Day 2- Kristen.

On day 2 of Dressember you get the privilege of meeting Kristen. She's also a senior at NW majoring in nursing. Kristen's passion for justice and desire to serve the Kingdom shines through everything she does. ALSO, Kristen will be wearing this same black dress for the next 30 days! 

"I'm participating in Dressember because I believe in the individual beauty and creativity of each woman who walks this earth, including the 30 million women who find themselves in slavery.  I'm participating in Dressember with the women and children of Goa, India specifically on my heart and mind.  This past summer I had the chance to spend six weeks getting to know so many stories of these beautiful individuals who find themselves in such diverse and challenging circumstances.  And one of those circumstances includes finding themselves at a very high risk for becoming victims of sex trafficking.  This issue has pulled at my heart for a couple of years now, and I'm thankful for events like Dressember that allow so many of us to be involved in the fight to end slavery.  Dressember shows that fighting for justice can be creative, unique, and diverse.  May we use our individual voices and passions to bring hope to the 30 million. "

Fact for today: Human trafficking generates more than $32 billion annually. This is twice as much as Starbucks profits in one year.

Dressember day 1.

Dressember is officially here, folks! Goodbye pants and hello dresses. For the next 31 days, I hope to do a daily profile of different people participating in Dressember. We'll have a short introduction, and a snip-it of why they've chosen to participate. Remember, no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Dressember is about solidarity. It's about joining forces to make our voices heard and fight for the oppressed. So here are a few of our voices:


   Many of you know me, as this blog is home for me, but I'm Kelsey and I'm participating in Dressember because I believe in freedom for all women. I believe we're called to be a voice for the voiceless. I'm a Jesus follower, justice seeker, and coffee enthusiast. I'm finishing up my senior year at Northwestern, and hope to have those little letters, "RN, BSN" behind my name in six months. I have a heart for the nations, which is what originally gave me such a passion to fight human trafficking.

    In June 2013 I hopped on board a plane to live in Bangalore, India for two months. I worked with an anti-trafficking organization doing prevention work in the slums, cleaning in an HIV hospital, and working in an aftercare center. There, I fell in love with 28 women who had survived the horrific injustices of sex-trafficking. I saw their scars, learned their names, and heard their stories. I saw women, unsure of their own age, who endured greater injustices than I can even fathom. The number of people trafficked globally- 27 million suddenly became so much more real to me. Because for me, some women included in that number are women oh so dear to my heart. They are women who have touched my heart and changed my life. They are strong, joyful, and they are over-comers! So I'm participating in Dressember for these 28 women and the millions of others out there who I haven't met because I believe that each and every one of them is a beloved daughter of the King! By simply wearing a dress for 31 days I hope to shine a light on slavery and raise awareness in order to free women around the world. I have a voice, and this December I am using it. Your voice matters, too, and our voices are louder together. 

Fact for the day:  Human trafficking, as defined by the Trafficking in Persons Report is "The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery."

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise/team?ftid=38529

Give Thanks in All Circumstances.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

In this season of giving thanks, I have so much to be thankful for, but more than anything else this Thanksgiving I am thankful for the verse above. I am thankful that in Christ I can truly give thanks in all circumstances. You see, for a long time I didn't understand this. I read 1 Thessalonians during times when disease, injustice, and death surrounded me and I thought, "Really Lord? You want me to be thankful now? You want me to be joyful? No thanks." But in Christ we can be joyful in the midst of sorrow and suffering. We can give thanks, and we don't have to give thanks for a particular circumstance but we do give thanks in all circumstances. Because even death cannot separate us from the love of Christ! What joy! My #SheReadsTruth study said, "God doesn’t ask us to silence our sorrow in favor of thanksgiving. Rather, He uses our sorrow to proclaim a type of thanksgiving we wouldn’t be able to express otherwise." On Tuesday, we had to say goodbye to a man that I loved so, so dearly. And it can be difficult to find joy in that and give thanks through the tears and sorrow, but we didn't have to really say goodbye. I have no doubt in my mind that one day I will once again hug Pete and hear him say, "Hey sweetie!" I have no doubt that he is walking on streets of gold and celebrating our Risen Savior. And that my friends, is the greatest joy I could ever imagine.  

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:35-39

I am also thankful for the every day things. I am thankful for my freedom. I'm thankful that I woke up this morning, in a home, to parents who love me more than anything. I'm thankful that I could curl my hair and feel pretty. I'm thankful that I had a meal that I walked away from overly stuffed. I'm thankful for the many, many people in my life who encourage and strengthen me. I'm thankful for the basic things that I probably forget to be thankful for each day. This morning I was thinking about how Dressember is only 3 days away, which reminded me of all the women around the world who may not have any of the things I just listed. They may have woken up this morning in a brothel or truck stop, not even knowing what love truly looks like. So today I will rejoice, give thanks, and pray for those who may not be so thankful today. 

Dressember

This December I will be participating in Dressember with several other men and women on Northwestern's Campus and even more around the world. Dressember is a movement that uses creativity to restore dignity to all women. The heart of Dressember is freedom, which many of you know is my heart as well. 

