Child Trafficking
JPM's Encounter with a Sex Trafficker
Hello JPM Family,
Today's newsletter is one that bears a heavy burden. Please know that if you give of your prayers, your time, your money, then you are giving to this very cause. A cause that is most dear to our hearts, and most dear to the heart of God.
Child sex trafficking is not always “organized crime”. In a lot of instances, and in the instance we are sharing today, it’s evil parents.
Joey and some members of his team were leaving a grocery store in Honduras when they were approached, as they regularly are, by beggars - in this case, a mother and her daughter. Joey was urged by his team of translators and helpers to help this woman and her daughter. Little did he know what this decision would lead to.
They asked the woman where she lived and she led them to her home. They pulled up to the side of a hill, so steep that losing your footing on the way up could’ve been disastrous. Joey and his team scaled the side of this hill with grocery bags in hand to find at the top of the hill were 3 girls and 2 boys. All of a sudden, Joey is grabbed by his Honduran translator friend, Elsa - her nails digging into his arm. She whips him around, looks intently into his eyes and says, “this woman sells her children”. Joey looks at Elsa and then looks at the mother of these children. He looks back to Elsa and says, “how do you know this?” Elsa explains that her daughter goes to school with one of this woman’s daughters. She says she’s aware that the mother sells her children for sex as there have been situations in the past.
As one can imagine, Joey is overcome with emotion. Joey turns back to look at this mother and he recognizes that she is realizing they know what is going on. Joey and his team decide to stay and bless this family with food and water. They make sandwiches for the children and yes, for the mother. Not knowing how she will react, Joey begins to speak truth and acknowledges to this woman that he knows what she is doing. Joey ultimately urges her saying, “we know what is going on here and if you don’t stop, then we will call the police.”
Knowing this woman has no intention of stopping what she is doing nor is she capable of helping herself or her children, Joey reaches out to local missionaries, churches and pastors to get involved. JPM pays a local pastor to regularly feed and check in on this family. In trying to meet their physical needs (food, water), we are trying to lessen the “need” for the mother to traffick her children to pay for those needs.
While JPM was in the area, the team went back multiple times to bring cooking utensils, food, water, even birthday cakes and toys in order to celebrate the children. Joey said that you would not believe how elated the children were to have an activity to do like drawing/coloring. One of the girls who had requested a birthday cake picked out the biggest one possible at the grocery store. She said she didn’t want the biggest one because she was hungry, but because she wanted to share it with all of her friends and neighbors - which she happily did!
Now you may be wondering, why is JPM getting involved with child sex trafficking? I thought their goal was to feed and provide water to children? Sometimes this goal is met in different ways. In this case, feeding this family and regularly checking in on them protects the children from being sold for sex - or at least lessens the opportunity for this to happen. If the family's basic needs are being met, then the mother is less likely to have that need met in other ways.
JPM can happily say that none of these children have been sold since JPM was there in June.
As you hear about this story, keep in mind that moments like these where we can provide food, water - even treats and toys - for children all over the world happens because of your donations! Take a moment to hear about Fundiful: our donation system entirely created by missionaries.
Many of you are using our new donation system - Fundiful! If you missed it, this is the system we now use to accept donations. If you haven't already, please take a moment to let us introduce you to Fundiful. We have sought and chosen this new system in an effort to save you money on payment fees as well as JPM overall! That means more money for MISSION!
If you have a moment, please click here to setup an account with our new donation system: New Donation System: Fundiful! You may also want to review the short instructions below if you have any questions on how to proceed.
If you are currently setup on automatic giving, then you can choose to delete your current account by accessing your donor account. Information to do that is found here. You are welcome to continue donating on the current system if you choose to do so!
We want this process to be as easy and seamless for you as possible, so please email us if you have any questions at all and we would be happy to help!
As you read this story we shared above, we hope you are stirred (as we are) to continue to help and remain on mission: being the hands and feet of Jesus in this broken world.
As you continue to pray, donate, and work alongside us - please also share this information! Share this email with friends and family. Share this story on Facebook. Share this story as you speak with your coworkers, your spouse, your parents. The more people that are aware of this, the more people can pray, donate and step into the gap for these hurting children.
Again, we share our never-ending gratitude for all you do for the kingdom through JPM. We share in the honor and privilege to serve alongside you.
Much Blessings & Much Love,
Joey & Cathy
