Trafficking Breaking Open in Romania

Hello Friends,

I write today with mixed emotions — joyful and amazed at the incredible things God is doing with Uncaged, but also desperately concerned for the millions of precious souls caught in human trafficking. 

In recent weeks, it seems things are "breaking open" in Romania. We are hearing reports and reading articles like this one, which underscores a disheartening problem: Dozens of people are being freed, — but with no place to go, they will likely be re-victimized.

The fact that 65 percent of survivors found in Europe are Romanian serves to remind us that God has strategically guided our focus to Romania. Friends are coming to our partner Beni in Romania, and saying things like “Beni, we thought you were crazy when you would tell these stories. We are sorry that we didn’t believe you. We see now this is a huge problem."

Artwork Courtesy of Hyatt Moore

That makes me want to get the first Sanctuary open as soon as humanly possible so that we can give these young women and girls a place to heal in safety.

We are making great progress in raising funds for the land. Now we need need money to create the trauma-informed program that will expedite their healing 

We have found the land.We know how to unlock transformation in the lives of the survivors.Now we just need your help in funding the program.

If you have given, we are so grateful. If you haven't,will you join us in bringing freedom to the captives?

You hold the key to their freedom!

PS, One of the young women we recently rescued shared something that warmed my heart: "This morning I woke up and I heard music in the other room. I went to see who was playing. The entire family who ‘adopted’ me were there, singing Happy Birthday to me.

This is the first time in my life someone showed love to me. Unconditionally."

Origins: The Massage that Unleashed Uncaged

Hello Friends,

Can you believe we’ve been on this path together for over six months? It’s been an amazing story so far, from our partner on the ground in Romania rescuing 39 survivors so far this year, to the progress we’ve made on The Sanctuary, to the coalition we’re building. Thousands of people ready to see Human Trafficking end (that’s you!).

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given the miraculous story of our start. I may have already shared the story with you, but I wanted to tell it again, both to remind us of why we’re doing this and to share with those of you who are newer to this coalition.

I was raised believing that we’re put on this planet to do something meaningful with our lives. Two years ago, I really began to search for my purpose at this stage in life. After three grueling back surgeries and a retirement from Westfall Gold, I was praying daily, “God, give me something great to do for you.”

The first time I prayed this prayer, back in my 20s, God dropped a beautiful organization into my lap called Watoto Child Care Ministries. Over in Uganda, East Africa, we took the most desperate children, sometimes found in garbage dumps with their hands tied behind their backs, left as human refuse.

We would scoop them up, dust them off and place them in a family. Each family consisted of one housemother and eight children. We would place them in a home. We would build 8 homes in a circle – and anywhere from 30 to 150 homes in one village.

Then, in each village, we would drop in a school, a medical center, community center, and a church — all surrounded with sustainable farming. It was an incredibly effective model that cared for 3000 kids when I left. In a matter of time we would see kids turn into bright, happy, hopeful little people! Reflecting on this model, I often thought it would work anywhere in the world.

“God, give me something great to do for you,” I had prayed. In Watoto, He’d given more than I could have imagined. With this history, you can imagine that two years ago, praying this prayer again, I was hoping that God would meet me again with a mission much larger than myself.

Instead, one day I heard God say, “you should go get a massage today.”

I dismissed it. But it hit me again and I said “Well, okay Lord, it’s not the worst idea,” and I called my friend, who owns a spa. She answered immediately, “Kim! I was just thinking of you and wishing you would call.”

“Ok,” I said tentatively, “well, do you have a last minute appointment?”

“Of course, come right over!” she exclaimed.

When I arrived, she introduced me to Karen Rose, a woman with a gift for speaking into people’s lives. As I sat with Karen, I sensed something very strange happening. I had asked God to answer me, but the massage and impromptu time with a stranger caught me off guard! Karen began to talk about my life, including parts of my life that no one knew. My eyes widened as I listened closely. Then, Karen paused.

“Kim, you have always had a heart for the children,” she said, looking at me warmly. My heart leapt, remembering that “Watoto” means “the children” in Swahili. Karen continued, “Right now, I see you standing in front of cages and there are children in those cages. You are reaching out and opening the cages, the children are coming out, and as they pass by you, they’re being healed.”

I sat back, head swimming. This was not the massage I was expecting, let alone the answer from God I imagined. Karen believed that the image was about child slavery and human trafficking. I left the spa stunned.

Over the coming weeks and months, I did a deep dive on human trafficking. I started reading books, watching documentaries, talking to experts and authors. The stories of Survivors appeared all around me. Immediately, I began to reach out, forging connections to figure out how we could serve Survivors and end this atrocity. It became clear that there was an intense need for holistic, restorative care all over the world.

Less than two years later, we’re standing on the brink of having our first Sanctuary’s location in-hand. We have agreements with local government, law enforcement, schools, churches and surrounding community. We’ve rescued 39 Survivors this year; and they have their basic needs met… but they need more. They need trauma informed therapy, spiritual care, specialized medical care, education and vocational training. We are working towards the day when we can offer hundreds of Survivors the care they need, in The Sanctuary.

You are doing this restorative work with us. God has given me a mission that’s bigger than me, one that would require the gifts and talents of many hands. You have the gifts and talents we need. You have the keys to unlock the transformation of trafficking survivors.

Thank you for being part of this incredible story that God is writing.

Meet Our Partner: Beni Lup

Hi Friends,

You already know that we have gathered an amazing team of experts and professionals who are making Uncaged a world-class solution to the evil of Human Trafficking. We wanted to introduce you to our key partner are the ground, Beni Lup.

Beni reads a message of hope from the Bible in a video

You heard about him in our last update as the man orchestrating six Survivors’ release from prison. As part of our team, he and his wife Rodica have been working tirelessly to rescue and place survivors in Romania.

Beni has an incredible story of his own. He grew up being persecuted as a Christian in Communist Romania. The danger was so great that even his Christian Parents did not know where the youth Bible Study he attended was held. As a young adult, he was discovered and arrested for being a Christian. While awaiting trial (and likely execution), the people of Romania revolted and overthrew the despotic government just eleven days before his trial!

Since that miraculous deliverance, he’s been committed to freeing others from bondage. He served as the chair of the Romanian Committee of Labor and Social Protection in parliament, and he currently serves as a country representative with the Alliance Defending Freedom focusing on preventing Human Trafficking.

We got connected to Beni through his organization, Bridge to Europe. Law enforcement in Romania calls Beni when they have a Human Trafficking Survivor in custody. Then, Beni works to get the Survivor emergency medical care, housing, and trauma counseling through his Christian network. About 87% of women who Beni & Rodica have served have been successfully restored to society.

Still, Beni says that placing Survivors in safe homes is the biggest challenge. He can’t wait for the Sanctuary to be fully operational - it will go a long way to providing the wraparound care these Survivors need for restoration.

Will you join our team, too? Prayerfully consider making a gift to make The Sanctuary a reality!