August has been a busy month for Rescue Her. We have been so blessed to be able to meet new friends, raise awareness and funds and continue to grow! Catholic Charity's Fair Trade Market Catholic Charities invited us to be a part of their Fair Trade Market where we  were able to meet many local vendors who sell fair trade items as well as learn about the  impact of human trafficking on the local community. Community Life Church Josie and Brad Carignan spoke at Community Life Church's Sunday services on August 12 in Forney and Mesquite, TX about how the church can help fight human trafficking. We had a great response! IJM's Parnitha Timothy On August 18 we visited St. John's Church in Houston to hear IJM's Pranitha Timothy speak about rescuing 4000 people from human trafficking in India! Thank you to IJM for everything that they do! We had a great time visiting with Pranitha regarding ways that Rescue Her can partner with the work of IJM in India. We believe there are great things ahead! Restore 2012 From Houston we went to Kemah for the Restore 2012 Concert where Josie spoke about Rescue Her andwe signed two awesome new bands to partner with Rescue Her: After the Well and Prelude to Paradise! Be sure to check them out! Baytown Revival Center We visited Baytown Revival Center in Baytown, Tx. Josie spoke about Rescue Her and Pastor Greg Harvey was able to educate his church community on how Houston is a huge hub for human trafficking and that we can make a difference. We had a great response from all of these events. Thank you so much to everyone who had Josie and Rescue Her come raise awareness and funds to help fight human trafficking. Together we are making a difference!

We were so pleased to get to be a part of Celebrate Freedom again this year. CF is the largest free outdoor Christian concert in the US and is put on each year by our friends at KLTY Radio. Thank you to everyone who helped make Celebrate Freedom 2012 a success! We were able to raise a lot of awareness about human trafficking and with the help of our amazing volunteers, we raised awareness and funds, had more than 130 people sign up to help Rescue Her and made several new friends!

Dear Friends, I wanted to take a few moments and tell you about a girl (we will call her Chantou) that was brought to our partners at SHE Rescue Home in April. Her life has now been turned around from abuse to love, care and healing. Because of you joining us in the fight against human trafficking we are able to sponsor all of Chantou's needs at the rescue home, including education, medical, restorative counseling, personal care and of course the love of Jesus! Chantou's background is one of poverty and dysfunctional family life. She lived with her extended family as her Mom is in prison and she has never met her Dad. As they are so poor, Chantou had been begging at the riverfront tourist restaurants, from the tourists up until midnight every night. She has been raped several times, and was also trafficked to foreigners by her aunty and uncle. She has only ever attended a few months of schooling in Grade 1. Since arriving at SHE, she has been doing so well! Below is a recent update from the SHE staff: "She has started school and is studying in Grade 2 and is enjoying going to school!!! When she grows up she would like to work in a factory and help support her family. She always has a big cheeky smile on her face and gets on very well with all of the girls in the home. She loves riding her bike and racing all of the other girls. Despite being small for her age she has a big personality and knows how to stand up for what she believes in." Please pray for Chantou as she continues on this journey of healing. Thank you for being a part of rescuing HER! Doing for the ONE because one life is worth it. I am so thankful for you and that you are on this journey with me. Am praying that together we will be able to help many more!!! Much Love, Josie

Dear Friends,

My trip to Cambodia was amazing and heart-breaking all at the same time. The reality of human trafficking was raw and right in front of my nose. Each night we would go out on the streets, and middle aged and older white men where everywhere. 

They would walk the streets or sit at sidewalk cafes and look until they found a girl they wanted. Sitting in my hotel lobby I would watch them come and check in one by one with young girls by their side. Many of them underage. The really young ones are kept hidden. But although we didn't see them, we were told that you can get whatever age you ask for.      

The poverty was dire. We would save our leftovers after every meal and give it to hungry people on the street. We got a chance to feed hungry families living by the Phnom Penh garbage dumps. A humbling and life changing experience. To visit the SHE home after seeing the desperate state of the people around me was like walking from darkness into light. Life and joy filled the house. The girls were happy and having fun. They were proud of their accomplishments at school and had dreams for their future. We made crafts together, sang songs and shared devotions. A time I will treasure always.

The last night that I was in Cambodia one particular girl caught my eye and broke my heart. She was small. I don’t know how old she was, but her frame couldn’t have been more than 90 lbs. She wore a ponytail. 

She looked scared. There were two large Russian men with her. They were sitting in the lobby of my hotel (the photo above is from my iPhone in the hotel lobby, there was a constant stream of men checking in with young girls). I saw them get up from the couch and walk her over to the elevators of the hotel, just like I had seen many other girls do throughout my week. My heart broke for her. And there was nothing I could do. I was leaving early the next morning, but I wanted to stay by the elevator and wait for her. To hold her when she came down. To take her to a safe place. To give her a chance to live a different life. In that moment I was helpless, but I can help now. We can together. Through Rescue Her we can raise awareness, funds and volunteers to HELP. The one thing I walked away with is that the need is huge and whatever we are doing to help, we need to do more.

