And that was November of 19. I then submitted a proposal, a safe harbor opportunity proposal to pastors and leadership, met with them. And I laid out the deficit. You know, this is where there’s a gap, and it’s not in it’s not exclusive to Homeland Security. It is across the board with law enforcement when there’s a rescue.

Nathan Sack  23:44
So this is a police officer goes into a place and they  have a person an individual that that has been trafficked, or taken. And this person is then this this is like you said it’s cross board. Cross board issue. It’s an existing issue that needs a solution.

Joy Marie  24:04
It’s long. Yes, long term. And it needs it needs help. No doubt about it. They need help. And my pastors, hands down. Yes, we’ll do this. Absolutely.  So January 24, to be exact of 2020 while sitting in my quiet time, I hear Freedom’s Bridge. And I thought, great. Okay, Freedom’s Bridge. What’s the Scripture? So I’m thinking Isaiah 61 you know, who let’s hands down.

Nathan Sack  24:40
Well that or one of the build , build the highway scripture. Freedom’s Bridge.

Joy Marie  24:45
Ezekiel and I was like, huh Ezekiel 34:16. I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy and feed them in judgment.

Nathan Sack  25:04
Wow. So that has a- that has a restoration and then a judgment because God wants to restore what was lost, and then judge, whatever was the problem.

Joy Marie  25:24
Okay. And in 2020, literally February of 2020 Freedom’s Bridge became an official bona fide ministry.

Nathan Sack  25:35
And you think about that, too. I mean, for the heart of heart of police officers, heart of Homeland Security, these people want to rescue what was lost. And they and they have a judgment for those who perpetrated the crime, the crime, right, there’s a judgment against it. It’s in the laws of the land, right. Hey, if you do this, you know-

Joy Marie  25:59
There are consequences to our actions. Yes, whether they are positive or negative, there are consequences to our actions.

Nathan Sack  26:06
So Ezekiel 34:16. And, and then what happened next?

Joy Marie  26:12
What happened next was leadership met with Homeland Security, special agents.

Nathan Sack  26:20
We’re talking about a church leadership, met with Homeland Security, security, right. Does that include police officers, or did it-

Joy Marie  26:29
No, not this particular meeting. No, this this all the catalyst for Freedom’s Bridge was Homeland Security.

Nathan Sack  26:40
So the leadership met with Homeland Security.

Joy Marie  26:44
Homeland Security agents came to Colonial Presbyterian Church. And we sat in a conference room at church for a couple of hours. It was the leadership of leadership and elders, some of the elders of our church, and they shared Homeland Security shared the need, you know, the need, they shared, obviously, statistics, and I can’t remember the statistics, but they shared how trafficking occurs, what the markers are, what the indicators are, and, and how large this travesty this crime is. And-

Nathan Sack  27:25
In America specifically, well, then also Kansas City.

Joy Marie  27:28
It’s worldwide. It’s worldwide. It’s nationwide. And certainly, it’s yes, in Kansas City, particularly.

Nathan Sack  27:36
Kansas City’s in the center of the country.

Joy Marie  27:38
We are the hub, you know, we are a hub, pretty much. And think about it we’re the middle of the country, the railway comes through. All transportation comes through here.

Nathan Sack  27:51
St. Louis, Kansas City, or-

Joy Marie  27:54
You’ve got truckers, you know, long haul short haul. The rails, the aircraft, you name it. It’s here. It’s all going through. It’s prevalent throughout our nation, certainly, but and I have, I do have some numbers, but it is the second traffic- human trafficking is the second largest business globally. Second, it’s second to firearms and drugs. It’s a commodity, it’s a business, trust me. So Homeland Security comes we sit, you know, they come to Colonial, we have a meeting, my pastor or lead pastor sits there and says before they even left, the answer is yes, we will. We will help you. Yes, we will do this. He said yes. He said yes. And across the board. I mean, he it was his yes obviously representing the leadership, but he certainly sought their opinions. And it was, it was unanimous. Yes, we are definitely going to help. And I had submitted my proposal with a budget. And, you know, I went forward with everything Holy Spirit had said, so everything was outlined.

Nathan Sack  29:10
So you already had a plan and a structure.

Joy Marie  29:12
Oh, it was all the planning structure was it was ready. It was ready to go say yes, we’re good. That was February 2020. In March, everything shuts down. And right before all of this happened. So here you’re thinking, okay, very quiet. And it was it 2020 was very quiet for several months. But then I received a phone call from Homeland Security, probably around the September, early fall. And can you help? Yes, we can.

