To assist those who may be trafficked, Elijah Rising has always maintained physical presence in the areas where human trafficking occurs. In this episode we reflect on the past ten years of doing intervention and share what we have learned and improvements that still need to be made. We also share some powerful stories of why intervention is important and the attitude or heart one needs to have in order to effectively serve others. You should listen to this episode if you have ever done intervention or street ministry of any kind, or if your focus is on serving people where they are at.
To learn more about Elijah Rising interventions visit: https://elijahrising.wpengine.com/intervention/
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Transcription
John:
Hey, you guys welcome back to the Elijah Rising Podcast. I’m your host, John LaChapelle. And I am joined with my dear friend, Melody Jacobs. Melody, how you doing?
Melody:
I’m doing good.
John:
So glad to have you. We are continuing our 10 year anniversary series, just looking back at where the organization started and where we’re going, the things that we’ve learned, how we’ve grown. And so Melody, I don’t think our listeners know, some of them might not, that we started sending out volunteers in 2011 out on outreach to go to the brothels, cantinas, IMBs, and to really just bring the love of Jesus to women, to buyers, to traffickers. Can you give us a little bit of the history? I know you came on a little bit later before we started, but share with us a little bit about the history of that.
Melody:
I always, I just love how with Elijah Rising, they started from, we started, I say they, but we have started from a prayer group, but also there was always that element of action. So I love that in the DNA of Elijah Rising, it was prayer, but also being the hands and feet of Jesus.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
And so I do know that intervention, it started out a little different in those beginning stages. Really, when I came on the scene, I actually started volunteering-
John:
Oh, come on.
Melody:
… in interventions. And so I started there lead strip club team, and it looked different then, then it does now, not too, too much, but we have been able to grow and mature and develop interventions. And so, for instance, whenever I started, we would have the basic safety rules about parking and just those basic safety rules.
Melody:
But there wasn’t a whole lot of getting you specifically ready for maybe what you’re going to see in the strip clubs-
John:
No. No.
Melody:
… or in the illicit massage businesses. And so after coming on and really having a heart to see intervention built out, praying about it as a group, we just were like, “We need to have more training.” And so we’ve really been able to build out the training and preparing volunteers for what they’re going to encounter, what it’s going to look like to walk into a strip club team.
John:
Oh, wow. That’s amazing. I think that piece has been so critical, especially since I’ve started, not only with some of the practical things, but also these spiritual parameters that we’ve seen. People, like ourselves, when we got into the fight, we were passionate, we could see the need, but as we’re working with some of these younger volunteers that are coming in, some of these people who are just new off the street, some of them aren’t aware of the spiritual dynamic that they’re actually encountering on the street. Can you speak to-
Melody:
Sure.
John:
… some of that?
Melody:
I remember in those early days having a team in the car, and it’d get quiet, and then all of a sudden you hear from the back, like, “So what are we supposed to say?”
John:
Yeah. Oh my gosh.
Melody:
It’s a good question.
John:
It is a good question.
Melody:
Really good question. So we just, from volunteer orientation, from the moment people walk in, we have the opportunity, volunteer orientation, intervention training modules, to be unapologetic about being a faith-based organization and spreading the love of Jesus. Sure, we have our multiple resources that we do hand out. But our most valuable resource is Jesus-
John:
Amen.
Melody:
… is the gospel. And so bringing that to the table really helps people understand the culture and gives a… not only do we equip people with like, here’s a tangible reality and awareness of what is happening, but also here’s spiritual awareness of what you’re going to encounter. There might be heaviness. It’s okay to reach out and have us pray for you. We’re praying before we’re going out, which we’ve always done, but that emphasis of praying before we going out, praying with people while, stopping for a moment and praying. And then, if you need that prayer after, you can reach out to us.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
And so just bringing that spiritual element to the table, a little bit more in-depth.
John:
Yeah, I know that’s super good. I think for me, personally, when I first stepped out the street as a prophetic individual, as a spiritual individual, I would leave with this weight on me. And I’d be like, “Man, am I depressed? Am I heavy? What did I experience that really hurt me on the inside?” And the Lord was helping me see, no you’re experiencing my heart. I feel this way about what’s happening to these women. And so to be able to understand the heart of God in those moments, to understand that people are blinded by deception.
