Since I’ve been the Director of FREE, going on three years now, I have seen God work the miraculous.  Seeing God move in and through this organization has been nothing short of a miracle, and its been a testimony to all of us on the FREE team of His faithfulness and goodness.  We’ve seen Him time and time again opening up new doors for us to walk through.  From divine encounters and appointments, to making much-needed connections for us,  and even down to forming a coalition fighting to end human trafficking in our county.  But here’s the thing, we’ve always remained in the posture of FREE being His.  It’s not ours.  It never has been, it never will be.  It’s all His.  After all, His heart is to set the captives free.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”  Isaiah 61:1

His heart is to set captives free.  So our hearts are to see captives set free, and we know this freedom can only be found in Christ.  So as He is faithful, we’ve remained faithful to what He has called us to.  Everything we do at FREE begins and ends with prayer.  We seek the Lord first.  We’ve been praying for the past couple of years for His guidance, for His heart for the captives, for His love for the victims, traffickers and the one’s fueling the demand.  Because He loves them all and His heart is for them all.  We have prayed to see sex trafficking and sexual exploitation end not only in Berks County, but our state, country and world.  We have prayed for the resources to become available to victims coming out of the sex trafficking industry in Berks County.

FREE has always been about raising awareness in our community on human trafficking.  We’ve done this through education and prevention work.  But from early on we’ve known our county desperately needs services available to the victims coming out of trafficking.  When asked over and over again how often we see victims coming out of trafficking in our area, we often respond, not often, “What’s there for them to come out to?”  So we’ve been praying.  And praying.  And praying some more.  That these services would become available, and these victims would be given the chance to be healed and restored.  From victims to survivors!!

As we’ve been meeting for our monthly coalition meetings, along with other professionals in our community, it became all the more clear as we heard it said continually, “There’s no where for these victims to go,” that it was time for a home to open in this area to serve the very specific needs of trafficking victims.

At about this same time, in walks Stephanie Catani, the Director of Unchained.  🙂  Another one of God’s miraculous, divine encounters for us at FREE.  Stephanie was passing through this area with her beautiful family and as she was passing through the Lord put FREE on her heart to reach out to.  Her obedience to His calling made all the difference.  Our obedience to Him always makes all the difference!    We have a choice to be obedient or not.   So grateful Stephanie chose the better way.  🙂

To make a long story short, and to get to our exciting news, FREE will be partnering with Unchained for an invitation-only event, and all funds raised at this event will go directly toward FREE opening up the first restoration home in Berks County for victims coming out of sex trafficking.  THIS IS BIG AND EXCITING NEWS!!  We could not do this without the generosity of Stephanie.  To say she is a true treasure from Heaven, is an understatement, and we will be forever grateful to her.  She is a blessing to us!

This event will be in September at the Neag Planetarium at the Reading Public Museum, and again, it’s invitation only.  Stephanie will be showing her fashion show through film.  You can learn more about Unchained and what this awesome organization does to raise awareness about human trafficking here:  http://unchainedfashionshow.com/

We will have a film showing, followed by dinner.  The goal is to have this event fully funded before we get there that evening.  That way all the funds raised that evening will go directly toward FREE opening this home.  Something we’ve always said at FREE is, “Together we can make a difference.”  We truly believe that.  Human trafficking work is not for one organization, or two or 50.  It’s the work of everyone.  It’s the work of communities and people coming together and saying we will not tolerate this in our neighborhoods.  It’s communities and people coming together and rallying alongside the victims and letting them know they are valued, they are worthy, and they are loved.  It’s coming alongside the victims, looking them in the eye, and saying, “We see you!  We believe in you.  And we know Jesus can heal, restore and redeem your life!”  This is Kingdom work!!  This is God’s heart!!

So we couldn’t wait to share this exciting news with you all!  Our prayer is that our community will come alongside of us as well, as our efforts are now being put toward opening this home.  So my question to you would be, how can you help us in opening this home for these beautiful women?  What piece of the puzzle do you hold?  From sponsoring a table, to being a table host that night, from any financial donation you feel led to make, to any resource or service you feel led to provide, we are beyond grateful.  If you can help make connections for us, help us with food donations, or even just share this news with others you believe have a heart to see this home open in Berks County, we are grateful.  Together we can make a difference!!

If you’d like to hear more about this event, the home we are opening, or would like to talk about ways you can help us, please reach out to us.  You can find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/FREEnslaved.  You can visit our website at www.freefromht.org.  We even have a “donate” button where you can make a secure donation to us through Pay Pal.

We look forward to sharing more and more with you in the coming months of God’s continued faithfulness and provision.

God is good.  He is faithful to complete what He starts.  He’s not a God that ends mid-way.  He is such an awesome God.  To Him be the glory!  Amen.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5