james

Dear Friends,

I am riding my bike from Seoul to Pusan again for what I hope will be one of many rides for justice in the nation of Korea. The ride will be from Oct 2 to Oct 5. On the 5th, the team will screen Nefarious (an award-winning documentary on sex trafficking). The hope for this trip is to raise awareness at a national level.

Statistics

“Human trafficking has become the third-largest criminal industry in the world: there are at least 27 million slaves worldwide. That number could easily inflate to over 100 million depending on how you define slavery. It's actually our advances in technology that have made slavery such an affordable commodity. As such, slavery now affects nearly every sector of society as its involved in nearly every industry supply chain.

Korea is hardly immune with as many as one million Korean women believed to be sex slaves. Korean women are the number-one sex trafficked victims in America, Australia and Japan,”

I will be raising funds. 90% of funds collected will go to Hope Be Restored (hopeberestored.org) and Jerusalem Ministry (jerusalemministry.org).

10% will be used to help cover expenses of the trip.

Hope Be Restored (HBR) has been a leading voice in the justice movement in Korea since its inception in January of 2011. Birthed out of Onnuri Church, HBR has partnered with many international and local organizations committed to ending slavery in this generation. Funds from the ride will be used in the prevention, intervention and aftercare of trafficking victims. Hope Be Restored is an anti-trafficking ministry that is working on many different levels to eradicate slavery from South Korea. They are a leading voice in the justice movement in South Korea.

Jerusalem Ministry is an NGO started in 2006 for the sake of orphans in Seoul. Earlier this year, they started Seeds of Hope, a college scholarship fund to help orphans continue their education. Orphans worldwide are among the most victimized by traffickers, and Korean orphans are no exception. Without financial support, many are left with no choice but to work in jobs where they are vulnerable to traffickers. Seeds of Hope is a scholarship fund for orphans in Korea. Orphans in Korea are often left to fend for themselves after they graduate from high school, without financial assistance and a support system many find it impossible to make it through college. Pastor John Michael Becker has been serving orphans in Korea since 2006 and started Seeds of Hope in order give orphans a chance to go to college.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support.

May the God of Justice shine in Korea!

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