FROM THE DESK OF PASTOR WILL: Human Trafficking of Our Youth

[Rev. William Griffith]

"As we continue to reach out to the homeless and those on the streets, there is no choice but to confront the fact that more and more of our young people are joining these ranks. The average age of entry into human trafficking for girls and boys ranges from 11-14 years old and within the first 48 hours of being on the street, 1 in 3 children are lured into commercial sexual exploitation. Human Trafficking is an estimated $10 billion industry in America. And what no one is talking about is the unspeakable reality that the politically connected and powerful, the wealthy and prominent in our society are responsible. While our law enforcement agencies do their job, there are barriers in the process to eradicate this evil. And when we start talking about LGBT youth, no one wants to listen. Increasingly alarming numbers of young people are enslaved today than at any point in human history, and LGBT youth are being lured and forced into sexual slavery at alarming levels.Once trafficked, these children face beatings, mutilations, brandings, rapes and a host of other crimes that no child and no human being should have to endure. There are more commercials and public service announcements for saving animals and adopting dogs and cats than you see for victims of human trafficking. I adore my pets. But I love our children more. If we are to make the claims to be the leader of the free world and to care about human rights, we need to start curbing this trend in human trafficking by attacking the core problems that lead these kids to the streets in the first place. Many are trying, but more need to join the effort. Soon, Evangel Pacific Ministries will be launching a new program, 'Rock and the Rainbow', which will begin working with other faith-based and community organizations to provide resources for our homeless LGBT young people. We can't save the world. Christ did that for all of us. But we can say no to allowing these lives to fall through the cracks of our society. We can labor to make our people, our churches and our government care."

-Pastor William Griffith

 Evangel Pacific Ministries

[Rev. William Griffith]

Amen brother Dennis! Well said! -Will

[Dennis Young]

The Gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be taken to these lost with a love that can only come from Christ. The "church" needs to step outside the four walls and take this Gospel to the streets. We need to learn how to pour the Love of Christ into the lives of these hurting and reaching out for love. What a harvest of fertil soil for the Lord to work with. We need to wake up and begin using our spritual eyes to the leading of the Holy Spirit by putting our feet to the ground. Our words mean nothing if we don't put action to them, not by our strength but by the strength of God.