Restoration Ministries

In the midst of darkness, an RM case worker sees glimmers of incredible Hope:

2011-11-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

As a counselor in training I have always had hopeful aspirations of “changing lives”. It has always been my heart’s desire to be used by the Lord to bring hope and healing to the broken that He loves so much. What those of us in the helping professions often don’t consider is that in our attempt to change lives we will be radically changed ourselves.

At Restoration Ministries we go into the youth detention center and the psychiatric hospital each week and the girls share their lives with us. We are allowed the privilege to walk with them through their pain. As we meet them where they are each week they begin to let down their guard. They embrace us even with all our imperfections and over time relationships begin to form. We see the Lord touch their lives and as a result we are changed.

Through this process the Lord has radically shifted my view of life through my interactions with these girls. As I hear their stories of brokenness I am overwhelmed by such deep pain that only He can heal; but I am also witness to their hope, strength, and resiliency. I am amazed each week at how He is faithful to move in our midst. It is the seemingly small moments that have the greatest impact on me in this ministry.

My first day as I walked through six doors that slammed locked behind me at the youth detention center something deep within me shook. I entered the classroom and looked into the eyes of 8 young girls that sat sleepily in front of me and thought "they are just kids Lord, how can they be here?” They went on to share their hopes and dreams with us that day. They had such big dreams for their future; they wanted to travel, to be doctors, lawyers, counselors, and artists.

As I sat with one young lady during her craft she began to open up to me, “I want to change my life when I get out of here and I don’t want to end up back here” she said, “I want to be a counselor and to help people who have been through the pain I have been through”. She beamed from ear to ear as we continued to talk about her goals and I had the opportunity to speak God’s truth into her life. As group came to a close she hugged me tightly and thanked me for talking to her. I was overwhelmed with God’s love for her and began to get just a small glimpse of why we do what we do at RM.

In the past two months I have seen more than 80 different girls, each with a story to tell if someone would just take the time to listen. In September, we met Lisa* who cried as she shared with the group that she felt like she had no value. Her father sexually abused her then stuffed her in a trash can filled with water to drown her.

In October, we met Daija* who shared that she was ashamed because her aunt tied her to a chair and made her watch pornography when she was 7 years old. We also met Cassie* who had the entire group in tears as she shared about her former heroin addiction and how she wanted to change, but nobody in her life believed in her. Everyone from her parents to her judge told her she was nothing but a menace to society who could never be anything, but trouble. She sobbed as she screamed, “I just want to be loved is that too much to ask?”. The girls in group hugged her and we cried with her as we told her we loved her and about God’s love for her. The entire group asked for prayer that day. The stories could go on and on, they never get easier to hear, but they all impact us and cause us to look to the only ONE who can heal hurt this deep.

Perhaps the most impactful experience for me was my encounter with a 15 year old girl named Mariah*. After group one day Mariah was sharing her story with one of the other RM team members. She became overwhelmed by her pain and ran back into the classroom in tears. I sat next to her on the sofa and she fell into my arms. As she sobbed she whispered through her tears “it’s not my fault, I’m scared and I don’t want to die”. When I asked her why she feared for her life she was too overwhelmed to share, so I asked her if I could pray for her. I held her in my arms and prayed over her until she was calm enough to talk. She went on to share with me that she had been forced to have sex, beaten, and held at gun point several times when she ran away from home and she didn’t feel safe going back. In the past month we have continued to work together both in group and on an individual basis. I have seen tremendous progress. As she continues to share her story with me, God brings opportunities for me to share His love and His plan for her life. In addition to talking about her story, we have worked on coping skills for her anxiety and goal setting for the future. However, most importantly she agreed to let me share her story with her social worker so that she can get the help she needs when she leaves the hospital. There is still tremendous healing that needs to take place, but the healing process has begun. God in His goodness has given me the grace to take part in that healing process even if only for a short time.

In this ministry stories like these are endless. Some people ask me if I get mad at God for the horrible things I hear or if I feel hopeless. The answer is no; I see the hope every day. We continue to show up and in turn God is faithful to show up as well. I have realized we may be the only love and truth some of these girls ever experience. Lives are changed one moment at a time as we continue to yield ourselves and allow ourselves to be used by God.

Written by M.C., posted by L.L.

2011 DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Several members of the RM team!

Starting the walk to the fantastic, upbeat drums!

Thank you to those of you who came out and supported Restoration Ministries at the 2011 DC SMS walk! It was a beautiful, crisp October morning and activists from all over the D.C. metro area were energetic as we joined other anti-human trafficking organizations to take a stand against modern day slavery. Check out our album on Facebook to see more pictures: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.265087550193573.55121.123643591004637&type=1

DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk - This Saturday!

2011-10-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Join us this Upcoming Saturday, October 22, 2011 for the D.C. Stop Modern Slavery Walk. Join hundreds of other advocates against modern slavery and human trafficking as we walk on the mall taking a stand against injustice. Sign up at: http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=482690 and join the Restoration Ministries team.

From the event website: The event will include a 5K walk, anti-trafficking resource fair, luminary speakers, and incredible musical performances.

Schedule:

8:00 - 9:00 am - Check-in
9:00 am - Walk Begins
10:15 am - Performers, Speakers & Information Fair Begins
1:00 pm - Event Ends

How:
All participants must register to walk. Children 13 and under can participate for free, but must also register (required by the National Park Service).

Length of Walk:
5K (3.1 miles)
There is also an alternate .5 mile walk around the pond by the family activity area.

Where:
National Mall - Constitution Gardens
Constitution Avenue NW and 20th St NW Washington DC

Celebrating 8 years of service, Restoration Ministries hosts the annual Esperanza Award Banquet

2011-10-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. Benjamin Keyes receiving the Esperanza Award and Candace Wheeler (Founder and Director of Restoration Ministries)

On Friday, September 23, 2011, Restoration Ministries held their annual fall banquet at the Fairfax Country Club. Supporters and advocates gathered together to celebrate Restoration Ministries' 8 years of service. Dr. Benjamin Keyes, Director of Regent's Universities Center for Trauma Studies was awarded this year's Esperanza (Hope) Award for his development of the HEART therapeutic model in working with survivors of trauma. Good food and good times were had by all! Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!

Please Join Us for the 2011 Esperanza Awards!

