Here are some facts you need to know about human trafficking:

Last night we heard from three women who had been on a mission trip to Moldova, the poorest country in Europe and the source of much of Europe's human trafficking. More than 30,000 girls and women have disappeared in Moldova without a trace. Beginning of Life is an organization committed to the fight against human trafficking in Moldova. Click here for more information about Beginning of Life. And click here to read a story of one young woman who was a victim of human sex trafficking.

We also heard from Senator Doug Overbey about the issue of human trafficking here in East Tennessee. In the past 2 years, 85% of Tennessee counties have reported at least one sex trafficking case. 4% of TN counties have reported over 100 sex trafficking cases! You can google "sex trafficking in Tennessee" to find a number of articles written about this issue. Thankfully, more people are learning about this global issue and how it is affecting women, children, and even men here in our own backyard. One man was recently arrested after it was discovered that over the past 4 years he has trafficked 400 women for commercial sex in Knox, Blount, Loudon, and Sevier counties. Another man in Knoxville was arrested after trafficking a number of girls under the age of 14. He would brand or tattoo these girls with his nickname, "T-Rex". This branding is common so traffickers can keep track of their victims.

Finally, we heard from Brittney Thomas who is the Regional Director for the Kentucky Chapter of Not For Sale Campaign. She shared stories of her own experiences in countries where human trafficking is a huge problem. In one of these countries, she was on a moto-taxi when the driver asked, "How old?" She found out that he was asking how old of a child she wanted to have sex with. Her translator explained that the local people assume that white people only come to that country to have sex with minors. If you want to have sex with a 4 or 5 year old, the driver will send you down this road. If you want an older girl, say 8 or 9, they would send you that way, and if you wanted a young woman, 14 or 15, they would send you another. In that same country, she was sitting outside of a restaurant when an American man exited the restaurant with two five year old girls. He was boasting to someone about how he had bought them for $25 for the weekend. I think of all the children I recently met in Haiti, and how I view them as beautiful and precious gifts of God. I do not understand how someone else can view them as objects of sadistic pleasure. It is sickening and absolutely heart-breaking.

Near the end of Brittney's presentation she said that we must go past awareness. If all the event last night did was make us more aware, then it was meaningless. Brittney urged us to go past awareness and create a movement. And in order to create a movement we have to move! Yes, the issue of human trafficking can be overwhelming, but Brittney encouraged each of us to find our gift and do that to enhance someone else's life. And that is the mission of Not For Sale.

So how can we take action in the fight against human trafficking? Here are some options to get you started: