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Friday, February 17, 2012

OutREACH Report, Groups, Blogs, Events & More!


FEBRUARY STRIP CLUB OUTREACH REPORT: On Saturday, February 11th, t
h
e LOVE of Christ was shared
 during our 
monthly strip club outREACH. From inside the club's locker room, the outREACH team served a home-cooked meal and distributed Valentines Day mugs filled with hot coco, coffee, chocolates, and tea, as well as gift bags that contained bibles, devotionals, beauty supplies.  Each gift bag also included human trafficking information.  For more information and to
 view pics of the outREACH CLICK HERE.

SURVIVOR'S SUPPORT GROUP: We are beginning a survivors support and life skills group beginning March 13th at the United Way House in North Fort Myers from 7-8:30pm. The adult women's, closed group will be led by a master's level mental health clinician.  If you are a survivor of sex work, you are eligible to attend. Registration required. To register and for more information, (239) 939-9218.

GRADUATE STUDENT WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY:  In partnership with InterVarsity, Beauty From Ashes (BFA) Ministries, is pleased to announce that we will be facilitating a Women's Graduate Student Bible Study every Thursday from 7-9pm at Florida Gulf Coast University beginning February 16th. The women's group is a part of our Prevention and Mentoring Programs. It is open to all female gradate students.  CLICK HERE for more information.

BLOGS, BLOGS, AND MORE BLOGS: Awareness leads to Prevention, Intervention, & Restoration! Our staff, interns, and volunteers are blogging on Human Sex Trafficking and BFA. Check them out! 

"Did you know that South Florida is ranked as one of the top entry points in the United States for foreign human trafficking victims? Hard to believe, Right! Well guess again, Florida is one of the top three states that have the highest number of human  trafficking," Gabriela Diaz. Read more

        "Got Love?" A message from our founder and Executive Director, Julie Shematz 

"The ultimate question is what can we do to defeat the war on human trafficking and sexual exploitation?," Michelle Morton. Read more

UPCOMING AWARENESS/EDUCATION EVENTS: This Saturday, February  human trafficking over-comer, Julie Shematz, will be presenting 3 workshops at the Girls Protecting Girls Against Human Trafficking Conference, hosted by the 
Girl Scouts of Gulf Coast, in Sarasota, FL. Other February events include: Julie sharing at 
First Assembly of Immokalee, 
Human Trafficking 101 at 
Cypress United Methodist in Fort Myers, and our Program Manager, Christa Hicks speaking at Faith Farm in Boynton Beach, FL
. Check out these events and others by  CLICKING HERE. To schedule an overcomer to speak at your event, 
 or call (239)939-9218. 

FEBRUARY PRAYER ALERT: Prayer is foundational to BFA and we covet yours. CLICK HERE for details on how to pray for us. 

DONATIONS:  We rely on private donations for program and operational costs.  Please consider giving a tax deductible gift today.  For $25 we'll send you our Child of God CD as our way to say thank you for partnering with us.  For secure online giving CLICK HERE or send your financial gift to 13300 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 56, Fort Myers, FL 33907. 

BFA E-NEWSLETTER:  CLICK HERE to sign up.

BFA FACEBOOK FAN PAGE & TWITTER:  Become a fan on the BFA facebook fanpage and follow us on Twitter.  Get informed and raise awareness by reposting and retweeting!  

In collaboration with United Way, the Salvation Army, and Lee Physician's Healthcare, from one location, we provide comprehensive and integrative services (medical, mental health, social, and spiritual) to victims of commercialized sexual exploitation. Thank you for your support.  Because of you, since 2005, we've served over 1000 clients and are recognized as a leading human trafficking service agency in the state of Florida. TOGETHER we are making a difference!

Committed to seeing victims become over-comers and victim-centerered services, shelters, and response protocols,

Julie Shematz & the BFA FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries  
Where Victims Become Over-Comers
Posted by Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries at 7:29 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Understanding Human Trafficking Can Make a Difference

When you hear the words “human trafficking” what is the first thing that comes to mind?

-This does not happen in the United States
-This does not exist anymore
-Isn’t this illegal?

Did you know that South Florida is ranked as one of the top entry points in the United States for foreign human trafficking victims? Hard to believe, Right! Well guess again, Florida is one of the top three states that have the highest number of human trafficking. There are about 100,000 to 300,000 domestic minors who are forced into sex slavery in the USA.

For my last semester at FGCU, I have decided to work with a nonprofit organization, Beauty From Ashes Ministries, to bring awareness to Southwest Florida. Beauty from Ashes helps victims become over-comers. I will be blogging for them over the next 12 weeks in an effort to bring more awareness to Human Trafficking in Southwest Florida.

One of the biggest problems Southwest Florida is facing today is human trafficking. Many people think that human trafficking only exists in other countries, or they only believe what the media portrays, that human trafficking is prostitution. However, unlike prostitution, being trafficked is not by choice.

Human trafficking forces young women into sex slavery or as products, to be sold for sex. These women have no voice and the numbers rise with each coming month. We need to STOP this madness and HELP these women!

Recently, I attended an event at Edison State College on January 26, 2012 organized by a student at Edison College. I strongly encourage anyone who is interested, or who knows someone who is or has been involved in human trafficking to go to attend events and become aware.

Information and knowledge are power. Understanding human trafficking can make a difference and bring awareness to people around the community that may not have any idea this is happening in our backyards.

For more information on getting involved, click here to learn 8 Things You Can Do.

Beauty From Ashes is located at The United Way House in North Fort Myers, FL at 13279 N. Cleveland Avenue. Their phone number is: 239-939-9218.

