Thousands of people in our churches are trapped in generational slavery.

We are on a mission to set them free.

The families in the video were recorded on our July 2023 trip.

DECEMBER 2023 VIDEO UPDATE

It’s working.

We’re thrilled to share that this model is working and the families are thriving.

Before each family was earning around $3 a day for 14-17 hours of labor, keeping less than half of that to live on. Now, only one member of the family works using the loader-carts for around 6 hours, making between $9 and $16 each day — enough money to pay their rent in two days and provide for all of their ongoing needs and enabling many to begin sending their children to school for the first time. They are finally free to be who God intends for them to be — and free to rest.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this possible for over 1600 people. Their gratitude will stay with you forever.


These photos are from our January 2024 Freedom Celebration for 85 families.

Since January of 2023, we have seen 258 families in our churches liberated from a lifetime of slavery. And yet we have a growing list of hundreds more waiting to join them.

Our ambition is to set 1,000 families free in 2024.

That is over 6,200 people.
Dads, moms, kids, and grandparents.

We can change the trajectory of their lives and liberate them from the generational bondage of their slavery — and help establish the church in a Middle Eastern nation by demonstrating the beauty and power of the Gospel to truly set us free.  We were once stuck in the miry clay.  We were helpless to save ourselves and we needed a Savior to rescue us.  

Will you join us in doing for them what Jesus did for us? 

Let’s do this.

Watch our short documentary below.

THE COVERED COSTS

Sponsor a family

$3,750 covers the cost of purchasing a family's debt, new clothing for every member of the family, a Freedom Celebration, rent for 4 months, basic furnishings, ongoing pastoral visits as they transition into a new community, and a brand new loader cart to begin their own business.  

You can also contribute to a Personal Campaign page.

258

Families Set Free

74

Families Spoken For

* Total as of April 19, 2024.

How family sponsorship works

While setting a family free can have its complexities — we think sponsoring one shouldn’t.
Here’s what you can expect:

You make a donation

When our team is ready to host another celebration, we transfer funds to set free a new group of families. The process of officially setting them free can take several weeks from the time the funds are sent.

We match you with a family

We assign you to the next family on our waiting list. Once they are officially freed, our team helps them get resettled and re-established in their new community.

You receive proof of their freedom

One of the best gifts you may ever give yourself is a photo of a family being set free — one of the most defining moments of their lives and a tangible demonstration of God’s love for them.

The video below captures what this experience has meant to Kathryn Waldrep.

These were taken on our July trip this year. 30 families from our second group that were set free a month earlier gathered to “show off'“ their brand-new loader-carts and rickshaws to celebrate all that God had done.

Perspective

Each family makes between 1,000 and 1,500 bricks each day, six days a week. That is 9,000 bricks per week and roughly 40,000 per month. The Brick Kiln owners sell those for around $2,000. Each family is only paid around $100 for all of that labor and then charged half of that for “rent” to live at the Brick Kiln. Essentially, the entire family makes $50 a month for making 40,000 bricks. Meanwhile, the interest is compounding.

That is 480,000 bricks a year for $600. Freedom is impossible without a deliverer.

This is one week of bricks for this family.

It never gets old.

These are just a few of the families that were set free in February of 2023. Every several days we were overwhelmed with joy seeing a new families experience freedom after decades of slavery.

Let’s do it again.

Our process.

We have a fantastic team in the Middle East. They are experienced, wise, passionate, and determined. They work closely with local lawyers to negotiate and confirm the contractual purchase of a family’s debt.

Purchase their freedom

On average, each family has a debt of around $1,000. The cost to buy them out varies based on the original loan amount and each family’s unique circumstances.

Throw a top-notch Celebration

Jesus has made a way for them to be free. This moment is worth celebrating. And they are worth honoring. Think wedding feast. “I will give you joy instead of mourning.”

Buy everyone new clothing

“I will give you garments of praise instead of garments of despair.” — Robes of Righteousness are supplied to all. The old has gone, and the new has come!

Provide food and basic necessities

Each family member leaves the brick kiln carrying one basket — containing literally everything they own. We outfit them with what they need to start fresh.

