“Blessed is the season that engages the whole world in a conspiracy of Love.”
Wish I could take credit for that statement because it’s such a reflection of what I feel about this season, however I will gladly give credit where credit is due. It was part of an email that I receive monthly from an amazing organization called LOVE146.com. They are a non-profit group that is actively abolishing sex slavery and exploitation of children and provide amazing aftercare and safe houses (THE ROUNDHOME) for victims that have been rescued from this horrible truth. In this season’s email, there is a link that takes you to read a story of the redemption of one of the girls that just 2 years ago spent her Christmas in a brothel and now is in a safe home being restored and given hope of a new future. There is no way I could compare my story to that of this young girl. But I am reminded that a Christmas not too long ago, my life was changed drastically and permanently. I was 18 years old and living a life of guilt and shame, searching, running, and about to hit a rock bottom depression. I had seen a lot, done a lot and thoughts of suicide raced my mind daily. My boyfriend at the time had a Missionary mother who had a great house we flagrantly invaded whenever she was on her missions trips to party it out. This Christmas, she invited us to her church. Ha! Go figure! The only reason I even contemplated the idea was because it would be the one good deed for this season and it would put a smile on his mom’s face. Arriving late, I sat through worship and laughed with malice at the people lifting their hands and praising the Lord. Ironic, being that I am now a worship leader and the biggest freak when it comes to worshiping the Lord. So yes, I managed to sit through the worship portion and figured the rest wouldn’t be as horrific. Then out of nowhere comes a big haired southern woman onto the stage talking about a Pro-Life Rally at the beginning of the year yada yada yada. Enraged at the things that were coming out of this woman’s mouth being that I was Pro-Choice at the time made it all the more worse. I held it in and thought, just 30 minutes to go. Then the moment came in the service for this 80-year-old missionary to come up and share. The words were not fancy or refined; they were just honest and amazing. They pierced right through my heart, they softened the harshness on my face and there was no running away from this event that was about to take place that would change my life forever. There it was, the song. The very song by Psalty the songbook I used to sing to Jesus as a little girl on my bed. I had forgotten! Completely forgotten … Him!

“I Love you Lord
And I lift my Voice
To worship You
Oh my soul, Rejoice
Take Joy My King
In What you hear
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound
In your ear.”

He showed up. He spoke to me and there was no resisting this Love that flooded my very being. He had come to rescue me from this prison I had willingly stepped into and locked. From one instant to the next I was Free. Just like that. He didn’t ask me questions of where I was all this time and why I had walked away from Him and His promises. He just embraced me and took me back.  My greatest gift that Christmas was Life.
From that point on I vowed to serve Him and give others the same Hope and Life I was given.
It is so easy to get wrapped in our own little worlds especially in this Christmas season but my challenge to you is, don’t let another day pass this season where you aren’t extravagant in your love giving. There is need in every corner of your “world” and if you would just push yourself to become aware, you will fulfill your purpose, your call, your destiny really. Don’t think of it as something on your to do list, or a project … Let it become a lifestyle. His presence changes us to a point where compassion is our best friend and ignoring it is impossible. Get swept away in this torrent of love that envelops your heart and those linked to it. Be practical in your giving, choose spontaneously in who you give to and don’t put it in a box adorned with precaution, be impulsive in this giving, be extreme in who you give it to.

In a final note, this Christmas I will start my journey by opening up an account specifically for Love146.com where I will actively be giving to this cause as well as one day soon become a full time abolitionist for this very cause. I urge you, don’t put it off for the future. Start now.
It’s a Love revolution. Get caught in it this Christmas!

Below you can read the story of Serey.

Courtesy of www.love146.com

Serey was an ordinary girl. The sixth of seven children, money got tight and her parents could no longer afford schooling. Her life was disrupted when a woman came to her home and offered Serey work as a salesgirl in a big department store in Manila. Serey’s parent’s agreed to let her work. Upon arriving in Manila, instead of taking them to a department store, the woman took them to a bar, her parents did not hear from her again.   The bar was a front for a brothel. Serey spent months in this dark reality. No two girls in the brothel were from the same province, in order to prevent an escape. She was not allowed to go outside. After a month in the brothel, she managed to get hold of a cell phone and relayed a message to her family. Her father and brother rushed to Manila to look for her, but after finding the Bar where Serey was held, they were not allowed in and were told she wasn’t there.  In early 2008 police raided the brothel and rescued Serey. After moving through three facilities, she found a safe place in the Roundhome, and began to come to terms with what happened, pick up the pieces, and build a new life. After over a year in the Roundhome, Serey said “I have passed many trails and I have no worries anymore. My past experience was the most difficult in my life, but I have survived now and everything is peaceful and I am so happy and my life is bright.”   Serey missed her parents and siblings terribly and longed to be by her mother’s side. This fall, after 16 months in the Roundhome, Serey was finally ready to reunite with her family. When asked how she would remember the Roundhome, Serey replied, “It’s where my life changed. It’s where a new angel was born and grew. There were sad and happy moments. It’s the best safehome. I do not want anything changed.”   Her homecoming was emotional. She was embraced by her mother who, through many tears, said again and again, “My baby, my baby, my baby!” Two years ago, her Christmas was spent in a brothel. This year, she is home for the holidays.

Yvonne Munoz