John:
There’s a spirit of deception that make someone think that an abuser is a lover. It’s not love. And so helping train and develop a culture for people stepping into that is so powerful. Why don’t you share with us a little bit, Elijah Rising’s pioneering in some ways in Houston, with outreach, share with us, maybe some things that have worked really, really well. And what are some things that we’ve kind of had to pivot on? Like, “Okay, wait, let’s not do that.”
Melody:
Sure. We always have those. Well, that didn’t go as planned. [crosstalk 00:05:33]-
John:
Pioneer.
Melody:
Yeah. So what’s worked really well is bringing the training to the table, but also creating a mindset of not a project mentality, but a relational mentality. So engaging with women, and you’re not a project, for someone to be able to take what you have to offer, there has to be an investment.
John:
Absolutely.
Melody:
An investment often looks like relationship. Like, “Hey, I want to sit here and I’m going to actually spend a little bit of time. Not necessarily talking your ear off to try to give you my resource.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
But listening capturing notes after you leave.” Maybe you spoke with a Becky, which we don’t have any Becky’s, just throwing that out there. But maybe you spoke with a Becky and she has a daughter and her daughter was sick and you prayed with her, capturing those notes. Being more detailed in the notes so that when we go back the following month, which a lot of places we can only go in once a month. We can look back on our notes and say like, “Hey, if we ever encounter Becky again, we’ll be able to ask her like, ‘Hey, how’s your daughter.’ And pick up that conversation and seize those moments.
John:
Amazing.
Melody:
Be a little more strategic.” So we’ve been able to develop that more and it’s going well. We are actually seeing a lot of fruit from that. What hasn’t been well, so we are starting to, just for instance, with the illicit massage businesses, because of the women that we encounter or predominantly of Asian descent, we are encountering some cultural understandings that, man, we look back and we’re like, “Wow, we brought this huge gift in, and actually, that’s not necessarily good, because there’s the element of shame in the culture.”
Melody:
So how do we navigate wanting to bring resources, wanting to build relationship, but doing it in a manner that we’re being culturally sensitive?
John:
Absolutely.
Melody:
What language? What resource can we give that is actually going to be beneficial? So I had the bright idea, one time, I’ll give one of my, oops, I had this genius, I thought it was a genius idea, is I’m going to put all of these, if you’re being traffic cards in every language, and all of the gifts, except one that we would give, say to maybe the lady who was overseeing the women. And so I was being strategic, I had the one gift for maybe the lady who they would get in trouble with, if they were carrying this. Well, that was a complete and utter disaster. We gave it out and we prayed and it was great.
Melody:
And then the next month our team came back and was like, “Yeah, none of them wanted to talk to us.” I was like, “That didn’t work.” We weren’t speaking their language. So I was giving something that actually terrified them, because immigration laws, cultural, there’s an element of the shame. So we had to pivot that and start to really dive into, okay, how do we effectively be considerate and be mindful of where they are and their culture and what they’ve been raised in? And how can we build relationship with them in a sensitive manner? And we’re still learning.
John:
Absolutely.
Melody:
I mean, there is always room for growth. If you feel like you’ve arrived, you’re in danger.
John:
Absolutely.
Melody:
You’re in trouble. So we always want to keep an open mind of how can we listen? How can we engage in a way that’s sensitive. We’ve actually been able to build a lot of close relationships with women that are being prostituted. And so having the space to really listen to what their opinions and thoughts are without being offended. And giving that place for them to feel confident that they can say this and not hold back, because we’ve built that relationship with them. And then learn and listen, what are the needs? What do we need to pull back from? What do we need to be there for?
John:
It’s a model that I think frustrates the minds of people, because, especially when we’re first getting into the fight, we’re like, “We need a sledgehammer. We’ll break down the door. We’ll pull them out. Why don’t you call the police? Why are people not getting involved?” And this slow and steady of relationship really is what you’re saying is the real key, because of all the barriers that I think the enemy sets up to keep people from fully engaging in the deliverance that’s available for them.
John:
And so can you talk to us about those relationships? How you build relationships? Let’s use Bissonnet as an example, traffickers part of their strategy is to move the women around a lot so that they’re not familiar with their environment. So they’re not building key relationships with people, like our volunteers. What is the strategy for those beautiful, quick moments that we get with women? Some of them once every three weeks, once every six weeks, what does that look like for our volunteers?