2011-09-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

Restoration Ministries Annual Celebration

Friday, September 23, 2011
Reception at 6:00 pm
Dinner 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Country Club of Fairfax
5110 Ox Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22030

Honoree and Keynote Speaker Dr. Benjamin Keyes
Ph D, Ed. D., LPC
Author of HEART, Healing Emotional Affective Responses to Trauma; clinical application
Regent University, School of Psychology and Counseling

Cost: $100 for Individual Ticket
RSVP by: Tuesday, September 20, 2011
For more information email: info@restorationministriesdc.org

Ambassadors of Restoration

2011-09-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

Restoration Ministries is pleased to announce the launch the Ambassadors of Restoration Program, a non-direct service opportunity for students, small groups and churches from all over the United States to advocate for the survivors of domestic sex trafficking. Ambassadors will have the opportunity to learn about the issue for themselves as well as raise awareness in their communities.

For more information about how you can become and Ambassador of Restoration, please contact Tanya at tanya@restorationministriesdc.org

International Christian Alliance on Prostitution 2011 Conference

2011-08-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

“Liminality”. This new word struck a cord with me as I sat in a workshop during the 2011 International Christian Alliance on Prostitution (ICAP) Conference. Liminality, I learned means “the place in-between”. The workshop leader emphasized the importance of making space for the survivors you work with to ask questions, wrestle with the “Why’s?, and take some time in that place in-between their trauma and healing.

This year’s conference was held at the serene Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, WI. This lakeside retreat was perfect for direct service providers, those fighting on the front lines against human trafficking and prostitution around the globe. It was a breath of fresh air for the individuals and organizations who give endless time, energy, and God-given passion to serve such a unique demographic.

40 countries were represented at this year’s conference. Members from each country proudly sang worship in their own tongue, wore beautiful native dress, and came to share what the Lord is doing with survivors in other areas of the world. In addition to offering therapeutic services, many of these organizations offer training in a new trade or skill. They sold beautiful hand-made jewelry, scarves, purses, clothes and pieces of art.

The speakers, Elsy Carvlho, Jill Briscoe, and Rhea Briscoe used their hearts for ministry to refresh and re-energize the ICAP community. God spoke through these dynamic women to encourage everyone in attendance.

From the ICAP website: “The International Christian Alliance on Prostitution (ICAP) unites, equips and empowers practitioners and advocates who compassionately challenge injustice and offer freedom to people exploited by prostitution, including sex trafficking.” To learn more, please visit www.ICAPglobal.org.

(L.L.)

Honor your Mom this Mother's Day with a gift to Restoration Ministries!

2011-05-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Celebrate your mother this Mother’s Day with a donation made in her honor to Restoration Ministries, a Christ-centered organization in Washington, DC that works directly with young women who have fallen victim to sex trafficking. Your gift will help to fund therapeutic programs for these young women.

If you would like to make a gift to Restoration Ministries, please visit our website at www.restorationministriesdc.org and click Donate. Or you may send checks made payable to Restoration Ministries to:

Restoration Ministries

PO Box 15674

Washington, DC 20003

Please use the certificate below to let the special woman in your life know how much she means to you.

Happy Mother’s Day!

To:

From:

In your honor, a gift of hope for sexually

exploited girls has been given to

Restoration Ministries.

This ministry seeks to bring wholeness to those caught

in the trap of sex trafficking. The gift helps to fund

therapeutic programs from these young women.

Restoration Ministries

www.restorationministriesdc.org

4th Annual RM Benefit Concert - a Huge Success!

2011-03-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

Boris Arratia played beautifully during the Friday evening concert.

The MC for the evening was Maegan Stout of National Community Church. Here she is interviewing Candace Wheeler, founder and director of RM and Lydia Lund, a case manager for RM.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the work of Restoration Ministries in the Washington D.C. area and beyond - we cannot do this work without you!

Please join us for our 4th Annual Benefit Concert at 7:30 pm on March 4 at Ebenezers Coffeehouse!

2011-02-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

If you would like an e-copy of this poster, please email lydia@restorationministriesdc.org and we will get one to you. Invite your friends and join us for an evening of music talent and giving to the important work of Restoration Ministries!

Please join us February 12, February 26, March 12 and March 26 at Washington Community Fellowship for:

2011-02-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

CNN: Washington DC is used as the prime example

2010-08-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sold on Craigslist: Critics say sex ad crackdown inadequate

Laurel, Maryland (CNN) -- On a late afternoon in early June, undercover police officers circled a one-story highway motel north of Washington. Inside was a 12-year-old girl who told her mother she was being forced to work as a prostitute.

According to her mother, the girl had started running away from home earlier this year. She found out her daughter was in the sex trade when she saw her in an adult online classified ad. The girl was advertising herself as a 24-year-old with a bogus name. The next time she ran away, her mother reported her missing.

Read the police press release

According to police and anti-trafficking advocates, the internet has now become the preferred way to sell women for sex. It's fast and convenient for the pimps and relatively safe for the men who pay for sex. Instead of trolling the streets, they can now look through hundreds of girls from the safety of their homes or hotels.

This time, the girl was lucky. She called home, and the call was traced to a Knight's Inn in Laurel, Maryland, where police were quickly on the scene. They rescued the girl and arrested a 42-year-old man and charged him with human trafficking.

Of all the sites that offer "adult services," Craigslist is one of the most popular. The online classified ad site is used regularly by about 50 million Americans for everything from buying used lawn furniture to finding a job or a roommate.

It's also used to sell sex, making Craigslist a prime target of a nationwide campaign against internet prostitution."Most of the young women we've worked with who have been exploited online talk about Craigslist," said Andrea Powell of the anti-trafficking group The FAIR Fund. "Craigslist is like the Wal-Mart of online sex trafficking right now in this country."

According to police who investigated the case of the missing 12-year-old, she had previously advertised on Craigslist under a false name and age. Craigslist declined to provide copies of the ad, citing privacy concerns.

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark defended his site, saying it is doing more than any other site that hosts adult ads to help filter out underage prostitutes and report them to police.

In 2008, under pressure from state prosecutors, the website raised the fees for posting adult services ads. In 2009, it started donating portions of the money generated by adult ads to charity. Craigslist also began to manually screen all ads and said it would refer any suspected underage girls to law enforcement.

That's not good enough for anti-trafficking activists. For all its reforms, they say Craigslist still has no way of knowing whether the females being sold are women or girls and is doing too little to help police identify and rescue children who are being sold for sex.

A CNN investigation of Craigslist's "adult services" section, which replaced "erotic services ads" two years ago, counted more than 7,000 ads in a single day. Many offered thinly veiled "services" for anything from $50 for a half hour to $400 an hour.

Many of the ads had photographs attached, and in many of those it was difficult to tell whether the female was an adult or a minor. Ads with words suggestive of youth, like "young" and "fresh," received a flood of responses from men who clearly expected sex in exchange for money.

One 20-year-old said it's the easiest and cheapest way to get customers.

