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Kind Europeans attend an Anti-trafficking Workshop
I called Victoria to let her know that Joann contacted me twice in the last week. You will remember that Joann left prostitution after being badly beaten by a client. Victoria met her in a Baptist church and worked with me to help her find options. We put Joann in touch with people who can help her in her own city, 3 hours from us. It is up to her to take the next steps. It is a good sign that she keeps in touch with us.
I also made sure Victoria knew about the Italian government’s announcement that undocumented domestic workers can be registered by their employers in September and receive residency and work permits. Victoria’s response to me was, “Yes, I know about it. Do you know any kind people who want to change someone’s life?”
I thought of all of you who have come alongside us with financial and prayer support over the last 5 months. I thought about the fact that over $27,000 dollars have been contributed by first-time donors for our support and then matched by the Luther Rice Fund getting us to 78% of our fiscal-year goal of $96,009. Considering where we started, that’s a miracle! And, many of you, individuals and churches, have pledged to give on a regular basis.
“Yes, I know lots of kind people,” I said.
You are those people! And, you are changing lives!
Because of your gifts, Jim and I are able to receive emails from the Protestant Federation’s Service of Refugees and Migrants, which we pass along to the immigrant pastors with whom we work.
Because of your gifts, we live here and know women like Emma and Joann and can try to connect them with kind people in Italy who will hire them to work in their homes.
Because of your gifts, we can manage a small donation given by French Baptists to help victims of human trafficking and prostitution, perhaps even using that money to help 3 families pay the fees to register a woman as a domestic worker.
-Please pray that kind people in Italy who can take on a domestic worker will step forward as they become aware of the possibility.
-Thank God for all our supporters. Pray that new donors will partner with us and that previous donors will continue to share in this work.
-Thank God for opportunities this summer for Luke and Ben to be with friends from Belgium, where we served for four years.
I also made sure Victoria knew about the Italian government’s announcement that undocumented domestic workers can be registered by their employers in September and receive residency and work permits. Victoria’s response to me was, “Yes, I know about it. Do you know any kind people who want to change someone’s life?”
I thought of all of you who have come alongside us with financial and prayer support over the last 5 months. I thought about the fact that over $27,000 dollars have been contributed by first-time donors for our support and then matched by the Luther Rice Fund getting us to 78% of our fiscal-year goal of $96,009. Considering where we started, that’s a miracle! And, many of you, individuals and churches, have pledged to give on a regular basis.
“Yes, I know lots of kind people,” I said.
You are those people! And, you are changing lives!
Because of your gifts, Jim and I are able to receive emails from the Protestant Federation’s Service of Refugees and Migrants, which we pass along to the immigrant pastors with whom we work.
Because of your gifts, we live here and know women like Emma and Joann and can try to connect them with kind people in Italy who will hire them to work in their homes.
Because of your gifts, we can manage a small donation given by French Baptists to help victims of human trafficking and prostitution, perhaps even using that money to help 3 families pay the fees to register a woman as a domestic worker.
-Please pray that kind people in Italy who can take on a domestic worker will step forward as they become aware of the possibility.
-Thank God for all our supporters. Pray that new donors will partner with us and that previous donors will continue to share in this work.
-Thank God for opportunities this summer for Luke and Ben to be with friends from Belgium, where we served for four years.