Redeem the Shadows

Redeem The Shadows is on the road again! The crew left at 8:30 AM from Stuart, Florida and got an early start for the second tour of 2011.  This tour will last 1 month and be focused on continuing to grow relationships and cultivate networks interested in partnering with Redeem The Shadows to bring an end to modern day slavery, specifically sex trafficking!  It is super important that we continue to meet people nationwide because trafficking is a nationwide problem.  When we meet others with the same passion and drive, we are able to do things we can’t accomplish on our own. It is encouraging to see so many people take a stand and fight this war on modern day slavery right along with us.  If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area, contact fadetheshadows@gmail.com so RTS can meet up with you! Don’t forget that Redeem The Shadows will have a booth set up at Warped Tour this year at the Florida locations. Check out the dates below:

Fri Jul 29 Central Florida Fairgrounds Orlando, FL

Sat Jul 30 Cruzan Ampitheatre West Palm Beach, FL

Sun Jul 31 Vinoy Park St.Petersburg, FL

To purchase tickets and find out more info about Warped Tour, click here: www.warpedtour.com

Lastly, be sure to check out our newest project, Redemption Day 11-11-11. You can find out more info at this website: www.redemptionday.us

So excited to hear about what you are gonna do to bring and end to modern day slavery!

Peace-Love-Freedom: Stacey Wesche

 Isaiah 61:

Announce Freedom to All Captives

 ^1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
   heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
   pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
   a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
   and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
   give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
   a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”
   planted by God to display his glory.
They’ll rebuild the old ruins,
   raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They’ll start over on the ruined cities,
   take the rubble left behind and make it new.
You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks
   and foreigners to work your fields,
But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,”
   honored as ministers of our God.
You’ll feast on the bounty of nations,
   you’ll bask in their glory.
Because you got a double dose of trouble
   and more than your share of contempt,
Your inheritance in the land will be doubled
   and your joy go on forever.

 ^8-9“Because I, God, love fair dealing
   and hate thievery and crime,
I’ll pay your wages on time and in full,
   and establish my eternal covenant with you.
Your descendants will become well-known all over.
   Your children in foreign countries
Will be recognized at once
   as the people I have blessed.”

 ^10-11I will sing for joy in God,
   explode in praise from deep in my soul!
He dressed me up in a suit of salvation,
   he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo
   and a bride a jeweled tiara.
For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers,
   and as a garden cascades with blossoms,
So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom
   and puts praise on display before the nations. (Taken from The Message) 

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what it means to appreciate the little things in life. You know what they say, “it’s the little things in life that really matter.” But sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in life. As Americans, we are always busy working, playing, or perhaps even sleeping the days away.  It’s easy to forget just how blessed we are to have our basic need met AND walk in freedom.  

My best friend is on her first mission trip to Kenya, Africa and her team worked in a medical clinic all day today. She mentioned that every single person that came for assistance, no matter what age (3 months to 30 years +) was dehydrated.  There is just not enough clean water to satisfy the thirst of the body. I was reminded how blessed we are to have an abundance of water because for some people, there’s not clean water…ever. 

Then, I was reminded of a time when our RTS team traveled to India in early 2010. One of the first things we noticed, besides the chaotic driving, was the trash all over the land. In India, there is no garbage system. Garbage trucks and garbage routes do not exist, therefore, trash is left on the streets with no proper place. Not to mention that the country is overpopulated causing dirty living conditions in the majority of cities.  Can you imagine if everyone in America started throwing their garbage in their front yard, and on the streets? Can you imagine if you were unable to shower with clean water and when you were thirsty, had nothing to drink?  It is easy to forget the circumstances happening in other countries. In fact, sometimes, it is easy to forget about the circumstances happening in our own back yard.

The United States is finally beginning to catch the drift about human trafficking. This is something that has been taking place in other countries for decades, and now we know that it has been happening right here on US soil as well.  The media has blown up the topic recently with CNN starting the Freedom Project, Ashton Kutcher starting a campaign regarding human trafficking, and there are several other organizations, TV shows,  and celebrities speaking up about this horrific crime. I am often times astounded though at the number of people who are not aware of human trafficking, poverty, and other social justice issues.  I heard a story from one of our RTS teammates that said someone once asked them, “Are you talking about traffic tickets, as in speeding tickets?”  Wow. There are many people who are ignorant to the issues happening in the world. It is not necessarly their fault, it’s just that education about the issues have never taken place, or a real life experience to the situation has never been encountered.   

I challenge you to take note of the little blessings in your life. I challenge you to then pray for those who don’t have them.  Remember the poor. Remember the weak. Remember the orphans. Remember the dirty. Remember the dying. Remember the hurt. Remember the widows. Remember the thirsty. Remember the hungry. Remember the sick.  

