What if this was Your Daughter?

A little over two years ago a group of us began praying together for ways we could make a difference in the world we live in.  Not long after, the issue of Human Sex Trafficking and Exploitation was placed on all of our hearts.

At the time, some of us did not know much about the injustice, and some had experienced aspects of the traumatic reality.  We continued to pray, and draw closer to the vision and mission we were being shown.  Then one day, I heard a whisper that drew my heart to the cause.  I heard the words, "What if this was Your Daughter?"  Those words put a picture in my mind of one of my little daughters trapped in a room behind bars with a sad face.  It broke my heart and tears came down my cheek as I thought about my own daughter.  At that point, I felt just a flicker of what God feels for every little child or adult girl that is trapped in commercial sexual exploitation.  Instantly, this was the message I needed to hear to do something about the growing social injustice.

Studying the issue, I learned that most of the time, the injustice of purchasing sex can start with an addiction to pornography.  Men and women progress to a deeper and darker place in their lives and some eventually end up buying sex.  No person should ever be treated as a commodity.  It’s a sad reality, but it shows where we need to start.  I found out the statistics of men inside the church who are looking at pornography and so, my question to any man who is looking at porn is, "What if this was your daughter and some other man was looking at her?"  

In Malachi 4:6 it says, He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. 

After months of praying, we took action.  The first step was to raise up a billboard on Highway 169 in Minnesota, raising awareness of the issue.  The team continued to pray and next, a friend within the ministry wanted to start a 5K Race to raise awareness & finances to give people the opportunity to be a part of ending trafficking and exploitation.  My wife Jenna and I continued to pray and give towards an organization called Crisis Rescue International, a ministry formed by friends of ours who travel across seas to rescue little children out of the sex trade and bring them into centers for restoration.  They are amazing people with an amazing message.  

Our next step, through this ministry Action169, is to continue tackling the issue here in the United States. Teamed up with co-founders & trusted volunteers, we have launched a Call to Action, which brings awareness of the issue and the needed response into the Church.  There has also been opportunity to pray for and assist in the training of frontline law-enforcement who are a significant part to putting an end to this injustice, an injustice that is happening closer to home than some may realize.  As a team, we are also reaching out to women in the commercial sex industry to bring a message that they are loved.

Our next step in moving forward, is to raise support in hopes of funding a safe room, a place where young women can find safety and restoration from a trafficking or exploitive situation.  

National & State of Minnesota

• The International Labor Organization conservatively estimates that 4.5 million people around the world are currently forced into sexual exploitation and 98% of these victims are women and girls. 
• At least 15,000 people are trafficking into the United States annually. 1  
• The FBI actually identified Minneapolis as one of the TOP 13 for child sex trafficking. 2
• 75%: Girls entangled in prostitution networks controlled by a sex trafficker or pimp. 3
• By very conservative measures, a November 2010 study found that each month in Minnesota at least 213 girls are sold for sex an average of five times per day through the Internet and escort services. This number does not include hotel, street or gang activity. 5
• In 2010, investigators from three states determined that Minneapolis was the home base of a large domestic prostitution (sex trafficking) ring comprised of three generations of one Minnesota family that was prostituting (trafficking) mostly young girls across the United States. 5 
• A November 2010 study found that on any given weekend night in Minnesota, 45 girls under age 18 are sold for sex through the internet classified websites & escort services. 3
• About 50% of adult women interviewed as part of a 2010 study focused on North Minneapolis stated that they first traded sex when they were under the age of 18, with the average age at 13. 6
• In just one 72-hour sting over the summer, an FBI-led operation rescued 105 children and netted 152 pimps in 76 cities nationwide, including four alleged pimps in the Twin Cities.

Wondering how you can help?

Action169 has a Freedom 5K 10K coming up in Fairmont, Minnesota August 6th, 2016. We would love to have you join us. Not a runner? We are also looking for volunteers to help with the race route. You can register as either a participant or a volunteer at www.FreedomRace2016.com.

Or, feel free to pray, or give to the vision and mission as we move forward!  We are a team of individuals with a passion within the marketplace to make a difference in today's world.  We do not take paychecks from the ministry and give 100% of the donations to the cause.

 Join us in the Mission to make a difference as a Freedom Fighter!!

To find out more about Action169, visit our website at Action169.com

Sources

1. U. S. Department of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

2. Richard J. Estes and Neil Weiner, “The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children In the U. S., Canada and Mexico,” University of Pennsylvania, February 2002.

