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January: Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2024

1/10/2024

With January being Human Trafficking Prevention Month, I've been encouraged to see churches using A Light in Darkness to increase prayer and engagement towards ending the evil of modern-day slavery. Fruit and Life Ministry in Dallas, Texas (pictured) has started a new justice ministry as a result of their church's study through the book.

If you'd like a resource that will help you and your church gain a deeper understanding of God's heart for justice, as well as steps to begin being light in these dark places, consider studying through A Light in Darkness with your small group.

Newest Book Release: A Light in Darkness

7/12/2023

I'm excited to announce my next book, A Light in Darkness: The Church's Role in Ending Human Trafficking, will be released on September 1st through Aneko Press. This is an expanded version of Justice Awakening, with new chapters stressing the importance of justice work to be grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a biblical theology and a practical theology of justice to equip the church to truly live out the gospel and be a light in the darkness. If you want your church to have a tangible next step to end trafficking after watching the new hit film, Sound of Freedom, let this book be your guide. Here is the link to pre-order your copy today. I'll also post the Amazon link soon as it becomes available.

https://anekopress.com/product/a-light-in-darkness/

When It's Not Safer at Home

4/29/2020

When It’s Not Safer at Home

During this Covid-19 pandemic, most of America and other countries are practicing a shelter-in-place order to protect people from the spread of this deadly virus. Local government leaders have encouraged us by saying that it’s “safer at home”. For most people, this is true. But for some, it has not been safer to stay at home. There has been a 20% rise in domestic abuse globally. “I’m in coronavirus lockdown with my abuser” is being reported in the UK, Latin America, and every country that has been locked down. The National Domestic Violence Hotline has seen a spike during the pandemic across the US.

Sadly this is not the only kind of abuse that has been on the rise during this pandemic. The sexual abuse and cyber-trafficking of young children has also been spiking. The National Sexual Assault Hotline said they have received a 33% increase in the number of calls in March and 50% of those calls were from minors. 79% said they were living with their perpitrators. That was just in the United States. In the Philippines, which is the center of the cyber sex trafficking world for children, 7 minors were rescued recently ages 3-14 (yes, you read that correctly). Just a few days ago in Cebu, 4 women and another child was rescued from a cyber trafficking ring, while another 10 women were rescued from a spa.

With the alarming rise of abuse and even trafficking happening during this global crisis, we must not forget these victims in our prayers and in our acts of loving support. I had the honor of seeing the start and growth of Restore Children and Family Services, based in Cebu, Philippines. It was started by some dear friends of mine after seeing the number of minors being sold and exploited online in Cebu to customers logging in from all over the world; most of these customers are from wealthy, Western nations. I’ve been having monthly prayer meetings via Zoom with the Restore staff and wanted to pass on some key prayer requests to you.

Pray for the protection of these children who are oftentimes living with the one selling and abusing them.
Pray for the safe house workers who are under increased stress with the pandemic forcing them to not leave the homes. Some of them are caring for several children who are still processing the trauma they endured.
Pray for provision for many of these vulnerable families as they are oftentimes living in poverty themselves. Restore has been able to bring some much needed food and other necessities in recent days. Cebu is under much stricter lockdown measures, but Restore was given special permission to visit some neighborhoods to distribute food and toiletries.
Pray for the children who were in the middle of counseling and care, but due to the lockdown, they are unable to meet with their counselors. It is an added stress for them on top of the trauma they already endured.
Pray for the financial provision of Restore and other groups as this pandemic has hit many NGOs and nonprofits hard with a decrease in financial giving. If you would like to give to Restore and provide much needed support for their work with young children and survivors of trafficking, you can give through their website.

There are many important things to be praying for during this special season. God has given us time and space to pray these prayers. I ask that you remember to pray for those who are vulnerable in their own homes. Dear Church, let us pray.

Bring Your Healing (A Song and a Prayer for Restore CFS)

4/20/2020

A song and a prayer for Restore Children and Family Services (while Enoch had fun in the background :) ) I encourage you to please pray for the safety of all vulnerable children in Cebu and around the world. May God protect, heal, and restore them all ... in Jesus name.

Restore Update from Cebu: Please Join Us in Prayer

4/8/2020

I had a wonderful time praying with the staff of Restore tonight. Restore is a restoration center that has been rescuing, healing, and serving the young victims of cyber sex trafficking in Cebu, Philippines for the past 2 years. Can I ask for prayers for them please? Things are a bit stricter there for their lock down so people can’t leave their homes. So for the time being, the Restore counseling staff can’t see the kids that they have been serving, thus adding to the already deep trauma for the children. The safehouse workers are also under increased stress with the lock down in place and the children who want to go outside. Many of the poorer families are in need of food and toiletries. Pray for God to provide a way for food and other needs to brought to them. (Churches in Cebu, can you reach out to Restore and connect with these families?) And as most companies and nonprofits are feeling the financial effects of Covid-19, (as much as you are able) please continue to give to the churches and ministries you have been supporting. And if you feel led, you can give a donation to Restore at their website. God was moving powerfully as we prayed. We also felt led to pray many prayers of repentance for our nation and for the sins of our generation. These have been things God’s been placing on my heart the past several days. Let’s continue to seek the Lord in this unique season of our lives.

