"The Lord's justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness lives in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest."

– Isaiah 32:16-18

Africa & Europe

• Please pray for the Uganda team as they have recently taken on two domestic violence cases — one that resulted in the death of a child, and one that resulted in serious injury to an infant. Pray for God's mercy and healing for the infant who is in the hospital now. Pray for our team to be able to support surviving family members well in the midst of so much deep pain and suffering, and for police and the justice system to follow up quickly on these cases so that justice can be done.

Latin America

• Pray for wisdom for court authorities in Bolivia as they begin rescheduling hearings under what the government calls "dynamic lockdown." This new measure allows cities with a smaller concentration of COVID-19 cases to regain some normality and requires cities with a higher number of confirmed cases to continue to comply with strict quarantine requirements. As courts open up or hold virtual hearings when possible, pray for political will to move cases of sexual violence against children forward instead of delaying justice for survivors and their families.

South Asia

• Please pray that the judgment coming up soon in a 2013 case of bonded labor would be fair. In this case, IJM helped local authorities rescue three adults (and their five young children who were not working) from ongoing violence and appalling conditions at an embroidery factory. This was one of the first times IJM ever took a case in the embroidery and textiles industry. Please pray that a judgment will be delivered soon (even during pandemic delays) and that the factory owner will be held accountable for exploiting these young families.

Southeast Asia

• Praise God that in Thailand, despite the pandemic lockdown, IJM, government partners and local stakeholders have been able to provide relief packages to some of the most affected communities of migrant workers. Providing support to these workers has also been a cause championed by the Thai public. Andrew Wasuwongse, Field Office Director of IJM Bangkok reiterated that "we remain vigilant - standing with our government and other partners to make sure emergency needs are met. However, fishermen face increased risk not only from COVID-19 but also from non-payment of wages and forced labor. Therefore, we work to ensure that there is justice and protection for all." Continue praying for fishermen and other migrant workers who are at risk from crimes like trafficking, that they would be protected and safe during this time.

IJM HQ & Global Partners

IJM headquarters is located in the United States. IJM has international advancement offices in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

• Pray that all of those participating in the Race to Rescue this weekend would have fun and would be safe. Kids, adults, athletes and churches are walking, running, biking or being active in whatever way they can to raise funds and awareness for IJM within their communities. We're thankful that they're making their move to end slavery in our lifetime!