Chapter 2

To everyone that followed and supported me a few months back, sorry for the (long) delay in posts.
To everyone stumbling upon this blog for the first time, I hope you enjoy.
To everyone, I have realized that I cannot do this feat by myself, so I hope you will join in your own sort of way.

There is a piece of legislation in Congress that has been motionless since October that will greatly advance the fight against human trafficking. (To everyone that thinks this sin against mankind only happens overseas, I advise you it happens here in our backyards. This crime called human trafficking comes in many different shapes and sizes. To name a few: sex, bond, labor. It happens daily at truck stops, nail and massage parlors, big industry, shipping ports, and even in my home state of Mississippi.) TVPRA further recognizes what human trafficking is and helps protect victims that are trafficked to our country against their will. It will also refund acts that Hillary Clinton started 10+ years ago to protect these victims. And guess what? Democrats AND Republicans both are sponsoring this bill! So once again, call your Congressman and ask them to sponsor TVPRA!!!

In other news, Jada Pinkett Smith joins in the fight!
Click here to see her Pursuit of Happyness for others.

I have been wrestling with the idea about starting some sort of campaign against trafficking here in Mississippi. I am not sure what that means or look like, but as I mentioned before I now realize that I alone cannot do accomplish this task. So I am asking you to keep me in you prayers and you are truly interested, I would love to have you on the team.

Shalom.

A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains

Ahhhh...the first post of the new year. Better make it a good one just in case anyone reads my ramblings (does anyone actually take time to do so? Thanks, if so)

My time thus far in Florida has been bitter sweet, and by bitter I mean the feeling when you get when one eats a persimmon before it is fully right (I was tricked into this many, many times.) But lets take this time to talk about what God is doing. The others are for a different time, different blog productof88.blogspot.com.


January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (thanks President Obama for passing this, for this I commend you) So please mention this to everyone. Many people have no clue that slaves even exist today. They believe the last time a slave was around was during a war about some civil stuff, not to mention that we come into contact with many of them and don't even know it......FYI, the movie Taken wasn't just another Hollywood story. Its real, and this stuff happens all day, every day. And this movie is the glorified version of rescuing a victim of trafficking. I wish one man could fly across the ocean and rescue his daughter. Many times IF someone is found, it takes many many people to pull the attempt off. So go on...tell your kids, tell your wife, tell your kids, tell your wife that you can do something about it. And together, we gonna find THEM!

Praise the Lord I have three meetings this month about gangs/trafficking! Pray that I can network with people and that I can serve where I am able.

Talking to my pastor last night. He informed me that some time ago, he went to speak at a Hispanic Church on trafficking. Afterwards a lady in the crowd said, "Oh my God, I know where that is happening!" She told him, and what was only supposed to be a speaking arrangement for him ended up also being a rescue mission-he helped save 2 boys from being trafficked any longer!! Praise God!
He mentioned also that police investigation is underway. Pray that God gives our team the wisdom and ability to rescue other victims in the Tampa Bay area.

A glass can only spill what it contains. Common sense ehh?? What is spilling from your glass?

Right On Time

I moved to Largo, FL with the hopes of getting involved in rescuing victims of human trafficking. While the past few months have been extra slow, these hopes are finally starting to speed up!

Possibly starting next month, I will start coming into regular contact with victims that have already been rescued. I will be counseling with them and engaging in their lives implementing them back into society. This possibility is still up in the air by a few different ways. Please pray that this will happen.

I have 2 meetings scheduled for next month, one of which will consist of the gigantic task-force which I am blessed to be a part of. Pray that I will make a few contacts. Hopefully these can further me in my ministry here.

I have also talked to a lady that is starting a safe house for girls that are being rescued from trafficking. Her hopes are to use Equine Therapy to help these girls. The link to her site is http://www.bridgingfreedom.org/. Things will not start up for this house until the spring. When the time comes, I hope to be helping her out. 

Upon moving here, I expected to be involved weekly in events that liberated the people being trafficked. I hoped to be knocking down doors Chuck Norris style rescuing girls that were being forced against their own will. While I am sure the Law Enforcement have been doing their part, things on my end have been mighty slow. I was getting discouraged. But now things are picking up. I believe God had something to do with that (whatever it may be). But nonetheless, the past few months have been good for me as Jacob. God has been breaking me over areas in my life that I thought were fine. He has also taught me alot about myself and others. While in my eyes God has been lacking, in his eyes He has been Right On Time; and I am now starting to see glimpses of this picture, even if it is blurry.

