New year. New month. New post!

First Free Church
Manchester, MO
Photo credit: Joelle Smith

January 31. The last day of a new month in 2013. A month marked by resolutions kept, some broken, others to be fulfilled. Days filled with new exercises, diets (Paleo or “Forks Over Knives” anyone?), and hope…or regret. A recent survey revealed that in 2013 over $5 billion will be spent by Americans attempting to accomplish their New Year’s resolutions. And where is this money mostly spent? Losing weight and getting more exercise (37 percent and 28 percent of Americans respectively), yet 46 percent of such resolutions will never even get started before the new year is up.

Big resolutions – life changing goals – are exciting and hopeful yet as we all well know are difficult to attain. Here at Made for Freedom we are no different; we are human after all! We’re a team of big goals, exciting dreams and overwhelming resolutions. But we’re also a team that values a job well done. A job done with wisdom and responsibility. Which is why we’ve postponed our campaign fundraising to instead focus on bettering our product, strengthening our network of community and relationships and spreading the word on why Made for Freedom even exists.

Our resolutions this month have been simple: to focus on quality, intentionality and hope. Quality in the products (i.e. pants) we’re designing, the business we’re entering and in the help we wish to give in India. We want to be intentional in all we do whether it’s creating a logo, meeting with mentors, or telling our story. And above all, clinging to hope. Hope fueled by knowing that if our business helps one girl our efforts have been worth it. We’re about changing lives. And that can happen with just a pair of pants or 1000 pairs of pants.

It is our ongoing resolution to share the good, the bad and the ugly with our Made for Freedom community. Perhaps you’ve been following our daily facebook and twitter posts on sex trafficking around the world. Or maybe you heard about (or attended) our recent presentation “Sex Trafficking: From Vulnerability to Restoration.” If so you know why we’re pursuing this dream for Made for Freedom!

Below: our first presentation of the year at First Free Church (Manchester, MO).    

Fundraising will begin soon enough. But until then please read our materials, share with your friends and join our community of freedom.

- The Made for Freedom Team