Manuel Lara

Dear Friends,
I will be taking part in a 550km bike ride which is aimed at raising awareness about the issue of ‘Sex Trafficking in Korea’, as well as raising funds to support orphans through scholarships for higher education. Our group of participants from various English ministries and churches in South Korea has set the goal of raising 500,000+ won ($500+ dollars) per participant. Any donation is welcome! Just $1--$100 (Korean: 1,000 won- 100,000 won) from enough individuals will help us reach and hopefully far exceed our fund raising goal. Please note that the donation amount is easily adjustable by simply typing in the number you would like to give.
The issue at hand is something I was not fully aware of before I came to Korea. Although sex trafficking exists all over the world, there are reports that “South Korea is one of the major sources of sex trafficking and smuggling to the United States according to the Attorney General’s Office (2006)”.
Our mission is dual fold: to raise awareness about this issue in Korea and to support a scholarship fund for orphans. We hope to achieve this by embarking upon a long journey with the goal of attracting media attention, public awareness, and support funds for the two causes. You can help us achieve our goal by making a donation of any amount. You can even choose to do so anonymously if you prefer.
They are many donation options available for supporters, please see our website and donate a small amount today. If you live in the USA there is a PayPal option available90% of the proceeds will go to "Hope Be Restored" and "Jerusalem Ministry", and 10% will go to cover overhead costs. Please read below to find out more about these two organizations.

Thank You. Sincerely, Manuel Lara
저는 한국의 성 매매 문제에 대한 사회적인 경각심을 높이고 동시에 고등 교육 장학금 지원을 통한 고아들 지원 모금을 모으기 위해 550km 자전거 경주에 참가합니다. 한국에 있는 다양한 영어권 부서 및 교회에 몸을 담고 있는 우리 참가 부원들은 각 사람당 500,000+원($500+)을 모으자는 목표를 세웠습니다. 우리는 그 어떤 형태의 기부라도 환영합니다! 개인당 $1-$100 (1000원-10만원) 정도의 액수라면 우리의 모금 활동 목표를 차고 넘치게 달성할 수 있도록 도와 줄 것입니다. 기부 액수는 당신이 기부하고자 하는 액수에 따라 조정 가능하다는 것을 주목해 주십시오.
우리가 현재 당면한 문제는 제가 한국에 오기 전까지는 자각하지 못하고 있던 이슈였습니다. 세계 도처에 성 매매가 이루어지고 있음에도 불구하고, 법무부의 기록(2006)에 따라 한국이 “성 매매와 미국으로의 밀수업이 가장 발달한 나라 중 하나”라는 보도가 있습니다.
우리의 목표는 두 가지입니다: 한국에 성 매매와 밀수업에 대한 경각심을 불러일으키고, 고아들을 위한 장학기금을 모으는 것입니다. 우리는 언론의 관심을 끌고 대중의 인식을 높이자는 목적을 향해 달려가는 동시에 기금 조성을 통해 이 두 가지 목표를 이루고자 합니다. 그 어떤 액수도 우리의 목표를 이루는 데 도움이 되기에, 기부금은 다소 불문하고 고맙게 받겠습니다. 당신이 원한다면 익명으로도 가능합니다.
후원자들에게 다양한 기부 옵션이 있으므로, 웹사이트를 참조하여 가능하다면 오늘부터 적은 액수의 기부를 부탁드립니다. 현재 미국에 거주하고 계시다면 PayPal 옵션이 가능합니다. 90%의 금액은 “Hope Be Restored" 와 ”Jerusalem Ministry" 단체로 갈 것이고, 10%의 금액은 간접비용을 지불하기 위해 사용될 것입니다.

We are cycling again from Seoul to Busan.   We are raising funds for Oak Tree Project and House of Hope.  We'll depart the evening of October 2nd and arrive in Busan Saturday October 5th.  

House  of Hope www.hopeberestored.org
Hope Be Restored (HBR) and Women’s Hope Center (WHC) introduce House of Hope, a two-hundred pyung facility in North Kyungsang Province providing physical, spiritual, and emotional care to women who are vulnerable to the pressures to abort their babies and to women who are victims of sex trafficking.  House of Hope will be a safe place for women seeking refuge from society and a place to experience spiritual restoration by experiencing the love of Jesus Christ.  Through House of Hope the women will receive biblical-based counseling, needed education, and vocational training to strengthen their faith and confidence to help them overcome the pressures and obstacles of returning to society.

Many of these women have difficulty dealing with the pressures from society in adjusting back to living fruitful lives.  Identifying the needs of these women in readjusting back to society, HBR and WHC seek to capitalize on the opportunity of helping these women while also conveying the love of Jesus Christ.

Hope for Korea is an event for you to learn more about the House of Hope project and to provide a way to partner with HBR and WHC.  Any income earned will go towards the project start-up costs.  Financial supporters are indeed important but individuals who share the same heart as us with skill sets to train the women vocationally or simply be a friend to them are needed just as much.  Come and see how you can be a part of giving hope and changing the lives of the women of Korea.

Oak Tree Project  www.oaktreeproject.com
Unearthing the hidden treasures of Korea… To give a brief background on the orphanages of Korea, almost all of the homes receive funding from the government and also from private sponsors. The homes have decent facilities, food, clothing, and staff for the children. The children enter the children homes because of abuse, abandonment, poverty, neglect, or other reasons. The ages of the children in the homes ranges from infant to high school senior. When the children graduate from high school they are deemed adults and are no longer able to live in the children homes. These children will then receive a small amount of money from the government and their orphanage will try to help them find work and a place for them to live. But after that, the children are pretty much on their own and, without healthy role models and support around them, are very vulnerable. In Korea, when you apply for a job you have to write down the background information about your parents on your resume or on the job application. And because of the background of these children, they are often discriminated against when they apply. Often they will not receive jobs or will have to accept lesser pay compared to the other employees. For some of them, particularly 18 year old girls, the only jobs they can get are at bars and clubs where they have to serve older men. For those who desire to study at university, the road ahead is particularly difficult and many lose heart along the way. They end up giving up on their dreams.

Finances are not the only issue: these children also lack emotional support. For years they were raised under the covering of the orphanage where they were fed and provided for, but now they have to take care of themselves. For many of these kids their first year outside of the home is the most vulnerable year of their life. Many struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. For the children desperate for financial income and for some sort of emotional support, the sex industry can become a strong temptation for them. There is such a need for helping these children