The battle of modern day slavery is growing and we must rise to meet it or shrink away and allow it to consume millions more.

When we first entered the battle of modern day slavery and child sex trafficking, our community of friends was shocked.  Not at our entry but by the extent of the atrocity.  Now, nearly 4 years in, the atrocity is growing rapidly.  The US statistic for 2017 was up a whopping 13% (Polaris Project).  Where the Gospel is largely absent or silent, this plague appears to be growing even faster.

Missions is about sharing the Gospel.  The Gospel is about changing lives.  Changed lives don’t enslave others.  The formula is simple on the surface.  But the work is far from simple or over in the field.  Look at the picture, this plague has become widespread even in the US.  Can we simply pretend it is only “over there”?

We offer our deepest thanks to you our supporters for making it possible for us to work to change the circumstances of modern day slavery and specifically child sex trafficking. Teaching those who are most vulnerable to become teachers instead of victims and owners of honorable businesses instead of sellers of humans. We cannot be here doing this unless you are there at our backs.  You sending is as valuable a link as us going.  There is just no way we can secure an income from the already impoverished people we work beside for their advancement.  So whatever sacrifice you are making to engage with us please know that the impact is powerful and you have our most sincere appreciation.  Spread the word about what YOU are doing to fight back.  Begin to be identified as a modern day abolitionist.

Host an Awareness event this summer in your church, community or neighborhood.  Be observant in your community.  Report suspicious activity.  Set captives free!  Join us in this fight for our sons, daughter and grandchildren.

“Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom  (James 2:12 HCSB)”

We did not casually enter into this battle.  We knew it would be hard, at times ugly, at times beautiful but always right.  We knew we were leaving behind secure and familiar circumstances – safety, but we knew it was right to fight for those bound in slavery.

Is this your battle too?  Join us by clicking here

For more information on hosting an Awareness Event:  pete.livingston@gmail.com

For information of distributing products made through victim/at risk community work programs:  pete.livingston@gmail.com

To view and purchase goods directly, visit Made27

Our market partner, Made27 is proud to announce our new line of wrapped bracelets.

These beauties measure almost a meter long and wrap five times. At $35 these make an excellent gift.

What a pleasure to work with these Asian Artisian’s who work towards a better life for themselves while sharing the gospel in their communities.  Your purchase changes their lives.

The pressures that lead to human trafficking mount quickly when education is poor and jobs don’t exist.  Selling one child to feed the rest is an atrocity but becomes understandable on a level of desperation only understood by those who live it.

Your purchases support their work to change their lives and regain a future.

To purchase visit Made27.com!

For information incurablefanatics.org

Helping folks help themselves works!

Tha’s why we do it.

Subject: To our supporters & friends

As supporters and interested groups, you deserve to know about our work and our projects. We remain focused on programs and communities actively engaged or highly prone to child trafficking.  Prevention, Recovery and Rehabilitation remain our primary driving purposes because we believe human trafficking is more than a social cause, we believe it is a Gospel cause.

Please, allow me a quick summary of how our mission works. We are decidedly Evangelical and SBC grounded and work largely with similarly aligned and planted Cambodian church leaders. Our visas are thru a locally organized NGO. Being a local based NGO we have great latitude and less government interference. This is a joy to us. While many other groups are facing increasing government interference, we are not. So, we take advantage of this opportunity and open door while it is still open.

We do not “fund” ongoing work. We have no employees. We have no buildings. We work into communities thru the local church and local Christian leaders. The “work” is theirs to own and we simply mentor. For example, many NGOs have opened schools, have large staff commitments and building upkeep (and now more government interference). We mentor local people to become the teachers in their own schools. We teach teachers. On the business side, many NGOs have opened workshops and small factories and employ workers which now results in significant overhead and more recently, government interference. We instead, mentor entrepreneurs who own and operate their own businesses and we help them commercialize their product outside their village, and outside their country.  Products based on materials they can source and labor they can hire from their village.

We believe this presents a sustainable model. Marketplace Missions is a term now being tossed around as a model that fits third world missions. We have been at it for over 3 years. We believe it works.

Therefore, our budget is small and primarily involves our support on the field and travel to conduct our work. Our Advisory Board approved budget is about $70,000 per year for everything: Ministry materials, living allowance, insurance, vehicle rental/maintenance/fuel, travel, government documents (visa, permits, drivers license, taxes), phones, internet, and ongoing language training/assistance.

These are our current in country needs:

* Media. Development of a series of short video clips and interviews with victims/ at- risk workers telling their story of recovery, reintegration, and the power of the Gospel in changing their lives. Also cultural context video for “B” roll
* ESL training. Participate in ESL training both as “Train the teacher” and in actual evening classrooms in churches. Specifically methods of instruction for teachers and phonics in classrooms
* Graphic design training. Making fliers, promotional handbills, etc several enterprises we are developing involve the sale of local services such as travel/tour operators. Design of promotional materials is rather rudimentary. Printing is cheap here but design is challenging.
* Teacher workshops. Instructional methods in a classroom. Teachers here rarely have a solid educational background themselves. Private schools are financially out of reach for most people and government schools are poor. We assist villages in training locals by weekly training classes and holding centralized multi day conferences in the city.
* Sewing. Simple pattern use and design for beginners and intermediate
* Jewelry design. Simple Pinterest styles and YouTube styles of cord and beads. Training also for what designs are more desirable in US markets.
* Financial planning. Home budgeting and small business budgeting. As income develops there is very little thought beyond spend. Savings is a foreign concept and debt becomes a trap as it becomes available.

In US needs
*. Continue brand awareness for Made27 and develop retail placements for items made in village development programs.
*. Bring together a network of churches recognizing and willing (dare I say desiring) to enhance awareness in the US of this issue not merely as a social issue but more importantly as a Gospel issue.

Seems like a bunch of stuff. I hope this continues to be a fit. If you know a group interested in working with us in any of these areas, please help connect us with them.

Interested? Engage   If you already support us with donations that support this work ongoing, we express our deep appreciation.  If you have not yet joined us with a donation, please, as you are able, donate here. 

free27.org

made27.com