In the midst of the Christmas joy I have found myself really thinking about sacrifice. A recent conversation sparked these thoughts. The main idea was that initially when one does something for God they miss out on a pleasure of the world that appears great, but in sacrificing something from the world they gain a Heavenly blessing.

2012 marks the third summer I have travelled to Southeast Asia, and the second summer teaching art at a safe house. Looking back, I do not think consider things that I missed out on in the United States during the past few summers sacrifice. The fourth of July is my favorite holiday, and I have missed it. But then I realize that I have had the incredible opportunity to celebrate freedom by being with girls that have received the gift of freedom after so much bondage.

This summer I woke up around 6:30 every morning, got ready, grabbed a quick coffee, and then would walk through the doors at the safe house to immediately be greeted with squeals and hugs. Faces of these girls flash through my mind, and I suddenly feel like the Grinch when his heart grows three sizes (not that I was a Grinch before, but you get the idea).

I have been divinely blessed even to have been in their presence. I have watched a girl walk through the doors of the safe house for the first time—scared, terrified even, and very quiet. I have watched those same girls slowly come back to life. They are being transformed, restored, and eventually are able to achieve freedom in a way that was once unimaginable. I can tell you that I serve the God of restoration—I have seen it happen! Even in this moment tears are coming to my eyes. Words cannot express the extreme honor I feel at having been able to witness this transformation and even play a small part in it.

The sacrifices of the summer that one would initially think exist are nothing. I have seen God move to restore and rebuild a person and it takes my breath away. THAT is worth more than one million summer barbecues.

If you are faced with a choice this Christmas season; maybe a choice of sacrificing some time to spend with a person, or to mentor a child, or a choice to sacrifice some money to help a family, please don’t hesitate. Yes, this is a busy time of year, and it is hard to fit everything in. Yes, money is tight.

If you live with a closed fist and heart you will not sacrifice anything, but you will not be open to receive any blessings either. Time spent with a child, or money spent on a family, has so much more value than another hour stressing out at the mall or in the kitchen.

I truly hope you experience joy and blessings this season,

Katie

We’re quickly approaching what is billed as the biggest shopping day of the year – the appropriately named “Black Friday”. It’s our culture’s modern day tradition of shifting from thankfulness on Thursday to greed and consumerism on Friday. But it’s also an opportunity for us to consider once again that just because we can do something doesn’t mean we necessarily should. There will be no shortage of good financial “deals” on Friday, but what if instead of making our purchase decisions based simply on desire and a financial bottom line, we considered the bigger picture and used our purchase decisions to make a statement? What if this year instead of buying the newest technological gadget complete with planned obsolescence, we spent our money in a way that could actually help people?

This December 4th between the hours of 5pm and 8pm, 10% of all sales from Global Gifts’ Indianapolis stores will be donated to Purchased. Global Gifts is a nonprofit FairTrade store which provides hope and opportunity to developing world producers by paying fair wages and supporting business development for producer cooperatives. Every penny spent between 5 and 8 will support 2 nonprofit organizations dedicated to those making the product instead of big box companies that are all too often simply dedicated to making more money.

Both the way you spend your money and the way you don’t spend your money can make a difference in the world. We hope you’ll join us in continuing to help empower our community to end modern day slavery. It’s truely a win-win!

Global Gifts has 2 locations here in Indy – 446 Massachusetts Ave. and 1300 East 86th St.

October is Fair Trade Month!  What are some of the principles of fair trade?

1. Job creation for the unemployed or underemployed
2. Environmental sustainability
3. Safe working conditions
4. Education of workers
5. Long term, sustainable relationships
6. Fair wage for workers

Fair trade products are available at stores around Indianapolis. Some products available in Indianapolis include:

1. Coffee
2. Tea
3. Chocolate/Cookies
4. Rice
5. Bananas
6. Sugar
7. Spices including vanilla
8. Clothing and jewelry
9. Soap and lotion
10. Gifts

Fair Trade chocolate and coffee can be purchased at most major supermarkets in Indianapolis while Whole Foods and Georgetown Market have more fair trade food items.  Global Gifts is a local store that sells all fair trade products!

