Women of Purpose

This past weekend we had the opportunity to travel to Hershey, Pa to a women's conference called Women of Purpose. It was so much fun! All the proceeds from the art we sold go directly to Project Rescue to help women that have been rescued from human trafficking all around the world. If you'd like to read more about their mission, go here.

We spent the first day meeting people and talking about the ministry and selling a few pieces. The next day we got to sit in on a session and worship with Christy Nockels. It was so powerful, what a voice and heart of worship she has!
At the end of the day before we headed home, we decided to count the money that we had raised. We were so excited to see how much we and to give Project Rescue. Before we counted, we praised God for opening doors. As we counted the money, we praised God for his provision. After we finished counting, we screamed and rejoiced for God's blessing and goodness. We had raised... drumroll please.... $1,115 to donate to help the women that were rescued my Project Rescue receive shelter, clothing, food, and an education. God is soooo good!

We won't lie, this weekend called for a lot of caffeine!

We would be no where without the donations of artwork from students at Valley Forge and without the interest that all those wonderful women had at the conference. Thank you so very much for your prayers and interest in the ministry! We've really seen God's working hand throughout the entire weekend, and throughout the past few months as we see the ministry grow and bring light to the horrors of human trafficking!

In addition to Women of Purpose, Inspire was asked to do a live painting at Glad Tidings, a church in Reading PA. It was to celebrate the CD release concert that they had that night for their new album Our Song Will Rise! It was fantastic and the worship was so authentic and beautiful. The worship team did a great job, as well as all the behind the scenes work done by the staff. This weekend just reminded us how wonderful God is and how great community is when we're all striving to see the same things happen.

Art Party!

Fall Semester Update

Hello everyone!

What an amazing last few weeks it's been, from the ministry fair to the start of an amazing semester, to beautiful fall weather and a really fun turnout at the Art Party last week. We loved seeing all of you there! If you were unable to make it, the next party will be October 24th. Below are a few pictures from last week's event:

In addition, we also wanted to let you know a little story that Project Rescue has recently shared! In their latest newsletter they wrote:

"Sameeksha was sold by her family into a life of sexual slavery out of a desperate attempt to feed the rest of the family. When she was rescued during a government raid, Sameeksha was rejected by her family and four different organizations who were unable to treat her medical needs.

In desperate need of emotional and physical healing, Sameeksha came to one of Project Rescue's affiliated aftercare homes. One night, she prayed, "Jesus, if you're really there, please reveal yourself to me." In that moment, a man dressed in white came to her bedside and talked to her in a comforting and loving voice, assuring her that her life had a purpose. Sameeksha knew that Jesus Himself had appeared to her.

Sameeksha now wants to rescue and restore others like herself who have endured rejection and exploitation. Once a small-framed, delicate and undernourished girl, Sameeksha has grown into a strong young woman, full of joy, grace, and God's love."

As children like Sameeksha prepare for the school year, we are asking you to partner with us to supply 120 children in our Nagpur aftercare home with school supplies. Your gift of $10 provides one child with the supplies they need. If you'd be interested in giving, please click here. In addition, your prayers are greatly appreciated and treasured!

Fall 2014

Wow! What a turnout at the ministry fair :)

We had almost 50 people sign up on Thursday to be a part of Inspire and receive our new newsletter, as well as attend art parties and donate their artwork. We are thrilled!

If you were unable to visit our booth or couldn't make it to the fair, please leave your email below in the comments and we'll add you to our mailing list. Don't worry, we won't spam you or fill up your inbox! Just a monthly letter to let you know about events and exciting opportunities to get involved, as well as artist spotlights. We can't wait to get in touch!

Back to School!

Well, it's that time! Back to school!

We are so excited to see returning students to Valley Forge's campus, and meet some new ones too! We hope you all had a lovely summer and look forward to the year ahead.

The ministry fair is September 4th this year and we will be waiting at our booth to see you all. Come say hi and sign up for our monthly email and art parties!

Sevenly + Love 146

Hello everyone! Have you ever head of Sevenly? It's this wonderful t-shirt company that teams up with different charities and donates money from their sales to help make a difference in the world! Pretty awesome, if you ask us. (And their shirts are awesome too!) 

This week at Sevenly, your purchase aids the work of Love 146. It provides restorative care for survivors of child sexual exploitation in the US.

Just head on over before the sale is over and check out their great designs! 

Here are a few examples:

Let us know what you think, and if you end up purchasing one! 

If you miss the Sevenly date, head on over to the Love 146 site and get a shirt there!

2013-2014 Meeting With The Grants

Last week our year came to a close as we gave our donation to David and Beth Grant in VFCC chapel service. We were so blessed to raise funds for Project Rescue and are pleased to announce that we made $4,500 for them by selling t-shirts, paintings, and general donations from churches and other groups. We are so thankful for all the support and help that you've all given! God is so good and we cannot wait to see how God uses Project Rescue to help the victims of human trafficking find hope and better lives. Along with our donation, some wonderful girls who helped host Bless With a Dress and Confidence Week raised money to donate too!