A 20-year-old identified only as "Jessica" works out of low-rent hotels on Washington's busy Interstate 95 corridor. She posts ads mid-morning for $10 and says she earns up to $250 from each man who answers and shows up. She told CNN her "man" -- her pimp -- was good to her, but that the vast majority of the females who post ads are run by pimps who force them to have sex with as many as a dozen men a day.

She said many of the prostitutes give everything they earn directly to the pimps. If they don't, they're beaten.

"Girls are called 'yes bitches' and 'no bitches.' Yes bitches are what the pimps want," Jessica said after applying makeup to cover bruising on her face. "My advice is if you're doing this to be a yes bitch. Otherwise, you're going to have a very hard time."

Just how many of the ads include children is extremely difficult to establish, but many of the photos that accompany the ads on Craigslist are questionable.

A classified posted alongside Jessica's ad in the Washington market showed an African-American woman in her underwear offering herself for $250 an hour. Like dozens of other pictures posted the same week, her face appeared very young.

According to internet research firm the AIM Group, Craigslist this year is expected to earn a third of its revenue -- more than $36 million -- from its adult services section alone.

AIM Group's summary report on Craigslist

Craigslist says any increased revenue is partly because it was required to charge more for adult ads under a 2008 agreement with government officials intended to curb the volume of online adult ads. But the amount it is earning has opened the website up to charges that it's profiting from the exploitation of women.

According to its own rules, Craigslist requires anyone using its adult services section to immediately report any suspicious ads to a national tip-line run by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The head of Washington's Metropolitan Police anti-prostitution unit said Craigslist "never" reports suspicious ads to his department.

"It does bother us from a law enforcement perspective, because the problem is so rampant that you know to get a handle on it we need all the assistance we can get," Metropolitan police inspector Brian Bray said. "If they're notifying, I'm not sure if they're notifying the right people, because we're not getting a call."

Craigslist spokeswoman Susan MacTavish told CNN in an e-mail that of all the websites that offer adult services ads, Craigslist is the leader in pushing users to report any suspected violation. She said the site cooperates fully with law enforcement, and that fewer than one ad in 10,000 meets the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's guidelines for anti-trafficking action.

MacTavish also noted that Craigslist requires anyone posting an ad to give the website a phone number, which is verified as being real. She said that because Craigslist follows the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's guidelines, the percentage of ads in its adult services section that are in fact children is "effectively zero."

The head of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said his group has recently started to get referrals from Craigslist, but that it has no direct say in how Craigslist determines what ads are worth reporting.

"We are not a part of their initial screening and review process, and don't see exactly what their screeners see or know how they make their determinations as to what is actionable and reportable," director Ernie Allen wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "We are now getting reports from them regarding suspected violations and that is a good thing. The key question is -- are they doing enough?"

To another national advocacy group, the Rebecca Project, there's only one answer to Craigslist's adult services dilemma: Shut it down.

The Rebecca Project has published open letters to Newmark from a former underage prostitute who says her pimp forced her to sell her body and used Craigslist to drum up customers.

"We hear this story every single day of girls who are being bought and sold, American girls who are being bought and sold through the internet," said Malika Saada Saar, executive director of the Rebecca Project.

Read Saada Saar's commentary on CNN.com

She believes many Americans are either unaware of just how many girls are being sold on sites like Craigslist or simply chose to ignore the problem.

"I think we have an easier time looking at these girls when they are in India or Thailand and being thoughtful or supportive of those girls," Sadaa Saar said. "But when those girls come from Southeast D.C., or Toledo, Ohio, or Atlanta, Georgia, we are challenged at being able to see them as victims. It's much easier to call them bad girls or girls acting out, as opposed to recognizing these are girls who are vulnerable, who are being raped and exploited

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/03/craigslist.sex.ads/index.html

Feeling Powerless

2010-07-15T07:46:00.001-07:00

"I had gotten word that one of the girls from the jail had been trafficked from out of state. I was praying all the way over to the jail because I hadn’t met her yet and wanted to make contact. This girl was in hysterics trying to find some reason for what had happened to her and what the next step was. Explaining what I did just didn’t seem good enough to help change the circumstances. I explained that I have no real power as far as decisions for her future were concerned, but yes I would be there to walk with her through it all. I left the jail feeling completely powerless.

The next day I went over to the jail to see her again as promised. She was crying with her knees to her chest rocking back and forth saying I want to go home. I asked her if she wanted a hug and she nodded; however, she did not reach her arms out to me. I wrapped my arms around her and prayed for her feeling a little bit of the burden she was carrying.

Over the course of last week the Lord worked in amazing ways. I kept asking Him, “What am I doing God that is actually changing her circumstances?” The answer He gave me: “You are changing everything…you are showing her My love.” I got a glimpse into how she felt powerless in her circumstances and I was able to emphasize knowing that I was journeying with her in this confusion. My ministry is a ministry of presence where I keep showing up day after day loving her, listening to her, laughing with her, and praying with her. After I went to court with her she told the other girls in the jail that court went well “because I was there”. She was bragging on me and wrapped her arms around me saying she loved me. She told me I’m the only one who listens to her and cares for her. There was my conformation. I just shook my head and smiled…thank you God…I needed that. I am right where you want me to be and God you are being glorified. Restoration Ministries gave her a gift last week that her mom told me she didn’t have, a bible, it was her first one.

Thank you God, for you are the one who saves and heals. It is a blessing feeling myself getting smaller because it is the weak He uses to proclaim His glory and spread forth His light."

Alysha Tagert

Street Outreach

2010-07-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

These are the girls we recently came in contact with during street outreach. Please read about this on Lloyd Wolf's photography blog. Thank you.
http://lloydwolfphoto.blogspot.com/2010/06/restoration-ministries-end-trafficking.html

DC SMS Walk

2010-06-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

RM has a team! Please join us for the walk. Go to walk.stopmodernslavery.org to join us and help raise money for RM and the fight against modern day slavery happening here in Washington D.C. If you have any questions please call our office 202.544.1731. Thank you!

In addition, RIJI Green is having a fundraiser for the DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk. For the entire month of July, every Act Justly messenger bag you purchase, RIJI Green will donate $1 to the Walk.

These bags not only make great gifts for your friends and family, but also provide economic opportunities for survivors and people at risk of trafficking.
Check out the bags here: http://rijigreen.com/node/41

A Way to Get Involved

2010-06-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

The DC Task Force on Human Trafficking is creating subcommittees and they are a great way for people to get involved. They are: Outreach/Awareness/Events 2. Training and 3. Communication. Start thinking about how and where you can serve. It is a great way to meet others who are interested in the movement and be involved in short-term projects instead of the long-term commitment that direct service requires. Individuals cannot join the TF but they can participated under RM.

