.5 inches tall. Remember that 100% of the money goes back to South Africa, so make your Christmas gifts go a little farther this year. . .half way around the world!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Levi's Birthday
I know that I haven't blogged about my uncle Levi for a while, but today is perfect, given that it's his birthday! He is still in hospital but his conditions have dramatically improved in the last few weeks. He is currently OFF the ventilator about 14 hours a day (only on oxygen) and so he is able to talk, eat and drink. A number of weeks ago his lung collapsed again and he was discouraged, thinking that he may never get off the ventilator, so 14 hours a day is a HUGE step. It's been over 1/2 a year since he's been able to eat and I'm sure there will be a special celebration on his ward today!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Crazy
From Jim Palmer's book Wide Open Spaces (p. 62 - 63):
"Recently I came across an Apple Macintosh advertisement in a magazine. It reads:
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kind of people. Where some people see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."
Maybe crazy is not so bad?!?
"Recently I came across an Apple Macintosh advertisement in a magazine. It reads:
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kind of people. Where some people see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."
Maybe crazy is not so bad?!?
Friday, October 22, 2010
Breathing
I hope after yesterday's blog that you don't think that I've totally lost my mind and am on the edge of crazy because I'm continuing from where I left off because I want you to understand what I really mean by this internal difference and the fact that I feel like I'm finally living. When I say I have purpose in my life, it's not about doing a specific thing but the fact that by doing it, I can connect with God.
My living, my breathing is exactly the opposite of me going through the motions of life and feeling like I'm holding my breath waiting for life to happen (which I would say about myself before last year). Ladies, you will relate to this better than the guys out there. It's like those specials days in life where you get all dolled up. You know, though the guys probably don't, that there is amazing underwear holding you all together underneath your beautiful gown. You can't eat what you want because your underwear and dress won't allow it - there is no room for expansion. When the evening, as great as it was, is finally over, you get to undress and finally breath again. Everything that's been holding you in (and back in life) can finally let go and you can actually fill your lungs with air and take a deep breath - THAT'S the kind of breathing and living that I'm talking about! A breath from my depths that allows me to go out, even if I'm tired and don't think I can do it any more, because I will meet God through people and experiences because I'm really living now. I have always expected to meet God in the usual places like church. So when I encounter Him through my tears at the end of a human trafficking presentation, I know that I am changed from what I used to be. It doesn't matter that it was a busy week and that it was a lot of time & gas to drive - I met God there.
I have also been reading Jim Palmer's book "Wide Open Spaces" and I want to share a few quotes, because they resonate with me (and he's got much better English than I do - as you've experienced this week!).
"In my heart I come upon places where fears and old wounds keep me from being fully alive to all of life." (p. 104)
"The things you love doing, what you are most passionate about, are the most significant avenues through which God wants you to know him." (p. 109)
"I don't want to play dead in a world that God wired to help me fulfill my purpose of knowing him." (p. 112)
"Connecting with the world through your heart makes you vulnerable. . .But then there are also those moments that remind you how thankful you are that you're not playing dead." (p. 199)
"You've trusted Jesus with your life, now live that life in Him. Inhaling Him. Exhaling Him. . ."
My living, my breathing is exactly the opposite of me going through the motions of life and feeling like I'm holding my breath waiting for life to happen (which I would say about myself before last year). Ladies, you will relate to this better than the guys out there. It's like those specials days in life where you get all dolled up. You know, though the guys probably don't, that there is amazing underwear holding you all together underneath your beautiful gown. You can't eat what you want because your underwear and dress won't allow it - there is no room for expansion. When the evening, as great as it was, is finally over, you get to undress and finally breath again. Everything that's been holding you in (and back in life) can finally let go and you can actually fill your lungs with air and take a deep breath - THAT'S the kind of breathing and living that I'm talking about! A breath from my depths that allows me to go out, even if I'm tired and don't think I can do it any more, because I will meet God through people and experiences because I'm really living now. I have always expected to meet God in the usual places like church. So when I encounter Him through my tears at the end of a human trafficking presentation, I know that I am changed from what I used to be. It doesn't matter that it was a busy week and that it was a lot of time & gas to drive - I met God there.
I have also been reading Jim Palmer's book "Wide Open Spaces" and I want to share a few quotes, because they resonate with me (and he's got much better English than I do - as you've experienced this week!).
"In my heart I come upon places where fears and old wounds keep me from being fully alive to all of life." (p. 104)
"The things you love doing, what you are most passionate about, are the most significant avenues through which God wants you to know him." (p. 109)
"I don't want to play dead in a world that God wired to help me fulfill my purpose of knowing him." (p. 112)
"Connecting with the world through your heart makes you vulnerable. . .But then there are also those moments that remind you how thankful you are that you're not playing dead." (p. 199)
"You've trusted Jesus with your life, now live that life in Him. Inhaling Him. Exhaling Him. . ."