Gabriela Diaz is senior at Florida Gulf Coast University majoring in Communication with a minor in Spanish. A native Florida resident, she is originally from Miami, and a volunteer for Beauty From Ashes Ministries. 

Posted by Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries at 7:01 AM 1 comments

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Got Love?


“God showed how much He loved us by sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.  This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away your sins.”  1 John 4:9  NLT emphasis added


LOVE explains:
1.  Why God creates- because He loves, He creates people to be love
2.  Why God cares-because He loves them, He cares for sinful people
3.  Why we are free to choose-God wants a loving response from us
4.  Why Christ died-His love for us caused Him to offer a solution to the problem of sin
5.  Why we receive eternal life-God’s love expressed itself to us forever.  
“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to LOVE ONE ANOTHER . . . but if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love brought full expression through us.”  1 John 4:11-12  NLT emphasis added
“God is LOVE, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.  And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. . . . We love each other as a result of His loving us first.  If someone says, ‘I love God, but hates another Christian, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen?  And God Himself has commanded tha we must love not only Him but our Christian brothers and sister, too.”  1 John 4:20-21  NLT emphasis added
The real test of our love for God is how we treat the people right in front of us-our family members, fellow believers, as well as those we meet on the street and here on the Internet.  We cannot truly love God while neglecting to love those who are created in His image.  EVERYONE has been created in His image.
So my question to you is, ‘Got Love?’
If you don’t and you know by the gentle, deep conviction that you’re been off base and missed the mark, it’s not hopeless.  God loves you no different than the righteous.  His love covers your short comings.  I encourage you to ask Him to forgive you, confess your sin(s) to him & accept His forgiveness.  The bible says that once we do this, that He takes our sins and casts them as far as the East is from the West when we ask for forgiveness through His son Jesus Christ, who died to pay the cost of our sins.  The best is that He remembers them NO MORE and sees you are pure and righteous.   
If you’ve never asked Jesus to come into your heart.  Now is the time, today is the day of your salvation.  Ask Him to come into your heart and live there.  He created you to have an intimate relationship with Him and your body to be His dwelling place.  He created you to experience His love.  Yes, the Creator of the universe wants to live inside of you, but He is a gentleman & gives you the choice to invite Him in or not.  Invite Him in.  Open the door to your heart & ask your Father God to come into your heart and life.   Allow Him to be Lord.  Let His passionate love saturate you and change you.
   
The revelation of his love changed my life & continues to do so.  It's this revelation that I see transforming the lives of our clients. It was through a lack of love or displaced love that they became vulnerable, it's through real love they become whole.  When their self worth and identify is built on Who God is and who they are in Him, there is life transformation and freedom. 


I encourage you today, to allow your self worth and identify to be built upon God’s love for you.  

Let love rule.

Happy Day of Love from the Board, staff, volunteers, and clients of Beauty From Ashes Ministries. It is our prayer that you receive real love today and experience the abundant life He promises to us (John 10:10). 

Julie Shematz
Founder & President


Posted by Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries at 2:06 PM 0 comments

Friday, February 10, 2012

An Intern's Perspective on Human Trafficking


“Vindicate the weak and fatherless; 
Do justice to the afflicted and fatherless; 
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. 
Rescue the weak and needy; 
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”
Psalm 82:3-4 NSAB

The weak, the fatherless, the broken, the distressed; all of these women and children are looking for love. What can one say about love; well first one must realize that God is love. Without true revelation of knowing that God is love it‘s impossible for the broken to become fully healed. I believe that in order to help the broken and the lost; we must be the light in the darkness. Beauty From Ashes’ National Sex Industry OutREACH & AfterCARE training showed me that this world we live in is a sex-saturated society.

This is a growing issue that has taken over our country and untimely the world. This drastic issue is the work of the enemy. The ultimate question is what can we do to defeat the war on human trafficking and sexual exploitation. His name is Jesus. That is our weapon.

It is time that we as a body of believers fight back, the enemy can no longer have control, the church must be awakened and arise.

Beauty from Ashes Ministries is dedicated to this fight and helping victims of human trafficking.

To reach and restore one must be able to point the victims to God. Counseling and safe homes are an important part of this; although, without our God‘s love there won’t be complete healing. Without the proper training and the right humble heart to fight there will not be a defeat. It is a call to die and learning to be a follower of Christ, whom shows love.

The training opened my eyes to how badly the sexual industry is distorting lives and ultimately destroying our society. It also helped me learn the difference between human trafficking and sex trafficking. It thoroughly explained who the victims are.

80% of the victims targeted are young girls or women. This touched my heart and created an even stronger passion within me to do something about this issue.

Florida is reported to be the third highest state with the most human trafficking in Amercia. I was shocked to know this goes on in my own state. Children and women are being forced to work as slaves against their own will. This brought sorrow to my heart and caused me to really want to get involved as much as possible to raise awareness to this issue.

I’m graduating from college this semester and I want more college student’s to be aware of how bad human and sex trafficking has become. The youth of this generation can really get involved and create a change that will have an impact on our country and the world forever.

Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry and is also the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world.

Since interning at Beauty From Ashes Ministries, God has truly shown me the outcry for all of the victims. He has also caused a passion to arise in my heart to do all I can to raise awareness.

Through testimonies, watching movies, reading more information, and the training, the light of my calling has been shown to me. It opened my eyes and caused me to see the hurt that God feels for all the victims who are exposed to this demonic crime of injustice.

Michelle Morton is a senior at Florida Gulf Coast University and an intern with Beauty From Ashes. Her major is Communication with two minors in Journalism and Intro Disciplinary Studies. She was born in Tampa, Florida and now resides in Fort Myers, Florida. In her spare time she performs spoken work and writes for the campus newspaper, Eagle News.
Posted by Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries at 9:18 AM 1 comments
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