Beauty From Ashes New Website Launching 4/1/10

Out with the old & in with the new! Beauty From Ashes Ministries has undergone some serious revamping and improving.

Officially online 4/1/10, on the anniversary of Steve Jobs launching Apple (whooop, whoooop!) and in the middle of holy week....just in time for Resurrection Sunday....it's only NATURAL for us to launch the new & super improved BFA website! Then it occurred to me today that exactly 7 years ago on 4/1/10 I moved into my first apartment by myself after I had left the sex industry. I met my husband within 7 days at a local church I went to. Timing is perfect. The prophetic lover I am, I had to check into the numbers AFTER we set the date & of course, I'm not surprised....haha....God is sooooo cool!

4/1/10
4 = The earth (four winds, four corners), reign, rule, kingdom and creation
1 = Unity, God, beginning, first, rand, order, new
10 = Judgment, try or trial, test, temptation, law, order, government, restoration, responsibility & testimony.

Whoooop! Whooop!

The new site will feature videos, a media center, our improved vision, mission & purpose statement, lotsa artwork, resources, BFA testimonies, our Child of God theme song & CD, human trafficking facts, the BFA Sex Trafficking Restoration ~ FREEdom Project plan, budget, the FREEdom™ Children's Home Business Plan and MORE! We are making ALL our resources available & encourage anyone to run with the vision(s) God has given us and we don't even care if our name is on it! If they inspire you, take 'em, run with 'em and improve 'em! I am a visionary that casts visions & have come to realize others will bring them to pass! I simply CANNOT do it all & it's taken months & years of tests, trials & temptations to receive that message.

Our vision is for domestic victims of sex trafficking to have the opportunity to receive the comprehensive services they need & as long as it happens we could care less if BFA's name is on it or not.

Have fun checking the new website out (I LOVE IT ) & a huge thanks to FaithNetwork for developing it! Thank YOU for all your support in the past 5 years of being an official not for profit public charity (and before :+).
Together we have make a difference & will continue to do so!

Oh and Happy Resurrection Sunday! He is alive! Because He lives I do and we ALL have hope!

In His lavish love & consuming fire,
Julie Shematz
Founder, Beauty From Ashes

Funding FREEdom™ in 2010

· Today 27 million people are held in slavery

· 80% are Sex Slaves & Female

· 60% are Children

· 100,000 – 300,000 domestic minors are being lured into prostitution yearly

· Every minute 2 children are being forced into sex slavery worldwide

· 90% of adult sex workers were victims of sexual abuse as children

· Florida is the #2 state for human trafficking

· Every year more than 1 million children are forced into global commercial sexual exploitation (CSE)

· Human trafficking will be the #1 crime worldwide in 2010

· Currently there are less than 50 beds for the much-needed specialized services for domestic minors of sex trafficking in the USA.

Will you help Beauty From Ashes™ start

the New Year strong

and enable us to better assist

victims of CSE and human trafficking?

How Far Will Your Dollar Go?

$50 – Cost of BFA’s monthly strip club food outreach (25 – 30 meals)

$100 – Cost of BFA’s bi-monthly strip club gift outreach (25-75 gifts)

$125 – Cost of 25 Bibles

$20/day, $140/week & $600/month – Cost to clothe, feed, shelter, provide therapy, staffing & insurance to survivor in BFA FREEdom™ Home

$400/month – Cost of BFA administration

$3000 – Cost to relocate family of 4 (two children; 3 months & 2 years) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Fort Myers, FL. Mother is CSE & human trafficking survivor who has worked as a hair stylist for 4 years. Husband wants to go into local drug rehabilitation residential program (Teen Challenge) while mother & children receive survivor-based assistance from BFA, including licensed therapy.

$415/month, $5000/year – Cost to acquire Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) degree for over-comer of CSE, mother* of three children (1, 3 & 8 years old) who has already acquired state nurses aide license & CPR training. She has been out of industry for 4 years.