Melody:
It’s really learning to listen. Let’s put down our agenda. Yes, our hearts are like, “Take the card, call the number. Do you want to call the number? Do you want to call the number? Do you want to call…” Which is what we want, but we have to understand that we are not their savior.
John:
Yeah. Come on.
Melody:
I have Jesus. And all I can do is sit and offer you Jesus. But I have to sit and show you that you can trust me. And perhaps sit and give the time and the space for Jesus to be seen through me.
John:
Absolutely. Come on.
Melody:
So it’s really listening and building relational ministry. I keep coming back to that and it’s big on my heart, because we have seen the most fruit from it. For instance, this past Friday I sat and spoke with a young lady who our deep, deep, just deep conversation was, “Hey, there’s a spray you can get where you can spray it on your toes, and you won’t get blisters. And you don’t have to wear the ugly Band-Aids,” you know?
John:
Yeah.
Melody:
But those moments, even though it’s kind of like silly and ridiculous and most would say like, “Well, why aren’t you telling her this or that?” She already knows, because one of them said like, “Oh, I have a different Rescue America card, all the different designs you guys have.” She’s literally kept all the cards, which I thought it was hilarious. But just having those little moments to where, when she knows that I’m not looking at her as a project. I’m looking at her as another human. And so those moments actually God will fill.
Melody:
And it helps, actually, us as volunteers remember. I remember her, I know her name. When I see her, and actually that’s the first time I’d seen her in months.
John:
Oh, wow.
Melody:
And she remembers me. She came over and I quickly was like, “Hey, do you want to drink?” And she was like, Miss Melody, you know me.” She goes into, “I changed my hair.” And then I’m like, “Oh my gosh, where have you been?” And so when you have that time to just have a conversation with someone and you find that ground, that meeting ground of where you can just talk. You actually will remember. And so we use those moments-
John:
It’s so powerful.
Melody:
… because maybe we won’t see them for months at a time. But when they come back to the table, there’s that little bit of relationship. And so we have to remember that it takes time. I always say, “This is a second mile ministry. You have to be willing to walk the second mile, because you have those moments where you might have to wait to continue that relationship for a couple of months.” And also to remember that this is by faith, everything we do is by faith that God’s going to use it. We might be the ones planting seeds and someone else might reap that harvest, or maybe we will. So we’re, we’re in this together. And ultimately it’s the Lords.
John:
Yeah. Come on. Man, that is so beautiful. And I think everything you shared really is a demonstration of the gospel. As you said, we cannot be the savior. And I think when people recognize that the pressure really is off of us, it invites that authenticity that you’re speaking about, where they think about that moment that they had with you. You’re a mother. And I think there’s several mothers out there. And so for these women to get a tangible touch from a mother who gave them advice about their toe blisters, they’re going to remember that in environments where they’re not mothered where they’re not fathered. And it’s those seeds that the Lord waters. So I just really appreciate you sharing that.
John:
Another thing that I want to add is like a subsequent question. Would you talk about the etiquette that you train your volunteers in? Tone, words choices, you talked about listening, all of that is so important when we recognize the demographic that God has called us to. They’re marginalized, they’re exploited, they’re taken advantage of. That whole etiquette body language, posture, how do we train our volunteers to really relate in healthy empowering ways with survivors?
Melody:
Sure. So that was another reason why we started to implement a more in-depth training is because you have those moments, and they can be short, to display a different perspective. So for example, us in the church, and this is one of my major things that I like to train on is, we say, “Can I pray with you?” And we grab hands with people, because that’s what church [inaudible 00:15:57] does.
John:
Yeah, guilty.
Melody:
Yeah, no, me too. I do it all the time. But let’s throw in another perspective, let’s take the opportunity to say like, “May I touch you?” Like, “Hey, let’s pray. Can I have your hand?”
John:
Yes.
Melody:
Getting permission to just touch someone’s shoulder, which every day it’s not necessarily that big of a deal, but it is giving a different perspective. Like, hey, someone actually asked me if they could touch me instead of just assaulting me.
John:
Wow.
Melody:
And also, too, we want to be careful and be considerate of using the language. We are to be in this world, but not of this world. And so though I do, I have a very large understanding of the type of language, because it does have its own terms and whatnot, whenever you’re dealing with pimps and just that whole culture.
John:
Sure.
