Human Trafficking Ministry
Every Friday night, Lynn Burgard gets together with friends and spends the evening out on the town. But it is not the type of weekend social outing you would expect; Lynn is actually ministering to victims of human trafficking.
Volunteers for the Hidden Treasures Ministry at The Rock Church in San Diego gather for prayer on Friday nights at 7:00pm before dispersing into the community to do outreach. Teams of two walk the streets looking to approach women and girls being prostituted. The volunteers generally talk to the girls about being trafficked and try to build trusting relationships with them. Through this interaction, they will learn to trust the volunteers enough to actually call them when they escape from their trafficker.
Lynn and the Hidden Treasures volunteers could find another way to spend their Friday nights, but they are aware of this need and committed to do something about it.
Once those women and girls are free, Hidden Treasures’ real work begins. Escaped victims immediately enter into an aftercare program that addresses their physical health needs, spiritual needs, educational needs and employment needs.
Hidden Treasures exists to rescue and rehabilitate women and children victimized by the commercial sex and human trafficking industry. The ministry promotes holistic restoration in a Christ-centered environment. The vision is that each person will come to re-identify himself or herself as who they are in Christ - treasures.
To learn more about how you can start a similar ministry in your community, click here. The task is simple and the impact can be great. So just get out there and DO something!