$1000/month, $12,000/year – Cost to acquire Cosmetology Degree for CSE & human trafficking over-comer*, who has been free from slavery for 8 years and maintained full time employment.

*Rahab’s Hope Fund Candidates that have worked with BFA for 3-5 years. Both have demonstrated consistent maturity and a sincere desire to better themselves through higher education means.

You can give two ways:

1. Mail cash, money order or check made out to Beauty From Ashes Ministries to 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907

2. Give securely online by clicking HERE

All donations are tax deductible. Your gift of love enables a victim and survivor to realize they can experience FREEdom™ to become an over-comer. Please notate in Memo if you desire your gift to go to specific area of need and thank you!

For a minimum gift of $35 ($5 shipping), we'll send you our 10 song private label, Beauty From Ashes™ Child of God CD.

Together we are better & are making a difference.

PLEASE NOTE: January 11^th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Awareness is key to prevention and intervention. Join the slavery abolitionist movement and refuse to be a bystander. Contact us for resources, ideas and possible speakers.

The FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes Ministries

REACHing Victims of Commercialized Sexual Exploitation

FORT MYERS OUTREACHES

As you are aware we have increased out outREACHes significantly now to include weekly STREET OUTREACHes and monthly STRIP CLUB OUTREACHes to victims of commercialized sexual exploitation & trafficking.

On Wednesday, September 23rd, the FOOD MOBILE went to LeHigh Acres & 12 more names were added to the Lamb's Book of Life! A whole lot of food, including frozen turkey breasts, was given out and lotsa prayer to hungry people. There were two individuals who received prayer for healing & were healed of their pain on the spot! To God be all the glory!

On Thursday, September 24th, the STRIP CLUB OUTREACH TEAM served home made fried chicken, Jamaican ribs, rice & pigeon peas, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh fruit, garlic dill pickles & cheese cake to all the employees of our Fort Myer's adopted strip club. Warmly met by all, the team got down to business right away ministering God's truth to the ladies as they started sharing their hearts, pain, struggles, dilemma and asking questions about God, religion & the Bible. 7 women were prayed for & 1 re-dedicated her life to Christ! The manager at one point told the team (in the locker room) as he passed through smiling largely, that there was 'too much talk & not enough prayer!' He even came in & sat down a couple of times sharing his desperation of being in the industry for 20+ years, how tired he was & his desire to be out of it with the team. There were tears, hugs, prayers, encouragement, phone number exchanged & the ladies told us they want us to come back more often!

Please continue to pray for the precious souls. We are astonished at the favor we have & the work we see God doing in their lives. Agree with us that the captives be set FREE, in the name of Jesus, to be all that God destined & purposed them to be.

We'll be back on the streets next Wednesday & our next club outREACH will be next Friday nite.

Please consider becoming a monthly FREEdom™ Partner with us. Your financial support enables us to EDUCATE the community, ADVOCATE for the victims, implement REACH, RESCUE & RESTORE programs and provide safe HOMES & shelters. To make secure online tax deductible donations: CLICK HERE. Mail cash, money orders or checks made out to Beauty From Ashes Ministries to: 5100 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste. 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907 & THANK YOU.

We appreciate your encouragement & support. Together we are better & are making a difference!

In His love & passion to see victims become over-comers,

Steve, Pastor Julie Shematz & the FREEdom™ Team

Sex Trafficking Victim Begins RESTORation in New Life Dream Center

We are pleased to announce that another victim of severe human trafficking was RESCUEd & traveled across the nation to enter our New Life Dream Center on Tuesday, September 23, 2009. The beautiful young woman's exploitation began when she was a minor and has officially begun her RESTORation journey to wholeness in our safe home. Please keep her, the other residents (almost 40 women, 7 children & 76 men) in your prayers.

To hear the testimony of a current resident (Tyra Bank's guest), an over-comer of domestic minor sex trafficking & commercialized sexual exploitation: CLICK HERE

To view the Fort Myers News Press video on the center featured with the front page story of Beauty From Ashes: CLICK HERE