For more information contact info@restorationministriesdc.org

Secretary Clinton Announces Release of 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report

2010-06-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Article taken from: http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/clinton_2010_tip_report

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the release of the 10th annual Trafficking in Persons Report on Monday, June 14, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State. Secretary Clinton said:

"This report provides in-depth assessments and recommendations for 177 countries, some of whom are making great progress toward abolishing the illicit trade in human beings. Others are still doing too little to stem the tide. But behind these statistics on the pages are the struggles of real human beings, the tears of families who may never see their children again, the despair and indignity of those suffering under the worst forms of exploitation. And through this report we bear witness to their experience and commit ourselves to abolishing this horrible crime.

"Human trafficking crosses cultures and continents. I've met survivors of trafficking and their families, along with brave men and women in both the public and the private sector who have stood up against this terrible crime. All of us have a responsibility to bring this practice to an end. Survivors must be supported and their families aided and comforted, but we cannot turn our responsibility for doing that over to nongovernmental organizations or the faith community. Traffickers must be brought to justice. And we can't just blame international organized crime and rely on law enforcement to pursue them. It is everyone's responsibility. Businesses that knowingly profit or exhibit reckless disregard about their supply chains, governments that turn a blind eye or do not devote serious resources to addressing the problem, all of us have to speak out and act forcefully.

"Now, we talk often here in the State Department about shared responsibility. Indeed, it is a core principle of our foreign policy. So we have to ensure that our policies live up to our ideals. And that is why we have for the first time included the United States. As this report documents, cases of trafficking persons are found in our own communities. In some cases, foreign workers drawn by the hope of a better life in America are trapped by abusive employers. And there are Americans, unfortunately, who are held in sexual slavery. Some find themselves trapped through debt to work against their will in conditions of modern-day bondage. And this report sends a clear message to all of our countrymen and women: human trafficking is not someone else's problem. Involuntary servitude is not something we can ignore or hope doesn't exist in our own community.

"I'm very proud of the bipartisan commitment and leadership that the United States has shown on this issue over many years. For the Obama Administration, combating this crime is a top priority. And the United States funds 140 anti-trafficking programs in nearly 70 countries, as well as supporting 38 domestic task forces that bring state and local authorities together with NGOs like many represented in this room.

"It's been 10 years since the United Nations Trafficking in Persons Protocol was negotiated and the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act was enacted, and I was very proud to have worked on both of those in a prior life sometime back. And under the paradigm of the three Ps -- prevention, protection, and prosecution -- and thanks in part to the facts and focus provided by this annual report, governments, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, and families are working more closely together than ever. Now we call for the fourth P -- partnership. And that is making a real difference. More countries are updating their laws and expanding enforcement, more criminals are facing prosecution, and more survivors are being helped back into a life of freedom.

"This report is a catalogue of tragedies that the world cannot continue to accept. But it is also a record that deserves praise and recognition because it exemplifies hope and action because hope without action cannot be our goal. We have to provide the hope that then leads to the action that changes the reality that we describe."

“What belongs to you but is used more by others?”

2010-06-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

It was the typical start of a Sunday program, I had searched hard for some form of ice breaker or question to engage the girls at the detention center with when they first walked in. Though hoping for a better tie-in to the theme of our discussion that day, I settled with a riddle I had seen multiple places online. The girls filed in, they took their seats, they responded to our greetings. It was the first riddle I asked, a simple mind trick that questioned “What belongs to you but is used more by others?”. The answer is, “your name”. However, it was I who was tricked by the question when without missing a beat, two girls simultaneously responded with “your body”.
‘What belongs to you but is used more by others?’ ‘Your body’.

Their response hit me like a ton of bricks, the ease and rapidity of their reply solidified the reality that these girls have experienced life in a body that is used more by others but is suppose to belong to them. It’s typical to learn that the majority of the girls we work with have encountered sexual abuse at staggeringly young ages. We give them surveys about their sexual experiences to determine if they have experienced trafficking and we frequently are returned with the x’s and checks marked next to “yes” when asked “Has anyone ever made you have sex when you didn’t want to, either through physical violence, threats, or making you feel like you couldn’t say no?”. Right beneath the question there is a space to indicate at what age they first experienced said trauma, I’ve seen girls answer as young as 2 ½.

For these young women, I think about how they never had a chance to grow comfortably into their bodies. I reflect on my own coming of age as the teenagers they are now, and the discomfort, the uncertainty, the unfamiliarity with my physical self that naturally through time was resolved. I had the privilege to grow into who I am and the body God gave me, it is part of how I find my identity in him and how I learn to reconcile the flesh with the spirit. I think again about the true answer to the riddle, ‘your name’, and how much our names, though not chosen by us, define who we are. We are identified by our names, we are identified by our bodies. But the two young girls who have identified their bodies as belonging to others, much like all the women and girls in prostitution, are trapped in a body that others have taken so much from, and left little identity to be found. I wonder in hurt of the difficulties they face in trying to find their true identity and home in Christ, and pray that they relate and understand his broken body on the cross as the core of their identity, beyond any body that any one has misused.

There’s a brief pause after they first answer my question, I absorb the weight of their response in a painful private moment, and move on.

“Every human body has been given a new hope of belonging eternally to the God who created it. Thanks to the Incarnation, you can bring your body home” -Henri Nouwen

2010-06-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

http://walk.stopmodernslavery.org

2010 DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk

The 2010 DC SMS Walk is an event organized by the community to raise awareness and funds for the fight against human trafficking. It includes a walk, speakers, information fair, art exhibit, and music concert. This is an opportunity to get together with elected officials, artists, luminaries, businesses, professional athletes, and the community to celebrate the cause and galvanize the movement!

When: Saturday, September 18th, 2010

Where: Constitution Gardens, which is the area next to the Lincoln Memorial.

Who: All are welcome!

PRE-REGISTER: Join the many others who have pre-registered for the walk. Click Here to pre-register. Once you pre-register, we will send you a reminder when the official registration website is online.

For questions and to get involved, please contact walk@stopmodernslavery.org.

Please join us for the walk to show your support for Restoration Ministries and the fight against human trafficking. A portion of the money raised goes to RM. More updates to come!

