When I think of my trip to Mumbai, India, I am even now haunted by the image of a far too young mother begging us to take her eight-year-old daughter. The mother was trapped in a brothel after being trafficked from her village in her early teens. She gave birth to her daughter at fourteen. Enslaved for nearly a decade, she’d abandoned all hope for her rescue and yet she cherished one for her daughter.
“Please, please take her! Take her before they take her!”The mother’s heart within me broke. I have four sons and recently became a grandmother. I write today because I want to know the legacy we leave will be truly grand. I want a world where children are not trafficked. I am passionate because I’ve not only heard—I’ve seen—and now, friends for life, I am honored to share this passion with you.
How can we not reach out and rescue rather than simply cry over this issue? All want to go, but who will give? There are God-empowered, strategically placed people in these dark places who need our support if these children are to be rescued.
We are His hands and feet. Let no more children be bought, sold, consumed or demanded; may all living in hopeless shadows be rescued.
I pray this breaks your heart wide and gives you the courage to reach out and rescue by giving generously.
Thank you,
Lisa Bevere
Monday, November 2, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sonia Update
This month, Lisa Bevere appeared on the television show, Life Today. The particular episode featuring Lisa was completely devoted to the problem of human trafficking. Hidden camera clips were shown of Lisa in the brothels of Mumbai during last July. While in the brothels, Lisa was able to meet an eight year old girl named Sonia. Sonia is the daughter of a prostitute who has been living in the same room for years. This little child would hide under her mom’s bed, while her mom was forced to service many clients each day. Due to limited space, Life Today was not able to rescue Sonia during the time that the footage was taken for the show.
Last week, we received a call informing us Sonia had been rescued from this horrible lifestyle! Currently, Sonia is safe in a children’s orphanage. Praise the Lord!! Please continue to pray for Sonia’s mom, Sema, and that she gets rescued. Over 90% of the children of the prostitutes in Mumbai end up being forced into sex slavery themselves. Thank you for doing your part to reject this statistic!
Click here to watch the video of Sonia on Life Today.
Last week, we received a call informing us Sonia had been rescued from this horrible lifestyle! Currently, Sonia is safe in a children’s orphanage. Praise the Lord!! Please continue to pray for Sonia’s mom, Sema, and that she gets rescued. Over 90% of the children of the prostitutes in Mumbai end up being forced into sex slavery themselves. Thank you for doing your part to reject this statistic!
Click here to watch the video of Sonia on Life Today.
Rescue in Cambodia
A new girl has been welcomed into the She Rescue Home. The child is only six years old. After combating human trafficking for over a year now, it is still surreal to hear that girls are being trafficked at this young age. Please pray for her healing process and that the impartation of God’s love would come alive in her little heart.
The two eldest girls are training for their beauty and hair salon. These girls will soon be able to provide a steady income for themselves. This is amazing! On top of that, all the older girls are getting plugged in and serving at the local church.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Lisa's Anti-Trafficking Address to America
SCTNow Stiletto Run & Anti-Trafficking Walk
September 27, 2009
New York City, NY
I’ve heard some talk of promising economic indicators… wouldn’t that be awesome?
Let’s pause a moment…is our economy the best indicator of the nation’s health? Yes, it reflects our ability to buy & sell, consume & demand, possess & release. But, is our nation merely a collection of consumers? Or is our nation something more?
I’m a mother of four sons and Thursday an amazing and astounding title was added to my life…Grandmother. Asher, my first grandson, was born and I’m here today because I want to know the nation he is inheriting will once again be truly grand.
The truth is at my age it is becoming more & more difficult for me to read and see things up close.Yet even so, my vision for things in the distance has become more acute.
I stand before you a grandmother, mother & daughter of this nation to declare I see a danger on our horizon.
More than stocks & bonds, the children of this nation are our greatest wealth! Their present and future safety…our only hope of lasting legacy.
I beg you to be brave and now access both their current and pending threat level.
For there is possibly no greater health indicator of a nation than how it treats its women and children. And I know of what I speak.
I have had the opportunity to walk the streets of the red light districts in Thailand & Cambodia. I watched first hand as businessmen from our great nation walked hand in hand with underage girls as though they were daughters when actually they were on their way back to hotels rooms to sexual exploit them.
Recently I was undercover in the interior of the worst of the worst brothels in the slums of Mumbai. I was stunned as I listened to story after story of women who’d been trafficked at 12, 13 & 14 years of age.
Their only mistake was daring to hope for something more. With a promise in their hearts they were led off, lied to and sold often by the very ones who should have protected them.
I still hear the heartbreaking pleas of Sema as she begged for her eight-year-old daughter to be taken out of the brothel before she fell into the same fate that had overtaken her at age13.
And now I stand before you…to warn you that India, Thailand & Cambodia are not as far away as you may have imagined.
