Editor’s note: Due to global security concerns names and specific locations of some of CBF’s field personnel will not be publicized.

ATLANTA – In the tropical climate of Southeast Asia, one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel is working to bring justice to some of the most marginalized people in the world.

Describing her passion as wanting to “see the world’s most neglected set free to experience life in rewarding and liberating ways,” Lindsay advocates on behalf of women and children in a region where human trafficking is a serious problem.

Described by the U.S. Department of State as a “multi-dimensional threat,” human trafficking not only deprives individuals of their human rights and freedoms, it increases global health risks and fuels the growth of organized crime, undermining the health, safety and security of every nation it touches.

Southeast Asia accounts for about a third of the estimated 800,000 women, children and men who are trafficked globally each year. Most face forced labor and/or sexual exploitation. Others are forced into armed conflict and drug trafficking. Although exact figures are impossible to obtain, it is believed that 80 percent of human trafficking victims are female and 50 percent are children.

“Thousands of women and children are exploited each and every day, thus unable to see God among them,” said Lindsay. “I hope to empower women and children to see God at work in their lives by encouraging them to seek justice and mercy in their own life situations.”

Currently at work on a child safety curriculum for small village schools along a river route in Indonesia, Lindsay is focused on providing culturally appropriate information that will reduce child exploitation and disarm potential perpetrators.

“According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the majority of perpetrators of children are people the parents or child already knows,” said Lindsay. “Couple this disturbing fact with the explosion of sex tourism and human trafficking in Southeast Asia in recent years, and you have a very dangerous environment for young children.”

Lindsay’s curriculum – geared for children ages 3-12 – has goals of empowering children, parents and communities; building self-confidence and self-esteem in children; promoting ‘safe living’ for families; and replacing fear with education. Lindsay hopes to begin training local teachers to implement the curriculum in local schools in the coming months.

“We believe children who are informed can make communities transform,” said Lindsay.

On a two-year assignment with CBF, Lindsay is also creating materials for a campaign related to human trafficking and pedophilia that is planned for the fall. When not writing new materials, she said, much of her time is spent investigating the work of non-governmental organizations and seeing if CBF might partner with them in their prevention work.

After returning from a recent Southeast Asia conference on child sex tourism, Lindsay said, “We hope to sponsor with new contacts made at the conference to begin raising awareness and implementing child safety training in some of the villages on another island in Southeast Asia.”

She also is involved in helping an autistic child who lives in a Hindu family compound receive the necessary funding to attend a school where his special needs can be met. Thanks to Lindsay's efforts to get to know the family, her work to establish a project fund for the boy, and the financial contribution and partnership of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C., the boy will be able to begin a school for special needs children in the fall.

“The status of women and children in Asia is a great challenge,” she said. “Trying to teach communities to value those who are currently oppressed, and have been for years, is a daunting task – but extremely important if we are going to affect lasting change.”

To learn more about opportunities to partner with Lindsay’s ministry, contact Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info or (800) 352-8741.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.