~Matthew 5:3 paraphrase
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Living
. . .another thought that I've been chewing on is what I ended with yesterday - me living. When people ask about my YWAM experience I say that it was hard but good because I just needed that experience at that moment in my life. Sometimes you have to get away from regular life in order to really deal with things.
I know that I returned home internally different than when I left last year, but I don't quite know if other people noticed a change or not. One person from church commented to me that I 'looked different' when I came back. All I know is that I let go of the things that were holding me back in my life - bitterness & anger - and I made the conscious decision to forgive and live a different life. Especially in the church, we expect these huge life changes to happen instantly, but I would say that few of us experience radical change like Paul did when God encountered him. It took a while for me to feel different inside (see my blog 'Altar' on Oct. 3/10).
Certainly, it's taken some time to adjust back to life at home this year. It was probably March by the time I felt that my clock was back on track, the jetlag was gone, my stomach could digest properly and I was back to feeling like myself (only a new and improved version)! As I started working back in school, and now at the woman's shelter, and as I gave time and resources to various charities, I started to feel like I was living - maybe for the first time. Not living in terms of me being so busy that I barely have time to eat and sleep (which has been the case for the last few weeks), but the living where I feel like what I'm doing has purpose. It's not doing to be in God's good books, but the kind of doing where I grow closer to Him because what I'm doing has God's purpose for me to know Him more intimately through the doing.
I know that I returned home internally different than when I left last year, but I don't quite know if other people noticed a change or not. One person from church commented to me that I 'looked different' when I came back. All I know is that I let go of the things that were holding me back in my life - bitterness & anger - and I made the conscious decision to forgive and live a different life. Especially in the church, we expect these huge life changes to happen instantly, but I would say that few of us experience radical change like Paul did when God encountered him. It took a while for me to feel different inside (see my blog 'Altar' on Oct. 3/10).
Certainly, it's taken some time to adjust back to life at home this year. It was probably March by the time I felt that my clock was back on track, the jetlag was gone, my stomach could digest properly and I was back to feeling like myself (only a new and improved version)! As I started working back in school, and now at the woman's shelter, and as I gave time and resources to various charities, I started to feel like I was living - maybe for the first time. Not living in terms of me being so busy that I barely have time to eat and sleep (which has been the case for the last few weeks), but the living where I feel like what I'm doing has purpose. It's not doing to be in God's good books, but the kind of doing where I grow closer to Him because what I'm doing has God's purpose for me to know Him more intimately through the doing.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Go
I've been chewing on so many different ideas in the last few weeks. They are distinct ideas and yet somehow lead into each other. I ended yesterday's blog with a verse from Acts 17:28a - "'For in him we live and move and have our being'" which connects with what I want to say today.
As I've had the opportunity to address school and church groups over the year, speaking about my YWAM experience and injustice, I try to share stories of the people I met on the road. I don't want to talk about 'war and refugees', I want to introduce you instead to my friend Ngoie who is a refugee and has experienced war. 'War & refugees' takes on a whole new dimension when we have a face and a name - it becomes real and much harder for us to ignore.
I also challenge people to go out and make a difference whether that's going to a neighbour's house down the street or half way around the world, as we've been commissioned by Jesus in Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Last week I was reading from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest (Updated) and he said: "To 'go' simply means to live." Well that really got me thinking - back to Acts 17, back to all the stories I've heard about human trafficking over the last week or so. Like I blogged previously, it's uncomfortable to work with injustice, but it brings me closer to God. Me, going out and fighting against injustice, whether it's a church activity or not, is me living, and me living is me going as Jesus commissioned me to (ok - English is NOT my best subject!). . .
As I've had the opportunity to address school and church groups over the year, speaking about my YWAM experience and injustice, I try to share stories of the people I met on the road. I don't want to talk about 'war and refugees', I want to introduce you instead to my friend Ngoie who is a refugee and has experienced war. 'War & refugees' takes on a whole new dimension when we have a face and a name - it becomes real and much harder for us to ignore.
I also challenge people to go out and make a difference whether that's going to a neighbour's house down the street or half way around the world, as we've been commissioned by Jesus in Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Last week I was reading from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest (Updated) and he said: "To 'go' simply means to live." Well that really got me thinking - back to Acts 17, back to all the stories I've heard about human trafficking over the last week or so. Like I blogged previously, it's uncomfortable to work with injustice, but it brings me closer to God. Me, going out and fighting against injustice, whether it's a church activity or not, is me living, and me living is me going as Jesus commissioned me to (ok - English is NOT my best subject!). . .
