A "Right Minded" Woman...

        What person in her right mind would want to spend six weeks rowing a boat across the Atlantic Ocean?  Nothing to do all day but pull oars, fight waves, ache from fatigue and hope you’re staying on coarse.  And then there is the weather...will there be storms, squalls, or overbearing heat and sun?  Will the rest of the team—five other women—get along with each other?  Will the friendships grow, strengthen or will there be disagreements and resentments? 

        But then, that’s what passion does...it has a way of over-riding the left-sided logic of the mind and light the flame of imagination.  So really, it would take a “Right-minded Visionary” to take up a daunting task that is most obviously going to take courage, lots of preparation, tenacity and plain hard work to achieve.  

        Julia Immonen is a “Right-Minded” young lady who passionately hates the damage that human trafficking imposes on vulnerable women and children—some as young as four years old.  Through prayer and research, Julia made a plan and then began to seek out others to get involved.  The plan became Row for Freedom.  http://www.rowforfreedom.com/

      If My Midnight Man weren’t suffering from chronic back pain, he’d love to be a part of the team pulling oars across the Atlantic.  Because we’ve been acquainted with Julia’s parents for many years, MMM was aware of Julia’s goal in its early days.  For months MM Man has given me updates about her progress—how she’s recruited five other women to row with her.  She has gotten sponsors on board and has constantly trained to make this project one that educates people about the horrors of human trafficking and encourage others to “...use whatever’s in your hand to make a difference to change the world..one person at a time.”

        That’s why I wanted to write about Julia Immonen and her team of ordinary women—ages 22 to 31—who  are taking on a task that goes beyond Olympic proportions.  After all, most Olympic performances last less than 10 minutes—with exceptions like marathons.  But Julia and her team will be rowing day-after-day, everyday for bout six weeks (35-45 days).  Even the Olympic don’t last six weeks!  It’s passion that drives Julia and her friends to challenge nature, themselves and the status quo.  Julia loves Jesus Christ.  Julia loves people.  Julia loves justice, mercy, compassion.  I hope you will follow the link to her website.  More than that, I pray that you will pray for Julia and her team.  Maybe you’ll be led to become a supporter. 

        Each time we buy a Fair Trade item, we fight slavery in foreign countries.  By following Julia’s example, maybe each of us can find a way to make a contribution to the end of Human Trafficking.  

Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,  "Lady Helene"