Want to Screen a New Film With Us!?!!?

International Justice Mission was nice enough to send us a copy of their new film, At the End of Slavery: The Battle for Justice in our Time. If you will be in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina on December 6, we would love for you to join us for the screening.  It will be at Rich Fork Baptist Church in Thomasville at 7:00 PM in the youth room.  Bring a friend, admission is free.  Click here for all the details.  Be sure to contact us if you have any questions.  Directions to Rich Fork can be found on their website or click here for a map.

Team R4R Kenyan Style!

Here are some words from co-founder Lindy Thompson about the Nairobi Marathon that she and some other Team R4R members ran in.  We are so proud of you guys!!

My alarm went off at 4:45am. As I rolled over I could already feel my heart begin to pound. I staggered into the bathroom where my gear was neatly placed on the countertop the night before. As I looked down I saw a tender note from my sweet husband. I smiled. As I began to put on my R4R “armor” I looked in the mirror and began to recite that all too familiar verse:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes [like human trafficking]. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph 6:10-12)

As we arrived and parked, Rich said a quick prayer and we all got out of the car ready to run for an in incredible revolution. I soon found myself standing there, elbow to elbow, an obvious minority in a mass of people i didn’t know. The race was about the begin, but my heart had started long before my body. Next thing I knew i was jumping up and down. Finally- the sound of a gun! We were … Continue Reading

Critical Conviction In Manila: Former Police Officer Sentenced To Life In Prison For Trafficking

MANILA, the Philippines – On September 29, 2009, two child sex traffickers were sentenced to life imprisonment by a regional court for their crimes. This critical prosecution is all the more significant because one of the two perpetrators is the first Philippine police officer to be charged with a trafficking offense. Former police officer Dennis A. Reci and associate Felicano Manansala faced charges of qualified human trafficking, the gravest offense under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

While working as a police officer, Reci had owned and operated a bar which he and Manansala utilized as a front for child prostitution. Undercover operatives of International Justice Mission Manila discovered the operation in May 2005, reported it to the Philippine National Police and assisted throughout the subsequent weeks of investigation.

IJM Manila’s perseverance paid off with Reci and Manansala’s arrest on May 31, 2005. Two minors were rescued from the brothel and placed in aftercare facilities. … Continue Reading

52 children recovered, 60 alleged child pimps arrested in crackdown…IN AMERICA!

We just read this story on CNN.com….it is reporting on a massive string of arrests here in the States.  We tend to imagine that these atrocities only happen on the other side of the world.  Heaven help a nation that stands by while these things happen.  We are proud of our federal, state, and local authorities for the work they did in this operation.  Unfortunately, one representative mentioned that they could conduct one of these operations every week if they had more man-power and resources.  The victims in this series of raids were as young as 10 years old.

(CNN) — Law enforcement authorities have recovered 52 children and arrested 60 pimps allegedly involved in child prostitution, the FBI announced Monday.

More than 690 people in all were arrested on state and local charges, the FBI stated.

The arrests were made over the past three days as part of a nationwide law enforcement initiative conducted on the federal, state and local levels, the bureau said.

“Child prostitution continues to be a significant problem in our country, as evidenced by the number of children rescued through the continued efforts of our crimes against children task forces,” Kevin Perkins, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, said in a written statement.

“There is no work more important than protecting America’s children and freeing them from the cycle of victimization.”

The three-day operation, tagged Operation Cross Country IV, included enforcement actions in 36 cities across 30 FBI divisions nationwide. It is part of the FBI’s ongoing Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was created in 2003 with the goal of ending sex trafficking of children in the United States.

The initiative, conducted with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, has so far resulted in the recovery of almost 900 children, according to the FBI. It has also led to more than 500 convictions.

Twelve Victims of Trafficking Rescued From Brutal Cambodian Brothel

SIEM REAP, Cambodia – For months, rumors had swirled that young girls were being sold for sex in a karaoke bar tucked in the bend of a dirt road in Siem Reap. IJM investigators had been building up a case, but needed critical evidence to prove that minors were being made available to customers.

This September, the team got the lead they needed when an unexpected source came forth with incriminating information. An informant revealed that young girls were held at the bar, but brought out only for special customers. IJM investigators devised a plan to confirm the information and contacted the local branch of the Cambodian Anti-Human Trafficking Police (AHTP). The investigators made several visits to the bar between October 2 and 4, posing as customers to gain access to the youngest girls and secure evidence of their age and circumstances. Using this information, the AHTP prepared reports for the local prosecutor who then issued warrants for the perpetrators’ arrest. … Continue Reading