America, You failed..

In earlier posts I have mentioned a group called Shared Hope International. This organization is located in Washington, D.C., and is in the fight against human trafficking. They are on the front lines both rescuing girls whom were trafficked and bringing awareness to the world of this horrific, inhumane crime. I have met the President of this group and I can truly say she is very real and passionate about rescuing victims.

At the beginning of this month, they released a report card of all 50 states showing how each individual state responds to human trafficking. My home state sadly lugs around a "D", while the state I currently reside in is not much better with a "C". Not one state received an "A", while only four received a "B". My only hope is that all 50 states plus D.C. would proudly boast an "A" because on this grading-scale, anything less is failing.
Here is the link to their findings: Report Card.


As for me personally, God is working something mysterious within me. When more light is shed on this work, I will share with everyone.

In the meantime, pray that God would grant me patience, endurance, confidence, faith, hope, and love.

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Limited Edition

My apologies for the delay.

I have come to learn that my vocab and God's vocab don't exactly mean the same. For all of my words, mine usually have quickness attached to the end. And it seems as if God's words have slow attached to the end. I only have in the neighborhood of 80 years here on this speck of dirt. God, well he made the place and everything that surrounds it, plus some. And speaking in the time sense, he is unlimited. In fact, he made the clock that measures time, and even time itself. So he is in no hurry. But looking back, his timing has always been the best.

The events leading up to me moving to Tampa happened quite fast. One right after the other. BAM BAM BAM. Pronto. So in moving here, I expected everything to follow suit. (haha)

My life previously had always been as follows: God would reveal something to me, I would struggle with it for a while (and even missed a few opportunities), then I would give in. And things would happen quickly after I surrendered. Over the past few months, I have been giving in to God more quickly, and it seems like I am waiting on things to happen (the human trafficking ministry for instance). But in the mean time, I am preparing for ministry (which I really hadn't done to begin with, and everything that works out must have preparation- which I am learning).

So if you are the prayin' type, pray that I would stop trying to analyze God and everything he tells me to, and that I would accept his ways.

So while I have been learning, preparing, and waiting, I have come to realize that we all are Limited Editions. We all are here for x# of years. We all have different skills and abilities that each other need. So lets make the most of time while we are here.

Just ask.

A few days ago I asked everyone to join me in praying for favor with a few organizations. Well, I met them in person a few hours ago. My pastor told me about a task force meeting (which I am a part of now), so I attended. I had no clue these two organizations were going to be there. So I put faces to names, and trying to get hooked up with them in various ways. (So I ask you to pray for me in this area). One organization is World Relief, the other I cannot name for security reasons.

I am reminded of Matt 7:7 which says to ask and you will receive. So I asked God, and also asked you to pray. And look at what God did! I met these people face to face, which is way better than over email because for all they knew, I could have been some creeper wanting to infiltrate them.

By the way, the task force I mentioned above is called Clearwater/Tampa Bay Area Task Force on Human Trafficking (DOJ).

Update

My first week here was challenging. I have never lived far enough from home that I couldn't always run home if something came up; but now I live 10 hours from my hometown, so I can't do that. I faced much spiritual warfare last week: from doubts about being here to worrying about income to friends and the list goes on and on and on. It was ruff but with God's help, I came through.

Concerning my mission here: I have joined the Human Trafficking Ministry at the church I am attending. The people on this team are awesome and have passion written all over them. I haven't met any of the victims (that I know of), but I do know that some attend my church. Our team relies on the police department. They have to investigate and all that other good ole police stuff. They know how many people they will arrest and how many victims there are to rescue; they are pretty precise. These things just take time, unfortunately. I wish we were going in guns a slinging, breaking down doors Chuck Norris style 24/7.

In the mean time, I am trying to reach out to other organizations. Pray that I will find favor with World Relief (the ladies will not email me back for anything. I have no clue why.) I have two others in mind that I cannot name, but pray that God will grant me favor with these also.

Thanks for all your prayers, thoughts, support, everything!!!