NATIONAL S*X INDUSTRY OUTREACH & AFTERCARE TRAINING:  28 attendees from across the nation, Canada, and Germany converged at Barry University in Fort Myers, Florida for our 3 day training July 26-28th.  Overall the evaluations were 26 nine and ten ratings (out of 10).  Here is what attendees had to say about the experience:

The July 2012 Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries Sex Industry OutREACH & AfterCARE Training was, in two words, inspiring and perspective-changing. Many people who attended represent a variety of ministry and professional settings, which was inspiring because I got to hear about their different experiences and points of view. It was perspective-changing in that it revealed the realities of the sex industry and characteristics of sex workers.

Sarah Hurley, who leads Kristi’s House in Indiana, shared how she hopes that one day the program will be self-sustaining and will empower women to be responsible for taking care of the environment around it. Other attendees work or have worked in safe home settings and needed extra training in how to lead in the wisest, most professional way. Two of the most impactful modules in the curriculum discussed boundaries and mental health issues, among both caretakers and sex workers. Many women leaving the sex industry need to see a good model of boundaries, because they may have never seen one before – they need love and compassion as much as they need empowerment to rebuild their lives.

Many victims of sex trafficking suffer from issues such as dissociation, borderline personality disorder, and codependency, and because of these things, as the curriculum stressed, caretakers need to be careful not to allow these women to become too dependent on them. When caretakers act as sources of dependency for clients and survivors, they are in essence enabling these women to continue in their unhealthy lifestyle patterns of abuse and exploitation. The curriculum teaches best practices support for this population, given where they may be emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It revealed how this specific population has its own set of needs and characteristics.

I was also greatly reminded in this training not to use public information and social media to further exploit these women [clients]; stories and testimonies should not be used to advance an agency or ministry in any way. While these stories can encourage partners or others who are not directly involved with the women being reached out to, they should not cross any ethical and personal boundaries. Once again, there is a huge need to balance encouragement with boundaries – a lesson made clear throughout the training manual.

The curriculum provided really important tips and reminders on reaching out to sex workers. During outreaches, it is important to keep in mind that these women are working; outreaches should be conducted in a nonjudgmental way that keeps this in mind. The teachings in this curriculum can apply to sex workers in a variety of settings, not just strip clubs, and I hope to carry these important lessons with me as the Lord leads me in compassion.

Kelly Bolton is a senior at the University of Florida (UF) majoring in Family, Youth and Community Sciences was a summer 2012 intern with Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries and we will certainly miss her. Kelly is involved in Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) at UF and leads the International Justice Mission, UF student chapter.  Her talents and hobbies include playing the drums, creating art, writing, and horseback riding. As a believer for 13 years, her passion is to serve the Lord, and seek justice for the poor and oppressed, through ministry and her future career. We look forward to seeing what God does with Kelly as continues to pursue Him and His perfect will for her life. 

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries, Florida's first and only, human trafficking, overcomer-led, community service agency, offers college and non college internship opportunities.  If you're interested, email us at volunteer@beautyfromashes.org.

Beauty From Ashes' next National Sex Industry OutREACH and Aftercare Training is scheduled for January 9-12, 2013 at Barry University in Fort Myers, Florida.  Sign up today.  Limited seating and registration required.  For more information, CLICK HERE.

I have been blessed to join Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries at a pivotal time in their development – “For such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Beauty From Ashes™ (BFA) has a ministry-focused, evidence-based, informed, and holistic approach to working with victims of sex trafficking and exploitation that is Spirit-led and Christ-centered. First and foremost, BFA meets women where they are at, like Jesus, and trains and encourages others to do the same. At the core of their program model is the “Come as you are” Agape Love. I am learning much more during this internship than I originally expected.