Nathan Sack  29:49
So this was a call for a specific problem for human trafficking.

Joy Marie  29:55
We have we’ve we have a human trafficking rescue, can you assist us with lodging. Yes, I can.

Nathan Sack  30:01
And that was what Freedom’s Bridge was set up to do.

Joy Marie  30:04
That is what Freedom’s Bridge is all about. When there’s a rescue, the law enforcement, whether it’s a Homeland Security, State Highway Patrol, local authorities, they will contact me and say, we’ve got someone- every case is different. They might have a rescue. There was one rescue that occurred, clearly the young- it was a young girl. She had escaped her traffickers. And we were I was asked Freedom’s Bridge was asked, can you give her- can you pay for a bus ticket to get her home? Her parents are waiting for at the other end. So we paid for a bus ticket. Law enforcement literally escorted her to the bus depot, put her on the bus. And then she got home safely to her family. Another time it was- we have a rescue we need to pay for hotel. How many nights? And our arrangement is one to three nights.

Nathan Sack  31:03
Okay, so because that’s the 72-hour window.

Joy Marie  31:05
That’s the 72-hour window. That’s the 72-hour gap that existed, past tense that existed until last year.

Nathan Sack  31:14
Because you’re now bridging that gap.

Joy Marie  31:16
We are bridging that gap. We are bridging that gap. And thankfully, there is another incredible faith based nonprofit that has that that Freedom’s Bridge partners with called Relentless Pursuit Outreach and Recovery. They are phenomenal.

Nathan Sack  31:32
Yeah. And we’ve already I mean, I kind of this Relentless Pursuit has already been referenced at least once on this podcast. And, and so yeah.

Joy Marie  31:41
I was just there yesterday.

Nathan Sack  31:43
Anyway, so yeah. So back to your so you’ve partnered with this-

Joy Marie  31:48
Partner with another nonprofit, I’ve partnered with another a couple of nonprofits, other nonprofits, faith based. That’s wonderful. They’re faith based. And I’ve certainly attended some very deep dive human trafficking training. And that’s ongoing for me. It doesn’t matter how long I’m in this, it doesn’t matter how much I know. I will sit in the same training human trafficking training sessions, I will sit over and over again, this is got to be this has got to go into the marrow of my bones. It has got to be in my muscle memory. So when I am in a coffee shop, and I see a woman in like pajama bottoms with a jacket on and high heels. That’s that, that tells me something. And this is a scenario, not that I’ve experienced, but somebody else has, where this particular scenario played out. And it was someone who had escaped and escaped with the clothes on her back and the only shoe she could find were her high heels. So that was that’s an indicator. That’s a marker. I mean, I know people dress a little peculiar nowadays. But again, if Holy, if Holy Spirit is prompting me, I need to know. I need to know, with a glance, if He’s drawing my eye to something, I need to be able to see that entire package and understand that something is amiss. And, and He’s not going to steer me wrong. But even if I if I am wrong, I’d rather be wrong. I would rather be wrong than remain silent. And know that if this young woman walks out the door, her trafficker could be around the corner waiting to take her back.

Nathan Sack  33:47
Yeah, it’s true. So, what has your experience with Relentless Pursuit been?

Joy Marie  33:54
Stellar. In October, again, I’m going back to 2020 Freedom’s Bridge is a bona fide ministry. The Vice Squad KCPD Vice Squad asked me, they actually set up a meeting to introduce me Freedom’s Bridge Colonial and Freedom’s Bridge to all areas of law enforcement. So I in October of 2020, I met for the first time with not just KCPD Vice around the table, but Homeland, FBI, state of Missouri Attorney General’s Office, State Highway Patrol from Missouri and Relentless Pursuit Outreach and Recovery. The founder and executive director was at this meeting as well. And he, his ministry itself, their organization, is doing what Freedom’s Bridge is doing and all lot more phenomenal. Phenomenal. I cannot tell you what an honor it is to partner for Freedom’s Bridge to partner with Relentless Pursuit. But as a result of this introduction to all areas of law enforcement, including the State of Missouri, Attorney General’s Office Freedom’s Bridge now became a bona fide valid resource. Fast forward to this year 2021. And there were three different trafficking stings, human trafficking stings that took place in 2021. The first one was in April, it was local with law enforcement KCPD, Freedom’s Bridge was on site to help with bridging the gap, along with other nonprofit ministries, faith based ministries. In June, there was a three-day Homeland Security sting, human trafficking sting, Freedom’s Bridge was on site. And then in August, there was a concentrated, combined Homeland state of Missouri Highway Patrol and Attorney General’s Office combined sting at an undisclosed location. And all three times Freedom’s Bridge was there to provide the hotel stay if needed to bridge that gap. But here’s the even more exciting part. Freedom’s Bridge Colonial Presbyterian Church represented by me, Joy Marie, was there to pray over the event before it even went out the door. To pray over law enforcement, to pray for the victims. And I don’t even like calling them victims. Because while they yes, they are victims. But think about it. They’re survivors because they are in this every day. They are in this every day. And they’re surviving. How? By God, by God’s grace, whether they know Him or not, His hand is upon them. And He knows the exact moment that 1 to 1000 of them will be rescued.

