We’re thrilled to announce that Gregg Helvey’s film, KAVI, just made the short-list for the 2010 Oscars! His film is a 17 minute view into the life of a young boy enslaved in a South Asian brick kiln. It is a film of striking beauty, heartache, and passion… Words truly fail to describe what Gregg has captured.
If you are local to the DC area, I want to make sure you have the opportunity to attend a special screening of this film on Capitol Hill. Gregg Helvey has been invited by Donald Payne and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to show his film Tuesday December 15 at 6pm, and we would be honored if you, as Institute readers and members, would attend as well.
Take a moment to watch the trailer - details for the screening are below:
Where: 2168 Gold Room, Rayburn House Office Building, Capitol Hill, Washington DC. To see a map, please go to http://www.aoc.gov/cc/cc_map.cfm
Whether you joined us in person, prayed from afar, participated in the LiveBlog, or are simply wondering what the Global Prayer Gathering is, we hope that you’ll enjoy this handful of photos, courtesy of photographers Ted Haddock and Brian Tropiano (copyright IJM) from this powerful time of prayer and worship two weeks ago (March 27-29).
Click “read more” to see the batch. And let us know your thoughts from the weekend, comments on the LiveBlog experience, or anything else that may come to mind related to your experience of joining us in prayer, year-round, for this work. We are very grateful for you.
Wanted to pass along a few photos from last night’s DC Benefit Dinner - courtesy of our photographer Ted Haddock. I just found out that not only were we offered up to $200,000 in matching gifts, but thanks to our remarkable IJM supporters who came out in droves and gave so generously last night, we were able to make that match! Absolutely flabbergastingly grateful to God for His provision for this work and for each and every one of you who give to our work in so many ways…
A small sub-section of the 1250+ attendees
Lamont Hiebert and Ten Shekel shirt performed with such beauty and power… (They’ll be leading worship at our Global Prayer Gathering March 27-29)
Gary Haugen served as our featured speaker and we received a field report from Pablo Villeda, our director in Guatemala
Year after year it can feel harder and harder to connect at Christmastime with the deep mysteries of Christ’s birth, of God’s choice to come to earth, to take on human flesh, to come into our suffering, to meet with us, to bring healing to the nations… The reasons for our heart’s distraction from this beauty are many, but sometimes something as simple as a song written in holy surrender can float by our ears and draw us back to the wonder of Emmanuel - God with us.
This is precisely what I’ve experienced over the past 16 hours since I opened Sara Groves’ new Christmas album - an awakening from the distraction, an invitation into holy wonder. Sara is an artist partner with us (and dedicates the fourth (and title) song on this album to our work).
Sara, thank you for the way you let God use you to draw us to truth, beauty and blazing hope, even in the darkness of injustice and oppression.
Jon Foreman just gave a surprise performance here at Catalyst. Jon fronts the band Switchfoot and has been a tremendous advocate of IJM’s work. Jon and his band have gone to great lengths to give voice to the oppressed, even packing-out a stadium arena in the Philippines to benefit our work against sex-trafficking in that nation.
Jon’s parents, Mark and Jan Foreman, pastor Northcoast Calvary Chapel near San Diego and have also been tremendous partners in this journey. From international travels to the poorest regions of the world, to hosting me in their home for an intimate gathering to speak with leaders, to hosting Gary Haugen to preach to the thousands who attend their church, Mark and Jan are continually finding ways to draw near to God’s heart for justice and to bring others along with them in the work of rescuing the oppressed.
Such encouraging partners in this journey!
Take a moment to check-out Jon’s music and Mark’s hot-off-the-press book, Wholly Jesus.
[Jon live here at Catalyst below:]
International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems.
