{WAR Int'l: Giving a voice to those who've been silenced}

Yesterday's post was a look into the burden that’s been growing in our hearts, a brief introduction to Women At Risk, International, and our desire to use The Blue Ladybug to raise awareness and monies for WAR’s ministry in rescuing and giving dignity to victims of Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery around the world. Today we want to share with you how HUGE this issue is by sharing some statistics and stories! But first you much promise us that as you read, you won’t get lost in all the statistics? These people are disguised as statistics! They are real people suffering right now!)

-800,000 people a year are illegally trafficked across international borders against their will- HALF of them are children!

-70% of trafficked women end up as sexual slaves

-The FBI estimates that of our own children here in the US, born and bred American citizens, 100,000-300,000 are missing- they are trafficked and exploited!

-Did you know that 40-50,000 people are trafficked into the US annually? That’s about one person every ten minutes!

-300 children are sold in Atlanta, GA every month!

-Around the world, newborns are sold for $25!

-In one city alone, 5,000 girls are brutally circumcised in one day!

-Honor killings and acid attacks are disguised as accidents!

-Fear sweeps women worldwide as domestic violence and rape rises!

-Every 2-4 years, the world looks away from a female victim count on the scale of the Jewish Holocaust, as 114-200 million women go “demographically missing”!

-Out of desperation, families in Asia sell their daughters into sexual slavery to get money for food.

-In East Asia, traffickers visit impoverished villages, offering employment abroad. Precious women go only to find themselves sold into sexual slavery, chained to beds of horror!

"One desperate mother sold her 2 week old daughter into slavery for $200. Action was taken immediately and this baby was rescued from her captors. Today, Elli is safe, adopted and protected by a loving family. This precious baby is a living, breathing example of HOPE!"-(WAR Int'l) Because of her, the Emergency 911 program and fund was formed to rescue innocent babies from trafficking!

Wow! Neither of us even realized that in America, and even in our own state of Michigan, how rampant human trafficking and sexual slavery is! It’s the fastest growing organized crime right in our own country! Our eyes have been opened wide to this reality! WAR Int’l is currently working with the U.S. Homeland Security on this huge issue! They have an amazing video of Becky MacDonald, founder of WAR Int’l, interviewing Amy Allen with Homeland Security. (Every parent should watch this!) If you get a chance, view it here. 

All that we’re sharing may seem too horrific or graphic, and maybe even too offensive to read… It would be so much easier to look away, and continue on with our safe, comfortable lives. We understand this is HARD to think about! But this is REAL and it is going on right now! We can’t look away any longer!

We wish so badly we had a limitless amount of money so we could rescue every woman, and adopt every baby! But even though millions of people are suffering around the world, GOD SEES THEM! This is so comforting to me! We want to be apart of what God is doing through WAR Int’l by giving a voice to those who’ve been silenced! We will be doing what we can to raise awareness and to raise funds for WAR Int’l.

Here’s how you can help!

-Browse the WAR Int’l website for ways you can invest your time, money and skills!

-Donate to WAR directly!

-Purchase a Brother Sister Set in our SHOP this week, and we’ll donate 20% of that sale to WAR! :)

-PRAY for WAR Int'l and for the millions of suffering women and children around the world!

{Watch this VIDEO- "The Real Me" featuring singer Natalie Grant, and includes scenes from actual safehouses.}

We'd love to hear your feedback! Are you already familiar with WAR Int'l? What do you think of these statistics? What could you do help in the efforts to rescue women and children from trafficking?