Refresh Conference

A few weekends ago, we had the opportunity to do some live painting during the Valley Forge Youth Studies "Refresh" series. It was such a great time! It was held at the new Conference Center at Valley Forge and had the musical talents of Trevor Gordon Hall and  Claude Valdes was the speaker. He brought a wonderful word and gave great tips and reminders to youth leaders and pastors on the importance of investing in students and not focusing on numbers, but on the growth and development of each kid in the youth group!

Jessica and I had a wonderful time creating several pieces that sold right away, and we were able to even set up the booth and make a little extra money to donate to Project Rescue! We are so thankful for this time we got to share our talents and Inspire's heart about Project Rescue and helping victims of human trafficking. God is so good, always faithful! We just want to thank Valley Forge's Youth Studies Department and Phil Baker for having us. We were so blessed to be a part!

The Booth!

Painting the Refresh Painting 

"The Word of the Lord is living and breathing, filled with color and life!"

A special time of prayer and music was had for Dr. Hall, as his son Trevor played beautiful songs on his guitar. We were so blessed to be a part of such a special moment. We gave our final painting of a willow tree to Dr. Hall as a get-well-soon present and had the youth department volunteers, the speaker, and Professor Baker sign the back frame. It was so special! 

Live Painting

A Giveaway!

Come check out our first ever giveaway!! 

Interested in winning one of our paintings? Then enter below! We are thrilled to be giving away a painting just to say a sort of "thank you" for all the support and prayers and ideas you've all been giving us! 

David and Beth Grant from Project Rescue will be visiting Valley Forge Christian College in a few weeks and we are on our toes, waiting to give them our donation. God is so good!

Enter our contest here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bless With A Dress!

The End It Movement.

If you frequently use any social media sites, there is a chance that you've seen something posted about the End It movement. The goal of this movement is to raise awareness and put a stop to human trafficking.

Their mission statement says this: 

"Slavery still exists. We want every man, woman and child to know that there are 27 million men, women and children, just like them, living in the shadows. Working as slaves. In 161 countries. Including our own. Let's shine a light on slavery and END IT.

We are here to shine a light on slavery. No more bondage. No more sex trafficking. No more child laborers. No more, starting now."

In February, they are hosting an event to shine a light on slavery. Spread the word to your family and friends to get the ball rolling! They need all the support they can get!

Find them on Facebook or enditmovement.com to get more info and see what you can do to be a part. 

We love seeing other organizations that use their resources to help get the word out about the terrible truths of human trafficking and child slavery. They need a voice, so let yours be heard.

Human Trafficking Awareness Night Recap.

A few weeks ago, Inspire had the great opportunity to host an art raffle and night of awareness for human trafficking during the Super Bowl. It went really well and we are SO incredibly well! Thank you to all who came out and supported us and participated in the raffle!

Almond Cake and Citrus Raspberry Cake we made for the event!

Leah speaking at the event!

Julia speaking at the event!

We just want to say thank you to Julia and Leah for sharing their hearts and what God has used them for to further the work of rescuing human slaves or spreading awareness. Their hearts greatly touched our own and we are so happy that we got to share this event with them! 

To all that made their way out to the event, thank you thank you thank you! Christian Laliberte and Charles Lucyk were awesome tech guys for the night and we just wanted to make sure you all know how thankful we are!

We also wanted to share some great news! According to CBS Sports,

"The FBI rescued 16 juveniles and arrested more than 45 pimps in conjunction with a child sex trafficking operation that revolved around the Super Bowl.

Some of the pimps and their associates claimed to have traveled to New Jersey for last Sunday's Super Bowl, “for the purpose of prostituting women and children,” the FBI's press release stated."

That is so awesome! Praise God that the police intervened and those kids were rescued! Please continue to pray for those who were not though. It deeply saddens us, but the reality of it is that we still have so much work to do!

Thank you again to all that made this event possible and to those who fought in their own ways against human trafficking during the Super Bowl weekend.

Human Trafficking Awareness Night!

Join us for a night of prayer and discussion about ways that human trafficking can be stopped in the US, especially during the NFL Super Bowl. Admission is $5 per person which includes dessert and a raffle ticket. $2 for each additional raffle ticket, and all the proceeds go directly to Project Rescue.

According to Forbes, 10,000 prostitutes were brought to Miami for the Super Bowl in 2010 and 133 underage arrests for prostitution were made in Dallas during the 2011 Super Bowl.

There will also be an art raffle, desserts, and several speakers sharing their experiences with trafficking and its effects and ways we can pray for the victims and all those involved. We would love to see you there, and please feel free to bring a friend!

The event will take place in Krempels Theater on the campus of Valley Forge Christian College.