If no man is an island…then no nation is insulated.
The oppression and injustice we tolerate for others will over take us all if we remain silent.
I am passionate because I’ve not only heard…I’ve seen so I speak my passion.
In the name of all that makes us humans created in the image of God how can any of us remain silent when the voices of so many children have been silenced?
How can we not cry out rather than simply cry over this issue and our nation’s role?
It is a gross injustice that strips a child of their innocence and enslaves them to the lust and debauchery of another.
How many times must we hear…all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing…before we will actually not only believe…but act?
We foolishly imagined the problem was isolated and remote…child trafficking was something happening over there…a long way from our safe American world.
But here’s the tragedy…often the perpetrators of what happens over there live, work and shelter within our gates…they traveled overseas to distant shores to act out what they dared not do…here on American soil.
But they dare now…
Don’t imagine you and your children are safe, or insulated.
None of us are if we allow this dark force to grow unchecked against the very children entrusted to our nation’s care.
I pray we have not forgotten the injustices and violations of humanity that we tolerate for others will one day rise and threaten us.
Our nation’s greatness, her power to influence and exercise worldwide authority was not given to showcase our strength but to shelter the captive and hopeless and restore theirs.
You’ve gathered to send a message.
Let each step you take strengthen your resolve. May this be the beginning of an outcry and the hope of rescue, the first sign of light to those trapped in darkness. In this nation may justice visit both victim and violator.
Let no more children be bought, sold, consumed or demanded, may all that were possessions be released.
May our children & grandchildren look back at our moment, our message and our resolve and be proud that we looked ahead, rose to the challenge and brought strategic solution!
Thank you!
September 27, 2009
New York City, NY
I’ve heard some talk of promising economic indicators… wouldn’t that be awesome?
Let’s pause a moment…is our economy the best indicator of the nation’s health? Yes, it reflects our ability to buy & sell, consume & demand, possess & release. But, is our nation merely a collection of consumers? Or is our nation something more?
I’m a mother of four sons and Thursday an amazing and astounding title was added to my life…Grandmother. Asher, my first grandson, was born and I’m here today because I want to know the nation he is inheriting will once again be truly grand.
The truth is at my age it is becoming more & more difficult for me to read and see things up close.Yet even so, my vision for things in the distance has become more acute.
I stand before you a grandmother, mother & daughter of this nation to declare I see a danger on our horizon.
More than stocks & bonds, the children of this nation are our greatest wealth! Their present and future safety…our only hope of lasting legacy.
I beg you to be brave and now access both their current and pending threat level.
For there is possibly no greater health indicator of a nation than how it treats its women and children. And I know of what I speak.
I have had the opportunity to walk the streets of the red light districts in Thailand & Cambodia. I watched first hand as businessmen from our great nation walked hand in hand with underage girls as though they were daughters when actually they were on their way back to hotels rooms to sexual exploit them.
Recently I was undercover in the interior of the worst of the worst brothels in the slums of Mumbai. I was stunned as I listened to story after story of women who’d been trafficked at 12, 13 & 14 years of age.
Their only mistake was daring to hope for something more. With a promise in their hearts they were led off, lied to and sold often by the very ones who should have protected them.
I still hear the heartbreaking pleas of Sema as she begged for her eight-year-old daughter to be taken out of the brothel before she fell into the same fate that had overtaken her at age13.
And now I stand before you…to warn you that India, Thailand & Cambodia are not as far away as you may have imagined.
If no man is an island…then no nation is insulated.
The oppression and injustice we tolerate for others will over take us all if we remain silent.
I am passionate because I’ve not only heard…I’ve seen so I speak my passion.
In the name of all that makes us humans created in the image of God how can any of us remain silent when the voices of so many children have been silenced?
How can we not cry out rather than simply cry over this issue and our nation’s role?
It is a gross injustice that strips a child of their innocence and enslaves them to the lust and debauchery of another.
How many times must we hear…all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing…before we will actually not only believe…but act?
We foolishly imagined the problem was isolated and remote…child trafficking was something happening over there…a long way from our safe American world.
But here’s the tragedy…often the perpetrators of what happens over there live, work and shelter within our gates…they traveled overseas to distant shores to act out what they dared not do…here on American soil.
But they dare now…
Don’t imagine you and your children are safe, or insulated.
None of us are if we allow this dark force to grow unchecked against the very children entrusted to our nation’s care.
I pray we have not forgotten the injustices and violations of humanity that we tolerate for others will one day rise and threaten us.
Our nation’s greatness, her power to influence and exercise worldwide authority was not given to showcase our strength but to shelter the captive and hopeless and restore theirs.
You’ve gathered to send a message.
Let each step you take strengthen your resolve. May this be the beginning of an outcry and the hope of rescue, the first sign of light to those trapped in darkness. In this nation may justice visit both victim and violator.