Melody:
The prostitution culture, I guess, it’s like a whole other… I understand the life terminology, however, I don’t have to use that a word or that title over a young lady. I’m not going to. And I want to teach our volunteers that we don’t have to go there. We can be in the world, but not of the world. So that’s important. So we just want to bring etiquette to the table, that number one, too, it like it’ll help our volunteers feel more comfortable. When I go into a situation, understanding what I’m going to see, and what my parameters are, I’m going to be more comfortable in my skin.
John:
Absolutely.
Melody:
And that is another reason why we like to train that etiquette is because, if I walk in awkward, a young lady’s going to tell. I mean, before I even open my mouth, body language just in the very nature of their surroundings, they have to understand and learn body language. That’s survival. So if I go in and I’m awkward and my body language is saying, I’m awkward, it’s going to be very hard to build a relationship. But if I understand like, hey, stay away from this word or that word. Don’t talk so much. Be a listening ear. Mentally, in your head, say, I’m going to look at someone’s face.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
You’re seeing things that you don’t normally see. So having that mental decision, like I’m going to look at people’s face, and I’m going to be considerate of what I say and asking permission to pray, asking permission to hold hands with someone. Those kind of things is going to make one feel more comfortable to just engage with those who they’re encountering on intervention.
John:
It’s bringing dignity back to the individual. And as you’re talking, I’m just really feeling the Lord. When we ask permission to lay our hands, ask permission to hold hands, it’s actually creating something in them that was taken. And I just see the Lord restoring that dignity of choice, that empowering to choose. And so really I think if people can hear this and understand that it’s not these big moments, it’s these little moments where God is working in the details to bring about a redemption that is so far beyond what we can even comprehend. And so thank you for sharing. That’s really, really special.
John:
So I’m going to kind of make a little announcement. So you went from an intervention specialist to intervention director to you are now our new restorative care director, so congratulations.
Melody:
Thank you.
John:
But having been in that role, I want you to just cast vision to our listeners. Where do you see intervention going in the next five to 10 years? As you forecast with God, what you desire, what you believe he’s doing through the intervention arm of this organization, what would you say? What do you see?
Melody:
Oh, this is the fun part. I would love to see for interventions having more intervention sites. There are areas in and around this city that are in desperate need of intervention teams, of those teams that can go in and build relationships, so that if a lady does want to exit, she knows she can safely talk about it.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
So having just more intervention sites would be fantastic. I’ve driven through places, and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, my heart is breaking, because if we had another site here.” So, yes, that, and also, I believe that Elijah Rising has been positioned to help train. And it doesn’t have to be like Elijah Rising intervention site in this state or that, it doesn’t have to be Elijah Rising. Maybe it’s an organization in a different state that has a passion for awareness, and they, also, are seeing the need for outreach, but, like, “Where do we begin?” I would love to see Elijah Rising be able to say like, “Hey, here, here is 10 years worth of training that we have worked out. Let our ceiling be your floor.
John:
Amen.
Melody:
And go farther.” Why would a non-profit or a ministry that has a heart and a passion for outreach have to go through 10 years of learning the very thing that we’ve already learned?
John:
Exactly.
Melody:
Isn’t it kingdom to say, “You will go and do greater than this”?
John:
Yeah.
Melody:
So I would love to see us as an organization, be able to just offer the experience that we’ve learned, some by trial and error, some by other outreaches and say, “Here, take what we have and then make it your own and do greater things with it.”
John:
So good, Mel.
Melody:
So that right there, those two things, more intervention sites, and to be able to be a place where people can come and receive training, so that they can go and do outreach in their cities and in their states-
John:
Come on
Melody:
… communities.
John:
As you talk about the different intervention sites that you desire to see across the city, just really quickly, can you break down what some of those sites look like? We referenced Bissonnet, which is just really an open air sex market on a main street. Can you talk about some of the other places that our volunteers intersect, just to give our listeners a larger scope of where we touch in the city?
Melody:
Absolutely. Right now, like hotel awareness, for example, we have five routes of hotels that we could target right here out of just the Houston intervention, which is already back up and running again, but we have no volunteers or team members to lead those. Bissonnet’s not the only track in and around Houston. There are other ones. And for the sake of time, I won’t go into this, and this place, and this place.
John:
Sure.
Melody:
But to have that well trained team that would be able to target different tracks in and around the city would be huge.
John:
Yeah. Absolutely.