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
God Dwells
Some of us may have this view that God only dwells in church building (refer back to Tamara's comment from yesterday's blog). But that's not biblical given that the church is really not a building, but rather the people of God. One of my favorite portions of Scripture comes from Acts 17:24 - 28a, which says:
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact place where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'"
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact place where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'"
Monday, October 18, 2010
God Weeps
The most moving part of the Honouring Heroes - Stop Human Trafficking National Awards Ceremony on Saturday night was the final recipient, Tamara Cherry. A news reporter for the Toronto Sun, you could tell right away that she has a straight forward, no non-sense kind of approach (which I appreciate!). She talked about the victims and she did not shy away from the gory details. The ceremony was held in a church and at one point she wanted to give more detail but said, "because we're in a church, I won't repeat exactly what she told me."
Lorna Dueck, the MC (host of Listen Up TV), later commented that the church is exactly the place where this needs to be said - and I fully agree! The church needs to stand up and lead. We need to be a voice for the victims and show them love, not judgment. It's as if the church today is sleeping and we don't take the words of Jesus seriously and we will be held to account for this. If we don't look at the issue, then we believe that we don't have to deal with it - WRONG! I am the first to admit that it is scary working with injustice - you question things, including God, that you never did before. Your heart continues to break and you feel emotions that you never knew you had in you. But the fear and the questions and the heartache, as much as they are uncomfortable, bring me closer to God. You'd think it would be opposite, but it's not.
After Ben Perrin shared on Thursday night, after all the disgusting stories that I heard and as things were starting to wrap up, tears started to fill my eyes. I had no idea what was happening - why didn't I cry when I heard the horrible stories, why was I crying now? You know why I was crying? It was because God was crying, weeping for all the victims of human trafficking. Fighting injustice brings me closer to God because He allows me to feel some of what He feels and see people how He sees people. God weeps - for the sleeping church, for the scared victims, even for the perpetrators - He weeps.
Lorna Dueck, the MC (host of Listen Up TV), later commented that the church is exactly the place where this needs to be said - and I fully agree! The church needs to stand up and lead. We need to be a voice for the victims and show them love, not judgment. It's as if the church today is sleeping and we don't take the words of Jesus seriously and we will be held to account for this. If we don't look at the issue, then we believe that we don't have to deal with it - WRONG! I am the first to admit that it is scary working with injustice - you question things, including God, that you never did before. Your heart continues to break and you feel emotions that you never knew you had in you. But the fear and the questions and the heartache, as much as they are uncomfortable, bring me closer to God. You'd think it would be opposite, but it's not.
After Ben Perrin shared on Thursday night, after all the disgusting stories that I heard and as things were starting to wrap up, tears started to fill my eyes. I had no idea what was happening - why didn't I cry when I heard the horrible stories, why was I crying now? You know why I was crying? It was because God was crying, weeping for all the victims of human trafficking. Fighting injustice brings me closer to God because He allows me to feel some of what He feels and see people how He sees people. God weeps - for the sleeping church, for the scared victims, even for the perpetrators - He weeps.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Human Trafficking in the News
Having attended 2 human trafficking events this past week, I've learned and want to pass on some of the news stories that I heard. This is not old news - all of it is from just over a week's time - and if you have not heard about some of these stories, then the various facets of media are not doing their job. I myself had not heard about the story from Hamilton and it serves as a reminder - human trafficking is not about moving just women around other countries beyond Canada. This story involves trafficked men, brought into Canada from Hungary.
October 9, 2010: Newcomers' abuse 'slavery,' police say
www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/newcomers-abuse-slavery-police-say-104625569.html
October 13, 2010: Police say B.C. man used sex slaves in brothels he advertised on Craigslist
www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/police-say-bc-man-used-sex-slaves-in-brothels-he-advertised-on-craigslist--104903684.html
October 14, 2010: Manitoba demands Craigslist removes prostitute ad
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Manitoba-demands-Craigslist-removes-prostitute-ads-104975464.html
October 14, 2010: Canada should warn foreign countries about travelling sex offenders: author
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Canada-should-warn-foreign-countries-about-travelling-sex-offenders-author-104976979.html
October 17, 2010: MP honours sex-trade fighters
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/MP-honours-sex-trade-fighters-105131679.html
October 9, 2010: Newcomers' abuse 'slavery,' police say
www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/newcomers-abuse-slavery-police-say-104625569.html
October 13, 2010: Police say B.C. man used sex slaves in brothels he advertised on Craigslist
www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/police-say-bc-man-used-sex-slaves-in-brothels-he-advertised-on-craigslist--104903684.html
October 14, 2010: Manitoba demands Craigslist removes prostitute ad
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Manitoba-demands-Craigslist-removes-prostitute-ads-104975464.html
October 14, 2010: Canada should warn foreign countries about travelling sex offenders: author
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Canada-should-warn-foreign-countries-about-travelling-sex-offenders-author-104976979.html
October 17, 2010: MP honours sex-trade fighters
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/MP-honours-sex-trade-fighters-105131679.html
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Heroes Recognized
This has been a roller-coaster kind of week. After working the day shift at the woman's shelter, I had something up every evening but Friday. Two of those evenings, as I blogged about the other day, were trips into Winnipeg, attending human trafficking events. A good week but emotionally draining week.