Let no more children be bought, sold, consumed or demanded, may all that were possessions be released.
May our children & grandchildren look back at our moment, our message and our resolve and be proud that we looked ahead, rose to the challenge and brought strategic solution!
Thank you!
Monday, August 31, 2009
7 Team Members + $400 dollars raised...and counting!
There is only one more month until the earth-wide Walk to Stop Child Trafficking!
It has been a blast going door to door raising awareness to stop human trafficking. On one particular day, in less than two hours, seven of my team members and I were able to visit more than 40 houses, break up a potential dog fight, and raise more than $400 dollars for the Walk. Not only that, it literally opened doors to share how God has moved our hearts to compassion.
We don’t have the power to give spiritual freedom to others. This was only possible through the loving sacrifice of Jesus. However, we have been given the opportunity to show a beautiful analogy to this freedom. By participating in the SCTNow Walks, we are able to give physical freedom to others. This is one of the greatest acts of love we can demonstrate. All love comes from above, but it should not stop there...If you have not signed up for a walk near you, I encourage you to do so right now!
It has been a blast going door to door raising awareness to stop human trafficking. On one particular day, in less than two hours, seven of my team members and I were able to visit more than 40 houses, break up a potential dog fight, and raise more than $400 dollars for the Walk. Not only that, it literally opened doors to share how God has moved our hearts to compassion.
We don’t have the power to give spiritual freedom to others. This was only possible through the loving sacrifice of Jesus. However, we have been given the opportunity to show a beautiful analogy to this freedom. By participating in the SCTNow Walks, we are able to give physical freedom to others. This is one of the greatest acts of love we can demonstrate. All love comes from above, but it should not stop there...If you have not signed up for a walk near you, I encourage you to do so right now!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Modern-day Esther
Thousands of years ago, God used a girl named Esther to save His beloved people. Today, there is an Esther who is following in this worthy cause.
One of my day to day tasks is to converse with those who are interested in awareness and fund raising. I have talked with many like this, and all are passionate about doing all they can to fight trafficking. In light of this, we decided to dedicate this month’s update to talk about the amazing men and women who follow through and are actively doing their part to combat human trafficking. Specifically, a girl named Esther.
Four months ago, I receive an email from Esther, a 19 year old girl in Florida, which started like this:
“Man, tell me what you want me to do!? I want to help in any way possible the vision that God has given you!”
From then forward, Esther has been actively raising awareness to stop trafficking. She has told her family and friends about Pearl Alliance. Esther has created 30 second hour glasses to remind people that every thirty seconds someone is enslaved. She has handed out flyers and did an awareness movie night on a projector in her backyard.
Last month, Esther decided that she wanted to use her birthday party as a way to continue to raise awareness. Also, she asked all of her attendees to not get her gifts, but to use that money they would have spent on her to give to the children in Thailand. When Esther told me her plan, I was blown away. What a story of selflessness, especially on the day when it is so easy to think only of one’s self.
On June 27th, Esther had her birthday party. I am happy to announce that a group of 30 to 40 people ended up raising $985!! Way to go Esther, and thank you God!
Justice is not a whim. It is not just something we should look to every once and a while to make ourselves feel good. It should be the way we live. A people dedicated to God and showing His love to others. May we be this people. There are so many “Esthers” out there. Take the first step and see how much God can do through you.
Keep up the great work!
Austin Bevere
One of my day to day tasks is to converse with those who are interested in awareness and fund raising. I have talked with many like this, and all are passionate about doing all they can to fight trafficking. In light of this, we decided to dedicate this month’s update to talk about the amazing men and women who follow through and are actively doing their part to combat human trafficking. Specifically, a girl named Esther.
Four months ago, I receive an email from Esther, a 19 year old girl in Florida, which started like this:
“Man, tell me what you want me to do!? I want to help in any way possible the vision that God has given you!”
From then forward, Esther has been actively raising awareness to stop trafficking. She has told her family and friends about Pearl Alliance. Esther has created 30 second hour glasses to remind people that every thirty seconds someone is enslaved. She has handed out flyers and did an awareness movie night on a projector in her backyard.
Last month, Esther decided that she wanted to use her birthday party as a way to continue to raise awareness. Also, she asked all of her attendees to not get her gifts, but to use that money they would have spent on her to give to the children in Thailand. When Esther told me her plan, I was blown away. What a story of selflessness, especially on the day when it is so easy to think only of one’s self.
On June 27th, Esther had her birthday party. I am happy to announce that a group of 30 to 40 people ended up raising $985!! Way to go Esther, and thank you God!
Justice is not a whim. It is not just something we should look to every once and a while to make ourselves feel good. It should be the way we live. A people dedicated to God and showing His love to others. May we be this people. There are so many “Esthers” out there. Take the first step and see how much God can do through you.
Keep up the great work!
Austin Bevere
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