#Dressember Is...And How You Can Join Me

The numbers are absolutely staggering. The amount of people enslaved to human trafficking around the world adds up to be over 27 million. Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime worldwide and if we look at the statistics with human eyes, we may see a hopeless situation.

I believe there's hope and I'm willing to give up a bit of comfort if it will bring someone else freedom. 

Dressember is a movement of women who wear nothing but dresses for the month of December to raise awareness & money that is donated to the International Justice Mission. IJM is actively fighting against human trafficking in places like Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, & South Asia. They're on the ground in these places and literally rescuing all the people they can.

Before I step up onto a "soap box" about how real human trafficking is and how it's probably happening right in your own neighborhood...or not too far away from there, I want to share my heart.  *kicks soap box to the side*

At one point in my life, I found myself in an abusive and controlling relationship. There were days I would drive over to where my boyfriend was and he would tell me he was going out with his buddies. But instead of me going home, he wanted me to wait for him...in his room...shut up in his closet. Yes, this really happened. I sat for what felt like forever with no food or drink while he was at peace doing whatever he was doing, knowing I wasn't going anywhere. This was the lowest of low points in my life. I have no idea exactly how or why I ended up in that sort of relationship, but there I was.

The catch is, while many people begged me to leave the relationship, only one person showed me a way to freedom. She took me, after I had just attempted suicide the night before, to run errands with her. She said to me, "You're coming with me and you're not going to see him today". I was safe that day. And while it took time, I figured out how to find that freedom permanently for myself...by the grace of God.

In October of this year I went to Allume and I had an opportunity to work with Dayspring and (in)courage, teaming up with a local ministry that would take gifts to girls in trafficking right there in South Carolina. I wrote cards to strangers and I cried because a part of me understands their feelings of being "stuck". After that day, something began to stir up in my heart. I couldn't sit on the sidelines anymore. My heart said "Sister, I'm coming for you and you will see freedom". 

So here I am. Today, I'm taking steps to be involved in freeing people from trafficking. Every day during the month of December, I'll be wearing a dress. And yes, I live in a state that gets all 4 seasons and December does get very cold. I don't even own a ton of dresses, but this isn't about me looking good. This is about an end to human trafficking. This is about a picture that's bigger than me and what I happen to look like from day to day. {I'll share with  you what that picture looks like to me another time}

My goal? I want to raise $1,000 this month. This shouldn't be hard to do. If I could get every one of my Facebook Page "likers" to give just $1, I'd be over my goal. {I could milk the fact that this is my birthday month, but I won't. I'll just tell you that you can donate and consider my gift taken care of. ;) }

Follow me on Instagram where I'll be posting a pic a day of whatever dress action I have going on and you can also follow the hashtag  #Dressember or #Dressember2013 to see the movement as a whole. 

So, you want to donate and sponsor my Dressember? YES! I LOVE IT! Go to this link to make your donation and see where I am on my goal. This is something you can write off on your taxes and 100% goes to International Justice Mission!

PS: A family from my homeschool co-op is currently IN Southeast Asia training others how to go in and rescue more people. This is such a fun way for me to link my arm with them and be a small part of what they're doing. Thank you, readers & friends, for believing with me and standing for Justice! Let's knock it out of the ballpark this month!

Check out the adorable Blythe and listen to her talk about how Dressember was born.