Be the change you want to see in the world.  -  Mahatma Gandhi  

Love & Liberty- Stacey Wesche

11-11-11 Redemption Day Video

Redemption Day 11-11-11

“even though you can’t see or hear them at all, a person’s a person, no matter how small.” - Dr. Suess

This year on 11-11-11 Redeem The Shadows is creating something huge. We want communities, businesses, organizations, universities, and your everyday local to come together and make some noise about human trafficking. Now sure, it is great to have individuals representing a certain cause, but when hundreds and hundreds of people get together for one specific cause, more people hear about it.  That is the goal of Redemption Day. Redemption Day is a day where people interested in raising awareness of human trafficking come together and make noise for the whole world to hear. Take this children’s story below for example:

The book, ”Horton Hears A Who” written by Dr. Suess tells the story of Horton, an elephant, who hears a small speck of dust talking to him. It turns out the speck of dust is actually a tiny planet home to a city called Whoville, inhabited by microscopic-sized inhabitants known as Whos.

The leader of Whoville asks Horton (who, though he cannot see them, is able to hear them quite well, because of his large ears) to protect them from harm, which Horton happily agrees to do, proclaiming throughout the book that “even though you can’t see or hear them at all, a person’s a person, no matter how small.” In doing so he is ridiculed and forced into a cage by the other animals in the jungle for believing in something that they are unable to see or hear. Horton tells the Whos that they need to make themselves heard to the other animals. The Whos finally accomplish this by ensuring that all members of their society play their part. The entire city gets together to make noise at the same time so that the volume creates enough lift for the jungle to hear the sound, thus reinforcing the moral of the story: “a person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Because their noise could be heard, Horton’s jungle neighbors vow to help him protect Whoville.

This is what our hope is for Redemption Day on 11-11-11. Although each of us are only one person, we are still one.  We can make a difference by standing along side others who believe that human trafficking needs to come to an end. We can make a positive impact on society if we just stand up for what we believe in; freedom for the opressed!

Watch this video for some ideas of how you can make a difference in your community:

http://vimeo.com/24842298 

Love & Liberty: Stacey Wesche

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do.” – Edward Everett Hale

Redeem The Shadows will have a booth set up at this years Warped Tour for all Florida locations! This is exciting news and we are ready to get the word out about human trafficking and horrific trap of modern day slavery!  If you are planning on attending, be sure to stop by the Redeem The Shadows booth to show your support. 

Here are the dates:

Fri Jul 29 Central Florida Fairgrounds Orlando, FL

Sat Jul 30 Cruzan Ampitheatre West Palm Beach, FL

Sun Jul 31 Vinoy Park St.Petersburg, FL

To purchase tickets and find out more info about Warped Tour, click here: www.warpedtour.com

Fighting for Freedom, Stacey Wesche

I was raised singing the song Jesus Loves Me and eventually learned sign language to the song. My peers and I would travel to nursing homes, children’s church, and youth group to perform this song for an audience. Everyone would clap after we finished and think it was cute to hear little voices singing.   It was one of the most common and well liked songs among the children.  Now that I’m an adult, working hard to raise awareness and support for children rescued out of sex slavery, I can’t help but wonder how many of these victims have been told by a loved one that Jesus loves them. How many of the kids know that when they are weak, even in their darkest moment, Jesus is strong? How many actually have the opportunity to sing and have someone praise them for their performance? It is said that there are over 300,000 American children sexually expoloited every year.  That is 300,000 children too many.  

It is the goal of Redeem The Shadows to restore victims of sex trafficking in a holistic manner. We have high hopes of opening a rehab center in Florida specifically for children rescued out of sex slavery.  Once the rehabilitation center is opened, the rescued victims will have the opportunity to thrive in a safe environment. They will be free to dance, free to sing, and free to grow in all areas of life. Creativity will be encouraged, possibilities will be offered, and a grim future will be found bright. 

Redeem The Shadows is on the brink of something huge. We are looking forward to the day that we can give children the opportunity to sing again. In the meantime, please pray for the team members who are working diligently at finding support for the rehabilitation center.  We are also in need of assistance in the following areas: graphic designers, human resources directors, full time administrators, grant writers, prayer warriors, social media gurus, volunteer coordinators, touring team management and interns. If you are interested in helping in any of these areas, or if you have any new ideas, please feel free to contact one of our team members below:

Stacey at fadingtheshadows@gmail.com 

Noel at fadetheshadows@gmail.com

Priya at jfarul@seu.edu

Jesus loves me! this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
they are weak but He is strong.

Fighting for Freedom, Stacey Wesche

Redeem The Shadows presenting at REVIVED MULTI CULTURAL NIGHT @ Southeastern University

On Wednesday, April 13, at 11:30 AM the Christian Television Network (CTN) will be featuring Redeem The Shadow’s very own, Priya Arul and Stacey Wesche, on their show, Bay Focus.  If you are living in the Tampa Bay/Central Florida Area be sure to tune in and watch the show which has a human trafficking theme. If you are not located in the central Florida area, you can still watch the show by clicking on this link and then choosing the clearwater option during the same viewing time: http://www.ctnonline.com/Watch.html