WORLD RACE

THE
HUMAN

EDITION
TRAFFICKING
May 2011 Newsletter - Final Edition vol. v
“Tucked deep within the alleyways The stories of oppression, abuse, rape, exploitation,
and the music of childrenʼs laughter hatred, and imprisonment of innocent men, women, and
was beauty engrained in the children worldwide are just more than I can bear. Itʼs
woodwork of a world long lost... “ impossible not to, but I refuse to live the rest of my life
and not sacrifice my heartbeat, my breath, and my voice
-- Sketches of Impossibilities. to calling out on behalf of those trapped; to becoming a
vessel that the redemptive and restorative power of
Everyone seems to muster out the traditional, “how Godʼs love can flow through.
was your trip?” question lately. Itʼs a valid question
but I honestly cannot figure out how to best answer And I wouldnʼt be in this position if it hadnʼt been for
it. Words like redemptive, eye-opening, wonderful, you. If you hadnʼt of spent thousands of hours in prayer,
and even holy come to mind, but none of them can knees buried in dirt for me, then I wouldnʼt have had the
do the last four months justice. strength to get up every day. If you hadnʼt of sacrificed
thousands of dollars, oftentimes doing without, then I
Itʼs beyond what I can fashion into words. wouldnʼt have had the resources to go. And if you hadnʼt
of shared the passion, oftentimes staying up hours in
Human Trafficking is a social injustice that Iʼve been the night reading stories, then the rest of the world
passionate about creatively addressing and wouldnʼt have known.
eradicating for years now. Iʼm thankful that Laura
Meyers and the World Race saw it necessary and You made this possible - and I thank you. Because of
vital to create a trip that focuses exclusively toward you, I discovered beauty and hope in the darkest
that end. It is by far the most eye-opening places, a beautiful hope that rides on the winds of
experience that Iʼve ever involved myself in, and itʼs laughter and light embedded in alleyways...
only pulled me deeper into a passion to see this
thing abolished.
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 NEWS FROM THE FIELD
THE UNITED STATES
For my teamʼs final month of ministry in the United States, we partnered with the Not For Sale
Campaignʼs (NFS) Georgia chapter. Pattie Harrelson, an absolutely breathtakingly amazing and
anointed woman, is the GA State Director and was our contact for the month.

NFS equips and mobilizes Smart Activists to re-abolish slavery - in their own backyards and
across the globe. NFS believes every individual has a skill they can contribute to fight human
trafficking, and [as a community] end slavery in our lifetime (taken from NFS website).

So with that end in mind, my team was immediately set up for success to collectively throw all of our
skills and strengths into a hat and create something that would leverage our “abolitionist muscles.”

FREE2WALK 5K
Our first two weeks back in America were spent
organizing a 5K for NFS. We walked all over
Atlanta receiving donations and support from
local businesses, putting up advertisements, and
then making phone calls and contacting
everybody that we could think of to come to the
5K. We also created “statistic signs” and a
“Freedom Stories” center where we displayed
stories of trafficking survivors. To learn more
about the FREE2WALK 5K, you can read my
blogs below:

Free2Walk
A City Inspired

SPEAKING EVENTS
NFS spends a significant amount of time
speaking at schools, churches, and in the homes
of individuals on the topic of human trafficking.
My team and I had several speaking
engagements when we were in Atlanta at
colleges, schools, and in several homes. We
shared our stories and experiences with
representatives across every social class in the
city. It was powerful getting to educate and equip citizens on all fronts.

To read a story from a night that we did outreach with some prostituted girls in Atlanta, read my blog:
Crowning the Broken

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STORIES
FROM THE FIELD

FREEDOM
Thereʼs no way that one newsletter THAILAND
can contain everything that I learned, His Name Was Bik
so I kept an online journal of all my From Village to Village
travels to Cambodia, Thailand, India, Breaking the Silence
and Atlanta. If you would like to read Jerichoʼs Red Light
those stories, you can do so by The Truth About Thailandʼs Sex
clicking on them below (my favorites Industry
are in red):

BECOMING A VOICE OF
INDIA
CAMBODIA India - My Battlefield
I Can Still Cross Traffic Roaring with Life
When You Were 20-Years-Old The Land of Innocence Forcibly Lost
Missions: Establishing Something of On the Sidewalk
Value My True Country
On Declaring Things Faith Eyes
Unearthing the Warrior Sketches of Impossibilities
H u m a n T r a f fi c k i n g | C h i l d
Sponsorship USA:
Worry and Wonderment Free 2 Walk
Grace, Drunk Straight, Undiluted True Justice
Missions: This Weekʼs Agenda A City Inspired
Her Face Looked Resigned... Crowning the Broken

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 The end of one season always heralds in another. I have been overwhelmed with

WHAT COMES NEXT...

questions about “what comes next?” as well as so many opportunities and open
doors that Iʼm not always sure which ones I should accept or walk through. The Lord
has been so faithful to bless!

I have a lot of plans for my future, none of which involve my slowing down. I want to
continue to gain momentum, particularly in the field of creatively addressing and
abolishing social injustices like human trafficking.

I recently wrote a post on my blog titled “Dear Friends & Family...” that gives a
glimpse into this upcoming season and some of my intentions within it. Iʼll leave you
with a sample:

“I think that after a four-month trip itʼs easy to sit around and wallow
around in what was. But I donʼt have time for that. Instead, Iʼve set my
gaze on what will be. Iʼm well aware that the Lord has gifted me to
dream; however, the Lord has also empowered me with the ability to
see things birthed. I recently said in a blog post that, ʻThe Lordʼs dream
beacons a generation willing to dare and see differently, a tribe of
artists who are willing to sit with God and dream up impossibilities to
pursue [and] to establish the foundations of in the midst of adversity.ʼ”

Read the rest here...

Thank you all for everything. Youʼve truly been incredible stewards in His Kingdom!

God Bless,

Matthew

Team Illuminate at
Final Debrief.

L-R: Steven, Allie,

Susan, Laura,
Elizabeth, and
Matthew

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