Tonight was a chance to recognize some of Canada's unsung heroes in the human trafficking fight. I too want to recognize them here for their tireless efforts in the enormous fight against a vulgar and insidious crime that has been overlooked for far too long. Former RCMP officer Brian McConaghy talked about his RCMP work and Ratanak International (www.ratanak.org) working in Cambodia. Natasha Falle (www.sextrade101.com) and Timea Nagy (Memoirs of a Sex Slave Survivor) are both former prostitutes, trafficked across Canada (Falle) and Hungary (Nagy), who are now giving human trafficking not only a voice, but a face and a name. Grand Chief Ron Evans became aware of the issue of trafficking 2 years ago, hearing the staggering statistics of aboriginal people that are trafficked in Canada, and knew that he also had to lend his voice and push for change. Tamara Cherry is a reporter (affectionately known as the "pimp finder" in Toronto, so much so that the police come to her for help) for the Toronto Sun and she has put trafficking in the spotlight in a radical way.
Tonight was a chance to recognize some of Canada's unsung heroes in the human trafficking fight. I too want to recognize them here for their tireless efforts in the enormous fight against a vulgar and insidious crime that has been overlooked for far too long. Former RCMP officer Brian McConaghy talked about his RCMP work and Ratanak International (www.ratanak.org) working in Cambodia. Natasha Falle (www.sextrade101.com) and Timea Nagy (Memoirs of a Sex Slave Survivor) are both former prostitutes, trafficked across Canada (Falle) and Hungary (Nagy), who are now giving human trafficking not only a voice, but a face and a name. Grand Chief Ron Evans became aware of the issue of trafficking 2 years ago, hearing the staggering statistics of aboriginal people that are trafficked in Canada, and knew that he also had to lend his voice and push for change. Tamara Cherry is a reporter (affectionately known as the "pimp finder" in Toronto, so much so that the police come to her for help) for the Toronto Sun and she has put trafficking in the spotlight in a radical way.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Invisible Chains
I blogged incorrectly earlier this week - last night was not a book lauch for Invisible Chains (though it just did come off the presses), it was actually part of a public awareness campaign on Human Trafficking. I am SO glad that I went because I learned SO much. Even though it was not a book launch, I will shamelessly plug Invisible Chains - GO NOW & BUY IT. I usually buy through Chapters, so I'm going to make this easy for you.
Click here:
www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Invisible-Chains-Canadas-Underground-World-Benjamin-Perrin/9780670064533-item.html?ikwid=invisible+chains&ikwsec=Home
This hard cover books retails at $32, but at Chapters online it is $21.12 ($20.06 if you have a membership). I know you're going to ask about shipping, but you have NO excuses - Chapters just dropped their shipping deal: order $25 worth and get free shipping. "But LaDawn, the book is only $21.12." Trust me, you need to buy 2 any way - one for yourself and one to give to a friend. We need to spread the message - HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS HAPPENING IN CANADA & TO CANADIANS & WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW!
Click here:
www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Invisible-Chains-Canadas-Underground-World-Benjamin-Perrin/9780670064533-item.html?ikwid=invisible+chains&ikwsec=Home
This hard cover books retails at $32, but at Chapters online it is $21.12 ($20.06 if you have a membership). I know you're going to ask about shipping, but you have NO excuses - Chapters just dropped their shipping deal: order $25 worth and get free shipping. "But LaDawn, the book is only $21.12." Trust me, you need to buy 2 any way - one for yourself and one to give to a friend. We need to spread the message - HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS HAPPENING IN CANADA & TO CANADIANS & WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
10 Things You Can Do To Combat Human Trafficking
1. Tell someone: Share what you've learned in Invisible Chains.
2. Help the heroes: Support organizations that help survivors.
3. Raise awareness: Host an awareness event.
4. Call for change: Contact your municipal, provincial, and federal politicians asking what they're doing to address the problem of human trafficking, and ask them to implement the recommendations for government.
5. Take a stand: Become an advocate for at least one recommendation in Invisible Chains that you personally want to see adopted.
6. Let your dollar talk: Buy fair trade products where possible and, if you can't be sure, avoid products whose makers are notorious for using forced labour.
