On a monthly basis, REST receives inquiries from people all over the country who are considering starting an anti-trafficking organization and are looking for a “how-to.” We are so grateful to be receiving these requests and know first-hand how important it is to learn from others who have gone before you.

I imagine most of you who attended REST’s Sex Trafficking & the Gospel event this past weekend are still considering the powerful teachings presented. I am, too. In fact, I’ve spent the weekend pondering the sharp, yet truthful words shared by Reverend Eugene Cho, “We love justice until there’s a cost.”

It would seem there is cause to despair. Hundreds of girls and young women are being bought and sold for sex every night in Seattle. They are forced to endure repeated acts of violent sexual exploitation for the profit of their traffickers and the pleasure of their buyers.

Economics teaches that the principle of supply and demand determines the availability of a particular product. If a supply is readily available, prices drop and demand soars. Human trafficking is no exception.

Exploitation has many faces. Human exploitation, at its most simple definition, is an abuse of power for personal gain and/or profitable advantage at the expense of another.