Thank you for your prayers over these past few days for our team in South Asia, the local authorities, the traffickers and brothel keepers, and most especially, the girls who have been enduring such immense suffering. You joined us in fervent prayer for an operation about which we could give you very few details - not the continent, not the timing. But we can now tell you that one of the IJM South Asia teams, in their largest operation to date, secured a landmark victory this weekend.

Early Saturday morning, IJM and the local police in one particular South Asian city conducted simultaneous operations at two brothels, freeing approximately 30 trafficking victims, among them girls as young as 13.  The rescued girls and women are now receiving care from IJM social workers.

Seven suspected perpetrators have been taken into police custody, and police have locked the brothels to prevent their re-opening.

Please continue to pray for each of the girls, as well as for the perpetrators.
We are so grateful, beyond what we can even express. Thank you for joining us in this work!

Again, thank you so much for your continued prayers for the trial of two traffickers in Svay Pak, Cambodia. The verdict has been announced - both traffickers were deemed guilty and have been sentenced to 10 years in prison each.

Please continue to pray for the two girls, aged 9 and 16, who so bravely testified in this case. They continue to be safe and undergoing long-term recovery from the abuse they have endured. Pray that they would grow into strong, courageous women, free of the false shame that so often enshrouds victims of abuse, free of fear, full of joy, deeply healed through the One who is able to do immeasureably more than all we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Please pray for the two perpetrators who will now remain in prison for the years ahead. Pray that their hearts would break with the knowledge of what they have done, and that Christ would be revealed to them as their Redeemer, their way to true life and restoration.

Pray also for our staff team in Cambodia - another trial commenced on Christmas Day, the verdict to be announced January 5. There has been little time for rest - pray that they would know the deep rest of the Holy Spirit, sustaining them through each new day, bringing joy and peace that surpasses all understanding.

Please see previous blog post for details and specific prayer requests for the trial that just commenced in Cambodia. Below is a video still-shot of four of the girls from this case, taken by our investigator when collecting evidence before the rescue operation. Two of these girls are testifying against their trafficker in court today, including the very youngest girl pictured here (bottom middle).

If you can, take a moment to leave a prayer or word of encouragement in the comments - the staff in Cambodia will be able to carry these with them throughout the trial and share them with the two girls as well.

Whenever possible, I like to share with you rescue stories as told by the very people who are daily living on the front lines of our work. Below is a case update sent to me by Crystal Sprague - she has taken this year to give of her skills and serve in a volunteer capacity as one of IJM’s Aftercare Fellows in the Philippines.

Feel free to post any questions you might have for Crystal by using the “comment” feature below - she will be encouraged by the dialogue with you!
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Testimonies of God answering prayer are not uncommon in the work done here in the Cebu office, nor in other IJM field offices around the world. But I don’t always see them or hear about them firsthand.  Even when we do not immediately see the answers to our prayers, we continue to persevere in the work because God’s Word speaks of God’s desire that his people fight for justice and uphold the cause of the weak and oppressed. 

But the work can be hard—very hard. Even after a rescue, many clients have a very hard time adjusting to their new lives of freedom. Some have been trafficked by family members and can’t go home because they will be pressured to go back into the brothels. Most rescued girls come from backgrounds of abuse and neglect—to teach them that they are worth love and respect is a very long and hard process.

But in just the right timing, God very often brings a breakthrough carrying much needed encouragement; a testimony that reminds us that there is much more going on under the surface than we know or realize; a testimony that gives us a much needed push to continue the fight.

This past weekend IJM assisted a police task force in an anti-trafficking operation against a well known bar with powerful owners.  The police did a great job gathering evidence and doing the background investigation, however, the night of the operation didn’t go entirely as hoped. 

Read more...

Friends, we have so much joy in bringing you the news that our team in Cebu has just rescued eight trafficked girls.

The testimonies of each girl clearly point to the suspect as the trafficker. Their testimony states that the suspect deceived the girls into believing that they would simply be attending a party in a hotel.  However, when they arrived at the hotel, the suspected trafficker sold them for sexual services to customers. The suspect was arrested by the Cebu local police after being caught in the act of selling the girls for sex. The transaction was caught on video making for a particularly strong case.