Melody:
Cantinas, cantinas is a big one as well. Literally the researchers call it the Houston model, when they’re speaking and teaching on cantinas. We need teams for cantinas. There’s the Ship Channel area. There’s other areas. There were cantinas here in the Heights area. So those are some aspects. Illicit massage businesses, the numbers are growing daily. So having teams that could target those areas. In Katy, we need an intervention site in Katy. That’s an area right now that we had one at one point, but is needed. We need an intervention site in Katy.
John:
I think our marketing director just showed with us recently, David, that the illicit massage businesses are growing at a faster rate than LA County, which is, I mean, LA being one of the top three cities in the nation, is saying something. So there is a lot of need. And I think even out of the vision that you just casted for us, with listeners all over the world, how would you cast the net for people that are listening that are being stirred by what they’re hearing? What are some ways that they can, one, get involved? But two, what kind of person are you looking for?
John:
What kind of person do you think God is bringing to this particular arm of the work? Because I think you have some people who are stirred, but they might be in my pillar, they might be intercessors. They might be worshipers to really declare the word of God and exalt God over these issues. What does a typical intervention volunteer look like? And what are you looking for?
Melody:
Sure. Let me first start out by saying, like the intercessors, come.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
Because-
John:
Come, intercessors.
Melody:
Come. Come intercessors, come. Because ask and you shall receive. And the places where we have had teams go out and pray, not even go into places, mobile intercessors yes. Go in cars and pray over areas. We have seen the Lord bring in people to then go into those specific IMBs and places like that, and we’ve seen a lot of fruit.
John:
Amen.
Melody:
So we could put intercessors, maybe it’s like, “Okay, I’m called to prayer,” then come and we’ll put you in a car with a team that’s going to go in and you can pray while the teams are in. So, please.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
We actually have one mobile intercessor.
John:
Come on.
Melody:
Don, he’s amazing. Shout out to him. But he actually goes, and he stays in the car while our strip club team, which is all ladies, it can only be all ladies-
John:
Yes.
Melody:
… goes into the clubs and they just visit and to the women. Our strip club team, they said like, “We love when he comes, because we literally can feel the difference. So we want-
John:
That’s amazing.
Melody:
… Jesus passionate people. That’s what our volunteers look like. Because really, like I said before, that is the main resource that we want to bring to the table. I always tell our volunteers, “Ask them, it’s okay if they say, no, but just ask, can I pray with you? Can I bless you? Before.” Cause we always want to leave that gift of Jesus’ presence or love with them.
John:
Amen.
Melody:
Even if they say, “No,” we are still displaying Jesus’ love, but we always want to give that room for him to do more than what we can even do in a moment by just conversating a normal conversation. And so volunteers, we actually have quite a bit of volunteers in our volunteer portal.
John:
Yeah. We do.
Melody:
We are you guys? Come on. I know that with the pandemic, a lot of volunteers… We had to stop interventions for a while, for obvious reasons. So if you were a volunteer before the pandemic and you were serving, man, we’d love to have you reactivate and come back. And then we have the new volunteers that are coming to the table as well.
John:
Absolutely.
Melody:
We want those guys as well. So if you have a passion to reach people, if you love like building relationships, even in the hard places, then we want you.
John:
Yeah. Amen.
Melody:
And even if you feel like, “Ooh, can I do that?” Yes, you can, because we have a beautiful training platform.
John:
We do? Yes.
Melody:
If I can do it, you can do it. When I first gave my life to Jesus, it was me and Jesus and I was okay with that. And I, and I was not a very outgoing person. I did not like street evangelism. I will confess it right now, it was not my… I just didn’t like it. Holy Spirit would say, “Go and pray for this person,” and I would break out in a cold sweat. My hands we get… I’m like, “Really?” Literally, just going up to someone and saying, “Jesus love you,” was so hard. But now I’m like, “Hi, Mr. Pimp, would you like prayer?”
John:
Yeah. I’m like, who is that woman?
Melody:
Sp God can bring you from point A to point-
John:
Come on. Amen.
Melody:
… B because really it’s him.
John:
Amen.
Melody:
And we just get to partner with him, and it takes a responsibility off of us.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
And usually when it’s not something that you think you couldn’t do, then great, then you’re out of it and the Holy Spirit can move. So please, come.
John:
Yes.
Melody:
We’ll help.
John:
Please come.
Melody:
We don’t send volunteers out just by themselves. We have team leaders who have been trained and doing this a while, so you’re partnered with them. Jesus sent them out two by two. We send them out two by two. In groups and then you partner together and walk around and talk to people. So, yes, it’s safe. We’ll train you, come.
