President's Blog

Gary Haugen, the CEO of International Justice Mission said,

“The poor don’t have much in the way of money or possessions to steal so it turns out that the most profitable thing to steal is the whole person.”

What do you think of when you hear the word “slavery”? Most likely, an image involving a plantation in the southern United States or a Caribbean island comes to mind. Although this is not inaccurate, and is certainly part of the history of slavery, it’s far from the current reality. Although it may look a little different and it’s hidden from public view, slavery, especially in the form of sexual exploitation, is just as present today. In fact, today’s technology makes sexual exploitation even easier.

Just as there are many names for modern-day slavery, it looks different in various parts of the world. In the Philippines, children are sold or tricked into online sexual exploitation. Victims are forced to create pornography sold to people in Canada, the US, and Europe. In Canada, vulnerable women and children are trapped and forced to sell their bodies. Whether within the border of Canada or across the world in the Philippines, victims are separated from community and support systems to prevent rescue. This is done so that slave owners can make money from their victims’ suffering for as long as possible.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” Luke 4:18 (NIV).

Just as Jesus came to bring freedom from the sin that chains us, we are called to help bring justice for the captive and set them free. IJM and BridgeNorth are already doing this work, but they need your help. Through FAIR’s Together for Freedom special appeal, we’re asking you to participate in four ways to help bring freedom to those in today’s slave trade in the Philippines and Canada.

LEARN – There are many ways for you to learn about modern-day slavery. For information, visit fellowship.ca/togetherforfreedom.

PRAY – Pray that God would bring freedom to the sexually exploited around the world.

GIVE – FAIR is seeking to raise $150,000 through the Together for Freedom appeal. Funds raised will help support the vital work of IJM and BridgeNorth. Half will go towards the rescue and rehabilitation of children trapped in online sexual exploitation in the Philippines through IJM. The other half will help BridgeNorth advocate for women trapped in sexual exploitation and rehabilitate those seeking to escape and start a new life.

ACT – Contact FAIR to find out how you can get involved in advocating for these very real issues within your community, and help bring an end to human trafficking.

Would you join with us today to support the end of slavery, to stand Together for Freedom?

Join a virtual FAIR event on February 22, 2023 and March 28, 2023:

• Register HERE for the February 22, 2023 virtual trip with IJM to the Philippines and discover their rescue ministry for children being trafficked. Our churches and donors raised a quarter of a million dollars in 2020 to fund this work – see what is happening.

• Register HERE for the March 28, 2023 virtual event with BridgeNorth and discover their advocacy ministry to women caught in sex trafficking in Canada.

Thank you for considering FAIR’s Together for Freedom appeal and making a difference in the lives of children in the Philippines and women in Canada.