A New Shelter for Sex Trafficking Survivors

Thank you for supporting the East Java Shelter. Your generosity is paving a way for children in East Java to be rescued, cared for, and restored. Everyday, we are closer to welcoming the first child into our care. There is a lot to celebrate and many things to pray for as we get closer to opening our doors.

One of the very first steps we took toward opening a new shelter was hiring July (Julie), our Associate Director of the East Java Shelter, last May. Winda, our Indonesian Executive Director, has been working closely with July to find a property and hire additional staff. A program director and counselor have also been hired!

Before we knew “where” or “when” or “how”, God provided the “who”. All the right people are joining the team, and we could not be more confident that this shelter will be covered in love. YOU are a part of this team, and we are so grateful!

Since last February, the search for a property has been underway. At the end of October, the decision was made to move forward with leasing a building! There are a number of renovations that will need to take place to make the facility a safe, secure, and comfortable home. In November, a team already finished the first round of renovations. It is surreal that we have the physical “home” for our shelter, and we will soon have beds in place. There is still quite a bit of work to be done on the facility, so please pray that this process goes smoothly.

We already know three young girls who will be first residents at the new shelter. They are girls who were trafficked from the cemetery we serve in East Java. To say it’s been heartbreaking doesn’t even begin to express how hard it has been for send them to different islands for care. If there are three young girls who we know from one small community, you can imagine the number of children in need of care in small vulnerable communities across East Java? Will you pray for protection for vulnerable children in the cemetery and in vulnerable communities across Indonesia?

Our partnerships with law enforcements have been developing and growing stronger. Initial steps have been taken to plan an anti-trafficking training conference in East Java. There have been a few cases where police have included us in rescues and asked if we could care for rescued girls. It has been hard for us to tell them, “not yet”. In the meantime, we have funded the renovations of a temporary room at the police station for children to stay during an investigation if needed.

We are blown away by the support that we have gained this fall. The reality is that we are 25% of the way to the total funding needed to open and operate the East Java Shelter. We are praying and believe that God will build up the rest of the founding team in the next year.