Please pray that the case will move forward without roadblocks, and especially pray for each of these girls as they are cared for in the aftermath of this trauma. Please also pray for the suspected trafficker, that God will move her to repentance and restoration.

If you would like to leave a comment below of encouragement to our staff and to these rescued girls, we would love that!

Right now, we are launching an operation in South Asia on a facility holding over a dozen slaves. The owners are hyper vigilant in their supervision of these laborers and regularly subject them to brutal beatings.

Pray that the South Asia team will have flawless coordination with the local authorities.
Pray that full release and restitution will be granted to each slave laborer.
Pray that their aftercare will bring deep healing.
Most of all, please join with us in praying that tonight will be their last night as slaves.

Last night one of our teams in South Asia executed a massive operation -- THIRTY-FOUR exploited girls were removed from multiple facilities and six perpetrators were apprehended.

Please pray for these girls as our staff works with the government to document their testimonies and secure their rehabilitation and safety. Please also pray for the perpetrators as they undergo the process of being restrained from their crimes and come under the authority of the law.

If you have a word of encouragement for the team or for these girls as they enter new lives of safety and freedom, please feel free to post in the comments below.

Yesterday one of our teams in South Asia rescued 19 slaves into new lives of freedom and dignity – how great is our God who loves justice!
Below is an email I received from one of our South Asian national staff (names have been obscured in order to preserve security for our clients):

“It was another day full of miracles. One government authority joined the team in the evening and was visibly and in every action against us. He had been clearly influenced by the slave owners after the rescue and had spent time with them before he came to the enquiry but the other government officials stood by us and the victims.

The stories were very compelling and no one who met the victims could turn away and do nothing. Their situation was disturbing – M*** came to work at 9 and is 18 now. K*** had all his children and his grandchildren inside the mill.

None of the kids had seen a school. They were hesitant to touch the paper we had brought for them to draw on and just held it in their hand not knowing what to do next.

It was a victorious day. The IJM staff who led the raid led it excellently. Our team just got back home but the other two teams with the victims are on their way.

Please pray for R**, a 9 year old girl who was sick and two hospitals today looked at her and said she has pneumonia. Her grandmother who was also released today is caring for her.

Most of them have been slaves for so long that they have no homes, documents etc of their own and are afraid what they will find when they get back to their native village.

The IJM team worked with unity and untiringly. Several staff were tired or sick and have traveled much due to the end of the year but no one complained or relaxed even a little bit through out the operation that has almost lasted 24 hrs for some.

Praise God! Who gives us the victory, who gives us the strength,...there is no rock like our God, he is the refuge for the helpless and for those who cry out to him. Bless his name.”

8 slaves in South Asia have new lives of freedom today! Praise God for their rescue and for enabling our staff and the local authorities to work with such unity and excellence. Please pray for each of these former slaves as they heal and begin their journey of restoration.

Thank you for your prayers for our team in South Asia. The initial raid was delayed due to detracting circumstances in the target city, but we just received word from the field that the raid is now going forward.

Again, for this particular South Asian city, this is the largest raid we (in conjunction with the local authorities, as is our policy) have attempted to date. We have confirmed 6 young girls in the brothel and believe there may be more who are verifiably minors. Please pray for the safety of our staff as they move forward with the authorities. Please pray for the girls who are awaiting rescue. Please pray for the aftercare home that will provide safety and healing for these girls in the days to come. And please pray that the authorities will be successful in securing arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.

We are so grateful for your partnership in prayer.

If you and those you lead have been joining us in prayer, please do let us know - it is a great encouragement!

Right now it is night in South Asia, and another one of our teams is preparing for a rescue operation of sex trafficking victims. Here is what I’ve received from my colleagues in the field—please do be in fervent prayer. We appreciate your partnership with us in this way, so greatly:

“Tonight we will be raiding a large brothel complex. This is a dangerous raid, and we hope to retrieve 6-8 minors—the largest collection of minors in one brothel that we have seen since our operations in [this city] began. Please pray for safety for our team, as well as cooperation and teamwork with the local police with whom we are conducting this operation.”