preparing for births...

With Advent starting tomorrow, Christmas lights being hung, Black Nativity choir singing today, we begin to prepare. For what? For whom? A refugee homeless teen couple gave birth to EMMANUEL in a stable.

Right now I’m walking alongside a number of young mothers and pregnant teens. One is ready ‘to pop’ as she says, one is in jail, and the youngest, 15, called me this morning worried because she was throwing up and wasn’t aware of the toil of morning sickness.

On Wednesday night, I visited ‘Tania’ in the jail, whose 3-year-old daughter is in the care of her parents. She asked me to have her mom send photos and pick her up and bring her to church. Jail, she says, is the best thing that’s happened to her. She needs to get clean, go to counseling, and mostly she wants to change for her daughter. Teen pregnancy, and its challenges, is not an abstract reality. I am freshly amazed at the circumstances of our Christ’s birth… entering our world in such fragility, vulnerability and insecurity. Amidst all the buzz of the season, may we let Christ embrace us in all of our own fragility, vulnerability, and insecurity? Redeeming and welcoming us as His children, empowered by His Spirit, and sent forth as His disciples.

I am grateful that I get to walk alongside these women, and desire to see Christ birthed in all of us anew this season.

Thank you dearly for your ongoing support!

treasuring the daylight...

fall is turning to winter,

and with it many changes.

golden & red leaves are falling to the ground,

snow geese are covering the sky like a lacy blanket as I go on morning runs,

frost glistens on the grass,

0ur New Earth Farm, has started their 'winter share' with an abundance of potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and squash.

I now live in a lil' cabin in the woods, on the property of the Ekblads (TN directors while they are away in France).

the new location, is a refreshing change, such beauty, quietness...

...and a physical margin from 'work'.

A small fireplace provides my heat,

& I've enjoyed a couple sunsets, sitting on a log over the Skagit river with a book in hand.

At Tierra Nueva:

• we initiated our 'new apprentices' at our Staff Retreat a couple of weeks ago. Art, Phyllis, and Curtis--each an amazing addition to our team with their energy, passion, and knowledge.

• the new apprentices, myself, & 6 others attended a relapse prevention training called 'Genesis Process' on Oct 10-14th. The material is more than helpful, for us as a ministry as well as for each of us personally. It forced us to look at our own addictions, be it over-working, caffeine, anxiety, co-dependency, etc. It gave us tools to help people identify their relapse triggers & patterns, false beliefs that drive behaviors, and related listening prayer exercises that invite Jesus to bring healing and change to the deep wounds and false belief systems.

• we are working on developing a 'women's program' involving the Genesis Training and their change group guide, potentially starting in January on Weds nights to coincide child care with the Bible Studies that are happening in the guy's apartment.

• I made my first 'chaplain visit' to the jail this past Wednesday, to follow up with one of the ladies I've seen the past two Sundays in jail. I look forward to making more of these visits, now that I am done with my job with Skagit Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault services.

• we're preparing for an 'all hand-made sale' at Tierra Nueva on Dec. 3rd!

Skagit Against Slavery

As of November 3rd 2011, I am working full-time with Tierra Nueva!

Skagit Against Slavery, and my work associated with it,

will now fully be under the guidance and direction of Tierra Nueva.

SkAS is a coalition of volunteer activists and representatives from local organizations who are collaborating together to end human trafficking in our streets and in our homes.

Uniting with the global modern-day abolitionist movement, OUR MISSION is to foster collaboration in the fight against human trafficking through:

community awareness & education

mobilization

capacity building

As many of you know, I founded Skagit Against Slavery a couple of years ago. SkAS has been meeting monthly at Tierra Nueva, providing regular trainings to the community, and developing various focus teams (school-based, faith-based, & social services) that seek to educate the community. Some larger events we've planned include:

In January 2011, funded by Sedro Woolley Law Enforcement’s STOP grant, SkAS hosted Shared Hope International’s INTERVENE training on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking. 130 social service providers, law enforcement, and community members came to a 6-hour training, and a 160 parents, youth, and educators attended an evening 2-hour training in Sedro Woolley.

In August 2011, SkAS’s faith-based team organized a screening of Call+Response at Mt. Vernon’s Lincoln Theatre, attended by 140 community members. Various community partners hosted booths & presented on a panel inviting & informing people how to respond locally, (Skagit DVSAS, Sedro Woolley Law Enforcement, Hillcrest Christian Fellowship, Bridges Coalition, WARN, Soroptomist International of Burlington, Free At Last Ministries, New Earth Farm, & Tierra Nueva Underground Coffee Project).

A couple of my upcoming events and tasks include:

• Organizing SkAS Monthly Meeting: Nov 15th at Tierra Nueva.
• Speaking on forum at Antioch University in downtown Seattle on Nov. 17th titled "Eliminating Human Trafficking: Challenges and Strategies" 7pm http://www.antiochseattle.edu/community/perspectives.html
• Human Trafficking Training to Soroptomist International Sedro-Woolley club, November 22nd at 12:30 p.m. meeting at the community center.

• Promoting: November Whatcom & King County Events: Freedom Prayer Gathering, Shared Hope International 'Do You Know Lacy?' Training in Bellingham, etc.
• Promoting Soroptomist International January 11th National Human Trafficking Day March
• Advising and promoting monthly human trafficking movie nights at Hillcrest Christian Fellowship in Mt. Vernon
• Ordering & making Skagit Against Slavery t-shirts, from Daughters/Sons of Cambodia!
• Planning Art/Music event in the Spring!