Which items will you start to regularly buy fair trade? Take the pledge to buy more fair trade items and learn more about specific items:  http://fairtradeusa.org/fair-trade-month

- Marilyn

This week I had the opportunity to listen to Aung San Suu Kyi speak in Fort Wayne. I must admit that until a couple of months ago I had no idea who she was or what her name represented. Recently I have found myself scrounging for information to know more and seem educated about her story. My intellect went out the window when I heard her speak. Interestingly enough while I was “listening” to her speak and feeling the excitement around me, I did not understand most of the words that she said. Most of her speech was in Burmese with a portion in English. While Aung San Suu Kyi is a political figure she is so much more than this. She is a figure of hope, a symbol of courage, and a life of dedication. Human Trafficking happens when people close their eyes and turn away. She is an example that people are still working hard to fight injustices all over the world. That people sacrifice their lives for freedom on all levels. It is inspiring to know that with persistence, dedication, and honesty true difference can be made.

For more information about Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit go here.

- Chelsea

Released- A Human Trafficking Awareness Event by Purchased

We have had a great summer exploring ways we can change our views on the people we meet and the things we see. Kristin Fuller from Outreach, Inc. encouraged us to view people as image-bearers of God. Lisa Thompson from The Salvation Army HQ opened our eyes to the role media plays in how we view people.

We have one event left this summer, and it promises to be a great wrap-up to the series!

August 25@7:00PM-9:00PM, Trinity Church (6151 Central Avenue)
Changing our views on: The Items We Buy

This interactive event promises to be one that could affect decisions you make on a daily basis.  Believe it or not, the items we buy have an impact on the human trafficking industry! Many food, clothing, and household items we use each day are made by people who are not being given a fair wage or treated with fairness and dignity.
We want to share with you what we have learned about how to be an ethical shopper by showing you what companies you can trust, what products to stay away from, and how your purchasing power can impact lives across the globe!

A representative from Global Gifts will be sharing with us about Fair Trade, and there will be several booths for you to shop for ethically made products, so bring your wallet, too!

See you Saturday!

A blog post from team member Sarah in Cambodia…

When coming to Cambodia, there are always people and places that I just cannot wait to see again. There is, however, one sight that will always make me cringe. The sight of a scared, young Khmer girl with an older white man. The other night as I sat in the lobby of my hotel, I watched a beautiful young girl in a skimpy pink dress get on the elevator with a very loud older white man. The sight was frightening. When I first started coming to Cambodia, situations like these were fairly common to see. You could see these beautiful young girls walking with men along the river or a busy city street. Yes, some may actually be friends or co-workers but you could often tell the ones that are on an awkward “date” of some sort. Now that trafficking has become a hot topic and more and more people are aware, trafficking has been pushed farther underground. So, these “sightings” are less frequent now but not less painful to see. I told my good friend, Theara, about the the situation at my hotel and her response was “Oh sister, it’s everywhere.” Then she proceeded to explain that instead of men going to brothels, girls are now often brought to the men so that the location of the girls can remain secret. Thinking about all of this sends me into and angry and sad whirlwind. I would like to stay in my bubble of hope at the safe house where God is overcoming this evil with each girl that walks through the gate.

That being said, seeing the evil of trafficking can make seeing the beauty of the safe house even more powerful. I think over the past two weeks, my eyes have really been opened to the sense of community this safe house provides for all of the girls. Maybe it’s because it has become my community for this short time, or maybe its something greater than that. I dont know. But let me share with you some of the beautiful communal things that have caught my attention.  The big girls dress up and prepare the little girls for a dance performance just like a mom would. The girls yell “MA” (mom) to gain a housemother’s or counselor’s attention as they run to her. A seeing teenage girl helps a blind teenage girl move around the house so that she can participate in the activities too.  Biological sisters hold hands walking around the common area and the older one just might give the little one a love tap when she has misbehaved. Friendships have formed between the girls of similar ages and they sit on the stair steps playing games and giggling. Seeing the girls interact in these ways is one of the more precious “sightings” of coming here. It is evidence that God is healing and healthy relationships are forming. And the evidence… Oh, it’s everywhere!