7. Speak up: Raise the issue of human trafficking in letters to the editor, at political debates, in the classroom, and at town hall meetings.
8. Be a woman against human trafficking: Talk to males you know about the realities of women and girls exploited in the sex industry.
9. Be a man against human trafficking: Don't pay for sex or got to places where commercial sex acts take place, either in Canada or when travelling abroad. Discourage your friends from doing so and explain your concerns.
10. Report it: Be aware of the warning signs of human trafficking in your community, at work, and when travelling. Report suspicious activity to your local police, or Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
for more information, visit www.endmoderndayslavery.ca
2. Help the heroes: Support organizations that help survivors.
3. Raise awareness: Host an awareness event.
4. Call for change: Contact your municipal, provincial, and federal politicians asking what they're doing to address the problem of human trafficking, and ask them to implement the recommendations for government.
5. Take a stand: Become an advocate for at least one recommendation in Invisible Chains that you personally want to see adopted.
6. Let your dollar talk: Buy fair trade products where possible and, if you can't be sure, avoid products whose makers are notorious for using forced labour.
7. Speak up: Raise the issue of human trafficking in letters to the editor, at political debates, in the classroom, and at town hall meetings.
8. Be a woman against human trafficking: Talk to males you know about the realities of women and girls exploited in the sex industry.
9. Be a man against human trafficking: Don't pay for sex or got to places where commercial sex acts take place, either in Canada or when travelling abroad. Discourage your friends from doing so and explain your concerns.
10. Report it: Be aware of the warning signs of human trafficking in your community, at work, and when travelling. Report suspicious activity to your local police, or Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
for more information, visit www.endmoderndayslavery.ca
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Spend Yourself
The Scripture from Isaiah 58 kept coming up over and over for me while traveling last year. It talks about injustice but I think it also spoke to my heart, going through my own time of healing, with the words from verse 8 which say, "Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily." And again down in verse 10 it says, "then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday." (ESV)
Whenever this portion of Scripture comes up, I revel in it. . .it is profound to me. I blogged previously about the song "Justice and Mercy", with its lyrics coming straight from this passage. This past weekend, I was reading a magazine that highlighted verse 10. The difference was that it was from a different translation and they spoke about the first part of the verse, not the second part that I highlighted above.
For some reason, I was missing the "if" part of the statement before the "then". Verse 10 in the ESV starts, "IF you pour yourself out for the hungry. . .THEN shall your light rise in the darkness." But the translation from the magazine was from the NIV and said, "Spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry."
Spend yourself? That can't be? I spend money and I spend time with others, but can I really spend myself? Do I want to spend myself? Was does it look like to spend myself? And on whom? Who are the hungry - those without food, those without love, hungry for what?
These thoughts have been on my brain and I've been chewing on them. To spend myself means that this is going to cost me something. Part of me is going to be left behind in the process. Can I afford to spend myself? I afford not to spend myself?
Whenever this portion of Scripture comes up, I revel in it. . .it is profound to me. I blogged previously about the song "Justice and Mercy", with its lyrics coming straight from this passage. This past weekend, I was reading a magazine that highlighted verse 10. The difference was that it was from a different translation and they spoke about the first part of the verse, not the second part that I highlighted above.
For some reason, I was missing the "if" part of the statement before the "then". Verse 10 in the ESV starts, "IF you pour yourself out for the hungry. . .THEN shall your light rise in the darkness." But the translation from the magazine was from the NIV and said, "Spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry."
Spend yourself? That can't be? I spend money and I spend time with others, but can I really spend myself? Do I want to spend myself? Was does it look like to spend myself? And on whom? Who are the hungry - those without food, those without love, hungry for what?
These thoughts have been on my brain and I've been chewing on them. To spend myself means that this is going to cost me something. Part of me is going to be left behind in the process. Can I afford to spend myself? I afford not to spend myself?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Photography Focusing on Injustice
Tonight was my second class of the same photography/injustice class that I taught in the spring. I only have 2 students, but I think we'll be ok. I just have to think of something else than a final exhibit because that would not be very many pictures to display.
Monday, October 11, 2010
God Grew Tired of Us
I watched the documentary "God Grew Tired of Us" in the spring and now I just finished reading the book - both are definitely worth checking out! They follow some of the Lost Boys of Sudan who move to America, specifically John Bul Dau:
"And I still wonder, what does war do to people to make them shoot children?"
"And I still wonder, what does war do to people to make them shoot children?"
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Human Trafficking Awareness Events This Week
I want to let you know about 2 human trafficking awareness events that are taking place this week. I am going to both and invite you to join me!
Wednesday, October 14, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Get Informed. Be Inspired. End Modern-Day Slavery in Canada.
