About THE MIL MINISTRY
OUR AMAZING JOURNEY BEGAN IN 2007.
It all started with one man who experienced something that changed his life-forever.
Let’s begin this story with that man. Meet Drew Sewell. (shown here) In addition to being the founder of MIL, Drew is also an active Vice President for a US-based and family-owned plastic bottle manufacturer - CKS Packaging with 27 plant locations. Their headquarters are located about 1.5 miles south of 1-20 in an office park just off Fulton Industrial Blvd in Atlanta, Georgia.
Now let's rewind back to 2007.
Drew was on his way back from a customer visit. He was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Fulton Industrial Blvd and the west bound exit ramp of 1-20. While he was sitting there with work and business on his mind, a young girl (who was no more than 15 years old) crossed the street in front of his car. The young girl was scantily clad in revealing clothing with very tall high heels and was obviously a prostitute. And behind her, not too far away, was what appeared to be her pimp.
Witnessing this Drew began to weep.
Seeing her sinful condition and knowing her eternal destination, he was immediately hit with the compassion of the Holy Spirit.
Now understand that Drew had two teenage daughters at that time.
Their ages were 13 and 15. He could not help but think that except for the Grace of God there goes one of my daughters. The heartbreak was simply overwhelming as the tears ran down his face. At the same moment, the Lord spoke to Drew and said to him
What are you going to do about it?
Drew looked up and softly responded, “What can I do about it?” Suddenly, the light changed to green, and he turned to go back to work and on with his day. He was hoping that was the end of it. But the Lord spoke to him yet again and said, “What are you going to do about it?”
Drew knew it. This was his calling.
He pulled over into a parking lot next to a seedy strip club, adult toy and video store. Head down, he sat in his car and prayed no one would see him. He called a close friend (Phillip Bray, CEO of Safehouse Ministries in Atlanta) for guidance. Their ministry specializes in rescuing prostitutes and helping the homeless. Phillip told Drew to get the girl safely in his car and bring her down to his ministry and they would work to change and improve her life.
The eyes of his understanding were about to be opened.
Drew went up and down every side road looking for this young girl. He was shocked at what he witnessed. The entire area looked like a war zone with a large portion of businesses abandoned, burnt out, or boarded up. He counted seven restaurants that had been relocated or run completely out of the area. He saw six strip clubs and three adult toy and video stores, all within a 1/2-mile radius of where the Lord spoke to him. He was shocked at the blatant sin right out in the open in broad daylight in the middle of the afternoon.
He was shocked at the blatant sin right out in the open and in broad daylight.
Every time he slowed down to look for (or ask if anyone had seen) this young girl; he was approached by “zombie looking people” strung out so badly on drugs. They were all trying to sell him sex, crack cocaine or merchandise to support their sinful habits. Sadly, he was seeing a modem day Sodom and Gomorrah.
He never did find the young girl that day.
Why? Because Drew knew that she was an ANGEL sent from God. The Lord had to unfold His vision for these lost and hurting people. The Lord showed Drew an empty parking lot and told him to organize a day of worship and outreach to take the area back for the kingdom of God. With the joint efforts of the local businesses, churches and concerned citizens, they held the inaugural Impact Fulton Industrial in June 2007 and had over 1,200 attendees.
On that hot June day
Drew and his team saw sixteen individuals leave their sinful lifestyle forever. Four were prostitutes and the rest were drug addicts and alcoholics. By their best count thirty people were saved! The team later hosted Impact Fulton Industrial II in September and they had over 5,000 in attendance! Over fifty had left for rehab and hundreds were saved or rededicated their lives since then.
Since that fateful day in May of 2007
Drew has posed two questions to his friends and family:
One. If Jesus was in our area today, where do you suppose he would be?
The answer is easy. On Fulton Industrial in the middle of all the sin.
Two. What are YOU going to do about it?
The answer to the second question isn’t as easy. Or is it?
Drew and his ministry hope you get the second answer right and help MIL make a huge difference in the lives of so many lost and hurting people.
See what happens when love comes to town.
It really is amazing.
