Martin is a staff member here on YWAM Las Vegas and he wrote this about his efforts to solve some of the needs of our city:
Victims of Las Vegas
September 14, 2010 by Martin
Las Vegas is a hub of sex workers and the human trafficking that goes with it. Many of these workers are international victims of human trafficking who were deceived, threatened, kidnapped, blackmailed, or trapped in some other way. Mostly women and girls, they come to the USA thinking that they will get an opportunity to make a better life for themselves or their children but find themselves held under physical and psychological bondage. They can’t leave if they wanted to. They have nowhere to go and many can’t even speak the language.
When the Las Vegas Metro Police liberates these international victims, they get sent to a safe house managed by the Salvation Army of Las Vegas. They are just beginning to be treated as victims instead of criminals. They are able to get a new T visa which allows them to live and work in the US rather than suffer the shame of returning to their homelands. Recently I met with the coordinators of this safe house and found that these victims, after having been put in the safe house, have to wait months in order to receive services or help in order to integrate into the community. We started free English as a Second Language classes out of the Pier Community Resource Center in the poorest neighborhood of Las Vegas and we are now going to start teaching ESL to these international victims of human trafficking. Later we hope to work with them with other life skills such as budgeting, setting goals, and job readiness training. We can also share about the amazing love of Jesus and the redemptive and transformational account of Mary Magdalene. Hopefully we can help them to do what they came to the US for: to make a better life for themselves and their children.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
August 2010 newsletter
Summer 2010 update
This summer we saw God do some cool stuff: many people came to know the Lord (we figure over 20), we saw God heal people’s physical and emotional wounds, we even saw some of the students give their lives to Christ! We also saw God grow and stretch and amaze about 120 youth. It was a great summer, we saw a lot of fruit from our work for the Lord and I know there is a lot of fruit that we will never see.
I learned a lot about obedience this summer. The only right reason to do anything is to do it for the glory of the Lord. I’ve been reading a lot of the gospel of John this summer. In chapter 14 it talks about how we have authority in the name of Jesus Christ to do the same miraculous things that Christ did while he was on earth. Then it says that if we love God, we will obey Him, and to do this, we can’t rely on our own human strength, we rely on the Holy Spirit working in and through us.
This summer really challenged me. It made me think about why I serve God, it’s not because it is easy or because I get any glory out of it, it is because living my life for God pleases and blesses Him and it brings Him glory and He is completely worthy of it! I faced some challenges this summer. I had some stuff going on in my personal life that made it really hard to concentrate, but by depending on God, I made it through and God still used me to do His work here in Vegas, mentoring youth and teaching them that God can do amazing things through them if they would just let Him.
Even though at some points I wanted to just give up, I didn’t because God is stronger than anything in my life or anything the enemy can throw at me. My theme verse for the summer was 2 Corinthians 12:8 “my grace is sufficient for you; my strength is perfected in your weakness.” This summer I grew so much in my character and in being fully dependent on God. I can’t wait to see what God shows me in this next season.
Student Testimonies...
“I liked the trip a lot. It helped me learn to witness to people. The trip helped me get out of my comfort zone because I usually don't talk to strangers as much. I felt like the trip changed me and helped me get closer to God. Overall it was a very nice experience and I hope to go on another mission trip soon.”
“I think the biggest lesson that I learned was just how much God loves us. I’ve always read about it and listened to sermons about it, but I don’t think I’ve ever experienced it as blatantly as I did during this trip with YWAM. This trip was such an amazing experience and I’ll always remember it.”
“When I went down to Las Vegas my life was changed forever I realized that my life was actually really good and I could make a difference in other people’s lives. I realized that I was actually living the good life compared to most. My experience in Vegas this summer helped me realize that not only other countries but our own needs help. God has put it in my life to talk to people I know and also those that I don’t know to help people as much as I can and bring as many to the lord as possible. I have been called to the Indonesian islands in the future and I believe that we are all called to missions where we live and we should never let anyone tells us not to do what God puts on us to do and this summer God has put more things on my heart than ever before and my life has changed drastically towards the strengthening of His kingdom here on earth.”
This summer we saw God do some cool stuff: many people came to know the Lord (we figure over 20), we saw God heal people’s physical and emotional wounds, we even saw some of the students give their lives to Christ! We also saw God grow and stretch and amaze about 120 youth. It was a great summer, we saw a lot of fruit from our work for the Lord and I know there is a lot of fruit that we will never see.
I learned a lot about obedience this summer. The only right reason to do anything is to do it for the glory of the Lord. I’ve been reading a lot of the gospel of John this summer. In chapter 14 it talks about how we have authority in the name of Jesus Christ to do the same miraculous things that Christ did while he was on earth. Then it says that if we love God, we will obey Him, and to do this, we can’t rely on our own human strength, we rely on the Holy Spirit working in and through us.