As a part of my internship, I have spent ample time serving and interacting with clients. I have been learning invaluable counseling and faith-based mechanisms to help them achieve restoration step-by-step. Also during this experience, I have been able to spend time reaching out to women at a weekly outreach in an inner city area of Fort Myers known for high rates of prostitution and drug use. Every week, we have encountered women who have each opened up to us about abusive situations she is or has been in, and it is so clear to us that we are planting seeds in these women’s lives while the Father builds their strength and willingness to seek help. We continue to build relationships with them, and it’s tough to deal with the fact that I will be leaving these precious women shortly.

From my experiences, I believe that the most important aspect of counseling and helping to restore these women is knowing that we will never be the ones to solve their problems and heal their trauma. Those are things only the Lord can fully do, and something they must independently seek. Another important lesson in loving and helping to restore these women is that we have to allow them to come as they are; whether they are addicted to drugs, or still continuing to prostitute while living with their trafficker. BFA will not turn anyone away just because they are not immediately seeking to make their lives Biblically sound or socially acceptable. Unconditional love will always involve endurance, peace, and patience. These women simply need someone who will continue to love and stand with them even if they persist in making unhealthy choices. They need someone who will reflect Jesus to them.    
   
I have found myself doing a variety of tasks to reach, rescue, and restore women who have been exploited, besides just engaging in outreach. I helped update BFA’s referral database, which provides the names and intake criteria of over 140 residential programs nationwide so that they can place clients into them (on a case-by-case basis). The information and criteria of these residential facilities change very frequently, so it is vital we stay updated with them. Women are placed into them when they express a desire to be in a residential program and BFA helps them find the program that is appropriate for them according to their individual needs. There are many tasks that need to be done to continue serving clients in a comprehensive fashion and I have been able to acquire experience doing so many of them, such as drafting intake protocols for shelters, assisting in the development of an aftercare curriculum model, as well as utilizing social media to raise awareness about human trafficking and BFA’s work.

That being said, I have been given experience in many aspects of Beauty From Ashes’ work as a community-based, ministry-focused agency, and been able to see the realities of the difficulties and spiritual warfare that occur in the nonprofit sector, but also the splendor of God’s timing and His perfect provision in every aspect. BFA is completely donor-funded as a nonprofit, and does not rely on government funding. They will help any and every woman, free of charge, whether she has worked in the sex industry or been sexually abused. Identification or verification of human trafficking is not necessary because BFA knows that the majority of victims do not self identify.  They also know that 66-90% of adult sex workers were sexually abused and exploited as minors.  Most sex workers have experienced a severe form of human trafficking and never had an effective intervention in their lives.  In fact, it took Julie Shematz, the founder of BFA, years to realize that she had herself been a victim, and she has incorporated this understanding of victims into Beauty From Ashes’ program model and method of serving clients.

Additionally, I have also been learning about how widespread human trafficking and sex trafficking are; it happens in every single area and context, in both the U.S. and internationally. This is a harsh and humbling reality, but is so vital to know when engaging in ministry in this field.

Furthermore, during my internship experience with BFA, I have had the opportunity to horseback ride with Julie, my first time horseback riding for about 7 years (I used to take lessons and show competitively). Horsemanship can be extremely therapeutic, especially in the building of trust and confidence for riders.; there is a vast amount of evidence based research supporting effective outcomes with the populations such as the ones BFA serves.  I was able to watch Beauty From Ashes™ begin the development of an equine psychotherapy program while interning with them.

As a matter of fact, the 14-year-old quarter horse, Murphy, that I have been riding, is one of the three horses being trained for this new equine therapy program.  It has been a BLAST riding him and being able to explore the beautiful countryside of North Fort Myers during trail riding adventures, in which we’ve gotten to ride through creeks and woods, over hills, galloping, and running through smooth, grassy straight-aways.

Horseback riding has been an awesome way to get to know Julie better and a fun way to spend my weekends and get exercise. I have recently been making some healthier lifestyle changes; I have had ongoing back and neck pain partially due to my being out of shape and having weak muscles, so I have been finding balance in my life by working out and taking better care of myself. Christa Hicks, the Program Manager, and Julie have been teaching and demonstrating the importance of self-care, balance, and maintaining boundaries for work and personal time. These have been exceptionally important lessons to learn and I plan on carrying them with me into this next school year and beyond. I feel blessed that the Lord brought me here to Fort Myers to work with such knowledgeable, Spirit-led people and I am grateful to have received experience in many different avenues while working with this unique organization.