3. The Schapiro Group, “Adolescent Girls in the United States Sex Trade." Tracking Study Results for November 2010

4. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Efforts to Combat Crimes Against Children, Chapter 4: Non-Cyber Sexual Exploitation of Children.

5. Chao Xiong and Allie Shah, StarTribune, “Somali Gang Linked to Minnesota Sex Ring,” September 23, 2010

6.  Martin, L. (2010). The prostitution project: Community-based research on sex trading in north Minneapolis. CURA Reporter, Fall-Winter 2010.

7. U.S. State Department, Trafficking in Persons Report, 2010

Payments...Payments..Payments...The New American Way

Prior the economy crash of 2008 we had just opened up a business back in 2005, had big business debt, multiple car payments, house payments, credit card payments, Jenna's student loans and more.  We were living what we thought was the American Dream. I remembered being buried in payments and even thought about taking a loan out for a recreational vehicle, pure craziness.  All while avoiding planning for the future and leaving a legacy for our children.  An old proverb says.. "A wise man leaves an inheritance for his children's children." Turns out when its all on payments it's really the not the all american dream.  We had taken on mindset if we want it lets get it now.  We avoided the process of discipline and hard work required to grit it out and save the money for a season or two before making the purchase. We had fallen victim to the instant gratification mindset which had to be changed.  Goes back to the old proverb, "the borrower is servant to the lender." Just can't get around that ancient proverb even if all the financial experts disagree today.  Unfortunately when the economy started to crumble in 2008 and our main source of income began to decrease, it was pretty tough to keep up with a lifestyle of payments when cash flow goes down.  At this time we had been using AdvoCare products for over a year and I can remember opening the company's Impact magazine and seeing the first guiding principle. 1. Honor God through our Faith, Family & Friends.  I remember thinking their is something here.  We got to our first success school in the summer of 2008 and caught the vision of building a plan b income and heard the message of debt freedom and becoming more in life.  This resonated with our hearts!  The message caused us to take action in a down economy and start building a plan b income with AdvoCare. Over time it allowed us to eliminate debt, pay off the cars, credit cards and all the extra baggage and start saving for our future and the future of our children.  When you develop a business that pays you a great part time income it can allow you to use all the extra cash earned to meet the needs and pay down the debt.  Long-term it can set you on course to have a part time plan b income, full time income or a great lifestyle of freedom.  For our family and those we have helped it has been important to get a budget, cut added expenses and increase your total income by adding a plan b business venture on the side.  This allows you to gain major momentum to pay down your debt quicker and start gaining traction with your plan.  Residual income is unlike any other income out there because it still comes in when you are on a family vacation, taking a day to go to your kids ball game, or giving your time to a passion of your heart.  It pays big long-term to build a plan b income, especially these days! You just never know what is around the corner. Our goal is to help people and families fill in the gap between the income they have and the income they want.

-What would you do if you had a life without payments?  

-Where would you go on vacation?  Who would you take with?  

-What organization would you give too?  

-What would you do with extra time?  

Looking for a great part time business opportunity to build on a part time level.  

Let us know how we can help!  

www.MeetMikeandJenna.com

If Nothing Changes...Nothing Changes

Looking for Change in 2016?

We have met many goals that we set for 2015 and we missed a couple goals that we set for 2015. But the most important part is that we set out with a Vision and Goals for the year.  8 years back I had no goals for the new year and found my life not really going anywhere better the following year.  Funny thing happened, we starting getting a vision and setting goals and our life began to move in a new and better direction.  Steps to a Better 2016:

1.  Pick a theme word for your 2016.  One word that you can focus on or be in 2016.  My theme for the year is COMMUNITY.

2.  Get a Vision of what you want your life to look like at the end of the year. This is the directon your life will begin to go as you change your thinking in that direction. 

 Here are the 4 areas we set goals in every year.   Then below we will write 3 action steps to make sure we move in that direction.  3 Keys to making each goal happen.

1.  Faith Life                                    1.                                             2.                                           3.

2.  Family Life                                1.                                             2.                                           3.

3.  Health Goals                             1.                                             2.                                           3.

4.  Financial Goals.                        1.                                             2.                                           3.  

The most important part of this plan is getting your Vision in place and then setting your goals as part of the road map to get to your ultimate vision. Your life will begin to change according to the course you set.  Set your sail in the right direction in 2016. It is vital for your future!

3.  The Next part of the Mission is actually the KEY.  We have set many goals and worked with many people who have set goals.  Some people achieve them and some do not.  WHY?  There is one key ingredient that makes it all happen, one word...GO!  It is ACTION that separates the dreamers and the doers. Be a person of Action in 2016 and watch things begin to change!