Stacia Freeman, Executive Director for the Home Foundation, talks about Home of Hope TX:

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Mark & Sandra Palmer from Houston, Texas.  They shared with me their passion to build a “village of hope” for girls rescued from sex trafficking in the Houston area.  They were dreaming big & confident that God would provide for every need. As we worked with them over the past two years, I was amazed at  their steadfastness in Christ and their faith in his promise to meet every aspect of the plan for their facility. They worked tirelessly on each detail of building this place of hope for girls who had never known hope and they praised God continuously for the miracles along the way even when the journey was hard.

This past April, Sandra, unexpectedly went to be with the Lord.  We have all felt a tremendous loss and miss her so much—she was such an encourager.  Please pray with me for Mark, her husband, that the Lord would comfort him during this time and that He would reveal specifically his plan for Home of Hope Texas and how to proceed with the work that Sandra began.

It is a great privilege to partner with Home of Hope Texas through the CTSA.  We anxiously await the day when they are open and receiving girls.  We see Sandra cheering us all on and look forward to the day when we can share with the broken her determination in offering them hope through Christ.

For Freedom,

Stacia

Jeff Martineau the Executive Director for The Hope Project in Michigan writes how 31Days of Freedom is affecting him:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. Yes God’s enemy, and ours has found a new way to STEAL, our children and teens from society, to KILL their hopes, dreams and plans for a future, and to DESTROY their lives.

The Domestic Sex Trafficking of Children is rapidly increasing.  Everyday I am driven by the thought of a child who starts off in innocence, in purity, without worries, playing, laughing, swimming. Then to have this all taken away.  Thrown into a life of prostitution.  A life of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, torture, being forced into acts to horrendous to write in this blog.  The childhood is lost.  They are no longer a child and they are only 12 .  The thought of children living in this kind of agony, is very difficult to think about. It doesn’t need to be this way……

Isaiah 58:6

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke.

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast.  For 31 days I have chosen to fast breakfast.  With the money saved by doing this, I will be donating to the 31 days of Freedom campaign.   And with the time I would normally spend having breakfast. I will use for prayer for the thousands of children that are trafficked within the United States.

Jeff Martineau ,

Executive Director

The Hope Project

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Are you sure LORD?

My excitement could hardly be contained as I anticipated meeting that first girl…it was not at all what I expected.  She was cold. Hardened. Sad. I guess I would be too if I’d been through what she had been through.  As I sought a way to connect with her, I was humbled and somewhat disillusioned ……God, are You sure You can restore her?

As much as I had confidence in God’s ability to do anything, I began to feel afraid that this task was too big for God, and I am SO glad God wasn’t limited by my little faith!

Yes, it took time, but God showed Himself faithful to literally transform her life. Since then, we have had the opportunity to see so many others receive the gift of freedom.  It’s a long, dark road our girls travel down, but God proves faithful every time.

Nothing can be more rewarding than to be at a graduation and see what God has done.  Girls reunited with their family… Girls graduating high school with plans and dreams…  Girls just being girls!

I can hardly hold back the tears as I consider girl after girl whose life will be different because of God’s desire for all of His children to live in freedom!

God loves these girls SO much. We have seen HIM do AMAZING THINGS!  I am celebrating 31 Days of Freedom that comes only through Jesus Christ who has set us, as well as trafficked girls, free indeed.  Won’t you join me?

Mary Frances Bowley
Wellspring Living, Inc.

Thanks for this opportunity to share!

Blessings,
Mary Frances Bowley, President
Wellspring living, inc

This week we will be focusing specifically on the domestic restoration homes we work with in the U.S.  I thought with the focus on the Christian Trafficking Shelters Association (CTSA) and our partners it would be appropriate to tell you all the story behind the association and how this whole concept came about.

