When Sarah Freeman called to tell her friend Stephen Christian about her mission trip to Haiti, she was just asking for prayer.

Twenty-four hours later, Christian, who is the lead singer of the rock band Anberlin, called Freeman back to let her know he was going too, and bringing friends along with him.

“I had no idea what it was going to be, or even what we were actually doing in Haiti but I knew that I wanted to help,” Christian said. “Being in a band you are not your own and you are subject to an intense touring schedule, but once I realized that I had time off, it seemed to flow easily.”

While on their trip, Freeman and Christian, along with their friend Seth Cain, began to see the impact that their efforts had not only on the Haitian people, but also the friends they brought with them. Out of their simple desire to help, Faceless International was born.

Faceless International is an organization that seeks to “put a face on the faceless” by bringing awareness to social issues, and offering people a chance to do something about injustice through local and global humanitarian trips.
Faceless, which is been around four years, has led trips to India and Guatemala and Ukraine in the past couple of years, with more planned for next year. People from all walks of life are jumping on board. A Faceless trip to India over Christmas break filled up rapidly, Freeman said.

“We are taking close to 30 people to India this December,” she said. “The group is made up of everyone from new college students, to graduating college students, to young professionals, to mothers, even some musicians.”

Human trafficking is the main focus of the India trip, a cause close to Christian’s heart.

“The cause that is closest to me is the fight against sex slavery and human trafficking,” Christian said. “No other cause makes my blood boil and my fist clinch as fast.

“It is atrocious that in the 21st century there is more slavery around the world then there has been in the history of mankind, even here in America there are more slaves now then there were at the time of the Civil War.”
Christian’s passion comes from a desire to the basic tenets of Christianty fulfilled. While Faceless International is open to all faiths and walks of life, the founders are Christians, which supplies the drive for the organization.

“Without faith, Faceless would never be. The reason that I am so adamant about reaching out to the brokenhearted is because the Bible tells me that ‘pure religion is to love the widows and the orphans,’ and that is what I long to do,” Christian said.

“All of the trip leaders, the board members and current active volunteers are Christians,” Freeman said. “As a result, all of the decisions made are through the lens of our faith.

“We strive to be the best at what we do because we believe that as Christians we should be. We really value the concept of family and community. As family, we are fighting to make the world a better place for everyone. This is exactly what we believe Jesus did with his disciples.”

The team started with an overseas focus, but they soon realized that there are places closer to home that also need help. This year, Faceless added US trips to Los Angeles and New York City during traditional Spring Break times, to allow high school and college students an opportunity to get involved.

“Everyone who attended our domestic trips absolutely loved it. We heard countless times the phrase, ‘I had no idea that this was happening here,’” Freeman said.

The domestic trips give people an opportunity to see what organizations are doing in other cities, and how they can bring it back to their hometown.

“We love traveling overseas and working with our family in other countries, but we really feel that we have issues here in our own country that need to be addressed. The participants left our domestic trips on fire to make a difference in their own community that will ultimately make the world a better place,” Freeman said.

Domestic trips are arranged for Spring ’09 for Los Angeles and Nashville, where Faceless International is based. Each trip features a variety of organizations, so individuals can find opportunities that are close to their heart and fit their personality.

Faceless International has brought change to thousands of people globally and locally, but the founders have discovered changes in themselves as well.

Freeman, who serves as the director for Faceless, said the position caught her by surprise, but that is was obvious God had placed her in exactly the right spot.

“Four years ago I would never have dreamed that I would be going over seas frequently, yet alone that I would be leading these trips,” said Freeman.

“God has totally been preparing me for this. Looking back on my life, all of the jobs I’ve held have prepared me for this very position. So while I never thought I would have a job like this, I honestly can’t see myself doing anything else.”

While Christian still enjoys singing, the call to help others has grown louder. Christian now uses his platform with Anberlin and his side project Anchor & Braille to speak up about injustice.

“I have always had a still small voice in the back of my head that reminds me constantly that my first love was not music, but humanitarian and missions work,” he said. “I am happy to be a part of Anberlin and Anchor & Braille, but I realize that I may be here more for the platform aspect of the music business and less for the entertainment.”

Among Christian’s peers in the music industry, the reaction to Faceless International’s work has received praise.
“It has been all positive, not one negative comment. I think that the industry is glad to see substance rather than substance abuse for once,” he said.

As Faceless International grows, objectives and goals are starting to come into focus. Education, they feel, will be a stepping stone to greater change.

“We want to focus on education through the building of schools and setting up scholarships for students around the world,” Freeman said.

“We want to make sure we keep people involved in the States as well. We are developing a regional program where every month Faceless will have events all over the country that will get local communities involved in the fight for freedom.”

“The next place I would love to impact would be Africa,” Christian said. “I have always wanted to go, and it holds a special place in my heart. I would also like to go back to the Ukraine as I feel as though my work there is not done.”

As the organization grows, more doors are opening and the running of trips gets smoother. No matter how large the organization gets, however, the impact they are leaving still manages to catch the Faceless crew off guard.
“Faceless was a surprise to everyone involved I believe,” Christian said, “and continues to surprise us every day with lives impacted of those who were on that (first) trip and those we set out to serve.”

Want to learn more? Click here or here for a list of Websites where you can get involved. Or go to Faceless International to read more about past and future projects. To check out Stephen Christian’s music, visit anberlin.com or anchorandbraille.com.

For more Hope Ink perspectives on India, check out stories by Kellie Linder and Beth Webb and photos by http://www.hopeinkmagazine.com/2009/08/beauty-in-chaos/.