Cover the first six months of rent

We’re often asked about the financial burden that a family would immediately face after they are set free. We provide a long enough runway for them to get re-established.

Give them a loader-cart

One of the best ways to ensure their long-term freedom and prosperity is to provide them with a way to make a living. Check out the video below.

Watch the first 50 families receive their loader carts.

59 families from Group 3 receive their loader carts.

Watch the full process of this family being set free and moving into their new home.

THE COVERED COSTS

Sponsor a family

$3,750 covers the cost of purchasing a family's debt, new clothing for every member of the family, a victory celebration, rent for 4 to 6 months, basic furnishings, ongoing pastoral visits as they transition into a new community, and a brand new loader cart to begin their own business.  

January 2023 Freedom Celebration for the first 50 families.

Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!

GALATIANS 6:10

  • We do not mention the name of the country for a variety of reasons. If you don’t know, then you can watch the helpful video from Insider News.

  • The average family makes around 1500 bricks a day, six days a week. That is 9000 bricks per week — roughly 40,000 per month. The Brick Kiln owners sell those for between $1500 and $2000. Each family is only paid $115 for all of that labor, and then charged $100 for “rent” to live at the Brick Kiln. Essentially the entire family makes $15 a month for making 40,000 bricks.

    That is 480,000 bricks a year for $180. Can you see why they can never pay down their debt when the interest is compounding?

  • Usually for medical reasons. This was far and away the most frequent answer we heard. It is also common to borrow money for a wedding dowry. One man we interviewed said he took out loans to marry off his 4 sisters. These families are already in dire straights and most are illiterate and don’t always fully understand the contractual details they are obligating themselves to.

  • Most families we spoke to have been there for multiple generations since the debt is passed on to their families even after they die. Almost every answer we heard was greater than 10 years. It is very common to see grandparents working alongside their grandchildren. We met one man who inherited his father’s debt at the age of 18 and was now 68 years old. He was married and has raised three grown children at the brick kiln over the last 50 years.

  • We have been given a list of families and we simply are working our way through that list numerically. We have full confidence in our pastors to discern which families in our churches have the greatest need of being set free — especially those with younger children.

  • It is certainly possible. We have heard stories of retaliation and threats, however, our team is very cautious and prudent in how they deal with the owners — having lawyers and plenty of cameras recording the full legal transaction. Recently, one openly acknowledged, “What you are doing for these people is a good thing. I have heard of your church and what you are doing for these people is good.”

  • The motorcycle loader-carts are so vital to their long-term ability to sustain their freedom and have the ability to abundantly provide for their entire family. We received reports two days following the delivery of the loader carts to the families that they were already making enough money to pay for 3 warm meals a day. Our US team recently conducted interviews with freed families and discovered that they are making 4x what they were before and that they earn enough in two days to cover their rent. More than that, many have begun sending their kids to school! Now that’s awesome! This is an incredible indication that they are financially self-sufficient in addition to having the support of their local church — including all of the other freed families.

    We are also currently exploring partnerships with several Savings & Loans non-profits in hopes of creating an additional support structure should another medical or family crisis arise.

  • In short, yes, they will seek to replace them with new laborers. However, most families that have been at a kiln have been there for 10-30 years. Building a workforce can take time. On multiple occasions, we completely bought out the entire labor force of a Brick Kiln and shut it down. The owners prey upon the misfortune of the poorest and most helpless people. Inevitably, there will always be more people who are in a desperate situation and are forced to seek their “help”.

  • Loader carts are everywhere in the Middle East. This is their version of an Amazon delivery truck. They can immediately begin to earn enough money to provide for their entire family to have three warm meals a day and cover all of their expenses without extensive training or requiring a shop space. On average, each family is making 4x more than they did at the Brick Kilns — and only one person is working for 5-6 hours a day instead of the entire family working together for 10-15 hours a day.

    It would take them years to save enough to buy one. The goal is for each family to be self-sustaining. They are hard workers and our team reported back to us that the families began earning a living on day one. Let’s go! We think that is awesome.

Frequently asked questions

This short film by Insider News from April 2023 does an incredible job depicting the plight of these people.