Anti-Human Trafficking Training

Human trafficking is the modern-day form of slavery. Victims of trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. There are currently over 27 million slaves worldwide, of which over 50% are children. It is estimated that this 32 billion-dollar industry will soon surpass the use of drugs and alcohol.

Young children, teenagers, men, and women are all victims. Approximately 600,000 to 800,000 people annually are trafficked across international borders, and thousands are trafficked into the United States. It is sickening to realize this industry employs people full-time to look for vulnerable victims in North America.

Wesleyan Women announces training to abolish human trafficking:
September 10-12, 2009
The Wesleyan Church World Headquarters
Fishers, Indiana

Who should attend?
Individuals, church and community leaders who are willing to learn and serve as trainers and caregivers of trafficking victims.

What is the curriculum?
The curriculum uses a community-based holistic approach to addressing the needs of trafficking survivors, and will be taught by professional trainers.

What will the training cover?
· Defining and understanding human trafficking
· Biblical framework for Christian response
· Trafficking in persons community assessment
· Cultural issues in trafficking and trauma
· A holistic approach to aftercare – understanding the spiritual, physical, psychological, and social needs of survivors
· Combating the demand for commercial sex

What is the cost?
$125 (due with the registration form)
This fee includes training, curriculum, meals: continental breakfast (Thursday-Saturday) lunch (Thursday–Saturday), and dinner (Thursday and Friday).
Transportation and lodging expenses are not included, but lodging in local homes is available for those coming long distances. Contact the Wesleyan Women office if you want to stay in a local home.

How do I register?
The following link will take you to the registration form:
https://regserv.wesleyan.org/eventmanager/OnlineRegistration.asp?EventCode=A1F

Churches Join Together to Host Auction Benefit

On Sunday, February 22, the Wesleyan churches in Colorado Springs hosted a joint potluck dinner and auction to raise funds for the 2009 Heart of Ministries Offering. "Vanna and Pat" (Marlene Bizub and Jim Lawson) assisted the bidders and provided many opportunities for laughter along the way! This offering suppports both domestic and overseas ministries. Click here for more detailed information and to view the Heart of Ministries Videos: http://www.wesleyan.org/ww/. Thanks to everyone who participated in this enjoyable evening for a terrific cause!

Am I Beautiful?

Every little girl seems to be born with a desire to know she is beautiful. It begins with dress-up clothes, princess costumes, and twirling endlessly in front of the mirror. But as little girls grow into young women, they may give up the pretending and the costumes, but the question always remains in their minds…longing to be answered…”Am I beautiful?” To some extent, this question creates an insatiable appetite for affirmation, and many women have learned the sad consequences that accompany this search to know they are beautiful to someone. So as Christian women, how do we let God be the one to affirm our beauty?

First, we must settle the fact that there is a huge difference between inner and outer beauty. Although we should do our best with what God has given us to work with in regard to outward appearance, this type of beauty is superficial, and will never last. But as we focus on inner beauty, what qualities should we look for? How can I tell if God thinks I am a beautiful woman? Although a beautiful woman consistently displays godly attributes such as the Fruit of the Spirit, I recently discovered some additional descriptions of beauty that I believe are worth contemplating:
· Beauty speaks…and assures others that all will be well.
· Beauty is peaceful and at rest…not anxious.
· Beauty is inviting…it captures you, makes you want to sit down and drink it in, holds your attention.
· Beauty nourishes…a kind of food our soul craves.
· Beauty comforts…and is profoundly healing.
· Beauty inspires…it calls us to something higher.
· Beauty is transcendent…it is our most immediate experience of the eternal. It draws us to God.

This author goes on to state, “Every woman has a beauty to unveil, an essence that is given to her at creation, because she bears the image of God” (from Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge).

Ladies, if there is a beautiful woman in your life…make sure you tell her this week, and be sure to tell her why you find her beautiful. God wants to use you as an instrument of His grace to speak life-changing truth into another woman’s life! What a tragedy it would be for her to go through life never hearing that she is truly beautiful! And I pray that God brings someone into your life to affirm your inner beauty as well.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. --Proverbs 31:30