It’s a big week at work and in light of the A21 Freedom Challenge, I will talk a little about slavery. [If you haven’t been following our cycle across Europe, you’re missing out!]  But I would like to talk about this in the scope of the big picture. Before we get myopic about issue of modern-day slavery, I want to bring to light that we live in a fallen and broken world.

There is death, disease, and dying all around us.
There is poverty, starvation, AIDS, a lack of water, shelter, safety.
There is a war in Afghanistan, there is a war we are waging with drug cartels, there are wars we are waging for souls and salvation, there is a war we are waging for freedom for the enslaved.
And dare I say there is an internal war many of us are waging against many of us even today.

There is a darkness that we are called into like a siren calling out to a sailor at sea, but instead of singing song of lure, it is a cry for help. Help me, help me please!

For the issue of human trafficking, the epidemic is massive. Currently around the globe there are over 27 million people enslaved generating 32 billion dollars of revenue a year. According to UNICEF, every 30 seconds someone is sucked into slavery. This is effecting every continent, every country, in every socio-economic structure.

The first time I heard about human trafficking I was overwhelmed. This is massive. I began processing this with those around me and one particular friend honestly asked, “What can you do? This is impossible!”

It was something in the way she said it. Something triggered a thought deep down in the caverns of my soul that echoed back, Yes! It’s impossible! That’s why we must do something.

See, I don’t know what God you serve, but I serve a God of the impossible. The God who caused the Red Sea to part, is the God who freed His children from slavery, is the God who caused manna to fall from heaven, and is the same God who ushered his people into the Promise Land.

This is the same God who in the New Testament kept his promise for a Savior, the same God who empowered His son to heal the blind, the lame, the maim, and the dead, is the same Savior who lived a sinless life and died a horrific death on a cross on Calvary and rose from a tomb three days later.

I don’t know what God YOU serve, but I serve a God of the impossible.

Do we as a people believe Hebrews 13:8, “God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow?” Do we believe that the God of Old Testament and the God of the New Testament is the God of today?

Then why don’t we act like it?

In the face of 27 million slaves across the world, as we stand knee-deep in the darkness of despair, as the facts and statistics desensitize and dehumanize the names and faces of the enslaved, we don’t cower away because the problem seems impossible! We stand brazenly, boldly, and with unwavering belief as we speak out Luke 1:37, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

My dad—who was an illegal alien into this country—asked me a profound question when I was entering graduate school. “Why would you want to waste you life doing something great for God?” I was taken back by his question, especially because he started a church on the concrete jungle streets of East Los Angeles, California and raised all his five kids to love, honor, and serve God.

He went onto explain that there are good people who don’t pretend to know God and are doing great things. “But why would you want to do good things, when God invites you to do impossible things?!”

2 Chronicles 16: 9 “ For the eyes of the Lord look to and fro throughout the entire earth, to show Himself strong to those who are loyal to Him.” What is impossible in your life right now? What seems overwhelming and daunting? Now let me ask you what God you serve.

Yes, statistics show that only 1% of human trafficking victims are rescued.
Yes, the average age of entry into human trafficking in the United States is 12.
Yes, roughly 18,000-30,000 minors in this country are trafficked against their will.
BUT GOD!

But God is faithful. But God is good. But God is merciful. But God is still in the business of doing the IMPOSSIBLE!

• In 2012, The A21 Campaign has convicted 25 traffickers in Greece alone.
• But God has allowed us to reach thousands of at-risk youth in Ukraine and Bulgaria to prevent them from being trafficked.
• But God rescued 32 Vietnamese slaves that we were able to help in Ukraine two weeks ago.
• But God has allowed us to see three babies born to trafficked women find freedom in our shelters across the globe.
• But God has opened doors for us to create a curriculum that will unroll in Georgia’s public high schools come January.
• But God has allowed us to assist in the safety and freedom of hundreds of girls in the sex slave trade.

Why? Because God can, will, and does do impossible things yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

[Check this dance party out! Our cyclists calmly celebrated making it to the highest peak of their ride: A21-Freedom-Challenge]