This summer really challenged me. It made me think about why I serve God, it’s not because it is easy or because I get any glory out of it, it is because living my life for God pleases and blesses Him and it brings Him glory and He is completely worthy of it! I faced some challenges this summer. I had some stuff going on in my personal life that made it really hard to concentrate, but by depending on God, I made it through and God still used me to do His work here in Vegas, mentoring youth and teaching them that God can do amazing things through them if they would just let Him.
Even though at some points I wanted to just give up, I didn’t because God is stronger than anything in my life or anything the enemy can throw at me. My theme verse for the summer was 2 Corinthians 12:8 “my grace is sufficient for you; my strength is perfected in your weakness.” This summer I grew so much in my character and in being fully dependent on God. I can’t wait to see what God shows me in this next season.
Student Testimonies...
“I liked the trip a lot. It helped me learn to witness to people. The trip helped me get out of my comfort zone because I usually don't talk to strangers as much. I felt like the trip changed me and helped me get closer to God. Overall it was a very nice experience and I hope to go on another mission trip soon.”
“I think the biggest lesson that I learned was just how much God loves us. I’ve always read about it and listened to sermons about it, but I don’t think I’ve ever experienced it as blatantly as I did during this trip with YWAM. This trip was such an amazing experience and I’ll always remember it.”
“When I went down to Las Vegas my life was changed forever I realized that my life was actually really good and I could make a difference in other people’s lives. I realized that I was actually living the good life compared to most. My experience in Vegas this summer helped me realize that not only other countries but our own needs help. God has put it in my life to talk to people I know and also those that I don’t know to help people as much as I can and bring as many to the lord as possible. I have been called to the Indonesian islands in the future and I believe that we are all called to missions where we live and we should never let anyone tells us not to do what God puts on us to do and this summer God has put more things on my heart than ever before and my life has changed drastically towards the strengthening of His kingdom here on earth.”
YWAM Las Vegas in the news!!!
http://www.lvrj.com/news/las-vegas-council-to-consider-new-ordinance-for-fremont-street-99882139.html
look for me in the red hand band and the purple shirt by the prayer sign...
look for me in the red hand band and the purple shirt by the prayer sign...
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
water, hamburgers and sun burns
So yesterday was really fun as well. William,this boy that lives next door...went to church with me. This is his second time, he seems to like it. Then we stopped by Taco Bell and we talked about the sermon. The sermon was about Grace and he really seemed to understand it...really smart kid. So then he came over to do some watercolor and play some pool and stuff, he liked that, we usually play basketball but it was just wayy to hot to be outside without water. SO then William and his 3 sisters Carmen, Vanessa, and Angie came with us staff to our BBQ that we had over at Sam's apartment. We did some swimming in the pool.That was lots of fun. I threw William quite a bit in the pool and showed off my strength.. After a couple of housrs of swimming we got out and ate some hamburgers and hot dogs. William and his sister Vanessa and Katie, Rich's daughter...really really wanted to go back to the pool. So I said..fiiine..really didn't want to, especially didn't want to get wet, but I went anyways because no one else would. SO they got in the pool and I stayed back and they kept trying to splash me and they kept trying to push me in the pool. Each of them kept getting out of the pool. Then all of a sudden..after like 30 minutes of them trying to do this, somehow they all got out of the pool at the same time and totally pushed me in the pool shirt and all!...Those kids, I wasn't really mad, I was pretty impressed, I really didn't think they'd get me in. It was a really good time. It was cool to have Carmen and Angie and Vanessa around other girls and mingle and stuff. We played 20 questions which apparently I play it wrong...I play it where you pick something and they got 20 questions to get it. The way they play I guess is you just ask someone 20 questions about themselves as a kinda get to know you game thing...I like my game better. I really love being a part of their family and I feel that party was a really important ingredient of ministering to their family. I have been hanging out with William a lot, and Carmen has been around our building volunteering for different things, but it was cool to have the whole family out, hopefully, God willing they will all come to church and youth group with me. The staff really liked how I am with the kids...I was like...well they are just really good kids and I love them. God has definitely given me a father heart. I have been the replacement for many young boys' life's..its one of the things I love to do and am really excited that my friendship with William is starting to have fruit. His dad is gone, in Central America..not sure if he is coming back, its a chance...but while he's gone I'm here. It is really cool that he is right next door. Literally he is like 5 feet from the base. It is really handy like now when I am really busy he can just pop in and say hi or I can find him outside playing basketball and bug him for a few minutes. I would hate to not be in his life everyday which I pretty much am. Thank God for the callings He puts on us. You give good gifts God!
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