If you have any questions e-mail Alysha Tagert at alysha.tagert@gmail.com

3rd Annual Benefit Concert for Restoration Ministries

2010-03-02T12:11:00.001-08:00

benefitPoster-04

Fall/Winter 2009

2009-11-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Fall Winter 09

A Christmas Wish

2009-10-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Christmas Flyer

Action Alert! DC Walk to Stop Child Sex Trafficking

2009-08-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Step Out to Protect Our Children

When: September 26, 2009
Time: 9 AM to 2 PM (Check-in: 8 AM to 10:30 AM
Where: Meridian Hill Park, Washington DC
Registration Deadline:

JOIN TEAM RESTORATION MINISTRIES: http://www.stopmodernslavery.org-a.googlepages.com/map2

Why: The Stop Child Trafficking Now (SCTNow) Walk is an annual event to rally support, increase awareness, and raise funds to stop child trafficking. Thousands of people will take to the streets in cities across the United States on the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. Be a part of this nation-wide event and the global fight to end the sale of innocent children into slavery by participating in the DC Walk to stop child sex trafficking.

Questions?
Contact Kacy Wandel kacy@restorationministriesdc.org

2009 Esperanza Awards : Keynote Speaker and Honorees

2009-08-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Keynote Speaker: J. Robert Flores

A longtime advocate for children, J. Robert Flores has led a distinguished career in juvenile and criminal justice. In January of 2009, he completed the longest tenure of any Administrator of the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, having served since April of 2002. Previously, Mr. Flores served in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Justice Department and was an Assistant District Attorney in New York City.

Mr. Flores is an experienced lawyer and former prosecutor who is an expert in Internet facilitated crime, sexual exploitation, and the trafficking of children. Mr. Flores has been a lecturer and featured speaker on Constitutional Law, technology, Interagency collaboration, and juvenile justice.

In his most recent position, Mr. Flores led a successful drive to increase and improve Federal interagency cooperation, serving as Chairman of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In this role he oversaw multi-agency efforts to address underage drinking, increasing job training efforts for youth leaving detention or aging out of foster care, and efforts to prevent youth from becoming involved in gangs.

During his tenure, and in keeping with President Bush’s efforts to increase faith-based and community organization efforts, Mr. Flores increased funding to many organizations that had never partnered with the federal government before. He also pioneered new ways to coordinate funding between government agencies, something that makes federal funds much more flexible and useful to local communities and social service organizations.

A devoted husband to his wife, Ingrid, and father to his three children, Mr. Flores has dedicated his professional life to our Nation’s children. He has prosecuted major cases at every level of government, teaches frequently on issues of law and culture, and has served as a consultant to state and federal government officials.

Currently, Mr. Flores is the President of Hampton Road Strategies, LLC., a consulting and law firm he recently founded. The firm is dedicated to working with small and effective businesses and non-profit organizations that can benefit from sophisticated strategic planning, partnership development, and improved resource management.

Honoree: Jose Dearteaga

Jose Dearteaga is a Program Manager for the The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services who has faithfully served in the field of social service for over twenty years. An attorney and former parole officer, he has a variety of experience working in criminal justice, labor law and is currently working in DC's juvenile justice system. Jose is a true child advocate as his specialties range from assisting young girls locally who have fallen victim to sex trafficking, homelessness and abuse to advocating for victims internationally through the non- governmental organization, Landmines Blow! (www.Landminesblow.com), raising global awareness on the impact of landmine affected communities across the world. Jose is truly dedicated to the plight of those in need and has demonstrated a solid commitment to serving others through local advocacy and international activism. Jose is infinitely compassionate, selfless and is never hesitant to volunteer, lend support or advocate on behalf of anyone in need.

2009 Esperanza Awards - 2nd Annual Banquet

2009-08-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

Cost: $35 (Individual Ticket)

Approximately 600,000 children are believed to be at-risk for sexual exploitation in the U.S. Most prostituted women/girls have endured sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted family member or close friend and studies indicate that abused children are 28 times more likely to be arrested for sex trafficking than those who were not abused. Close to 450,000 children run away from home each year and one out of every three teens on the street will be trafficked within 48 hours of leaving home.

PARTNER in our fight to end domestic sex trafficking and become a sponsor:

RICH Sponsorship ………………………………………………$10000 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Table for 8 people; automatic secured table for 8 at next year’s banquet
• Recognition at the banquet
• Listing in the Banquet program
• Mention in the next newsletter
• Signed cards from the girls at the detention center and group home
• Picture with the keynote speaker
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Permanent space for the women and girls to gather on a weekly basis as well as for mothers to meet with the girls on a monthly basis
• Provide a weekly “Girls on a Journey” support group for 10 girls
• Clothing vouchers for 5 girls at $250 each
• Transportation for 10 girls to the program on a weekly basis

Respect Sponsorship …………………………………………………$5000 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 8 people
• Recognition at the banquet
• Signed cards from girls at the detention center and group home
• Mention in the next newsletter
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide Christmas gifts for 10 girls
• Provide dinner for 10 girls in the “Girls on a Journey” program
• 10 weekly arts & craft projects for 10 girls
• Provide 5 job-preparedness classes for 10 girls

Information Sponsorship ……………………………………………$1000 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 6 people
• Signed cards from girls at the detention center and group home
• Picture with the keynote speaker
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide spiritual materials for 100 girls at the detention center
• Provide a luau for 20 girls at the detention center and group home
• HIV/AIDS Awareness training for 20 girls

Connection Sponsorship ……………………………………………………$500 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 4 people
• Signed cards from girls at detention center and group home
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide Valentine Party for 10 girls at detention center
• Provide games and arts and craft materials for 15 girls at the detention center

Hope Sponsorship ……………………………………………………$100 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 2 people
• Picture with the keynote speaker
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide snacks and entertainment for 4 monthly movie nights at the detention center

Community Sponsorship
This special sponsorship option can be obtained simply by advertising our event through your listserv or by providing 2 volunteers the day of the event. In return, Esperanza Awards will include an acknowledgement of your organization name as a Community Sponsor in the program guide.

Please help spread the word! We look forward to seeing you at the banquet.

2nd Annual Benefit Concert

2009-03-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Restoration Ministries presents the 2nd Annual Benefit Concert. Featuring Redeemed by the Savior. Opening act by Elizabeth Hawkins and Bonnie Pritchard, along with accompanist Leann Little. Friday April 24, 7pm. Hosted by Ebenezers Coffee House, 201 F Street NE, Washington, DC.

The Subculture of Sex Trafficking and Prostitution in Washington, D.C.

2008-03-05T17:36:00.001-08:00

The Subculture of Sex Trafficking and Prostitution in Washington, D.C.

Saturday, April 19

9am-4:30 pm

Washington Community Church
9th & Maryland Ave., NE
http://www.wcfchurch.org/

Cost is $35

If you would like to have a greater understanding of what is happening right here in DC, then this is the workshop for you. Guest speakers will be from the MPD Prostitution Enforcement Unit, US Attorney’s office, Youth Investigations Branch, and the DC youth detention center. You will learn about recent local cases that have been prosecuted, understand the process of what happens to youth when they are picked up for solicitation, the John’s School (an intervention program for men who are caught soliciting), gang prostitution, internet crimes against children, and more.

