Pam Parish

I recently returned from a trip to Sierra Leone where, for the first time in my life, I came face to face with true poverty. My experience in Sierra Leone changed me forever; in ways that I may not fully know this side of eternity. One major way that my experience changed me was by teaching me that the tragedies happening around the globe that I read about in newspapers or see on television are happening to real people - just like me. To see their faces up close, to touch their hands and to be the beneficiary of their smiles was a humbling experience.

After returning from Sierra Leone, I had the privilege of beginning a new project for our church’s upcoming Christmas Gift to the World offering. This year we had decided to focus on the issue of modern day slavery and child sexual exploitation in our city, Atlanta. This was one of those problems that I had heard about, but hadn’t really sat down to research for myself. As I sat at the table with Not for Sale, Innocence Atlanta, Wellspring Living and several of our Pastoral team, I was completely blown away by the reality of the situation. Being so fresh from Sierra Leone, the problem hit me really hard because I was walking in a fresh realization that these are real people effected by this tragedy.

The statistics are staggering - 27 million people globally are held in some form of bondage; 14,000 - 17,500 people per year are trafficked into the United States which builds up a statistic of 200,000 to 400,000 people enslaved in the U.S. at any given time, 80% of those are women / 50% are children - many are girls ages 14 -18, over 250 children each month are trafficked in the metro Atlanta area.

We must do something. Watch the video below and visit the Victory World Church website if you’d like to help.