Meet local organizations working to fight human trafficking & learn about what you can do. Check out www.invisiblechains.ca/Winnipeg for more information.
Honouring Heroes - Stop Human Trafficking National Awards Ceremony
Hosted by MP Joy Smith
With Guest MC Lorna Dueck of Listen Up TV
Eastview Community Church
Saturday, October 16, 7:30 p.m.
Hear the heart wrenching stories of human trafficking victims & heroes
$20 at the door to cover costs
RSVP: 984-6322 or joy@joysmithmp.ca
"Invisible Chains" by Dr. Benjamin Perrin (University of BC)
Book Launch at McNally Robinson Booksellers Wednesday, October 14, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Get Informed. Be Inspired. End Modern-Day Slavery in Canada.
Meet local organizations working to fight human trafficking & learn about what you can do. Check out www.invisiblechains.ca/Winnipeg for more information.
Honouring Heroes - Stop Human Trafficking National Awards Ceremony
Hosted by MP Joy Smith
With Guest MC Lorna Dueck of Listen Up TV
Eastview Community Church
Saturday, October 16, 7:30 p.m.
Hear the heart wrenching stories of human trafficking victims & heroes
$20 at the door to cover costs
RSVP: 984-6322 or joy@joysmithmp.ca
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Smallest Things
I am a numbers person and yet my head does not comprehend the amount of money - hundreds of thousands of dollars - that has gone back to South Africa from the sale of Little Travellers over the past 5 years. It is special multiplication indeed!
Flower Girl is waiting for you with her bonnet and bouquet of flowers. She sells for $8 and, as with most LT's, comes in a variety of colors.
Little Travellers motto:
"Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference."
Flower Girl is waiting for you with her bonnet and bouquet of flowers. She sells for $8 and, as with most LT's, comes in a variety of colors.
"Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference."
Friday, October 8, 2010
Morph & Change
Located in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu-Natal province, the Hillcrest AIDS Centre serves as a beacon of hope to this AIDS-ravaged region. It provides home-based care & nursing; emergency feeding programs; funding to pay for school fees & funeral costs; HIV education, counselling & testing; and economic empowerment through income generation projects.
I know you have a girl or lady in your life who just LOVES her purses. Well, Handbag is a great alternative to the real thing and a whole lot cheaper at just $7.
"Little Travellers continue to morph and change from angels with wings, dreadlocked ravers, ballerinas, traditional Makoti's, girls with skirts to ABBA impersonators, they reflect current fashion and diversity of life."
I know you have a girl or lady in your life who just LOVES her purses. Well, Handbag is a great alternative to the real thing and a whole lot cheaper at just $7.
"Little Travellers continue to morph and change from angels with wings, dreadlocked ravers, ballerinas, traditional Makoti's, girls with skirts to ABBA impersonators, they reflect current fashion and diversity of life."
Thursday, October 7, 2010
God Helps Me
I know that most of the Specialty Travellers featured are pretty girly, but there are some boy options. We still have some soccer players (who have the CRAZIEST hair!) and the bumblebees are also really cute! Whether you attach them to your jacket or kids attach them to their backpacks, these pins love to travel and see the world.
Skirt is exactly as her name implies - a beautiful girl wearing a skirt. A number of my friends with girls around age 5 or so will know exactly the feeling, as their girls want nothing to do with pants and choose skirts every day! She sells for $7.
"'Before, I hadn't got even shoes. I had nothing.' Gogo Francisca says that Little Travellers have helped her and they mean 'That God helps me. God helps me do these dollies. He looks after me.'"
Skirt is exactly as her name implies - a beautiful girl wearing a skirt. A number of my friends with girls around age 5 or so will know exactly the feeling, as their girls want nothing to do with pants and choose skirts every day! She sells for $7.
"'Before, I hadn't got even shoes. I had nothing.' Gogo Francisca says that Little Travellers have helped her and they mean 'That God helps me. God helps me do these dollies. He looks after me.'"
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Reason to Live
I SO admire Ilan for starting Little Travellers and I am proud to take up the cause and sell as many as I possibly can. Please consider how you can make a difference - 100% of the money you pay for a Little Traveller goes back to the Hillcrest AIDS Centre and the people who make them there.
One of our newest Specialty Travellers was affectionately named "Dress Up" and I'm sure you can see why. She probably resembles some of the little girls in your life - dress, purse and even a tiara! She sells for $8 and comes in a number of different colors.
"'They may be small, but they have made a big difference to me and my family. I was dying when I started making them, and I had nothing to live for. . .I now have a house, my children are going to school and I have a reason to live.' Tandi Chamane - crafter"
One of our newest Specialty Travellers was affectionately named "Dress Up" and I'm sure you can see why. She probably resembles some of the little girls in your life - dress, purse and even a tiara! She sells for $8 and comes in a number of different colors.
