"But Jesus immediately said to them, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' "

– Matthew 14:27

Africa

• Last week you prayed that the Mavoko 3 trial in Kenya for the murders of a client and IJM staff would proceed without delay, and that the confession of one of the accused would be read in court without further interruption. Praise God with us that the hearing went forward and the confession was read this week! Pray that the hearing will continue without any hitches for the remaining trial dates scheduled next week, and pray against any unnecessary delay.

Latin America

• Pray for male survivors of sexual violence, sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Latin America. Through the years, our teams and partners in the field have been supporting them with legal services and trauma therapy. We have seen that male survivors experience violence and show trauma in a different way, and this requires the creation of different plans to provide them with the critical tools they need to reach restoration. Often there is extra pressure for male survivors, as their sexuality and manhood is questioned when they are interviewed during the legal process by officials who aren't trained in trauma-informed care, or by people close to them who don't fully understand what they went through. Please pray that all male survivors we serve can experience breakthrough in their healing process as we continue to seek justice in their cases.

South Asia

• A few weeks ago, we celebrated 76 boys and young men who were rescued from modern slavery at jewelry factories. Praise God this week that the four suspects who abused and enslaved these boys and men are still in custody! In the past, suspects were often released within a day. But now, bail application for each of these suspects have been denied — sending a strong message to the community that the government takes these crimes seriously. Thank you for praying for this case, and please continue to pray for justice to be served.

Southeast Asia

• As we work to protect children in the Philippines, IJM is partnering with international agencies to gather data on the nature and scale of the sexual exploitation of children online. This crime is largely hidden, as pedophiles and online predators around the world — shielded by the anonymity of the internet — are able to pay for and watch the live-streamed abuse. Praise God for these global partners, whose collaboration is allowing us to uncover and analyze an unprecedented amount of data about this crime. Pray that the study unlocks the information and insights that will enable IJM and our partners to more effectively fight this crime.

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 Campus Chapter Leaders and Volunteer Leaders gathering in DC this weekend in advance of next week's Advocacy Summit. These volunteers and students work tirelessly throughout the year to mobilize their communities and engage them in IJM's work — pray for their safe travels and that their retreat time together will refresh and energize them for the work ahead.