Hi, I’m Theanna Joyce and I’d like to share with you why I take part in Dressember. As a Christian, I want to honor God so that my values reflect His.
The work Jesus has done and is still doing in the world involves meeting the needs of others and providing freedom and true life. Jesus’ mission on earth was to do the will of His Father. His thoughts, attitudes, reactions, and decisions were fully in line with His Fathers’.
Jesus’ public ministry wasn’t just preaching and teaching in the synagogue and the streets, He set people free. He reached out to the beggars who were bound by their social standing, to those who were crippled or sick and unable to make a life for themselves, and to the demon-possessed. He offered life and freedom to them. We can see the heart of Jesus in this prophecy of Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1).
Jesus read this section from Isaiah after returning to Nazareth from His temptation in the wilderness. Luke 4 records how He stood up in the synagogue on the Sabbath and read this section from Isaiah. After reading it, He sat down and said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). He was the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy. He was the anointed One sent by the Father. It was more than physical healing and freedom that Jesus was bringing, He was offering spiritual healing and freedom from sin. He came to earth to go to the cross.
By suffering the punishment that our sin deserved, He provided a way for us to be set free from the bondage of our sin. When we trust Him and His work for us on the cross, we are freed and have new life. As we allow His Word to settle into our hearts, He brings healing and wholeness. He wants us to live abundantly in the good of His freedom. “If the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36).
The good news is that Jesus came to die so that you could be free. He wants you to live a life of love, joy, and peace. He came to proclaim this and He asks us to share it as well.
He wants us to love like He loves and to do our part to help those who are hurting and in bondage. So I participate in Dressember because setting the captives free is the desire of God’s heart.
Here's the link to my page: dressemberijm-2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/theanna-joyce
Hi, I’m Janneylee!
This is my first year doing Dressember!! I’m very excited to be a part of Dressember this year because I think it’s a good way to spread awareness and to fundraise for the ones who are in this form of slavery. Human trafficking is such a real issue that is all over the world, even in our city! My heart is broken for the people that are trapped in it and I can’t even imagine how heartbroken God is to see His people imprisoned in this way. I hope and pray that through this fundraiser people can be freed and that God can work and provide them healing.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Here's the link to my page: https://dressemberijm-2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/janneylee-joyce
My name is Rykauna and this is my fourth year participating in Dressember. I don't particularly like wearing dresses in the snow, and I find it awkward asking people for donations. Somedays I feel like taking a break, taking a year off, but then I hear survivor's stories and think "what if she was my sister?". That girl sold into human trafficking is someone's sister, she is someone's daughter, but most importantly she is someone God loves. Someone God thought was worth dying for. So I can wear a dress in the snow, and I can do it with a smile on my face.
Psalm 146:7 says: "Who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoner free."
Love, freedom, and human dignity are important to God. As a follower of Jesus, they are important to me, too. Oscar Romero once said: "Those who have a voice should speak for those who are voiceless." So this is my voice, as feeble as it may be.
Here is the link to my page: https://dressemberijm-2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/rykauna
Hi there! My name is Charissa Lansing and this is my fourth year participating in Dressember. I must say that four years ago I did not feel prepared for what a month of dresses would bring. But now, as I look back on the impact that a simple dress can have, it is simply amazing!
Human trafficking is a very real issue in our world and even in our own country! Today, there are countless people living their lives in fear, not knowing where to turn too for freedom and hope. In John 8:36 it says, “So if the Son set you free, you will be free indeed,” a beautiful reminder of the eternal freedom and hope that we have in Him, Jesus Christ! For this whole month of December, I will be wearing dresses to bring awareness and advocate for ending human trafficking and slavery, to fight for the freedom of all people and to share about the eternal freedom and hope that can be found in Jesus Christ! If you stand with me, then please join me or donate. Every dollar counts as one step towards freedom!
“So if the Son set you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Here is the link to my page: https://dressemberijm-2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/charissa-lansing
Here’s a little more information about Dressember from its founder:
Please consider supporting these girls as they speak up for those who cannot.