"'They may be small, but they have made a big difference to me and my family. I was dying when I started making them, and I had nothing to live for. . .I now have a house, my children are going to school and I have a reason to live.' Tandi Chamane - crafter"
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
She Sees a Person
Perhaps you are already thinking of Christmas gifts already - I know I am. I want my gifts to reach farther this year. Across the ocean if possible! Join me in giving a different kind of gift. Not only one that your friends and family will appreciate, but one that truly makes a difference in the life of someone in great need.
Hearts sells for $6 and I know that it would be a special gift for the special someone in your life!
"Ntombi says that after making Little Travellers 'I often lay them on my sofa and admire them for a while. I look at them and wish they could talk, breathe and walk. That is how much I love them. Beading makes such a big difference in my life, I love it, I make life out of it!' Ntombi says that when she sees a Little Traveller, she sees a person. She explains that she makes all of hers perfect as if she is creating a human being."
Hearts sells for $6 and I know that it would be a special gift for the special someone in your life!
"Ntombi says that after making Little Travellers 'I often lay them on my sofa and admire them for a while. I look at them and wish they could talk, breathe and walk. That is how much I love them. Beading makes such a big difference in my life, I love it, I make life out of it!' Ntombi says that when she sees a Little Traveller, she sees a person. She explains that she makes all of hers perfect as if she is creating a human being."
Monday, October 4, 2010
Restoring Hope
I mentioned that I met the founder of Little Travellers this past weekend and I want to highlight some of our newest Specialty Travellers this week. They are SO new, they are not on the website yet! You can order via www.littletravellers.net or contact me directly because I have a whole bunch of them, waiting for you!
I want start with Gramma & Baby (we ordered Mama & Baby, as pictured on the website, but sometimes things change and so Gramma & Baby it is!). This Specialty Traveller is $8 and I want to start with it because for me, this is such a strong symbol of the struggle of HIV/AIDS. So many grandparents are left to take care of their grandchildren, after their own children die of AIDS.
"The little travellers are making a positive difference in the lives of men and women affected/infected by HIV and AIDS. By making little travellers, families have been fed, lights have been turned on, children have gone to school, water has poured out of taps, but most importantly hope has been restored.
I want start with Gramma & Baby (we ordered Mama & Baby, as pictured on the website, but sometimes things change and so Gramma & Baby it is!). This Specialty Traveller is $8 and I want to start with it because for me, this is such a strong symbol of the struggle of HIV/AIDS. So many grandparents are left to take care of their grandchildren, after their own children die of AIDS.
"The little travellers are making a positive difference in the lives of men and women affected/infected by HIV and AIDS. By making little travellers, families have been fed, lights have been turned on, children have gone to school, water has poured out of taps, but most importantly hope has been restored.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Altar
One of my favorite songs that Steve Bell sings is "Here by the Water" (music and lyrics by Jim Croegaert). This is the second verse and chorus:
"I think how a yearning
Has kept on returning to move me
Down roads I’d never have chosen
Half the time frozen
Too numb to feel
I know it was stormy
I hope it was for me learning
Blood on the road wasn’t mine though
Someone that I know
Has walked here before
And here by the water
I’ll build an altar to praise Him
Out of the stones that I’ve found here
I’ll set them down here
Rough as they are
Knowing You can make them holy
Knowing You can make them holy
Knowing You can make them holy"
Those words have always spoken right into my life, whether I felt that God was far away or close by. . .'down roads I'd never have chosen. . .blood on the road wasn't mine though. . .I'll build an altar to praise Him'. Throughout the Bible, people build physical altars of stones as a visual reminder so as they passed by these places, they might remember God's faithfulness and continue to press on.
This Sunday, one year ago, is an altar in my life - a reminder that changes had been stirring within me for a while and this day marked a specific change. So many people, including myself, expect God to work instantly, and if we don't feel a change right away, well, we wonder if God is really working. Starting in April 2009, I made the decision to let go of bitterness and anger, and start to listen to God's voice again. Things did not change overnight. I felt like I was still reading my Bible out of habit and that my prayers were still bouncing back to me off of the ceiling, but I persevered. I certainly experienced God in profound ways - small glimpses - as the year progressed, but nothing radical.
Then came this Sunday in South Africa! I got a call from a friend back home and I remember telling her that I actually FELT like a Christian. No angels singing or flashes of lightning, but rather a realization that God had been working all along. His purposes were specific and He never gave up on me. I am thankful to God for many things, but I think one of the items that tops the list is His patience. It took so long to turn things around for me, but I'm SO thankful that He never let go and thought me a lost cause. And so I build an altar, as a reminder of my faithful God, who's mercy is never-ending and love is all-encompassing!
