What’s New with BRANCH?

It is a very exciting time for BRANCH. As some of you may know, we have been praying about the specific direction for BRANCH. For years it has been known to be a sanctuary/community that helps women in transition. It has been hard to know when looking at the entire vision, exactly where God’s vision fell. He gave all the after pictures of how it should look afterwards, but there has never been a vision for the starting point. The overall vision is huge and to be quite honest very overwhelming. Let’s just say it has to be God doing this.

Well instead of dwelling on who we were supposed to be helping, God has been calling me to rest. Seems a little odd when with the start up of a ministry, but God never does anything by our standards. I could do a whole “sermon” just on that alone. However, anything from God is by His standard and Word alone.

So in the midst, where I finally am getting the hang of going with the daily flow and resting in God, suddenly an opportunity arises that delivers the answer to the long-awaited question of who we are to help…. trafficking-in persons (TIP).

So right now we are in a waiting period. We filed back in February of 2013 for our 501(c)3 status. Of course that was prior to the major IRS scandal(s) that began two months after our application was submitted. In the meantime we have a list of prayer needs. The first and foremost is the IRS application approval so we can begin the work God has called us to do.

PRAYER NEEDS:

• We need a team of prayer intercessors (volunteer initially) from the ground up on this (please email us because we need to be in contact with you: admin@branchanew.org
• IRS application approval
• Real estate favor as we go looking for property (sights on two pieces of property, possibly a few more
• The right price on real estate and God’s favor on zoning, variances, and community welcome
• Finding the right partners/professionals to come along side BRANCH (in a variety of professions)
• Building relationships with local police, fireman, and others in public safety and government officials (major considering Michigan’s political suicide

HOW PRAYER WORKS

For those of you who have been praying with us from the start, please know that things are beginning to happen. Since the initial article was written above, I have met with the SE Michigan Director of the Michigan Abolitionist Project and things are moving forward a little quicker than anticipated. No, we have not received our IRS approval, but thanks to government screw ups (or should I say government logic), we can still be effective. We are working on a way to get current housing for a couple of young women currently.

So as soon as the MAP Director and I get some details together of how you can donate and get involved, we WILL share that with you immediately! We want you to know that prayers are being felt and God is definitely making some Divine appointments for us and providing people who think outside the box. Please pray as we move forward to possibly get housing for two young ladies to recoup and receive some well-needed restoration.
Keep praying!!!

EVE’S ANGELS PRAYER NEEDS

INDICATORS OF TRAFFICKING

Youth/Minors (Under 18)

• Lying about his/her age
• A minor “dating” an older man
• Having hotel room keys in his/her possession
• Evidence of being controlled
• Evidence of inability to move or leave a job
• Being a runaway or homeless youth
• A minor with multiple pregnancies or STI’s (sexually transmitted infections).
• Multiple abortions
• Poor medical history and/or rotting teeth
• Signs of physical abuse, malnutrition, stunted growth, substance abuse, and/or fear or depression
• A minor with excessive money or jewelry
• Branding or tattooing of trafficker’s name
• Not speaking on his/her own behalf and/or unable to speak any of the primary language of the country residing in
• No passport or other forms of identification or documentation

Note: One sign on its own may not be an indication someone is a victim of slavery.

DONATIONS

Even though we are a 501(c)3 candidate, we are still working on fundraisers to help us purchase a building shortly after we are approved. It takes a lot of financial effort legally, real estate fees, construction, and permits. We need your help even before the real work begins.

We will NOT accept government support. So it is going to take private citizens and organizations to help make this work. Any agency that is helping a community, has to accept funds from either the government or privately. Since we are refusing the government, we are coming to you. It is time to sow into the lives of others who desperately need you to be a team in their restoration.

So as you start looking into this more, realize it takes only one or two people to destroy a life, but it takes a team of God’s people to help them in restoring a life. So every aspect of donation is vital. We want you to be a part of this team. We want you to find your role in BRANCH.

GET INFORMED

As I read testimony after testimony on labor trafficking, sex trafficking and so forth, it is so hard to believe that it could be even in a neighborhood like mine or yours. But the truth of the matter is, just like in Cleveland, the victims were well hid. In Cleveland some neighbors cannot sleep or eat anymore knowing that someone and something so vile was going on next door.

It’s time to inform yourselves of the signs to look out for. Just like Jessica above there are one in hundreds of thousands that have the boldness to try and escape. That means that those victims could be right under our nose.

As future newsletters come out with updated information, we are going to teach you the signs to watch out for. We are going to share the stories.