Driving to and from Knoxville from Murfreesboro, I always noticed several signs advertising oriental massage. One, in particular, is the Rainbow Spa. Have you seen it? I guess they stuck the sign on the side of the interstate to lure in truckers.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am super sensitive to spiritual warfare and I have always had a weird feeling passing this sign. I suspected that it was a place where illegal activity was taking place... probably prostitution, possible under-aged girls who had become desperate to feel loved or desperate for money...
I attended a two day leadership summit last week where I was able to hear the testimony and life passion of Christine Caine, with the A21 Campaign, which stands for “Abolish Injustice in the 21st Century.” A21 is committed to the abolition of human trafficking by rescuing girls caught in sex slavery, and bringing them freedom, justice, and hope. Currently, A21 is focusing their work in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece - with the long-term goal of moving into other areas of Europe where there is a need. The statistics are horrific. An estimated 27 million people are held in slavery worldwide. Every 30 seconds, another person falls victim to human trafficking. In fact, human trafficking is the number one crime worldwide. The average age of a trafficked victim is 14, and the average victim is forced to have sex up to 20 times a day.
Christine discovered the magnitude of this atrocity while walking through an airport in Greece. Plastered on the walls were posters of missing women and children, some as young as 6 years old, which she later discovered were faces of people who had become victims of human trafficking. Christine began researching this global injustice, heard countless stories of women and children being forced into prostitution, and decided immediately that doing nothing was no longer an option.
Regardless of our location on the globe, our denominational affiliation, our past, or our God-given gifts and talents there is a connection through the cross of Christ that is unmatched. For this reason, I can feel just as connected to a ministry half-way around the world as I do something happening right across the street. Who know, it could be here right under our noses.
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