I have been following this truly phenomenal organization, Richmond Justice Initiative, for about 5 months now. I came across them on the web randomly during an afternoon of blog searching. (I am in love with blogs and not ashamed to admit it.) I was really excited about coming across RJI, because there are few anti-trafficking organizations in the Hampton Roads area and I have been aching to be involved in a community dedicated to giving back to abused women. I'm being patient in waiting for God's timing to provide the right opportunity for my involvement, but in the mean time I have been closely keeping up with RJI and many other organizations like it, and have attended a couple of their interest and informational meetings.
Recently they sent out an email about an aftercare training they were holding along a couple other organizations I had been reading about, The Gray Haven Project and the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAAST). Saying I was VERY excited about the weekend training would be a severe understatement. The only problem... my work schedule is insane. I didn't think I would be able to get any time off for the training so I dismissed the idea entirely from my mind. Every time I saw the email in my inbox or saw something pop up on facebook about the training my insides burned. I wanted more than anything to register. So just a couple days ago I told Ben about it. It was weird that I waited so long to even tell him since we share pretty much everything, but he got excited and encouraged me to sign us up saying it would be a wonderful thing for us to attend together (to which I enthusiastically agreed!)I emailed RJI and turns out we weren't too late, there was just a couple of spots left. After registering the only thing I had to do was actually get Friday night off work which I felt was impossible. Reminder: nothing is impossible with God. He provided and I was amazed at how willing my coworkers were to figure out a way to cover the evening so I could get away to Richmond.
The training is called "Hands that Heal". It's a 2-day session starting Friday evening and finishing up Saturday afternoon. Ben and I have both been eager to get involved with trafficking victims and both have been praying and waiting for the right opportunities. We tend to get a head of ourselves so we've been trying to wait for Gods hand to lead. This event is most certainly from Him. We are completely excited at what the weekend will offer with information, equipment, community, relationships, connections, opportunity, etc. Ben and I both have loose ends to tie up with school and finances, but we are very close to being at the end of that road and both of us are waiting for God to give us the "go-ahead" to pursue our passions full-force. I'm optimistic that this next weekend will bring clarity to the next step of our future and how we fit into the ministry with human trafficking.
I've been praying the prayer of Jabez trusting that God is enlarging our territory and opening and closing the right doors for us!
"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request." 1 Chronicles 4:10
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