Register here:
http://www.restorationministriesdc.org/dc_registration.doc

Brock Holmes & Carol Nicotera

2008-03-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

Brock Holmes & Carol Nicotera
along with Doc Benjamin
preform a benefit concert

Where: Ebenezers Coffee House
201 F Street NE
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 7PM
Suggested Donation: $20
All proceeds go to Restoration Ministries

Brock Holmes & Carol Nicotera perform a remarkable and entertaining repertoire that covers a wide mix of styles, including jazz, pop, blues, country, and swing, with a little rock thrown in for good measure. Brock counts as his musical influences Tommy Emmanuel, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass, Tuck Andress, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Martin Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Bela Fleck, and the Ebo, while Carol numbers Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Patti Austin, Steve Goodman, Wynonna Judd, and Diana Krall among her favorite vocalists.

Brock & Carol have performed in the Washington, DC, area for more than 20 years. They met while doing the Hexagon Musical Revue, for which Brock was the musical director and Carol, a featured soloist. They then sang together in the award-winning vocal ensemble Brock & the Rockets. The Rockets performed to local acclaim and loyal audiences for a decade and gave a sold-out reunion concert at their favorite venue, the Birchmere. The Rockets' self-produced album, Out to Launch, was a sell-out.

Before helping launch the Rockets, Carol appeared in a number of local community-theatre shows, including her 7-year stint with Hexagon. After leaving the Rockets, Carol helped start up a new musical venture, Love & Madness – a four-person vocal ensemble featured in a Washington Post article about the local cabaret scene – that performed in local clubs and in an annual Pops concert with the McLean Symphony. She also takes great pride in having sung the "National Anthem" for several local sports franchises.

Brock has been performing in both private and public venues since the age of 3, when he figured out that "Frere Jacques" has only six notes in it and this was the hardest song he knew. Before coming to Washington, he performed as a singer and instrumentalist in a wide variety of venues, including as soloist in the European premier of Leonard Bernstein's Mass. While in DC, he has been musical director of Hexagon for its 20th and 30th anniversary productions, musical director of Brock & the Rockets, and leader of his polyrhythmic band Rhythm Warrior. He is currently musical director of the 53rd Hexagon show, “Stars and Gripes Forever.”

Under the name of Doc Benjamin, Dr Benjamin Keyes has played music for the last 37 years in coffeehouses, small stages, and churches throughout the country. In 1973 he opened the Ashville Folk Festival in Ashville North Carolina and was the opening act for Richie Havens in 1999 in St Petersburg Florida. He has produced 2 CD’s, one secular the other Christian and has continued to be seen in acoustic venues over the past few years. Doc is a singer/ songwriter with a 60’s/70’s flair and an entertaining perspective on the topics his written about. Cover songs have been reworked to fit his genial style and his favorite has always been the protest songs.

Esperanza One Day Workshop

2008-03-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

Esperanza

Esperanza or Hope in Spanish rests upon a scrap of rock. She feels that it is her only security against the drowning sea. Large waves attack, continuing to reduce her island. Armless, at the end of her ability to help herself, she looks up to God for relief. Esperanza’s useless, stunted arms stretch out into wings. A miracle frees her from her former life on the island that had become a trap. Esperanza is a statement of hope in the power of God’s arm which is not too short to save, even when ours is.

September is Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the District of Columbia, and in recognition, RM will hold its first annual awards banquet on Friday, September 5, 2008. The purpose is to show recognition and honor for some unsung heroes in the U.S. and our community—-specifically direct service providers who are serving women and children who have suffered commercial sexual exploitation, as well as individuals or organizations that are pioneering efforts to end the demand for commercial sex.

Two awards will be given Ending Demand and Direct Service Providers. All nomination forms need to be received by July 15, 2008. The awards are valued at $1,000 each.

Ending Demand Award Nomination
Ending Demand Award Guidelines
Direct Service Providers Award Nomination
Direct Service Providers Award Guidelines

Karen Swenholt is a figurative sculptor who lives and works in Northern Virginia. Independently practicing her art for over twenty years, she continues to study at various studio schools including New York City’s New York Studio School, under Bruce Gagnier, Virginia’s Art League, the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Maryland Institute.The combined influences of the bright, loosely painted figurative work of Bay Area artists with the emotional power of abstract expressionism from her East Coast studies and origins have formed the foundation of Swenholt’s work today. The rough painterly surfaces of her sculptures pleasingly contrast with their grace. She is particularly effective in depicting the human face along with gesture to convey emotion and movement.Karen Swenholt is presently the Artist in Residence at Washington Shakespeare Company. She is a member of the National Sculpture Society and the Washington Sculptor Group. She is also a board member at the Anacostia Gracious Arts Program for under-privileged children under the instruction of professional artists and musicians.Her work can be found in many public and private collections including the home of Bono (U2); The House of Scientists, an historic Romanov palace in St. Petersburg, Russia; and churches in LaJolla, California and Portland, Maine. Karen Swenholt’s sculpture is represented by Foxhall Gallery in Washington DC and the Allen Sheppard Gallery in New York City. http://www.karenswenholt.com/

International Christian Conference on Prostitution

2007-10-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

International Christian Conference on Prostitution

“Come to the Peace”

Sept 7-12, 2008

Green Lake Conference Center

Green Lake, Wisconsin, USA

http://www.glcc.org/files/conferences/ICCP%202008.pdf

Tsou Art Studio

2007-09-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

On City Streets Conference

2007-08-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Defining the role of the faith community in how to equip
the church body to minister to sex trafficking survivors

October 19 & 20, 2007
Regent University
1650 Diagonal Road
Alexandria, VA 22314

Dear Conference Attendee,

Restoration Ministries has designed a conference specifically for clergy and lay leaders who are encountering or hope to encounter sex trafficking survivors. This conference will help the church develop a deeper understanding of the trauma survivors have endured and will learn to build their skills to do this important work.

Believers always seem shocked to realized that the majority of the women and girls, whether they are foreign or domestic, have had some exposure to Christianity. Getting right with God is foundational to their healing process as most survivors search to find a deeper meaning for their affliction.

A recent study in Chicago asked women who had been enslaved into prostitution who they trusted the most to help them recover and who they believed they could be the most honest with. They rated law enforcement at 0%, service providers, including social workers, recovery groups, etc at 35% and the church at 90%! If the women and girls are given one outing a week by their trafficker, they usually choose to go to church and even more surprisingly their traffickers let them. The church clearly has an opportunity if she will prepare herself and rise to the occasion.

