DOZ Issue 27 January 2018 | Page 3

EDITOR’S LETTER Dear Readers, Happy New Year! So, finally 2017 is gone forever, and 2018 is now before us. If you were able to achieve all your goals for the just concluded year, I wish to say a big congratulation. Well done, you. And if you were not able to achieve your goals for 2017, don’t despair. One of the blessings of a new year is that you get a clean slate and another opportunity to try again. At the start of the year, many of us take out time to reflect on the year that has just ended, trying to ensure that we do not carry the mistakes of the old year into the new one. This is great, provided you remember not to beat yourself up for the things you were unable to accomplish. Instead, move into the new year with a renewed determination to achieve your goals and to excel. This is DOZ Issue 27, January 2018, and it is bursting with inspiration. We have two powerful feature stories that will not leave you indifferent. Our DOZman Inspiration is Christie Spurling. At the age of 14, Christie Spurling was permanently excluded from his high school. His disengagement from education led to many challenges in his life including periods of unemployment until he discovered his passion for young people and founded N-Gage in 2006 to use his experiences to inspire and empower young people. Talk about adversity becoming a blessing. You definitely want to read his story and please encourage all young people around you to read it. Trust me when I tell you that they will be inspired. Our DOZ That Inspire You, is, Yolanda Schlabach. She is a phenomenal woman doing an amazing job in Delaware, USA. Yolanda creates awareness on the reality of sex-trafficking in the State of Delaware. She uncovers the process by which girls are trapped, and eventually lose their independent identity. When we look at a prostitute, we see a criminal who should be locked behind bars. When Yolanda looks at a prostitute, she sees a victim of sex-trafficking or a victim of sexual abuse. She is the Executive Director of Zoë Ministries, Inc. Her interview is a must read as I believe everyone should educate themselves on the issue of trafficking. And before you say, it doesn’t affect you or concern you; I suggest you read her interview. “DOZ Chronicles: Lara,” is still on. And it is getting more and more entertaining. We hope that you enjoy it. I look forward to seeing you same time next month. Blessings! DOZ DOZ Magazine Magazine January 2018 3 «