A lot of people think slavery is a thing of the past. But it’s not. It’s a thing of the present.

But before I go on, let’s back up a bit.

Last year I kept coming across articles about human trafficking and the fight against it. To be honest, I didn’t really know much about it. What I did know was that it was (and is) horrific. And I felt God prompting me to learn more.

What I discovered is that slavery is very much alive in the form of human trafficking. A lot of people think that it’s another country’s problem. But it’s not. It’s booming in North America too.

But what is it?

The organization A21 says it is the illegal trade of human beings. It’s the recruitment, control, and use of people for their bodies and for their labor.

To give you some scope, here are some stats: The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally. That’s more people than live in my entire country!

Plus, it is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, generating more than $150 billion (USD) every year. Some of the ways people get trafficked are through luring and false job advertisement, false immigration, being sold by their family, or by abduction.

75% of people who are trafficked are women and girls. 25% are children. And, sadly, it’s predicted that only 1% will ever get rescued.

It’s safe to say that human trafficking is a huge nightmare that is not a dream.

But there is hope.

In October 2018 I’m releasing a book called “Up! – 313 Devotionals To Help You Start Your Day In A Biblical, Relevant Way.” 100% of the profits are going toward Fight4Freedom, a local organization getting their hands dirty in the fight against human trafficking, particularly in the sex trade. I love what they say on their website: “dedicated to battling human trafficking in the sex trade, ​seeing victims set free, and giving beauty from ashes.”

To raise awareness I did an interview with one of the local volunteers, Abby Zantingh. So in this video, I encourage you to check out our conversation. She talks about how she got involved, the work Fight4Freedom does, signs of hope, and what we can do to help.

Here it is:

People think that slavery is a thing of the past. But it’s a thing of the present. It’s a huge nightmare that is not a dream. It’s heart-breaking because, as it says in Genesis 1:27, all people are created “in the image of God.” Can you imagine if this happened to someone in your family?

Since trafficking is such a huge topic, it’s easy to just throw up our hands and become apathetic. In light of that, my thought is this: We don’t have to do everything; but we can do something… that matters.

I think this is one of those things. There is hope.

• Learn more about Fight4Freedom here.
• Learn more about the “Up!” book here.
• To sign-up for my free 1-minute daily devotional called “Up!” click here.