We have brought together speakers who have a wealth of knowledge in their subject area and know the importance of weaving their faith into the vary fabric of their work. Come and hear their journeys as they teach you to dismantle the mystery of who trafficking survivors are, how they got there and how to aid them in their recovery.

We will be addressing topics usually not found at trafficking conferences but they are ones that apply to all survivors whether they are foreign, domestic, minors, or adults. We will be discussing mentoring the trafficking survivor, understanding trauma, compassion fatigue, breaking free from shame, same sex attractions, the male sexual addiction, animal assist therapy, suicide, multicultural concerns and more.

It is important to remember that the women and girls are very complex and we cannot begin to address every issue that affects them in two days. This conference is simply a place to start, to begin the conversation, get involved in their lives and to understand the important role the body of Christ has to play.

The church has been reluctant to champion this cause but she can no longer keep her head in the sand. It is through the power of Christ where permanent and lasting healing will take place. Not only can we offer hope, but it is only the church that can offer victory in Christ.

It is our desire to share our information with you so that you will become engaged in the healing and recovery process of sex trafficking survivors.

Candace Wheeler
Founder/President
Restoration Ministries

Speakers

Plenary Speakers

Benjamin B. Keyes, PhD, Ed.D, LPC Program Director/ Associate Professor- School of Psychology and Counseling, Regent University

Aside from his University duties, Dr Keyes is a board member of Restoration Ministries, Licensed Psychotherapist and Clinical Consultant whose work has been with churches, agencies, hospitals, and partial programs. His private practice work includes individual and group therapy with adults, adolescents, children, couples and families. His specialties include Dissociative Disorders, Domestic Violence, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Trauma, Addictions- Substance and Sexual, Adolescents, and Christian Counseling with an emphasis on Inner Healing. His work over the years has focused on severe psychopathology and the devastating effects of Early Childhood Sexual Abuse, Rape, and Domestic Violence. His book, E Pluribus Unum, Out of Many One, co written with Sandy Sela-Smith, chronicles the therapeutic journey from fragmentation to integration of a Dissociative Identity Disorder client (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder) to complete wholeness and healing. His cross-cultural research in the area of Schizophrenia and Dissociative Disorder has generated several Journal Publications and has contributed to the treatment of Dissociative Disorders in the Peoples Republic of China.
• Understanding trauma
• How trauma hurts and the survivors daily struggle
• The stages of change
• Setting healthy boundaries—the risks of connecting with trauma survivors
• The importance of attachment--creating a new support system for survivors
• Barriers to growth-promoting relationships
• Why the person of the helper is essential
• Why the relationship in itself is healing
• How spirituality can promote healing and spiritual growth
• Dissociative disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• When to counsel, when to refer

Peter Vanacore, MSW, Director of the Christian Mentoring Institute (CMI)

Peter trains churches and ministries to develop mentoring outreaches to at-risk youth and their families. CMI is the teaching arm of the Christian Association of Youth Mentoring (CAYM). Peter has been in youth work since 1978. For fifteen years he served as an Area Director and Staff Supervisor with Long Island Youth Mentoring where they trained church members to mentor adjudicated teenagers and youth from abusive families. He later served as the National Field Director of Straight Ahead Ministries, an outreach to incarcerated youth. Peter is on the part-time faculty of Gordon College where he teaches courses on at-risk youth and families.
• Biblical basis for mentoring
• Basic elements of mentoring ministry
• What makes mentoring work
• Recruiting philosophy
• Recruiting cycle
• Who makes an effective mentor
• Mentoring trafficked youth

Workshop Speakers

Candace Wheeler, MPA, Founder and President of Restoration Ministries

Candace has been involved in social justice issues since 1988 working in the arenas of anti-pornography, right-to-life and the homosexual community. She has ministered in Amsterdam's Red Light District, the slums of India, Washington D.C.'s prostitute diversion program, the streets of D.C., the District's youth detention center and the D.C. Jail.
1. Introduction to trafficking:
• Definition of trafficking
• Difference between sex trafficking and prostitution
• TVPA (Trafficking Victim Protection Act)
• Working with domestic adults and minors
2. Understanding spiritual bondages:
• The character and work of evil spirits
• How demons enter a person
• The restorative power of the Holy Spirit
• The spirit, mind, soul, body, emotions and will
• Having a balanced healing ministry

Bonnie Martin, MEd, CACS, LGPC, Founder and Director The Scarlet Project.

The Scarlet Project is a non-profit organization that provides culturally sensitive faith-based crisis intervention, professional counseling, and mental health resources for women and children who have experienced the emotional trauma of trafficking, abuse and exploitation. It also provides consultation and training for the staff of grass roots organizations that work with this marginalized population. Bonnie has over 15 years experience speaking, teaching and counseling through the local church. Bonnie was raised in the Washington D.C. metro area where her father, Mike Zello, Sr. was the founder and director of the Washington, D.C. and Maryland Teen Challenge (a residence program for drug addicts and alcoholics) and the pastor of a church for the inner city poor. Bonnie has worked with victims of sex slavery in India and at-risk youth and children in Haiti, Barbados, Jamaica, England, and South Africa.
1. Compassion fatigue counseling
• How compassion fatigue affects us
• How to assess your own compassion fatigue
• What to do about compassion fatigue: anticipating, addressing and transforming the pain
• Self-care strategies
• Hope and rewards
• The pain of caring
2. Multicultural concerns in counseling:
• how cultural differences can create resistance in the treatment process
• how to create a culturally sensitive and accepting environment

Captain Agata Tyson, Former National Program Manager, Suicide Prevention Program at the Army National Guard HQ

Agata is a student at the University of North Carolina School of Social Work, with a concentration in mental health direct practice. She is a board member of Restoration Ministries and is active at the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services with female survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking ages 10-21; as well as street outreach to prostituted and trafficked women. She also assists in conducting awareness training for the faith community. Agata is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Prior to leaving active service to attend school full time, she was the Program Manager for the Army National Guard Suicide Prevention Program at the National Guard Bureau Headquarters in Arlington, VA. She is also a registered trainer of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, an intensive two-day workshop designed to equip students to perform suicide first aid.
1. What is suicide?
• Adverse childhood experiences and suicide
• Why this population is especially at risk
• Warning signs
• Suicide first aid
• Postvention

Candy Lewis, M.H., N.D. Aha’va Wellness Research and Education and Delta Society Pet Partners

