Real. Local. Story. Sex Trafficking in Suburban Boston

​Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 1:17, NIV

Roughly 6 months ago, I had lunch with a dear friend, a writer, who is also a member of the His Inscriptions community. As we talked, she asked if I knew of any local ministries that rescued women from human trafficking. She wanted to invest personally in freeing women from this type of captivity.

I didn't at the time, and I promised to pray that God would connect her to a ministry in the near future. 

One month later, I was chatting with another longtime friend and prayer warrior at a conference. (She also happens to be a faithful reader of His Inscriptions.) To my surprise, she began telling me about a young girl she knew from Boston who was a survivor of sex trafficking herself and had a ministry rescuing women from forced prostitution on the streets. My friend had a vision to raise support for her ministry, and needed help doing so.

Instantly, I was riveted. Everything else around me became supernaturally stilled, and I knew this was a "God moment," one of those divine appointments you can't organize or arrange by yourself. I knew this was the ministry my first friend needed to hear about! 

Another lunch was in order, this time at my house. I invited both of my friends to meet each other and to share their hearts and visions. Several hours later, we all realized that God was doing something bigger than the three of us. He wanted to bring this issue to the forefront, and we would be the catalysts.
 

​Ending Human Trafficking

We decided to meet first with Jasmine Grace, the trafficking survivor whose ministry now functions through Emmanuel Gospel Center in Boston. We believed that it was important to know her personally and understand her needs in order to determine God's will. She agreed to meet with us and share her story and ministry plan.

All of us were touched by her story, and challenged to re-examine our beliefs. While the church has been (rightfully) quick to condemn sexual immorality as sin, we have not always recognized that not all prostitution is voluntary. 27 million people worldwide are considered slaves to human trafficking.* Children who are abducted (think "Amber Alerts") generally have 48 hours at best before they are lured into prostitution rings. They can easily end up slaves for the rest of their lives, since the fear and shame of their criminal behavior, along with unmentionable violence if they reveal the secrets of their captors, will keep them silent. We must speak up for them. It would be a crime not to. (Note: You can join our ongoing conversation and get prayer requests right here, in our new Facebook group for His Inscriptions!)  

For this reason, the three of us, in cooperation with Jasmine Grace and Sarah Dunham (Director of the Abolitionist Network in Boston) would like to invite you to a very special event on Tuesday, February 7th, in Hopkinton, MA. The event announcement you see at the end of this post is the result of many conversations and much prayer. It is the least we can do to raise awareness and provide support.

What can you expect that night? Jasmine will share her story, which describes the reality of local human trafficking but also imparts the hope of Christ, who rescued her. She is a beautiful testimony to the power of Jesus Christ to rescue and save, and I promise you will love hearing her speak! Sarah will then share specific, practical tips to recognize cycles of control and abuse when you see them, and empower you and your church to set captives free. Sarah is also planning future training sessions for those interested in becoming more involved.

The most wonderful part about this event is that you have an opportunity to bring donations of needed items which will go directly to women struggling to escape from their tormentors. Together, during the event, we will fill "Bags of Hope" with your donations of necessary items like shampoo, toothpaste, trail mix, hats and mittens. (For the complete list, please click here.) Along with notes of encouragement, scriptures, and local hotline numbers, these bags will be given to women we know who are ready to make a break from their destructive lifestyles but lack the resources to do so.  

God ordains the exact times and places where we live. (Acts 17:26.) We may not be able to directly relieve the persecuted in India or China, but isn't it time that we do something about those who are exploited right here in our own neighborhoods? Spread the word. Please join me. Take the time to invest seriously in those who need you, for this is what someone who loves God does. (1 John 3:16-19.)

© Deborah Perkins / HisInscriptions.com
*End It, http://enditmovement.com;"Human Trafficking," The A21 Campaign, www.thea21campaign.org/content/human-trafficking/glOryw. 
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