Newsletter
09/23/2020 | September 2020 Issue
My wife and I have 5 children and 7 grandchildren living in the Portland, OR metro area and we live just across the Columbia River which separates Oregon from the State of Washington. September has been a particularly devastating time for residents of Oregon. Much of the State has been on fire, entire towns no longer exist and over half a million people needed to evacuate their homes due to threats from fire and smoke. Serving USA has three partner organizations in the area, serving hundreds of clients that were also adversely impacted.

Late last week, the rains began to arrive and the temperatures have dropped and the winds shifted and people were able to come out of their houses and begin to breathe again after nearly two straight weeks under what was considered the most unhealthful air quality index on the planet. It got me thinking about all of the individuals that our partner organizations serve and minister to each day that are coming out of unhealthful lifestyles and adversely impacted by traumatic events.

Our partner organizations, like LAST Ministry and Generate Hope, both featured in this month’s newsletter, are conduits of God’s grace which breathes fresh air and hope into their lives. I know you will enjoy learning more about these fine ministries and all that they are doing to help transform lives.

Completion Global
Completion Global is dedicated to establish what they call the “Prison to People-group pipeline,” a nationwide strategy to train the incarcerated to do ministry, equip churches to welcome returning citizens into their community upon release, and train agencies to recruit the formerly incarcerated as workers for their organizations. 

Serving USA and their partners are already training inside the walls through TUMI in 12 states, and Completion Global is attempting to expand this to all 50 states.
They have authored two helpful tools for the construction of this pipeline.

The Onesimus Workshop is a 2-hour video with a facilitator’s guide that will help a church get started in the process of helping returning citizens make a cultural shift from prison culture to outside culture.
Climbing Up is a book they wrote for prisoners themselves, something they can read to help them prepare themselves for their re-entry adventure so they can hit the ground running. 

The third part of the pipeline is to connect with ministries who need more laborers for the harvest (Mt. 9:37-38), reaching the many unreached people groups God is sending to America (aka “the diaspora” or dispersed).
UPCOMING EVENTS
Are you looking for an opportunity to engage in a conversation about ending human trafficking?

Join us 9/24 at 4PM as Elena Shahnaian, Founder and CEO, Two Wings, leads a discussion on Ending Human Trafficking through a Virtual Round Table. 

Speakers include Rachel Thomas, Founder of Sowers Education Group, Melissa Yao, Executive Director of National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance, Ashleigh Chapman, Founder of Justice U, and Alana Flora, Co-Founder of Engage Together. 

Registration is Free so grab your spot TODAY.
Forgotten Children, Inc., is hosting an online auction to raise money for their efforts in fighting human trafficking.

Virtually bid on items starting October 1st through the 15th.

Join Mighty Oaks Foundation as they celebrate their 10th Annual Warrior Gala.
Mighty Oaks proudly serves our great Nation’s Warriors including active-duty military, veterans, first responders, and their spouses.
They are very proud to announce the distinguished keynote speaker for the evening, United States Senator, Ted Cruz (TX).
Event date is October 10th.
Get your tickets here.
Everyone deserves to be loved. Everyone deserves a life free from exploitation. You can help make that a reality for victims and survivors of sex trafficking and the sex trade by joining us at our A Night of REST: Virtual Soirée, Saturday, October 17 at 6:00 PDT

Join REST for an inspiring evening as we virtually gather as a community to raise $500,000 to build pathways to freedom, safety, and hope for victims of sexual exploitation.

Your registration gives you access to the virtual event, which will kick-off a week of giving REST.
Join Teen Challenge on Monday, October 19th for their 25th Annual Golf Tournament. This year's tournament will take place at the beautiful Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.

Teen Challenge provides not only help, but also hope for people who've found themselves caught up in a destructive lifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse. 

