Walk With Survivors to Freedom

She is excelling in school now, but her life could have looked very different than it does today. Just last week, we shared a little bit with you about Annebelle and how her dreams are being restored. She has a long road of healing ahead of her, but her first steps have begun.

Just like Annabelle, there are thousands of survivors that need to take her first steps to transformation. When a girl is rescued from traffickers, this is only the beginning. When our team first encounters a survivor, her needs are great. They arrive with shattered hearts, minds, and psyches. After being physically free, there is a long way to go before being fully transformed. For most survivors, the first steps are medical treatment, emergency care, and legal counsel. Recently two survivors came to us beaten so badly they were unable to travel and required hospitalization. Often girls arrive covered in lice. For most of us, we take things like a clean shower or being able to go to the doctor for granted. We expect these basic necessities of care to be available to us. For a survivor, these are gifts that are life-giving. And we want to be able to give all these gifts to these precious souls! Often survivors often have legal needs when they encounter our team. They need protection from their traffickers, who do not want to let their sources of income go! They often do not have the documents they need to travel and restart their lives. We can even work with them to see justice done in some cases! Our team is working hard to see that survivors have all they need to take their first steps. At The Sanctuary, we will continue to walk alongside these women and girls to make sure they have all the support they need to stay free and thrive!

Won’t you help us walk with survivors, like Annabelle, in their first days and for years to come?

Survivors are bringing light into the lives of others!

We get to share mere glimpses into the lives of survivors with you. You hear about a rescue, a legal battle won, or a new job. So much more goes on in the healing journey of a woman who has seen brutality and trauma at the hands of traffickers. From the rescue through therapy, training, and reintegration into a community there are many steps and many people who touch the life of one person.

Trusting, nurturing relationships are key to someone who has experienced such distrust and fear. One key component to the model of the Sanctuary is a comfortable and safe environment in which these kinds of relationships can form between survivors as they heal together. You’ve heard pieces of two women’s stories, but not how their lives have come together.

Luminita’s story begins like many others who are caught in the traps of traffickers. A Business and Management student with a bright future, she was introduced to a man visiting from another country. She believed her cousin and this man when they made plans for a vacation, and she was charmed by the man’s kindness.

But once she and her new “boyfriend” arrived in Western Europe, he changed and she was trapped, along with other women. "I had no idea that for the next fourteen months I would be dressed like them, abused by this ugly drunkard and by many other men. I had no idea that I would live in hell,” Luminita says.

Luminta was finally able to escape and to begin healing back in Romania. Over two years later, she is back on track to becoming the business woman she dreamed of being. She has participated in our “Sew Good” initiative, teaming up with other survivors who learned to sew to create business plans.

Like Luminita, Annabelle was tormented and abused by her traffickers. She dreamed of escape and was able to get to a phone to call an emergency line. Our European Director braved muddy and unpaved roads, freezing temperatures, and even wild dogs to get to Annabelle. He coordinated with our partners in law enforcement to make sure Annabelle could safely escape and her trafficker could be taken down.

Annabelle was freezing and hungry when she escaped and we ensured she received medical care, clothing, and food. She had several broken ribs and severe injuries and she weighed less than 80 pounds. Only 17 when she was rescued, she dreamed of being free for Christmas and we were able to place her alongside a loving family to enjoy a real Christmas dinner.

Today Annabelle is doing well and excelling at school. Luminita has taken her under her wing and is helping her rebuild her life. She is able to mentor Annabelle, encourage, and strengthen her through her healing process. Luminita is bringing light into another survivor’s life!

The environment of the Sanctuary is ideal for the ongoing healing of survivors just like these two. These girls can experience the beauty of nature, the comfort of a safe home, and the healthy, bonding relationships.

We can’t wait to see many more survivors like these thriving at the Sanctuary. Your support makes it possible.

Help us unlock transformation for survivors!

We Need People Like You at Our Side

Last month we shared BIG news that the Sanctuary in Romania is paid off. This tremendous step for freedom is only possible because we have incredible people at our side. Today, we want to share with you about one family who has been instrumental in unlocking the Sanctuary for survivors.

The Brittons own a manufacturing company in the midwest. They had known our founder, Kim Westfall, for years when God began placing the plight of survivors on Kim’s heart. One day, they were attending an event together when Kim began to share her passion for human trafficking with the Brittons.

“It was an immediate connection because my husband’s niece and her husband had been church planters in a Western European country where trafficking was very prevalent. As part of their church plant, they had a coffee shop where they hired young women who were coming out of the sex trade,” says Jan Britton.

The conversation with Kim left a deep impression on the Brittons. Jan and her husband, Rick, began to explore the mission of Uncaged more deeply. The vision of the Sanctuary struck a deep chord with them in particular. “When Kim found the Sanctuary, the property was perfect, and the buildings were almost exactly what designers had envisioned for Uncaged. Except it was here, already built and ready. It was clear that God had brought it together.”

Faith has been an essential motivator for the Brittons. They keenly look for what God is doing in the world and generously seek to join in. Partnering with Uncaged has only enriched their faith journey, says Jan. “I always enjoy the stories of transformation that we hear from the survivors. Now, I’m looking forward to hearing more about all of the different therapies that will be offered to the survivors. It’s amazing how God put the mind together and the tools we have to heal and transform people.”

When thinking about the future of Uncaged, Jan hopes to see even more people come to participate in the work God is doing in Europe. “Kim and Uncaged have a calling to help these women and children. Every step of the way, I’ve seen that God has prepared the people and the resources that position Uncaged to help a lot of women for a long time. Whatever you can do to be a part of that will be amplified a hundredfold.”

With your help, we can unlock transformation for trafficking survivors and work towards ending human trafficking once and for all!

Will YOU be the key?