Students Against Slavery Day at Azusa Pacific University

2/12/2020

I'm excited to be speaking at Azusa Pacific University next Wednesday Feb 19 for their one day conference that will focus on ending human trafficking. Please pray for God to raise up the student body to be bold with declaring and living out the gospel in this generation. I'll be speaking for their chapel at 10am and afterwards, they'll do a screening of Save My Seoul. If you're in the area, would love to have you join us. So thankful for In-n-Out and their heart for this issue. They will be sponsoring the screening and offered up free In-n-Out to the first 250 guests. Always appreciate your prayers and support. Thank you!

Pray for Cebu and the End of Child Exploitation

6/22/2019

Please pray for me as I head to Cebu, Philippines with a church team from Venture. Last year, we started a restoration center for children who victims of cyber sex trafficking in Cebu. It's been a growing problem in Southeast Asia.
Within the past few years, 90% of victims of cyber sex trafficking were under the age of 18. A recent rescue uncovered the age ranges of survivors to be:

Birth to 12 months: 2 rescued
1 year to 5 years: 15 rescued
6 years to 8 years: 17 rescued
9 years to 11 years: 13 rescued
12 years to 15 years: 12 rescued
16 years to 18 years: 13 rescued

The majority of “customers” are from western countries. Please pray with me.

Pray for God to protect, fill, unify, and anoint our team
Pray for God to revive the Philippines (the Church, marriages, and families)
Pray for God to anoint Restore to bring healing and restoration into the lives of all the children who come
Pray for the Restore Staff to be strengthened and encouraged as they serve
Pray for freedom for all who are enslaved in Cebu
Pray for God to raise up leaders in government, law, and police who lead in righteousness and justice
Pray for the Spirit to convict the hearts of the customers and traffickers to repent of their sin
Pray for God to end slavery in our lifetime

I'll also be speaking for a missions conference at Living Word Church which is the largest church in Cebu at the end of our trip. Pray for God to anoint me and awaken this church to pursue God passionately in the place of prayer and missions.

Thank you. Your prayer support is my life support.

The Justice Conference Asia 2014: Recap Video

6/4/2014

Interview with the -ING Movement

1/30/2014

Justice Journal: Celebrating Small Victories

9/28/2013

Great news indeed! Since the US banned all soldiers from going to "juicy bars" (aka sex trafficking hotbeds) in Korea, these hostess bars have been losing money. PTL! They're losing so much money, these pimps and traffickers are actually "protesting" this ban. Gotta love it. We're making progress to end slavery in Korea!

Here is the article link.

Article published on June 22,2013:

Protests over U.S. base’s ban on 15 hostess barsOwners complain about probe methods.

A week ago, about 150 members of an association of owners of foreign tourist facilities and businesses in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, gathered in front of the U.S. Osan K-55 Air Base and staged a protest.

They claim that their livelihoods have been threatened.

The U.S. military has designated some of their businesses, all of them hostess bars, as off-limit areas to their soldiers, causing them huge losses as most of their revenue is derived from the nearby soldiers.

They held signs reading “Stop the ban!” and “Don’t threaten our livelihood!” Some shaved their heads as a symbol of protest.

According to the association, on June 13, the K-55 camp designated 15 of 50 hostess bars, including seven on the Rodeo Street of Sinjang-dong, Pyeongtaek, as off-limits for offering illegal prostitution.

They also said that the U.S. military called the owners into the camp for investigation, questioning them in an interrogation room without legal representatives.

Under the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) regulations, at least one Korean police officer must be present when the U.S. military questions Koreans or the investigation must be carried out through Korean police.

They claimed that this is a clear SOFA violation and that their human rights have been abused by the U.S. military.

But the K-55 camp officers told a different story to the Korea JoongAng Daily yesterday.

Park Young-hee, a spokesman for the K-55 camp, said they first ran an internal investigation into soldiers who were suspected of paying for sex in the region. They then found these 15 bars were offering prostitution to those soldiers.

“We found that some of the bars abused their hostesses, who are mostly from the Philippines,” said Park. “We heard that the owners have taken the hostesses’ passports and don’t pay wages on time. We can’t say whether it is true or not, but we just limited the access to those places because we didn’t want our soldiers to step into places that look like they have problems.”

Regarding the illegal investigation issue, Park said, “The owners wanted to speak with us first. They said that it isn’t fair to designate their places as off-limit areas without listening to their opinions. So we requested that they come to the camp and they responded to the call. It isn’t true that we summoned them compulsorily.”

In the past few days, the business owners have claimed that they had to comply with the U.S. military’s call for the investigation as their businesses heavily rely on the soldiers.

As the rally continued for about a week and the investigation process became a hot issue, Patrick McKenzie, the commander of the 51st Fighter Wing at the Osan K-55 Air Base, stated that they will consider revising the process for the off-limit measure when he meets Kim Sun-ki, mayor of the Pyeongtaek city government, on Tuesday.

At the meeting, McKenzie pledged that they will make sure that they will run questioning sessions with at least one official from the city government and one from the local police and all sessions will be held in a place outside the camp.

But McKenzie said the ban in the area will continue temporarily to secure the safety of soldiers because those merchants are still staging a rally every day.

BY KWON SANG-SOO [[email protected]]