Kelly Bolton is a senior at the University of Florida (UF) majoring in Family, Youth and Community Sciences who is a summer intern with Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries. Kelly is involved in Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) at UF and leads the International Justice Mission, UF student chapter.  Her talents and hobbies include playing the drums, creating art, writing, and horseback riding. As a believer for 13 years, her passion is to serve the Lord, and seek justice for the poor and oppressed, through ministry and her future career.


Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries, Florida's first and only, human trafficking, overcomer-led, community service agency, offers college and non college internship opportunities.  If you're interested, email us at volunteer@beautyfromashes.org.

I think that many of us assume human trafficking is something that happens in other countries, and hardly (if at all) goes on in America, in our own neighborhoods and cities we call home. At the same time, many of us as Americans are morally relativistic in mindset, refusing to view any ways of living or working as unhealthy, damaging, and broken, yet most of us are quick to recognize and disagree with certain injustices. 


According to the 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report, the United States is a source, destination, and transit country for victims of human trafficking. Slavery in the United States didn’t end with the Emancipation Proclamation, and it goes on in places we would hesitate to believe people are being exploited and sold against their wills, such as in strip clubs, pornographic industries, and even houses around us. The report states that sex traffickers use threats of deportation, violence, and sexual abuse to compel women into jobs in bars and nightclubs.  In addition, it explains how state human trafficking laws go unenforced due to inconsistencies in understanding the nature of the crime. The report also explains how we lack the knowledge to increase victim identification. To collaboratively combat sex trafficking in our country, we need to have our eyes opened and be ready to identify victims in places we would typically overlook, and anywhere around us.


There is a huge need to unify and become aware of where injustice occurs, and thus understand that the tragedy of human trafficking is happening all around us in the places we would deem unlikely. If we would be driven by compassion, rather than competition (which occurs unfortunately way too often in the nonprofit world) and open our eyes and confront our own beliefs, I think then we would see some major advancements against modern-day slavery.


Many of us don’t think twice when driving by strip clubs, nightclubs, and adult stores (and some of us look arrogantly upon on these places), although most of us are quick to advocate for victims of sex trafficking. We readily sympathize with victims and are quick to decry injustices, yet are reluctant to speak out against the actual sources of the injustices - the things that are creating the demand behind the crime, and the places in which the crimes are rampantly occurring. Since most victims of trafficking do not immediately self-identify as such, it is very important that we, as stewards and residents of the same places they live, know how to identify signs of victimization, hold steadfastly to the truths and realities of modern-day slavery, and act in truth and compassion. Like the 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report recommends, we need to grow in knowledge so that we can identify victims of sex trafficking – but this is only made possible by opening our eyes, in truth and compassion, to where these victims exist.


Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we possess ...”
James 1:6 – “… for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”


The Trafficking in Persons Report makes it clear that our country needs more solid, steadfast, collaborative protocols to more effectively recognize and combat trafficking in persons. But this is possible only through dispelling our own myths and perceptions, and firmly embracing and holding resolutely to the reality of how human trafficking is fueled and where it takes place.


Kelly Bolton is a senior at the University of Florida (UF) majoring in Family, Youth and Community Sciences who is a summer intern with Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries. Kelly is involved in Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) at UF and leads the International Justice Mission, UF student chapter.  Her talents and hobbies include playing the drums, creating art, writing, and horseback riding. As a believer for 13 years, her passion is to serve the Lord, and seek justice for the poor and oppressed, through ministry and her future career.


Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries conducts weekly outREACHes into an area of Fort Myers, Florida that is known for prostitution and drugs.  Additionally, they do monthly outREACHes inside strip clubs.  Both types of outREACHes serve home cooked meals and include the distribution of information on human trafficking and assistance resources.  They also, in an effort to reach individuals working by force or willingly in the sex for sale industry, have developed and implemented outREACH models via social media, phone calls, escort websites, porn expos, and through partnerships with governmental and nongovernmental agencies.  They are a grass roots, overcomer-led, community service agency reaching, rescuing, restoring and advocating for victims of sexual exploitation, abuse, and trafficking.  For more information on Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries, visit www.BeautyFromAshes.org. 

Dear Faithful Intercessors, 

Thank you for your continued commitment to intercede for Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries.  Your prayers are vital in the lives of those we serve and they are the foundation of this ministry.  

CLIENTS:  Pray that clients will develop a double portion of faith and courage to trust God with their whole lives and commit to the healing process and journey.  Agree with us that they would see themselves for who they are in Christ and not be defined by their past.  May they all find freedom, healing, and restoration. 

OUTREACHES:  Thank God for the expanded weekly outREACHes we are now implementing and the favor we have with those to whom we reach out.  Thank God for the spirit of unity that exists with our outREACH team and pray that spirit continues as new members join.

SUPPORT & LIFE SKILLS GROUP:  Thank God for the women attending the group, their freedom and personal growth.  Agree with us for transparency, unity, and harmony.  May those who are to be part of the group commit to being there. 

ASSESSMENT/RESOURCE CENTER:  Praise God for the partnership we have with the United Way House. We are currently serving more clients every week, both locally and nationally.  Pray a blessing over Lee Physician's Health Care, the Salvation Army, and United Way for this amazing partnership that affords the opportunity to our clients to receive comprehensive and integrated services. 

STAFF: Pray that staff work in unity together, maintain healthy balance in their lives, and don't become overwhelmed with the amount of work to do with BFA.  Agree with us that they take one day at a time and that the joy of the Lord be their strength. May they trust God in every detail of the day to day operations of BFA. 

VOLUNTEERS and INTERNS:  Thank God for our volunteers and interns!  Agree with us that they be blessed and that more mature and committed volunteers join us.  

EVENTS: Pray for our National Sex Industry OutREACH & AfterCARE Training July 26-28th and the numerous events we are scheduling through the end of the year. Thank God for the variety of events from faith based to secular, to teens, to universities.  Agree with us for discernment in knowing which events we are to accept and those we are not to be aligned with.

FUND RAISING: Pray for our financial partners.  May their giving be returned to them with a 100 fold blessing!  Pray for new partners and creative fund raising ideas.  Thank God with us for sending in the resources from the North, South, East, and West. 

PARTNERSHIPS:  Pray that God would continue to align us with the professional, governmental, private, corporate and faith based partnerships that are of His perfect will and nothing less.  Agree with us that these relationships be protected and that our partners are blessed abundantly. Thank Him for churches that are partnering with BFA and supporting us as missionaries.  May God continue to lay on the hearts of pastors and parishioners a burden to raise awareness and support the work of BFA. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ADVISORS:  Agree with us for God to provide health, protection, wisdom, encouragement, and divine direction for BFA. Pray for those that are struggling with health issues.  Agree with us for additional board members that are divinely appointed by God for such a time as this. 

OTHER LIKE MINISTRIES/AGENCIES:  Praise God for the partnerships He has provided for us and continue to pray diligently for new ones to be formed.  Agree with us that the level of professional services in faith based organizations be raised and that ministries will work in unity together and not compete with one another. 

FRIDAY PRAYER:  Join us in the spirit every Friday from 8-9am EST to intercede for the victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and sex slavery, as well as the agencies servicing them.  CLICK HERE for Prayer Guide. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:  Send us your prayer requests by CLICKING HERE.
BFA E-NEWSLETTER:  CLICK HERE to sign up.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 NIV

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer.  Know that we are praying for you and believing for you to experience the fullness of what true freedom is this season.

Nancy Sampson & Sandi Spencer
Prayer Coordinators

Julie Shematz
Executive Director
Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries  
Where Victims Become Over-Comers