One boy entered our hearts.
The horrific realization, that our world had almost no idea that boys were victims of sex trafficking and that these boys had no places equipped to help them, first sprung into our hearts because of an encounter with one boy on a street in Southeast Asia.
There was no help for him.
Nor was there help, almost anywhere on the planet, for the other 400,000 trafficked boys.
Blackbox International was officially formed, as a Board of Trustees committed to this work, in 2010. Three years of prayer, research, planning and work followed:
A first-of-its-kind, comprehensive therapeutic curriculum was developed and translated.
Partnerships were built.
Legal issues were tackled.
Trips were made.
An organization was structured.
Funds were raised.
A country was selected to open our first home (The Dominican Republic).
A house was rented.
House parents and counselors were hired.
Obstacles were overcome.
Doors were opened.
And then it happened.
One boy entered our hearts again. The first boy entered the first Blackbox home.
IT HAS BEGUN!
Many of you have been praying, giving and raising awareness. Thank you. One boy is now a recipient of your prayers and kindness.
But he will not be the last. Not even remotely.
So Blackbox is praying about and working to do two things:
- Ensure that the dozen or so boys, whom we anticipate will soon be in our first home, will receive the highest quality care possible. Our commitment to quality means that we will not open future homes until we are certain that our model for care is highly effective.
- While we will not immediately open another home, we are already working diligently to ready ourselves for extensive growth. We are laying the organization groundwork and exploring options in other parts of the world.
The Dominican Republic now has what most continents do not: a place where trafficked boys can find help and healing.
It is right to celebrate and give thanks for what God is doing in the Domincan. Please join us in this.
It is also right to prayerfully and boldly move forward. And you can help!
You can pray. Blackbox is built on prayer.
You can spread the word. Forwarding this e-mail, with your own message included, helps. Retweeting and sharing Facebook updates on social media helps. And talking to your friends, families, churches and business helps.
You can give. One-time gifts are always a huge blessing. They help us pay for special initiatives and projects (like buying a vehicle for our Domincan team). But our biggest financial need is to add monthly supporters. Whether it is a $20 monthly gift from a college student or a $2000 monthly gift from a church, regular giving allows us to wisely prepare for the future.
Thank you for caring about trafficked boys.
The story must change. For one boy, it’s already begun.
Brian Jennings, Trustee
*This is not a picture of the mentioned boy.