Women around the world are locking arms to fight one of the greatest injustices of our time, but on Northwestern's Campus we're blessed to have men participating as well. So for all 31 cold days of December, I'll be wearing a dress (and guys participating will be wearing ties, so we've named our campaign 'Dress(up)ember'). For those of you who know me, I don't often wear dresses and I surely don't in the dead of winter in Iowa. As they days have been getting colder, I've often had negative thoughts about running across campus in tights and a dress in a negative seven windchill, but then my mind goes back to my beloved sisters in India. I remember the pain they carried with them on a daily basis from years of abuse. I remember their sweet hands grabbing mine as I entered the aftercare center. I remember painting pictures of God's love. And most of all I remember their joy despite their trials, and "suffering" through wearing a dress in the cold for 31 days seems like nothing. So I'm doing this for them. 

Some of you may be curious how Dressember actually helps fight for freedom, and it's a valid question. By wearing a dress every day during the month of December I am embracing my freedom on behalf of those who aren't allowed to live free, vibrant lives. Wearing a dress when it's below freezing for 31 days is also pretty strange, and people will ask questions. These questions are the perfect opportunity for me to share about the 30 million in slavery today. This campaign gives me an opportunity to share my heart for the enslaved and the oppressed! So Dressember spreads awareness of modern day slavery, but seeking justice goes beyond awareness. So for the second year, all funds raised during Dressember 2014 will go to support the work of International Justice Mission. IJM is a human rights organization that seeks to bring rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and violent oppression. In 2013, over $165,000 was raised for IJM. The average rescue operation costs $4,500 so that's 37 rescue operations funded by Dressember. Education for one year of college for a survivor of trafficking is $886. 186 victims could receive education because of Dressember 2013. You CAN make a difference.

So please join me in my fight to end human trafficking. You can do so first by joining me in prayer. Pray for the victims, pray for organizations fighting human trafficking, pray for those at risk, and pray for the traffickers. Second, you can join our team to raise your own funds (or you can choose not to make an online profile and simply participate)! Or third, you can donate to support the cause. I would love for you to pledge a dollar a day, or even 50 cents a day. Anything can make a difference and I'd be beyond grateful if you joined me in this cause. The link to our team page is here: https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise/team?ftid=38529 and my individual page is: https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=358674 

Northstar '14

This past weekend I traveled down to Nashville with 10 others from Northwestern to attend Northstar. I've received many questions like, "What is Northstar?" "What does IJM stand for?" "Why did you drive so far for that?" "How was it?" So I decided to write and answer these questions and share what the Lord taught me over the weekend. 

Northstar is a leadership conference for college students passionate about leading the justice movement in the name of Jesus. The conference is put on by International Justice Mission, or IJM. IJM is an organization inspired by God's call to love all people and seek justice for the oppressed. Their vision is to rescue thousands, protect millions, and prove that justice for the poor is possible. They hope to end modern day slavery and this conference was to gather student leaders who have the same dream. Throughout the weekend we had the opportunity to hear from IJM employees, soak in wisdom from Donald Miller, worship our Father, and dwell in the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

This weekend was refreshing and encouraging. It was encouraging to see 250 people gathered together who all share the same passion of ending human trafficking. It was refreshing to hear stories of success and be reminded of how victorious our Savior is. I left tired, but so alive; hurting, but joyful; confused, but yet at peace. 

You see, human trafficking is a big problem and too often it's simply overwhelming. It seems like such a big problem that I get tricked into thinking I can't make a difference. But in these moments, I'm forgetting of how great a God I serve. I serve a God who shows up. I serve a God who is going to be victorious. I serve a God who hates injustice and when His people respond to the call of fighting injustice, He shows up. But we have to respond. So whether that's through prayer, advocating, or fundraising we're called to act and it does matter! During the weekend, we heard from an IJM investigator working in the field and with tears in his eyes he said, "It matters." Those two words are burned in my brain. Without prayer, he could not perform rescues and without financial support he could not even be in the field. 

I often feel pressure to do a certain thing, especially as a college senior. I don't know what's next and I'm scared to make the "wrong" decision. And I feel like since I have such a passion for justice and for the oppressed that I have to do a certain job, specifically doing justice (whatever that looks like), while using all my nursing skills. So I have to be starting IVs on really poor people, maybe in a different country? What? Uhm, nope. I mean, maybe..but not necessarily. As long as I seek to glorify God with my passions and do my best at whatever I do, He'll use that to seek justice and further His Kingdom. I focus too much on me, when I need to focus on my Savior. I need to rest in the fact that He is faithful, good, and sovereign. 

[One more tidbit of the Lord's faithfulness: I spent 7 weeks in India with Erin in 2013 and we got to spend time together at Northstar. Her joy is contagious, and she encouraged me to no end in less than 24 hours. Saying goodbye in the Germany airport last July I never would have thought we would be worshiping the Lord together in Nashville the next October. God is good]