Leadership Weekend

Out of all the numbers in the above graphic, which one bothers you enough to do something about it!?  How many kids must be kidnapped, sold, traded, used, abused and killed before enough is enough!?

For many, 'Human Trafficking' was something that happens "over there" or to "bad people".  However, this past weekend, a group of high school students decided to dig deeper and learn more about the issue first hand (we call it "Leadership Weekend": a focused event where 20 students experience a different marginalized people group each year).

For our students it started out nice and easy in our state's capital: Oklahoma City!!  There we found ourselves in downtown enjoying the river walk in bricktown.  After dinner they ended one mile southwest to the 3500 block of South Robinson (an area know for prostitution), though we didn't see any unusual activity, the thought began to creep in: "how could trafficking be happening just a few blocks from where the city is pouring millions of dollars."  From there we visited a local truck stop and began the discussion of Human Trafficking in OKLAHOMA (it's rumored that 80% of Human Trafficking in the U.S. runs right through OKC because of the interstate system)!!

As we returned home to Tulsa we watched a gut-wrenching documentary about "Modern Day Slavery" (Nefarious).  But our evening didn't stop there... Twelve incredible volunteers stayed up until 3:30am putting on a Human Trafficking Simulation which started with a 'U.S. Visa Office' and ended with most students being "Trafficked" into Sweat Shops, Sex Trade and even Debt Bondage (there are so many stories to tell from this 5-hour experience but none can be told well in a blog... Please ask the students to share their stories).

The next day our students heard from an O.A.T.H. (Oklahoma's Against Trafficking Humans) Representative on the reality of Human Trafficking right here in Oklahoma and also heard first hand from a survivor!  After a short break we gathered again to learn what to look for and how to stay safe online through the Co-Founder of The Demand Project.  To top all that incredible information off Changing Lanes Ministries came to speak on the dangers of pornography and the help that is just one step away (ownership of our sin and seeking help)!

After some incredible debrief time, our students went to dinner and a movie... And "luck" would have it, 'Not Today' was showing in a nearby theater (a new movie out about finding purpose because of Human Trafficking).  After returning, our students stayed up late again to set-up to teach, lead & inspire our adults in our quarterly 5th Sunday: Reach-Out Sunday!!  After our worship service the students set-up three different stations for members to experience a taste of their weekend:
1) Oklahoma Missing Children (with Free Child Safety ID Kits)

2) Labor Trafficking Experience

3) Sex Trafficking Experience

After all of this, we sat down to write letters to the A21 Campaign (survivors of Human Trafficking all over the world), for one last debrief of the weekend, AND to put together over 100 "survival bags" from the items you donated for DaySpring Villa!!

Whether you are White, Black, Red, Purple... Rich, Poor, In the Middle... A Christian, Muslim, Atheist... We should be able to agree on the issue of Human Trafficking in our world!!  AND contrary to what you might initially feel when seeing the statistics: we can do something NOW to "End It"!!

May we be the time in history where slavery truly ends... May we come together as one body, one spirit and one purpose... May we be bothered by this 'divine burden' in our soul... May we not just sit and wait for the next generation to take care of this issue... May Christ give us direction and power in His name to defeat this evil in Oklahoma, the United States and around the World!!

Will you join our students and many other individuals in this call to Prayer and Action to put an end to Human Trafficking!?

National Trafficking Hotline:

1-888-3737-888