Take a moment to pray for Ecuador and the girls and boys who are trapped in the sex trafficking here.
This last semester my small group got a chance to serve those who have not known what true love is.
One of the verses we studied is the following. Now WAIT> I know the tendency is to skip the verse and move on-
(why do i know that? because I tend to do that. yes. and I want to make a commitment with you now NOT to skip over the most important Word we could hear today!)
I encourage you to read every word of it... SLOWLY. What is God trying to tell you through a part of his word Today?
James 1:22-27
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
The point of my small group is not just to learn about oppression and injustice but to actually DO something about it in the immediate world around us.
Action locally: We did a cookout for the girls who are rescued from the brothels here in Quito. My small group girls served like crazy and loved on these girls who many of them were younger than them or their same age. There were 2 new babies born from girls who were around 16 years old. My small group girls held their babies so the moms could play a game.
Action globally: We spoke to our school during chapel about Human trafficking facts around the world and here in Ecuador. Out of that we promoted an action for our whole school to join us in. We did the "loose change to loosen chains" campaign that International Justice Mission puts on. http://www.ijm.org/getinvolved/youth
We raised $250 in coins which covers the cost of six days of aftercare for a victim. I was very proud of our students who stepped out and gave beyond cents to dollar amounts from their heart.
Ecuador is a source, transit, and destination of sex trafficking.
Over Half the women in Latin America are Victims. 33% of sexual exploited girls have it happen to them by the time they reach 16. It is most prevalent along the coast but girls and boys are taken from various cities to the coast. If YOU are interested in learning more about sex trafficking read the following book and go to the following websites:
“Not For Sale” book by David Batstone.
The most recent website I have come across is: http://www.callandresponse.com/
• International Justice Mission (IJM) www.ijm.org
• Anti-Slavery international www.antislavery.org
• Bal Vikas Ashram www.freetheslaves.net
• Children of the Night www.childrenofthenight.org
• Churches Alert to sex trafficking
Across Europe (CHASTE) www.chaste.org.uk
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women www.catwinternational.org
• Coalition of Immokalee Workers www.ciw-online.org
• Coalition to abolish slavery and trafficking www.castla.org
• Development and education program for
Daughters and communities www.depdc.org
• Florida coalition against Human
Trafficking (FCAHT) www.stophumantrafficking.org
• La Strada International www.lastradainternational.org
• Polaris Project www.polarisproject.org
• Protection Project www.protectionproject.org
• Rugmark www.rugmark.org
• Salvation Army www.salvationarmy.org
• Sojourners www.sojo.net
• Standing Against Global Exploitation www.sagesf.org
• Stop the Traffik www.stopthetraffik.org
• Tiny Stars www.tinystars.org
• World Vision www.worldvision.org
The mission Organization Loren and I are apart of is called International Teams. One of IT's many focuses is about human trafficking. Go to their website for more information: http://endslavery.iteams.org/
The IT End Slavery in TN has put together this website: www.bethejam.org
If you live in TN this would be a great place to volunteer!
My friend Julie is the coordinator of End Slavery Ministries with IT in Michigan. If you are near that area to volunteer or want to pray for what they are doing visit: https://www.facebook.com/MichiganAbolitionistProject
Our friends Jonathan and Juliet Stuck, End Slavery Thailand team members, are raising support so they may return to Thailand and do important prevention work in rural villages. Pray for them that they can raise all their funds.
IT has two other End Slavery locations:
Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where they are currently recruiting for team leaders to develop an End Slavery team focused on prevention and education. If you or someone you know is interested in this team, you can fill out a 5 minute interview for them at this website: http://www.iteams.org/us/explore/what/go/
May God give you a heart to heal those oppressed around you. May you have a holy passion that makes you want to get out and make a difference.
One of the verses we studied is the following. Now WAIT> I know the tendency is to skip the verse and move on-
(why do i know that? because I tend to do that. yes. and I want to make a commitment with you now NOT to skip over the most important Word we could hear today!)
I encourage you to read every word of it... SLOWLY. What is God trying to tell you through a part of his word Today?
James 1:22-27
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
The point of my small group is not just to learn about oppression and injustice but to actually DO something about it in the immediate world around us.
Action locally: We did a cookout for the girls who are rescued from the brothels here in Quito. My small group girls served like crazy and loved on these girls who many of them were younger than them or their same age. There were 2 new babies born from girls who were around 16 years old. My small group girls held their babies so the moms could play a game.
Action globally: We spoke to our school during chapel about Human trafficking facts around the world and here in Ecuador. Out of that we promoted an action for our whole school to join us in. We did the "loose change to loosen chains" campaign that International Justice Mission puts on. http://www.ijm.org/getinvolved/youth
We raised $250 in coins which covers the cost of six days of aftercare for a victim. I was very proud of our students who stepped out and gave beyond cents to dollar amounts from their heart.
Ecuador is a source, transit, and destination of sex trafficking.
Over Half the women in Latin America are Victims. 33% of sexual exploited girls have it happen to them by the time they reach 16. It is most prevalent along the coast but girls and boys are taken from various cities to the coast. If YOU are interested in learning more about sex trafficking read the following book and go to the following websites:
“Not For Sale” book by David Batstone.
The most recent website I have come across is: http://www.callandresponse.com/
• International Justice Mission (IJM) www.ijm.org
• Anti-Slavery international www.antislavery.org
• Bal Vikas Ashram www.freetheslaves.net
• Children of the Night www.childrenofthenight.org
• Churches Alert to sex trafficking
Across Europe (CHASTE) www.chaste.org.uk
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women www.catwinternational.org
• Coalition of Immokalee Workers www.ciw-online.org
• Coalition to abolish slavery and trafficking www.castla.org
• Development and education program for
Daughters and communities www.depdc.org
• Florida coalition against Human
Trafficking (FCAHT) www.stophumantrafficking.org
• La Strada International www.lastradainternational.org
• Polaris Project www.polarisproject.org
• Protection Project www.protectionproject.org
• Rugmark www.rugmark.org
• Salvation Army www.salvationarmy.org
• Sojourners www.sojo.net
• Standing Against Global Exploitation www.sagesf.org
• Stop the Traffik www.stopthetraffik.org
• Tiny Stars www.tinystars.org
• World Vision www.worldvision.org
The mission Organization Loren and I are apart of is called International Teams. One of IT's many focuses is about human trafficking. Go to their website for more information: http://endslavery.iteams.org/
The IT End Slavery in TN has put together this website: www.bethejam.org
If you live in TN this would be a great place to volunteer!
My friend Julie is the coordinator of End Slavery Ministries with IT in Michigan. If you are near that area to volunteer or want to pray for what they are doing visit: https://www.facebook.com/MichiganAbolitionistProject
Our friends Jonathan and Juliet Stuck, End Slavery Thailand team members, are raising support so they may return to Thailand and do important prevention work in rural villages. Pray for them that they can raise all their funds.
IT has two other End Slavery locations:
Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where they are currently recruiting for team leaders to develop an End Slavery team focused on prevention and education. If you or someone you know is interested in this team, you can fill out a 5 minute interview for them at this website: http://www.iteams.org/us/explore/what/go/
May God give you a heart to heal those oppressed around you. May you have a holy passion that makes you want to get out and make a difference.
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