John:
Awesome. So for people who just caught that, just so real quick, what’s the practical step. There’s a-
Melody:
Yes. Yes. The practical step. So you can get on our website and you can see where it says become a volunteer, click that, sign up in our Time Counts, Elijah Rising Time Counts. That’s our volunteer platform. You’ll receive an email that says, “Hey, sign up for a volunteer orientation.” On time counts, you’ll see a tab that says volunteer opportunities. If you click on that, you’ll see different intervention sites, you can sign up to be a part of. And also our next volunteer orientation that you can sign up to be a part of.
John:
Perfect.
Melody:
And from there you do the volunteer orientation. We have training modules and then you can start to really plug in to the intervention site that’s closest in your area.
John:
Awesome.
Melody:
If there’s any issue, if you’re having trouble remembering like the steps or you can’t find it, you can reach out to me, melody@elijahrising.wpengine.com.
John:
Perfect.
Melody:
You can call us here at the office. They’re going to direct you either to the new volunteer coordinator that’s coming in or to me. And we will definitely get you plugged in.
John:
That’s awesome, Mel. And just for those of you who are called to be stewards, you can go to elijahrising.org/donate. We are reaching the women every week with resources, food, clothing. Women come, especially on Bissonnet, to our table every week, just to be resourced with things that they need, that they aren’t directly getting from their trafficker. And so all of your resources, all of your donations go to help supporting the work of ending human trafficking in our region.
John:
And so just as a final question, Mel, how do you define success in this line of work? We send out volunteers every week, and it’s not like these women are coming out in drove. How are these volunteers sustained week after week? What’s their reason why, as they continue to go out?
Melody:
Sure. So a lot of times success is seen through faith. We give a resource to a young woman and we have to see it from a place victory, because maybe we won’t see her again. Maybe we won’t see her for a couple of months. And so it’s by faith that we say like, “God, you have called us to this and you’ve been faithful.” God has been so good to give us his history. Mm. What is our history with God? Well, we’ve had these moments where we had a young lady who we encountered in a strip club actually drive by and see our team.
Melody:
Realized it was the church ladies and stopped and gave this beautiful testimony about how she had left a club and, because of the prayer and the encouragement of the team, decided to get back into the career she had a degree for.
John:
Oh, wow.
Melody:
Success is having a young woman who we’ve been working with start to decide, “You know what? I’m going to dare to believe and reach out for a new lifestyle.”
John:
Wow.
Melody:
And maybe she might not be out of it. It doesn’t look real clean, but that’s okay. Life is messy and we see that all throughout the scriptures. So we have our history with God, so we see those moments as success. When, by faith, we pray with this one. By faith, we give a card to this one. By faith, we sit down on the cooler at one o’clock in the morning and laugh about something ridiculous. By faith, that what success looks like.
John:
That’s amazing, Mel. And I’ve seen you just practically pursue individuals and text them, take them to government aid offices, making sure they have what they need, going with you to where their children are being held just to hold and kiss their baby, and pray over them. And so I just want to honor you for not being someone who’s going after the masses, but you really are intent to go after the one. And I think if people can have that mindset, that heart of Jesus, of I’m going to carry this woman that I met this Friday in prayer every day, and I’m going to believe that God’s going to not only bring redemption to her life, but complete restoration.
John:
And so for the men out there, I want to speak to you as Mel shared, we have men who come, they drive, they sit in the car and they pray. We have men on the street who are godly examples of fathering, of masculinity, who just their presence alone disarms and creates safety for the women, for the volunteers. And is a sign and a display to some of these traffickers, to some of these buyers of godliness on the land. And so if you’re a man, this invitation is for you too. This isn’t just for the women.
John:
And so, Mel, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us. This has been such an informative and equipping conversation, and we hope that it’s been encouraging to you. As we mentioned earlier, we are really pulling on the city for intercessors. And even if you’re not in the Houston region, we have prayer once a month, specifically for the city, for these different demographics, the cantinas, the IMB, and we live stream all of those prayer sets, and so you can absolutely jump on and engage in that place of intercession with us. But you can email prayer@elijahrising.wpengine.com, if you or someone you know is desiring to jump in the fight through prayer and worship. So thank you so much for joining us. Until the next episode, God bless you guys.