Initially, The Home Foundation was focused  on education and outreach with much of our funding going overseas.  Natalie started the organization in response to the horrors she saw in India when she traveled there in 2004.  We still are very committed to the partnerships we’ve established in India, Moldova, Greece; But two years ago, quite by accident we came face to face with a trafficking survivor here in the U.S.  It would take more time than I have in this post to tell you in detail about this experience, nor would I want to exploit this individual in telling private things about the  incident.  Let me just say that through this encounter- I fell in love with the potential of someone so deeply wounded and I knew that only the one true God could rescue her from the trap of her past.  As we began to search for a place to house her , we became aware immediately that in many parts of our country there are no homes that specifically meet the unique needs of these individuals.  We felt God prodding us in that direction and I have to be honest in saying we were totally clueless as to what direction to take.

I pulled out about a half dozen emails from people across the U.S. that had contacted us to ask for funding and we began meeting about next steps.  We’ve learned much about the process of shelter building and we are still learning. The partners that we currently work with are dedicated to restoration through a Christ-centered approach.  Isn’t he the God who makes ALL things new? We also recognize that the program includes quality assessment ensuring that the survivors who are served receive services that empower them to achieve beyond their wildest expectations.  We are beginning to see the fruits of our labor but it is a journey.

Recently, I sat with another survivor who told me that in her darkest moments she cried out “Jesus save me”. She said in that moment everything changed.  He is the God who rescues and the God who restores..completely!  It is such a privilege to introduce you to our partners this week so that you can hear the stories of their journeys. If they are in your community; get involved on a local level.  Thank you for your support and for being part of this 31 Days with us. It is our hope that your commitment to freedom won’t end on July 31st but will continue until slavery exists no more!

For Freedom!

Stacia

Stacia Freeman
Executive Director

31days of Freedom blog submission by Kathy:

What does 31 days of freedom mean to me? Simply this: the beginning of a lifetime. Having worked for over a year with American girls who have been the victims of human trafficking in our own nation, I can do no less than give my life to the restoration of these precious lives, and the eradication of this despicable crime. I’ve begun the process of what I believe is a vision from God…to open a faith-based residential treatment program for young girls who have been victimized.  I know that the road ahead is a long one, but it is one I must travel. I cannot ignore the dreams, the leading, the cries of the children. And I’ve been told that I’ve already gone too far down the road to turn back now. So each day, I commit to doing what I can to make this vision come to pass. I will be accountable to those who will hold me to it, to the children, and to God. I will keep a daily log of the process and the progress that’s made. I will be diligent to keep making those phone calls until I get what I need from the powers that be. I will not give up when it gets hard, and I will remember that I am not doing this in my own power, but in the power of the One who loves the children and has a good plan and purpose for each of their lives.
And as for the 31 days, I will commit to praying at least ten minutes a day for this vision and for more to catch it, and I’ll do what is probably going to be the most difficult thing for me…I’m giving up my greatest craving and food love! ICE CREAM! My family insists I have a problem…an addiction to the stuff…but for the sake of the children, I’m giving it up for 31 days.  Yeesh. Hurts to even say it!!!

In the cleft of the Rock,
Kathy

31Days of Freedom blog submitted by Laura Day:

31days of Freedom.

What is freedom worth? It’s worth way more than something I can give up for 31days… that’s for sure. However, the question is: what freedoms do I indulge in with out a second thought for the hundreds of thousands of women and children within our own borders who do not have that luxury?

When I started asking myself what casual freedoms I take for granted. The first thing that comes to mind is coffee. And not just coffee in general, but coffee houses that make drinks for me exactly the way I want them to taste, just because I feel like having one. I love my grande/medium vanilla Americano topped off with soymilk (hot or iced depending on the weather.) I am so blessed to be able to stop for my signature drink on the way to a meeting just because I have an urge.  So many girls here in our country don’t have that privilege. I have meetings multiple times a week at Starbucks or Frothy Monkey with co-workers and friends; I can only imagine how much I will save this month by drinking water during these meetings.  Not only will I be able to raise money for girls enslaved, but I will also be able to share about the cause to everyone who asks why I’m drinking water.

