July 5 - Race Update!
Thanks so much for your prayers last week and yesterday especially. Thursday afternoon the nurses here in the twin cities reached an agreement with the hospitals. This allowed Dan to run. Nicole did not run at all last week so she could rest her leg. She had no idea what would happen once she started the race. Great news there as well - Nicole finished the race!
Dan and I ran the race together for the first 6-7 miles. We had at least 3-4 people ask us if we were a charity. We had the opportunity to explain to them (in pouring down rain) what Ball for Lives is and how we we are raising funds to stop human trafficking...especially in Moldova. There were also a few pictures taken of us from reporters and news people as we ran together and I dribbled. I will let you know if anything turns up with this. This doesn't include the countless amounts of people that would yell "Keep going Dribble the World" to me as I ran the race. Hopefully many will go to their website (on the back of our shirts) and see the many great causes Ball for Lives gets behind.
SUNDAY, JULY 11 - This Sunday I will be speaking and Gretchen will be singing at the A.M. Service for Immanuel Baptist Church - www.ibccares.org. If you are in the area please feel free to stop in. We hope to see you there! If you can't make it, we of course appreciate your prayers throughout the day!
You are a blessing! Thanks for your partnership.
Jamie
June 21 - 27
I hope you are enjoying your summer (well technically summer began today but you know what I mean). I mentioned a few weeks ago that I would give you some things to pray for this summer before returning to the normal weekly E-mails in late August. With that in mind, would you pray for the following...
Normandale: For the first summer since I have been involved at Normandale we have a few things going. Pastor Gary is leading kind of an Evangelistic Bible Study (for lack of a better name) with a few students on Tuesdays. I have been trying to spend a little time on campus meeting with students too. I met a student a few weeks ago that spent 3-4 years in Europe as a missionary. He is back in the States studying to get his degree in teaching English as a 2nd language. Would you pray as we spend time on campus we will connect with students that have a thirst for knowing more about what it means to follow Jesus?
Jamie
June 29
I met Dan Occhiogrosso while coaching basketball at Baptist Bible College. I always have appreciated Dan because he is a man of wisdom, intention, and compassion. A few years back Dan assisted in establishing the ministry "Ball for Lives". The mission of Ball for Lives is to help rescue orphans in Africa and children in need all over the world. They accomplish this task by using the sport of basketball. One of the efforts of Ball for Lives is to have people dribble various races across the United States and world to spread awareness of the various injustices plaguing our planet. This Sunday, July 4, I will be dribbling the Twin Cities Half Marathon. My brother-in-law David May is coming to MN from Ohio to run the race as well. Two of my friends here in the Twin Cities, Nicole Smith & Dan Halvorsen, will also be running the race.
Recently we (the runners) were made aware of the horrific act against women & little girls known as human sex trafficking. Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. It is a modern-day form of slavery, and the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.
Quick facts on global sex trafficking:
• The International Labor Organization estimates that there are at least 12.3 million adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and commercial sexual servitude at any given time
• 1.2 million children are being trafficked every year; this is in addition to the millions already held captive by trafficking
• UNICEF reports approximately 30 million children have lost their childhood through sexual exploitation over the past 30 years
• The average age of a trafficked victim is 11-14 years old
• By the end of 2010 human trafficking will be the second largest crime worldwide
These stats are overwhelming but we believe that Jesus Christ can set both the victims and those promoting human sex trafficking free from this devastating evil! There is a couple, Patrick & Kalyna Stitt along with their three sons, that recently moved to Moldova to assist with the Home for Hope. The Home for Hope is a place in Moldova for young girls & women rescued out of sex trafficking to come and be healed through the power of Christ. These women can stay as long as they need to. They are also taught a trade so they can support themselves and their child/children (many if not all the girls report to the Home for Hope either pregnant or with kids) once they leave.
So what can you do?
Pray - On Sunday Dan, David, Nicole, and I will be wearing bright T-shirts that say "Dribble the World". Pray we have many opportunities to speak about what sex trafficking is doing across our planet and that as followers of Jesus we are implored to fight such injustices.
Give - The Home for Hope is a real place that exists to assist real girls (most are ages 11-18). Any amount you can contribute is not too small or too great. 100% of your donations will go directly to the Home for Hope. If you would like to give you can do so by going to the Ball for Lives Website -www.ballforlives.org. There is a "donate" button that will link you to paypal. Start by putting in the amount you wish to contribute. On the final page before submitting your payment there will be a MEMO line. In this line either type "Home for Hope" or "Twin Cities Half Marathon" so Ball for Lives knows exactly where to send your donations.
Thanks so much for reading this E-mail and considering what you can do to actively speak out against human sex trafficking.
Blessings,
Jamie
