Kristen Hendricks

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello! I hope you are doing well. This September, I’m doing the “Ride Against Traffick,” a 4-day bike ride from Busan to Seoul. In Isaiah 61:1 it says “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” I believe God’s heart desires to see the oppressed set free and that He has called the Church to carry out this Isaiah 61 mandate.

A recent survey conducted in Korea revealed that prostitution is considered “ok” by about half of married men in their 30’s and 40’s (www.koreatimes.co.kr). According to the Chosun Ilbo, “Koreans rank among the top clients of prostitutes in Southeast Asia, ahead even of Japanese and Chinese travelers, extensive research suggests” (english.chosun.com). In addition, orphans are often pulled into prostitution as they receive little support from the government after they turn 18. Although sex-trafficking and prostitution are illegal, police do little to enforce laws and many Korean people partake in the buying or selling of sex.

As I do the Ride Against Traffick, I’m raising awareness about this issue as it is largely ignored and overlooked in Korean culture. In addition, I’m raising funds that will go directly to two organizations that combat sex-trafficking: Hope Be Restored and Oak Tree Project. Hope Be Restored is an anti-trafficking network, and Oak Tree Project is a scholarship fund/mentorship program for college-aged orphans in Korea. For more information on these organizations, check out these websites:

http://www.hopeberestored.org/who-we-are.html
http://www.oaktreeproject.com/

I ask that you prayerfully consider giving to the Ride. This is my third year doing the Ride, and I believe that this Ride is changing lives all over Korea. If you decide to give, you can pay through paypal or Korean bank transfer. If you’d like to receive prayer updates, please email me so I can include you in my supporter email.

Thank you,
Kristen

The Ride Against Traffick is a four day, 550km bike ride from Busan to Seoul intended to raise awareness of the problem of human trafficking in South Korea and to fight it.

Your donations will go to two great organizations who are actively working to combat this modern-day evil: Hope Be Restored, which is one of the leading anti-trafficking ministries in Korea, and Oak Tree Project, which is a scholarship and mentoring program for orphans in Korea. The ride costs are paid completely by the participants and sponsors, so 100% of the money we receive from your donation will go straight to these organizations.

Find out more at our website below.