Hello everyone!
Here is the update you have been waiting for! We had our RESCUE fundraiser concert on September 5, and it was a success! The whole process was a great experience that taught us a lot about trusting God, being efficient and effective in our teamwork, and how to even put on a concert of this kind! It was a lot of fun, and we saw God move.
Now, you might be wondering why we even put on this event. What was the point of all of it, and why did we feel the need to do it?
Human trafficking is an evil that God has really put a burden on me and my family’s hearts for the last few years. This horrific crime is continuously growing and spreading in our world, and I believe God has called us as believers to fight against it. We also recently learned that our hometown, Cheyenne, Wyoming, is a prime city for human trafficking because of its geographical location, with two major interstates intersecting in our town, as well as its close proximity to the Denver International Airport (DIA). Living here, this has greatly raised our own awareness about the reality of such evil out there and has further instilled in us a sense of urgency for the captives to be freed. We can’t pretend this darkness doesn’t exist. There are spiritual strongholds in many, many places across the world; Cheyenne is just one of many locations. As believers, it is our duty to call out evil for what it is, to expose darkness to the light, and to set the captives free, bringing them into the abundant life we have in Christ Jesus. We are commanded to, “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4)
Back in June, my sister Jordan got the idea for RESCUE. And after a couple of months of planning and preparation, it was time! God answered so many of our prayers! One of our struggles was finding the right organization to support, and getting a speaker to come out for our event. God led us to Project Rescue, a Christian anti-trafficking organization in Springfield, Missouri. Their mission is to “rescue and restore survivors of sexual slavery through prevention, intervention, and restoration.” We thought it was very unlikely they would send a representative all the way out to little Cheyenne, to our little first-timer event, but we sent a request anyway. After waiting for a couple of weeks, they responded and said they would love to be a part of RESCUE! We were so excited and thankful! Thank you, Project Rescue, for your willingness to partner with us! You were an answer to prayer!
Then the big day came. We had done our best to advertise the event, going out a few times in the weeks prior to hand out flyers in small businesses and churches in town. (By the way, thank you to all of you who helped spread the word through your social media!) We didn’t have a huge turnout, there were probably about 150 people there, including all of us who were involved. But in spite of our small number, it was great! There were a lot of people out walking around at the park who would stop and listen for a while; I pray that God ministered to each one of them! The worship set was awesome; it was so beautiful to hear the name of Jesus being sung out, exalted over the city of Cheyenne for all to hear.
Our pastor from Rhema Covenant Church led the whole assembly in a time of prayer for the oppressed. (Thank you, Pastor Dan!) Who knows what spiritual breakthroughs happened because of it! There is power in the name of Jesus! Chains break at the sound of His name!
We had three wonderful dances as well. Two of them were choreographed by the girls this summer, specifically for RESCUE. They worked hard and the result was beautiful!
Our speaker, Joslyn Barratt, gave a great message. She talked about faithfulness in our walk with Christ. When we do what God has entrusted to us–whether it’s something big or little to be faithful in–He will say to all of us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21) She reminded us to be content with what God has asked us to do and to not be constantly comparing someone else’s assignment to ours. Being faithful where God has put us, and with what He has given us, will bring the most fulfillment because we know we are doing what we are supposed to do.
Her message really encouraged me to keep doing what I’ve been called to do, whether I can see results or not. For example, even though no one came forward for the altar call after I gave my Gospel message at the end of this concert, I know I did what He asked me to do. I may never see the fruit of this act of obedience, but one day when I stand before God in heaven, I know I will hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” And even if Generation Jacob never really grows into a big organization, I will have a peaceful confidence, knowing that I said yes to God’s call on my life.
The rest of the event was wonderful! We partnered with Barrett Creek Coffee, a local coffee shop here in town. (If you haven’t heard of Barrett Creek, we highly recommend them! 😊) I can’t believe they did what they did, though! Originally, they were going to be selling donation-based drinks, with the profits going to Project Rescue. What they ended up doing was giving away free drinks, calculating the price of the number of drinks they served, and then donating the profits from that! They are so generous! Thank you, Barrett Creek!
We had two other means of fundraising, besides the drinks and the offering we took up. First, we designed and printed a T-shirt. It says “RESCUE” on the front and has Exodus 8:1 on the back. We still have a pretty good stock of the shirts! If you would like to buy one, please contact me on the CONTACT page.
The second item was an original painting that my sister, Jordan, created. “The Shepherd” is a beautiful depiction of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, carrying the lost sheep home. Copies are still available for this lovely piece! Again, if you’re interested in purchasing one, let me know via the CONTACT page.
With both products, we are donating 100% of the profits to Project Rescue. Now, I mentioned above that we only had about 150 total in attendance. Despite that small-ish number of guests, we still raised so much money to give to Project Rescue! With that number of people, how much would you expect we made? My guess was somewhere between 1.5 and 2 thousand dollars—3 thousand was my highest expectation! Well, the numbers are in, folks, and we raised a grand total of $4,692!! Close to $5,000! Praise the Lord! And more will continue to be raised, as we are still selling the T-shirt and painting! The Lord surpassed my expectations, surprising us with His abundance! It was kind of hilarious, but in the last two and a half weeks since RESCUE, I have had to count and recount the money that came in; and every time I recounted, there was more! My mom half-jokingly said, “The Lord is multiplying it!” and seriously, He was! What an awesome God we serve!
I’m so thankful we had this opportunity; not only did we learn a lot about contacting organizations, putting on a concert, advertising for our event, and everything else we experienced—we saw God move! We experienced His provision every step of the way. I’m excited for the next step He will lead us to take, and I am confident that He will make a way. At the start of this adventure, I wasn’t at all sure about how it was going to happen, and if we would even be able to pull it off. But He is faithful! When He gives a command, an idea, a calling–He always makes a way. He is our Provider, and we can trust Him. In the weeks, months, and even years to come, I am excited to see what He will do in response to His children saying yes to Him.
Thank you for all of your prayers, for us and for RESCUE! We couldn’t have accomplished any of this without your faithful partnership in prayer.
Until next time! May the LORD bless you!
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” ~Ephesians 5:8-11
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