Human Trafficking Awareness Day

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach the good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19, NIV).


In recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Day (http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/110/sc/sc40.pdf), I would like to share the following information from an e-mail from Shared Hope International:

*Human trafficking is 'modern day slavery' and women and children are trafficked in nearly every country---even in the United States.

*The marketplace for sex trafficking works like a shopping mall, and when demand exceeds supply, traffickers will manipulate, coerce, and force victims to meet demand. The only way to stop sex trafficking is to end demand. Learn more at http://www.enddemand.org/.

*The average age of entry into prostitution in the U.S. is 12 years old. These are innocent children who need our protection. Join the Defenders today! Learn more at http://www.thedefendersusa.org/.

*Shared Hope International is actively combating sex trafficking by rescuing and restoring women across the globe. To learn more visit us at http://www.sharedhope.org/.

I am also aware of the work of the International Justice Mission (http://www.ijm.org/), which works around the world to end slavery. These organizations are working hard to help the oppressed gain freedom around the world.