Even though we are raising funds for women and girls rescued from sex-trafficking, I think it’s also interesting to note that coffee is one of the largest slave labor industries along side chocolate (which make a fierce pair). During the early years of history Europe and America would actually trade coffee for slaves. As years passed slave labor was and is widely used in the farming and roasting of this special bean.  Today we see large companies purchasing coffee for pennies of what it’s worth because it’s grown in a third-world economy. So be sure to buy certified Fair Trade coffee when you do splurge. It is now just as common as regular coffee beans.

31Days of Freedom means sacrificing the luxury of coffee, what does it mean to you? Lets join in this fight together!

Kathryn York

Director of Internships

And Special Programs

The Home Foundation

What does 31Days of Freedom mean to me?

Sugar. Every time we hear the word we instantly think of all things yummy and nice in the world. Chocolate, ice cream, pet names for loved ones, songs using it as a term to describe love, sugar is nothing more than a blissful reminder that all is right in the world. But in truth, sugar is a by-product of slavery.
Back in the 1600’s the Caribbean’s used salves to help start the ever booming sugar industry in their countries as well as South America. Slaves by the hundreds were being shipped over seas from Africa to work the fields and further the crops. Centuries passed, and so did the use of slaves in sugar crops. Or so we thought. Today, in Haiti and the Dominican Republic slaves are being used to once again work a sugar crop that is then being exported into the US for our consumption daily. Where we once thought we had succeeded, we truly have not.
So what is my sacrifice for freedom during these next 31 days? Sugar. No more sweets, sugary drinks, or delicious Starbucks vanilla lattes. I’m going cold turkey. And as I sip on my nice iced glass of unsweet tea, may I be reminded of those whose hands work forcibly without wage or reward. May I be reminded of those who are given water and food fed to them through cage bars and where the idea of a sugary lifestyle is but a myth and fantasy that they sadly may never know. And may we today strive to seek freedom for those without a voice and those who, unlike us, cannot choose.

Heather Owen
Director of Development
The Home Foundation

We are so excited to bring you 31 Days of Freedom.  This initiative is something we have been dreaming about for a while but deciding on how it should come together took us some time.  We hope that it’s the beginning of a campaign we can do annually and that we can develop it to bring meaningful materials that will encourage all of us to think more seriously about freedom and those who are in bondage across the world.

As you know, if you’ve read about the initiative, the main part this year is a twitter campaign where 31 of your favorite Christian artists and leaders will share their idea of freedom and help us re-focus our responsibility as believers to the oppressed.  Leaders like Natalie Grant, Max Lucado, Mac Powell, Bark Millard, Tenth Avenue North and many more will share their hearts on the issue of human trafficking and sexual slavery and justice and freedom.

Now for the hard part!  We are also asking that in celebration of your freedom that you consider giving up some aspect of that liberty and giving back to those without a voice.  I have been thinking and praying about how my family and I can have an impact in some small way to this fight against injustice.  I have a large family and you may be surprised to know that we eat out a lot!  I know many mothers spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals and planning for dinners- well not me. I really can’t stand to cook so we venture out frequently for Mexican (our favorite) and Thai and just about any thing else we come across.  But not for the month of July.  We have decided to stay in, save the money and give to shelters across the US who are dedicated to providing a place of restoration for survivors of sex trafficking.

I am not only excited about giving to this worthy cause but also about what God will show us about freedom and sacrifice—even in this small way.

I have spent countless hours with the members of the CTSA who have been patiently waiting for funding for the homes to open so that they can show these girls the power of restoration.  I am so proud to be on the team with them and know that the wait will be worth it.  I recently visited one of our partners in Georgia who are open and serving girls.  It was inspiring to see their dedication to those who have had little hope and to hear the stories of renewal.  God is doing great things!

We hope you will join us on this 31 day journey to freedom through prayer and your commitment to sacrifice- whatever that may look like for you.  Log on to www.thehomefoundation.net and click the link for 31 days to tell us your freedom story then tell your friends and your churches that they can be part of the change too and get ready for God to do awesome things!

For Freedom!

Stacia Freeman

Executive Director

The Home Foundation