INK 180 Ministry "Turning painful reminders of the past into something beautiful."
A missional life of extraordinary impact: INK 180 covers or removes human trafficking, gang, and abuser tattoos as well as self-harm and cancer scars.
Chris & Lisa Baker
Founders, Missionary INK 180 Chris@INK180.com |
The INK 180 StoryChris has always loved tattoos and tattooing, but in 2011, God showed Chris & Lisa that his love could become his ministry through offering beautiful tattoo covers to those trying to leave destructive gang affiliations to make a new life. He partnered with law enforcement in the Chicago area and immediately went to work offering this free ministry of second chances. It was during a meeting with the Homeland Security gang division that he was asked to go upstairs and discuss his project with the human trafficking division. Chris was stunned to discover that victims of human trafficking are marked, scarred, tattooed and even sometimes branded to identify their ownership by the criminal organizations that move them throughout the United States and even the world. Commonly, the organizations use bar codes that can be scanned with smart phones so that they can track their human property. Chris was shattered to hear about the plight of these young people, mostly young women, often addicted, sometimes kidnapped, sold and destroyed.
Immediately, he set to work covering the tattoos with beautiful images the girls selected themselves. He has completed thousands of cover up tattoos and removals throughout the US working closely with the FBI, Homeland Security and local law enforcement to help those in need of his services. |