"When all the prisoners of the land are crushed underfoot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted – does the Lord not see it?"

– Lamentations 3:34-36

Africa

• Pray as the trial for the murder of an IJM staff member, client and driver in Kenya in 2016 continues this week . This is a critical moment — it has been over three years since our friends were murdered and the trial has been plagued with adjournments, particularly over the last year as the confession evidence was due to be heard. Please pray that the court will now hear the confession without any further delay. Let us pray against any and every reason — health problems, legal issues, witness challenges or anything else — which could be a reason to adjourn. Pray that the truth of what happened to our friends will clearly come out and that the trial moves to a just conclusion soon.

Latin America

• Please pray for Ernesto*, a survivor of sexual violence in Bolivia, as well as his mother. She is strongly committed to seeking justice for her son, so much so that against all odds she has been present for every single hearing scheduled by the court. However, lately there have been a lot of suspensions in Ernesto's case, and both he and his mother are feeling discouraged. Please pray for strength and for them not to grow weary. Pray for the suspensions to end and for justice to come swiftly in his case.

South Asia

• Praise God for six adults and one child rescued this week from bonded labor slavery at a silkworm farm. These women and men were held by predatory debts and forced to harvest silk fibers in harsh conditions for nearly a decade. They lived in constant fear of the owner, who was violent and quite popular in the community. IJM supported local officials in rescuing them, and the families are now getting the care and protection they need. Pray for our follow-up in this case and that the intimidating owner would be held accountable.

Southeast Asia

• Please continue to persevere with us in prayer for men trapped in forced labor slavery in the Gulf of Thailand. We are working closely with authorities to find victims of trafficking — most of whom have migrated from neighboring countries of Cambodia and Myanmar looking for work — who are in urgent need of rescue. Pray for wisdom and discernment for those pursuing leads, and for God to bring the identities and locations of both victims and trafficking criminals to light.

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.

• Please pray for our Advocacy Summit happening later this month in Washington, DC, where advocates in the U.S. will ask their elected officials to support legislation that will protect women and children from violence in Central America. Ask God to begin working in the hearts of the summit participants and the elected officials with whom they will be meeting, and ask Him to use the event to build the justice movement.