3 Simple Ways to Respond to Human Trafficking

Many people who want to get involved in preventing human trafficking and caring for victims around the world, but the magnitude of the problem can become paralyzing. After all, what can one person do?

That’s a question Kim Jones once asked. Then she did the only thing one person could do, she started somewhere. She began researching the issue. Then, as many do, she became so overwhelmed that she put the issue to the side, thinking there was no impact she could have. However, Kim listened to the Lord’s constant pressure upon her heart and began volunteering with an organization called Love146, which ministers to victims of child sex trafficking through aftercare. In one of our recent podcasts, she describes herself and her journey:

I’m a stay-at-home mom. I homeschool my kids, so I’m sort of the person who you would think is least likely to get involved in this kind of issue….God has just given me a heart and has opened a lot of doors…opportunities that I thought I would never have.

As she has become more involved, she has encountered others who are passionate about making a difference:

A lot of young adults ask me this question: “What can I do?” …I ask them, “How has God gifted you?” “How are you wired?” If this is something that God is really calling you to, then you need to orient your life in such a way that begins to put you on this kind of path… There are a lot of people that feel that there’s nothing tangible that they can do.

On the episode Table Podcast episode entitled, “Human Trafficking: What Every Christian Should Know,” Dr. Barry Jones, Kim Jones and Matthew Williams help out those of us who feel burdened (and overwhelmed), as they once did. They discuss simple, yet deeply effective, ways any Christian can begin fighting human trafficking and caring for victims.

Here are 3 simple ways to respond to human trafficking:

Pray

Matthew Williams, Director of Operations for Exile International, says, “I don’t think compassion even becomes compassion until there’s action…That’s starting on your knees and praying.”

Pray, not only for the victims, but for yourself as well. Dr. Jones, who chairs the Spiritual Formation department at DTS, suggests this as a natural starting place which can then overflow into tangible action: “Be committed to making this a part of something that you’re integrating into what you’re pleading with God about… say, ‘Now what can I, given my circumstances, given my resources, given where God has placed me in life, what can I proactively do?’”

Give

Consider joining the financial support team of an organization that is doing something about this issue around the world or right in your own backyard. This is something tangible and effective that anyone can do. For example, Williams shares a story about how teenagers are getting involved by supporting ministries like Exile International: “We have high school kids that are behind us at $7.00 a month. They’re giving up their Sonic run with their friends to make that difference. We call all to do something in that regard.”

Serve

Williams also suggests opportunities to get involved on the ground through volunteering with local organizations and even meeting “broader needs, internationally, where some will be able to volunteer but not all.”

Dr. Jones explains how compassion which leads to action is related to our spiritual formation: “Responding to issues of justice and caring for the marginalized is part of our becoming like Jesus.” He suggests asking:

Can I volunteer my time and be a part of some of these holistic prevention measures, be involved in organizations that are working with at-risk kids? For some it is saying, ‘How can I pursue an education that is going to prepare me to be able to go and serve the needs, to be a part of these much needed resources?’”

Get Informed

Prayer, giving, and serving are just three simple ways anyone can get involved. Dr.  Barry Jones, Kim Jones, and Matthew Miller mentioned the following resources for learning more about sexual slavery, forced labor, and forced soldiering:

·         Love146

·         International Justice Mission

·         Half the Sky Movement

For more information and to hear this full discussion, watch our Table Podcast Series on Human Trafficking.

·         Human Trafficking: What Every Christian Should Know

·         Simple Ways to Fight Human Trafficking