For more information and
tee time reservations
please contact:
Dawn Cormier, Golf Coordinator
805-290-4886
Marjaree Mason Center is pleased to announce Andrea “Drea” Kelly (pronounced DREE-AH) as the keynote speaker for the 37th Annual Top Ten Professional Women and Leading Business Awards.

Well-known dancer, choreographer, entrepreneur, actress, motivational speaker, reality TV star, and former wife of singer/songwriter R. Kelly, Drea will speak at the virtual event on Tuesday, October 20, 12 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. The pre-show begins at 11:45 a.m.

Registration is required to receive the links to participate in this year’s virtual Top Ten event.

There is no charge to register, however, a donation to support comprehensive domestic violence services for adults and children in Fresno County, including 24/7 crisis response and emergency housing, is encouraged.
Featured Partner
LAST Ministry
Corinne Kinstler has been entrusted by God to lead LAST Ministry in Orangevale just east of Sacramento. She continually leans into Him to understand His leading. Over the past nine years Corinne has been led to start LAST’s boutique which includes a discipleship and prayer room, open a women’s transition home in Lincoln, and pursue an outpatient service.

More recently, Corinne has been wrestling with potential changes to her ministry and again leaning into understanding her heavenly Father’s heart in the matter. She has felt for some time that changes are afoot. 

Through it all, she has continued to minster to women whose paths have brought them to Corinne.
With all of the impact of COVID restrictions, Corinne has been rethinking the nature of LAST’s boutique. She is in the planning stages of converting the boutique into a different type of retail space catering more to restored and repurposed furniture and accessories. And she is considering looking for a transition home closer to the ministry than the current location in Lincoln.

Not only has LAST been a transition home and boutique, but it is also a satellite for TUMI (The Urban Ministry Institute). Corinne is currently teaching 12 TUMI students. Prior to COVID, she was also teaching TUMI at the Folsom Women’s Prison.
Through it all, Corinne has had a heart for making disciples for Jesus. Her ministry has continued to bear fruit by drawing women closer to Christ. One recent example is Katie. When Katie came from Ukraine with her mother, father and five brothers, she was a very young girl. She was raised in the church but never had a personal relationship with Jesus. Since high school, Katie has struggled with drugs that separated her physically and emotionally from her family, including her son.

Katie’s godly father got on his knees before the Lord and told Him he would not eat until the Lord returned his daughter to him. Thirty-nine days later, the Lord faithfully responded to his obedience to fasting and praying and brought his daughter home. Katie moved into Home at LAST and is in the process of being transformed daily, as she renews her mind with the Word of God. Katie is born again with the power of the Holy Spirit living through her and is a light unto the world.
Her strong faith even amazes her father at times!

Katie is getting ready to see her son for the first time in a very long time.

Corinne noted, “It is exciting to see God restore this family to wholeness with Jesus at the center. What an honor it is to watch the Lord work and be a part of bringing those that are living in darkness into His incredible light.”

Corinne continues to follow the path and timing God lays out before her. She strives not to move too slowly or too quickly. Her journey as the founder of LAST has been blessed. And she is a blessing in all she does.

Featured Partner
Generate Hope
So much has changed this year, but the one thing that has not changed is the incredible need for services for survivors of sex trafficking. Right now, there is far more demand for recovery services than we can meet with our current capacity. We receive between 20-30 phone calls a month asking for placement in our program from all across the country. 

This year, we were given the opportunity to expand our services to Colorado. We are very excited about this opportunity as this means more survivors can have an opportunity at freedom and healing. Our plan is to open a new recovery program in Colorado in the summer of 2021. 
In lieu of our annual in-person gala this year, we are excited to present "Hope for a Future", a virtual benefit concert to celebrate the survivor milestones and look forward to all that's to come in the future.

We are raising money to continue the work at GenerateHope, and increase our services so more women can find hope and healing.

The campaign is currently live, and the virtual concert will take place on October 25th at 6pm PST.

You can join the campaign and bookmark it for the concert here!