Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Exhibit A.......

If there's ANY reason we do what we do around these parts, this is it right here: an email we sent out about a team I was delighted to be a part of on Friday night. When I was speaking with the young lady mentioned, I asked Jesus for a miracle.
And Saturday it came! Amen and pass me more cards..........


Dear Friends,
I am frequently asked why Elijah Rising does the work of intervention.  Is it worth sending teams into sometimes treacherous situations to reach women being exploited?  Allow me to share a testimony from a recent outreach. 
During October’s Fourth Friday Outreach, one team was deployed to an area of town on Bissonnet Street where young women are being sold. Nearly 100 business cards for a 24/7 helpline number were distributed. (On the street, these are called “hope cards.” And pimps have been known to call our outreach teams “hope people”!)

Outreach lasted late into the night, but no women chose to exit FridayOn Saturdaya call came in to the helpline. A faithful older saint was on the streets sharing the love of Jesus when she stopped at a restaurant on Bissonnet to rest her feet. Inside she spotted a young girl with an older woman, and an alarm went off in her spirit. Something about their appearance caused her to suspect trafficking.

When the “minder” excused herself to the restroom, this saint approached the young woman asking if she needed help. Pulling our helpline card from her pocket, she said: “YES! I need to find a way to call this number!”

This precious young woman—we will call her Kay—received three hope cards Friday night but was waiting for an opportunity to escape her traffickers’ glance. She was quickly driven to a police station for her safety, then to a stabilization facility where she is receiving wraparound care for her trauma. Kay is originally from the Midwest and was picked up by a nefarious truck driver only a few weeks ago. She was soon to be moved to other Teas cities. We reached her just in time.
So, is it worth sending teams into sometimes treacherous situations? It was worth it for Kay.

For justice,
Cat French
Founder and Executive Director
Elijah Rising

#LoveJesusEndTrafficking

Saturday, October 18, 2014

New Horizons

Two weeks from today I will be home!
I am elated at the idea of seeing everyone and connecting once again.
But before I even had the chance to say "I'm moving home to wait on His plan", the Lord began opening the next chapter. The happy dances are not containable (my poor, poor co-workers!) and I can't WAIT to share! 

I will only be home for November and December. And I want to see you. 
But things are also moving quickly and I want to make sure you know about it. 
So keep your eyes peeled. I will have open houses. I will have "meet-up" times where we can all connect. And I will announce the next amazing step in the adventure.  

Before I do anything, though, I have a few needs. Largely because of the next step. Any of these peak an interest for you?  Please let me know ASAP. Like....yesterday. The Lord is just moving too fast for me to sit around right now....
1.  I need serious intercessors/prayer warriors. I have some health issues that need healing, I'm already experiencing attack about the coming changes, I'm leaving one world and entering a completely new one, and I will need some serious covering.
If you are willing to intercede for me, drop me a line. 
2. A Kindle. Any kind. Mine got stolen and I'm about to be living in a way that doesn't exactly leave room for carrying books with me. 
3. A camera to borrow for several months.
I'll be wanting more than my iphone for pictures in the season to come. 

It will be so good to see y'all shortly. If you want to sit down and catch up, please let me know and we can get it on the calendar. I love each and every one of you dearly. 

Here's to the Kingdom. That is ever alive and active. Advancing and reconciling all things to Jesus. And to being a chosen part of that most brilliant adventure! 


Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Daunted.

"Trafficking 101 on wheels." That's one of the ways in which we (Elijah Rising) often refer to our van tours. You just book it and show up. We talk about the various forms of Sexual Exploitation right here in Houston and drive you past them as we're speaking. It's brilliant. And I am often surprised at the results. 

I'm not surprised that people are shocked. Horrified. Emotional. Even sick. 
That is how I felt and often get hit with afresh as well. 
What surprises me is that so many people come back from the van tours so upset about it, but are not heard from again. The reason I'm surprised by this is because after the first experience I had, I couldn't walk away. Something in me propelled me into doing whatever I could to be a part of the fight against these injustices. I have a hard time understanding why everyone doesn't react like this.

As I recently gave a van tour, I was asked why more people aren't doing something. Aren't helping. Aren't joining or offering their gifts. I had to stop and think very hard to answer that question well. I'm glad I was asked. Because I needed to consider it...

Daunted. That word is probably the best answer I could give. This stuff is an overwhelming world that we're not used to. Statistics and numbers are astronomical and sickening and the task before us seems daunting. THAT is why I believe people walk away. Their mind doesn't want to handle the darkness and evil associated with this junk. It's frightening to face it and realize it may make us fall apart and drastically change our life as we know it. There really isn't a harder pill to swallow. 

Let me say something to all of this. And because I'm passionate about so many things, this pertains to everything from trafficking to global missions to ministry to local outreach.......
You were wired and created for this stuff. Everyone's area of purpose is different. But somewhere in there is what you were made for. And when you first see it and taste it, you'll experience a mix of excitement deep in your marrow that you couldn't possibly describe as well as a daunted dread down in your gut. You know that you just glimpsed something that pulls at the very fiber of your being and you are supposed to be doing that. But you somehow also sense that this will mean giving up so much and changing the very way of life you are in the middle of. 
So you feel overwhelmed. 
Terrified. 
Unable. 
You begin to tell yourself you couldn't.
You're too unqualified. 
Unintelligent. 
You don't have the proper resources. 
You couldn't possibly have the time. 
It's impossible to give up what you're knee-deep in now. 
It's just too much or too heavy to handle. You'd fall apart. 
Maybe someday. Later. 
You're supposed to just pray from a distance. 
Need I go on? Oh, tell me this isn't true. Go on.
You can't convince me there is a good enough reason to keep from jumping in.
Fear may have you, but it doesn't need to have the last say. 
Take it from a girl who struggles with all the above. That stuff doesn't always go away. But as long as your "yes" is louder, you're beginning something that will turn out to be more amazing than anything you've ever experienced in your life. 

How are you wired? 
What injustices make your spirit cry out for change? 
Where should you be diving in?
Are you hiding from it? 
Take that leap today. 
Just believe Him to figure out your details.
You will never be sorry.