Aloha from Anchorage, Alaska! (That’s a thing- AK and HI are tight).
Long-lasting structures are built on a solid foundation. My plan was to get to Alaska and immediately begin the Love Justice International(LJI) Transit Monitoring protocol at Ted Steven’s airport. The immediacy of that kind of project is the very thing that motivated me to make big life changes; career change, home change, geographic change. Imagine the disappointment everyone involved has felt while red tape binds the first domestic LJI project so tightly that execution is futile. Thankfully, we’ve got a foreman at work who sees all, knows all, and has been busy getting the all-important cornerstone* of our foundation into place.
*Isaiah 28:16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation, the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
If there is any life lesson I have learned well it is to remain calm and keep looking up when I don’t get my way. Okay, maybe not immediately… but right after I pick myself up from the ugly end of a hissy-fit I’ve gotten pretty good at wiping the tears and listening to what the next “good” course of action should be. Years of imposed disappointment and recalibration have shortened the length of the hissy time because I’ve seen and tasted the good grace that patience serves up. My time thus far in Anchorage has given me even more proof that yes, His ways are not my own, and yes, He’s building something so much bigger, stronger, and longer-lasting than I could have ever imagined. We'll get the Memorandum of Understanding required to Transit Monitor at the airport squared away this summer, but until then - we build.
In last month’s update, I shared about my new gig with the State of Alaska Department of Safety in the Sex Offender Registry(SOR). My job is to research files of out-of-state offenders who have landed in Alaska and provide our legal team with a complete story so they can mandate registration requirements. I’ve discovered a big difference in just hearing about sexual abuse or even watching a movie depicting assault, compared to reading a detailed arrest report. The age of the victim is a paramount requirement in a SOR legal assessment so taking in these details is unavoidable. Early on I would leave the desk feeling dirty, helpless, and grieved. Navigating the shock of realizing that 99.9% of the time a sexual assault is committed by a non-stranger; someone the victim knew and probably knew well. Picturing the conscious planning it takes to pull off the drugging and rape of a disabled adult. Contemplating the lies told to a family in order to get alone time with their child. Understanding that not only the lives of the victims are altered in these crimes but that of the reporting officers as well. Responding officers having to hold a kid's arms and legs so as not to get punched and kicked because the evil step-Dad skillfully brainwashed a young mind to believe that good is bad and bad is good. Imagine being told, under threat of your sibling’s murder, that anyone interrupting the incest and abuse that pervades your family should be hated and attacked. I left the office every day feeling like the world we live in is beyond repair. The distressed equivalent of my impatient hissy-fit.
We have a LOT of people praying for this project and the fight against human trafficking. Their petitions are not returned void. In short order, I realized that silently praying for every life in these stories as I pull records together allows me to not only trust that the Lion will get His justice so I don’t have to spend even a minute fantasizing about revenge, but to also rest knowing that our Father doesn’t have grand-kids; only His children. HE'S GOT THIS! And turns out I’m pretty good at this job. I’m learning about the generational impact of sex abuse and how the mind of an Offender operates. I’m learning what lies and landmines I’ll need to navigate in working with a survivor and understanding what State Statutes and Penal Codes come into play when charging these crimes. Solid stones in a strong foundation for the fight.
Suite Hope is the resident property of the Downtown Soup Kitchen Hope Center where I live and work as Property Manager in exchange for my sweet, Suite. Feed Me Hope is a Culinary and Bakery Vocational Training Program offered to individuals willing to stick it out and work through the 16-week program encompassing all the skills they need to be successful in the real-world workforce. A hand up as opposed to a hand-out and as an added bonus the opportunity to live in a comfortable shared-apartment at Suite Hope. Building relationships with these determined people are producing even more insights into the lives of the victimized, how Traffickers work, and what manipulations occur in order to get a person into ‘life’ on the street. The insight I would never have tapped into without this opportunity to live and work across the street from the women’s shelter. Big bricks in that expanding foundation. Life here isn’t without its tests. There have been sleepless nights, police reports, and broken restraining orders. Strong bricks require hardening by fire.
The foundation is being built soundly. The frame is ready to raise. With continued patience and minimal hissy fits we'll see this structure raise plum and in budget. Meanwhile, LJI continues to intercept potential victims worldwide before they are trafficked and to date, more than 28,000 people are celebrating survival. With so much harm being inflicted on the innocent today it’s hard to know where to invest but I can attest firsthand that the fight against human trafficking relies on the foundational support of people contributing their time, finances, and heart. Thank you for your continued support in whatever way you are providing for this fight!
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