Candy is a board certified Naturopath and Master Herbalist; founder and owner of Aha’va Wellness Research and Education in Dayton OH. She combines Naturopathic and Animal Assisted Therapies as an approach to health and wellness management. She is a member and spoke person for Delta Society an animal assisted therapy program. Candy has assisted women across the U.S. in exploring alternatives to traditional health care by understanding the holistic connection of the body, soul, and spirit. She is an instructor in clinical aromatherapy for the Naturopathic Learning Center located in Stroudsburg, PA., and Tobago, West Indies. Candy is a graduate of Payne Theological Seminary in Christian Lay Education and serves on the Advisory Council for Curriculum Development for the Center for Wellness Ministry and Education at United Theological Seminary.
1. Emotional Release with the use of Aromatherapy
• Oils for healing, cleansing, and holy anointing are mentioned more than 500 times in the Bible
• Healing emotionally, physically and connecting spiritually
• The safe uses of essential oils
2. Animal- Assisted Therapy (A.A.T.) Animal-assisted therapy is the utilization of animals in conjunction with healthcare and other therapies.
• Finding certified A.A.T. teams
• Mental health/stress management
• Physical therapy/rehabilitation detention and correctional facilities

Josh Glaser, Executive Director, Regeneration Ministries

Regeneration is a Christian healing and discipleship ministry that for over 25 years has helped men and women seeking freedom from life-dominating sexual sin issues such as homosexual behavior, sexual addictions, and the effects of sexual abuse. Through its safe support groups, one-on-one discipleship, and times of healing prayer, Regeneration seeks to lead its participants into greater intimacy with Father God through Jesus Christ. Josh is a 1995 Cum Laude graduate of Colorado State University and has served with Regeneration since 1999. Before joining Regeneration’s staff, Josh was involved for three years as a Regeneration client, addressing his own problems with sexual addiction. Josh speaks to various groups and churches on topics related to how Jesus restores those caught in a cycle of sexual sin and brokenness, and he is currently co-authoring a book on how Christian men struggling with pornography can—from the heart— move increasingly from lust to love.
1. Reducing the demand— addressing male sexual addiction
• Sex as an addiction
• core beliefs of the sexually addicted
• The cycle of sexual addiction
• Holy presence— Breaking the cycle
2. The powerful delusion of pornography
• The fiction of the sex goddess
• pornography as meditation – transforming the mind
• Linking pornography, prostitution and other sex crimes
• Special considerations about children and early exposure to porn
• Incarnational hope—living in reality

Melissa Ingraham, MA, NCC, Counselor, The Christian Counseling Center

Melissa is a National Certified Counselor and is pursuing licensure in New York State as a Mental Health Counselor. She is Chairwoman of the Board for Exodus International, the largest Christian referral and information network dealing with homosexual issues. Melissa graduated from Regent University with a Masters in Community Counseling. Prior to moving to the Binghamton, NY area in September 2006, she was the assistant director of Regeneration of Northern Virginia, a ministry to the sexually and relationally broken. While there, Melissa spoke and taught extensively on gender and sexual identity to large and small groups, and the press. Previously, Melissa worked in Washington, DC on the 9-11 Commission and on Capitol Hill.
1. Working with women experiencing same-sex attractions
• environmental and developmental factors that may predispose women
to emotional and/or sexual attractions to other women
• How to respond and help
2. Breaking free from shame
• Difference between healthy and unhealthy shame and guilt
• Sources of shame
• Manifestations/symptoms of unhealthy shame
• Ways to help self/others break free from shame

Michele Clark, Former Head, Anti-Trafficking Assistance Unit (ATAU) and Deputy Director, Office of the Special Representative on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Vienna, Austria

Michele has spent the past two and a half years overseas assisting 56 participating States in the OSCE to combat trafficking in human beings through raising political awareness; strategic planning; coordination with other OSCE institutions and structures as well as leading international NGOs and IOs, and providing technical assistance and consultation directly to participating States.

She has been an advocate on behalf of identified victims of trafficking and the author of the first OSCE annual anti-trafficking report, “From Policy to Practice: Combating Trafficking in Persons in the OSCE Region.” 2006. She is also the editor of “Working Papers on Combating Trafficking in the OSCE Region,” a series of professional papers on groundbreaking topics related to trafficking in human beings.

Prior to moving to Austria Michele was the Co-Director of The Protection Project, a human rights research institute focused on combating trafficking in human beings at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. There she developed core research programs, was a consultant to U.S. and foreign government agencies and Members of Congress on the developing of anti-trafficking policy and legislation.

She was on the planning committee of the U.S. Government’s first international conference on combating trafficking in persons, “Pathbreaking Strategies,” Washington, DC March 2003 and the editor, “The Protection Project’s Human Rights Report on Combating Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children,” and “The Cabaret Artistes of Cyprus – An Investigative Report.” Michele has served as adjunct faculty at the University of Haifa Haifa, Israel where she taught specialized programs of immigrant students from Ethiopia and the Commonwealth of Independent States and developed curriculum for students with special linguistic needs.

She has also served as adjunct faculty at George Mason University and with the Arlington Public Schools. Michele currently resides on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and is an advisor to
Restoration Ministries.

Schedule

Friday, Oct 19, 2007
7-8:30AM Registration
8:30-9AM Worship
9-9:15AM Welcome Candace Wheeler
9:15-9:30AM Special Remarks Michele Clark
9:30-11AM Plenary Session I Understanding Trauma Dr. Ben Keyes
11:10-12:30 Workshops (choose one from list A)
12:30-2PM Lunch (on your own)
2-2:30PM Worship
2:30-4PM Plenary Session II Understanding Trauma Dr. Ben Keys
4:10-5:30PM Workshops (choose one from list A)
5:30-7PM Dinner (on your own)
7-9:30PM Special Remarks Michele Clark
Showing of film TRADE (http://www.tradethemovie.com/)

Saturday, Oct 20, 2007
9-9:30AM Worship
9:30-11AM Plenary Session III Mentoring Trafficking Survivors Peter Vanacore
11:10-12:30 Workshops (choose one from list B)
12:30-2PM Lunch on your own
2-2:30PM Worship
2:30-4PM Plenary Session IV Mentoring Trafficking Survivors Peter Vanacore
4:10-5:30PM Workshops (choose one from list B)
5:30-6:30PM Bookstore open (visit the bookstore to see products and materials offered by speakers)

Workshops A
• Introduction to trafficking
• Compassion fatigue counseling
• Emotional release through aroma therapy
• Reducing the demand— the male sexual addiction
• Working with women experiencing same sex attractions

Workshops B
• Understanding the spiritual battle
• Multicultural concerns in counseling
• What is suicide?
• Animal Assist Therapy
• Breaking free from shame
• The powerful delusion of pornography

To register click here!
(the registration form will open)