Thank you for helping make a difference!
Josie Carignan

Dear Rescue Her Friends and Supporters,

I hope that you are all having a wonderful summer. Here at Rescue Her we have had a time of growth, the beginning of new projects, ideas and opportunities. I am very excited about what the future holds and I am so grateful that you are standing with us in the fight against human trafficking.

A few updates from our summer so far; We have started getting involved with the development of a program to help prevent the trafficking of young girls here in the Dallas area. As much as our heart is turned towards girls in Asia and other parts of the world, we must not forget to help those right in our own back yard. Domestic sex trafficking of minors has become a problem of epic proportions here in the USA, and Rescue Her is wanting to bring solution to this problem in every way we can. ZOE Coffee Club continues to grow. I will be travelling to visit our partner rescue home in Cambodia in November, and we are looking to take a team to minister at there in the spring of 2012. We had a great time at Celebrate Freedom, a Christian music Festival here in Dallas. We were super excited to have Dirk Nowitzki autograph two jerseys for Rescue Her to help us raise money.

SHE RESCUE

Our partners SHE Rescue Home in Cambodia continues to pour LIFE and freedom into each girl that is given into their care. Every one is a miracle story of rescue and freedom. One of the most urgent needs for SHE right now is a new vehicle. We have committed to raise $10,000 for them to purchase a 4WD car that they need to get around the poor dirt roads in Cambodia. We have already given $1,000. Will you help us with the rest? We have started a Causes page, so help us by telling your friends. Let’s give these precious girls have a safe way to get around! Together we can do this!

ELEGANTEES

I also want to take the time to mention a new partner with Rescue Her; Elegantees! Elegantees is generously donating 25% of their sales to RESCUE HER when you use a 10% Discount Code ‘RESCUEHER’ to buy some Elegantees for yourself or a friend at www.elegantees.com.

PRAYER

One very important way that you can help us is to pray for Rescue Her on a regular basis. We have many new opportunities and projects ahead and prayer is such an important key to winning this battle that we are fighting! Below are some specific prayer points:

-   Program development in preventing sex trafficking of young girls in the USA.

-  My trip to Cambodia in November to visit our partner rescue home there. Safety, finances and anointed ministry time.

-   Continued favor in marketing opportunities of products for fundraising purposes.

-   More volunteers.

-   Wisdom as we move forward with the vision and mandate to Prevent, Rescue and Restore!

Let’s believe God together that we will make a serious impact on the issue of human trafficking! Thank you again for standing with us. Without you we couldn’t do any of this, but together we are making a difference.

Together we are making a difference!

Josie Carignan

Letter from Josie

Dear Rescue Her Friends and Supporters,

I have to start this letter by saying that I am so thankful for each one of you! You have come along side, lent your voice, in whatever way it may be, to say that slavery is NOT OK, and it has touched my heart and made a difference in the lives of many. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Last month Rescue Her celebrated it’s one-year anniversary. And what a year it’s been! It is hard to believe that only a year ago the website was launched with only one product – the $2 wristband. During this past year we’ve held fundraisers and awareness events, launched ZOE Coffee and Coffee Club, produced posters, flyers, t-shirts and bracelets and had so many people serve, volunteer and join the fight against slavery.

What we have accomplished together is inspiring! But as thrilled as I am at the year that’s gone by, looking to the future I pray we can do so much more. The need is greater than ever, and we can do more. We’ve only scratched the surface of what we can accomplish as we come together with a common goal. My prayer is that we make a difference in our generation. I am reminded of Gideon’s 300 men that fought the great Midianite army and won because they had God on their side. And so do we. God hates injustice and desires freedom for the captive. Let’s do what we can with what we’ve been given and see God use it in a supernatural way.

 -Josie

Relocated to Dallas

The Rescue Her office has moved to Dallas, TX! Brad and Josie Carignan were called to pastor a church in Euless, TX (a Dallas suburb) and made the move with their family from Clovis, NM to the Dallas area in December. Rescue Her made the move as well and has a new address: 208 Nutmeg Lane, Euless TX 76039. We are excited about this move and the future of Rescue Her in Dallas.

Volunteer Needs

If you are in the DFW Metroplex, Rescue Her is in need of volunteers! We need help with office work, mail-outs, graphics, website development and more. E-mail us at info@rescueher.org for more information 

Triathlon in Portales

Triathlon to raise money for Rescue Her and human trafficking awareness - April 30 in Portales, NM - Contact us for further details.

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