Nathan Sack  37:22
Amen. So since its conception, or since its beginning, how many people has Freedom’s Bridge been able to help?

Joy Marie  37:33
Freedom’s Bridge has individually just contacting me directly, we’ve helped six with Homeland with the three different stings that have been done, the numbers are higher.

Nathan Sack  37:46
So you were there for the stings, but individually, like as far as like placing people, you’ve been able to personally help six.

Joy Marie  37:53
That’s aside from those we helped Freedom’s Bridge helped during the stings as a result of the stings. So we’re, I’m going to say, I’ll throw out a number maybe 22 or 23. And that that’s all inclusive. It is awesome. And it is awesome.

Nathan Sack  38:14
It’s incredible. I mean, it’s incredible, that, you know, the righteous people are going out in establishing righteousness and rescuing people who are in great need who are survivors, and in Freedom’s Bridge is almost there as a covering, you know, as a prayer covering but also as a I feel like you guys are kind of like almost like a translator of the kingdom of God or you’re the you’re the glue. There’s a little bit of glue in there. You know, like the I don’t know how to describe that specifically, but you’re the heart.  

Joy Marie  38:58
It’s a privilege. Nathan, this is a privilege. I mean, to know that. I mean, think about it, you’re talking law enforcement, weapons. You know, they know they know combat because they’ve been trained. Many of and certainly many law enforcement, are former military to begin with, a good number of them. But what is absolutely exquisite is that they know the power of prayer. They know the power of prayer. I mean, you know, here’s this timeless treasure who you know, this little Q-tip because I’ve got gray hair, I walk into, you know, I walk in with law enforcement. I’m standing there, you know, this relatively, you know, petite woman surrounded by people carrying firearms. And I’ve got the Bible. I’ve got the sword. Somebody asked me one time do you carry a gun? I said, no, I don’t need to I carry the sword. And they nobody, nobody moves until Joy Marie’s prayed. Amazing.

Nathan Sack  40:11
They might have like 20 or 30 people on a task force. And, and they’re like, we’re gonna wait till we got prayer cover on this one.

Joy Marie  40:18
The most recent one back in August, there were over 100 agents, over 100 law enforcement representatives and again, we’re talking FBIs, Homeland, local state, different states. I mean, it was not just Missouri. Other states were brought in this was a multi-state endeavor. A multi-state sting. And I’m literally, I’ve got my Bible, I’m at the back of this room, I’m in the- there are two command posts. There’s the primary and then there’s the secondary command post at this particular sting. I’m in the secondary command post, with every person who is going to go out every person who’s going out undercover. They’re here for the briefing. And I’m in the back of the room. Standing room only. I mean, that’s how crowded this room was back of the room in the corner, sitting on a chair with my Bible open. And I’m praying. All at once I hear the coordinator, the voice of the coordinator ask, has anyone seen Joy Marie? Where’s Joy Marie? So I stand up and let the back of the room and they asked me to come come forward. So I weave my way through with my Bible in hand. And I walk up now, they had asked me would you pray, would you pray? And I said, Of course I would. You just tell me when. But I didn’t expect it to be in that moment before anything started. And I literally, as I walked up, and I turned to look at this sea of faces, a majority of whom had baseball caps on the coordinator for the sting says, before we start anything, Joy Marie is going to open in prayer. What’s branded on my heart in that split second after she spoke, it was a female officer. Hats came off heads, like a ripple effect. I don’t even know how to describe it. It moved me. It moved me I was so overcome with emotion, at the solemnity of it at the reverence of it. You’re again, you’re talking people that you think are rough and tough, and not that they aren’t, because that’s what they’re supposed to do. When they go out there fighting a fight. They’re fighting a war. But the reverence the honor they gave to our Lord in that moment, took my breath away. I literally, it took a couple of seconds before I could even open my mouth without going  crying because it was so exquisite. It was exquisite. And it is a moment for me that I will- it’s it’s branded on my heart, and it’s imprinted in my memory.

Nathan Sack  43:13
That’s incredible. All honor to the Lord of Glory.

Joy Marie  43:19
To the Lord, that they would not what an honor for me, you know, when an honor as a servant of the Most High. All I ever want to do is bring glory to His name. That’s absolutely this is a call. And when I realized that, from before the beginning of time, He chose this. He chose me. I mean, what no one knows. I speak well. But what no one knows is that as a child, I had a terrible speech impediment. I am the last person one would ever think. If you knew me back then, though, I would be the last person you would ever think who could sit in front of a microphone, stand up in front of hundreds of people and speak as I do. All Glory to God.

Nathan Sack  44:12
Is there any way that people who are listening to this can get involved with Freedom’s Bridge?

Joy Marie  44:21
My short answer, no.

Nathan Sack  44:25
Well, there’s clearly something to be praying for.

Joy Marie  44:29
Everyone can become involved in some way, shape or form. Absolutely. Prayer, by all means prayer. Prayer for not just for Freedom’s Bridge, but for every organization, every heart, who’s been that’s been pierced to do this kind of Kingdom work. And the wonderful part about this ministry is that it doesn’t I don’t want it to be siloed you know, Freedom’s Bridge is a ministry of Colonial Presbyterian Church and truthfully, we are small, we’re it’s not something that it’s not like a another organization that can go out and go door to door canvassing by any means. But there certainly are opportunities to volunteer at Relentless Pursuit. Christine’s Place is a phenomenal drop-in center on Independence Avenue, they are doing Kingdom work. And again, Freedom’s Bridge partners, we do come into partnership with them and some other areas. If someone wanted to make a donation to Freedom’s Bridge, that would help to increase my budget, the ministry budget to they’re there. And that would allow me to maybe do a little bit more, you know, I’m working within a budget. But if someone would like to make a donation to Colonial Presbyterian Church, and in the memo section Freedom’s Bridge, the dollars would go into that ministry budget that would allow Freedom’s Bridge to help out when there’s a specific need. And truthfully what I do in addition to hotel stays, I also provide comfort bags, so I go shopping and pick up underwear, socks, camis, you know, camisoles, toiletries, snacks, those are you know, sometimes it comes out of the- it will not sometimes it always comes out of the ministry budget. So, that would be delightful. There are other ad hoc needs that can crop up that are not necessary. They’re not specific to a hotel stay, but we need a plane ticket, a bus ticket. So, anything if somebody wants to donate to Freedom’s Bridge, please do so. Send a check to Colonial Presbyterian Church 9500 Wornall Road KC MO 64114. In the memo, Freedom’s Bridge, been there for a long, long time. And I’m, I have to say, my church has embraced this.

Nathan Sack  47:20
That’s incredible. It’s so nice to have such a solid base.

Joy Marie  47:24
They have embraced this. And I’m not just talking leadership. You know, this is not something that we’ve, you know, we’ve not put it on the marquee that this is a ministry yay. But as more it’s happening organically exactly the way the Lord wants it to. My pastor said months ago, I would like Freedom’s- I think it’s time Joy Marie, that Freedom’s Bridge becomes more, more visible. To which I replied, I don’t dispute that. I’m all for it. But it has to happen in His timing. And two weeks ago, I’m interviewed on channel for channel 41. And now I’m sitting here today. This is not by my own strength. This is all God. All Glory to Him. Thank you for this opportunity.

Nathan Sack  48:15
Well, thank you so much for coming on this Faith Horizons podcast.

Joy Marie  47:17
My pleasure.

Nathan Sack  48:18
It is a privilege to interview people who share God’s heart in Kansas City. I learned so much from Joy Marie. To give financially to the ministry please send checks to Colonial Presbyterian Church and make sure to include Freedom’s Bridge in the memo. I will include the address in the show notes. If you’d like to get in touch with Joy Marie, you can email her at Joy Marie 316 at gmail.com. I will also make sure to include her email in the show notes. Thank you so much for joining us for another Faith Horizons podcast. We look forward to sharing more conversations from the kingdom of God in Kansas City. If you’d like to partner with the Faith Horizons mission to discover the kingdom of God in Kansas City, one conversation at a time, please go to www.patreon.com forward slash faith horizons. Thank you so much.