"I think how a yearning
Has kept on returning to move me
Down roads I’d never have chosen
Half the time frozen
Too numb to feel
I know it was stormy
I hope it was for me learning
Blood on the road wasn’t mine though
Someone that I know
Has walked here before
And here by the water
I’ll build an altar to praise Him
Out of the stones that I’ve found here
I’ll set them down here
Rough as they are
Knowing You can make them holy
Knowing You can make them holy
Knowing You can make them holy"
Those words have always spoken right into my life, whether I felt that God was far away or close by. . .'down roads I'd never have chosen. . .blood on the road wasn't mine though. . .I'll build an altar to praise Him'. Throughout the Bible, people build physical altars of stones as a visual reminder so as they passed by these places, they might remember God's faithfulness and continue to press on.
This Sunday, one year ago, is an altar in my life - a reminder that changes had been stirring within me for a while and this day marked a specific change. So many people, including myself, expect God to work instantly, and if we don't feel a change right away, well, we wonder if God is really working. Starting in April 2009, I made the decision to let go of bitterness and anger, and start to listen to God's voice again. Things did not change overnight. I felt like I was still reading my Bible out of habit and that my prayers were still bouncing back to me off of the ceiling, but I persevered. I certainly experienced God in profound ways - small glimpses - as the year progressed, but nothing radical.
Then came this Sunday in South Africa! I got a call from a friend back home and I remember telling her that I actually FELT like a Christian. No angels singing or flashes of lightning, but rather a realization that God had been working all along. His purposes were specific and He never gave up on me. I am thankful to God for many things, but I think one of the items that tops the list is His patience. It took so long to turn things around for me, but I'm SO thankful that He never let go and thought me a lost cause. And so I build an altar, as a reminder of my faithful God, who's mercy is never-ending and love is all-encompassing!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Floodgates
For months, my life was quiet. . .at a sort of standstill. I have waiting on God - what's next? It's hard to take a step of faith when you can't really see past tomorrow, but that's faith, I guess! So as October begins, I have looked back a bit. Last month, I made the decision to take as many sub days at schools, and shifts at the shelter in order that I would be able to get a car. That was big decision and I knew that things would change radically at that point, which they have. I say that September is a bit of a blur, but really, I only got the car on September 14th so it's been 2 weeks of intense activity in my life (certainly compared to the first 1/2 of the year!).
The floodgates have definitely opened and I am trying to keep my head above water. But really, I want to do more than that. I want to be Christ's ambassador no matter what I'm doing. Working with kids, dealing with crisis calls and abused women, selling fair trade products - I believe that they are all important to God. Those are the things I get paid to do, but I am also at a point where there are a million volunteer opportunities and, again, I want to exemplify Jesus in all of it. Next week, I'll be starting my photo/injustice class again at the high school. I made presentations to the students yesterday and now I just have to wait and see if anyone will show up Tuesday night. I am also putting my photography skills to use, again starting next week Tuesday, working with some of the kids from immigrant families in our community. And today, I was finally able to meet the founder of Little Travellers, Ilan Swartz, who I consider a modern-day hero - someone who is truly making a difference in our world! I feel so privileged to be a part of the work that they are doing in bringing hope to South Africans, living with HIV/AIDS.
Truly, the floodgates have opened, and I believe that God has been priming them for a number of months now, preparing me for this time. I may be eating on the run more and sleeping a little less, but there's work to be done right here. I said exactly that as I left South Africa last December and I know I am here for a specific purpose - that through living my life, I am encountering God in my work, in my volunteering, and in my play.
The floodgates have definitely opened and I am trying to keep my head above water. But really, I want to do more than that. I want to be Christ's ambassador no matter what I'm doing. Working with kids, dealing with crisis calls and abused women, selling fair trade products - I believe that they are all important to God. Those are the things I get paid to do, but I am also at a point where there are a million volunteer opportunities and, again, I want to exemplify Jesus in all of it. Next week, I'll be starting my photo/injustice class again at the high school. I made presentations to the students yesterday and now I just have to wait and see if anyone will show up Tuesday night. I am also putting my photography skills to use, again starting next week Tuesday, working with some of the kids from immigrant families in our community. And today, I was finally able to meet the founder of Little Travellers, Ilan Swartz, who I consider a modern-day hero - someone who is truly making a difference in our world! I feel so privileged to be a part of the work that they are doing in bringing hope to South Africans, living with HIV/AIDS.
Truly, the floodgates have opened, and I believe that God has been priming them for a number of months now, preparing me for this time. I may be eating on the run more and sleeping a little less, but there's work to be done right here. I said exactly that as I left South Africa last December and I know I am here for a specific purpose - that through living my life, I am encountering God in my work, in my volunteering, and in my play.
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