35 women and children trafficked in the same town

My heart has been heavy ever since I heard about the Diamonds - the 35 women and children who we are preparing to welcome to the Sanctuary. They come from a particularly heartbreaking situation.

A partner agency in Eastern Europe connected us to these precious souls. All of them reside in one small village situated on a major trucking route in Romania. They are members of an extremely stigmatized ethnic group and geographically isolated. For generations, women and children have been pushed into sexual exploitation there.

Even worse, the Diamonds are young. All 35 are between ages 12-25. Some of the youngest ones already have children of their own, conceived in slavery. Children are groomed for exploitation from an early age.

These 35 women and children are locked in a cage of poverty and generational exploitation. They know no other life and have no idea other options for employment exist. Many of them, like 17-year-old Nadia, say they would love a different life if they knew another way to provide for their families.

We are taking action to unlock that cage and give these women and children a sustainable life that demonstrates their true value. Our expert traumatologists and psychologists have determined a key first step. We must start with a series of trauma-informed retreats.

That’s what we’re preparing to do. We will take these 35 survivors to our world-class Sanctuary. It is our healing village designed with restoration in mind. Here, survivors will receive medical attention and trauma-informed therapies like group therapy, body movement, art and equine therapies. We will also utilize neurofeedback, which physically reduces trauma in the brain.

Through the retreats, these 35 survivors will learn that they have value and are worthy of more. They will begin to taste real love and care. They will learn that there are other viable options for employment and lifestyle. Soon, the doors of freedom will be open to them.

We want to see each of these 35 women and children living healthy, sustainable lives. It’s time to unlock the cage for these gems and the generations after them once and for all.

You hold the key. Let’s swing the door to freedom wide - first for these 35 Diamonds, and then for hundreds more.

Supporting 110 Survivors Across Europe

You may recall that in March, we shared about the 58 women tucked in safe houses across Europe who had managed to escape their traffickers. Today, that number has grown. Our team is now assisting 110 trafficking survivors. We hear of more precious souls every day.

As you know, the majority of these women are trapped abroad due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Members of our Freedom Highway are giving them legal, medical, and emotional support. Even though they are far from the Sanctuary, their healing journeys have begun.

Just recently, one of these brave women told us, “I’ve finally gotten to rest and start to heal. Now, I am ready to fight for my future!”

We know that getting these survivors to the Sanctuary is going to unlock a wave of transformation. This is why I am thrilled to share that we are preparing to bring 35 survivors to the Sanctuary!

We found them through a partner agency. They all come from a very unique and troubling situation. The bright side of their unusual circumstance is that we are able to bring them to the Sanctuary. Praise God!

The Sanctuary is ready. The program is ready. Now, we are ramping up our staff capacity and launching into the details of a customized series of trauma-informed retreats for the 35. As part of our work with them, we will be equipping the partner agency that brought them to us. It’s time to swing the door to freedom wide!

What’s even better is that preparing to bring these 35 women to the Sanctuary will mean we are in a perfect position to scale our efforts. Training these first agencies and individuals enables them to equip others. We will have the perfect team in place to bring the other 75 survivors tucked across safe houses in Europe as soon as Covid restrictions lift.

Unlocking transformation for these women is just the beginning. Getting the Sanctuary running at full capacity, equipping freedom fighters at scale - this is how we catalyze the movement that will end trafficking!

From Trafficking to a National Championship

We are celebrating with Snowy! Just a few weeks ago, she won a national award for playing piano. She is now a champion pianist in her age bracket. I can't help but think about where she was a few short years ago when we rescued her. She was traumatized, riddled with infection, terrified. Seeing Snowy now makes me realize just how powerful the "resilience factor" is with her and other survivors.

Snowy has faced more challenges than most of us can even imagine. After just a couple of years, she is excelling in music and her favorite subject, math! She's inspiring her 4 younger siblings, other survivors, and hopefully freedom fighters like you. Go, Snowy!

What motivates me even more about Snowy’s story is that while her journey is unique, her resilience is not. The hundreds of survivors we encounter are ready to reclaim their futures. They are ready to do the hard work of healing and rebuilding their lives. Snowy has experienced a level of transformation that is possible for the vast majority of these survivors. Yes, I mean all 48+ million of them! They just need to be located, rescued, and given wraparound support using the right model.

I believe we are rapidly building capacity to unlock transformation at scale. We are finding these souls through the Freedom Highway. We are collaborating with professionals across Europe to rescue these women and children. And we have the ideal wraparound model and trauma-informed tools to unlock transformation. Our model is able to reach thousands of survivors AND prioritize customized care for each survivor. Snowy was beaming when she held her award. She’s gone from battered, broken, and unloved to overflowing with joy in just a few short years. This is the transformation that’s possible for survivors of sex trafficking. Thank you for making it possible for Snowy's resilience to shine through. Now, let’s do the same for hundreds, even thousands more.