Lamb of God stained glass in Cathedral in Florence. (18-th century)

Dear friends, I hope that this finds you well and enjoying the wonder of the Advent season. This year has had its share of challenging times, but also joyful and gracious times. Here is a brief summary of what’s new, highlights of 2023, and what the future holds for Relentless.

Relentless is Growing! 
Over the last year, IDEAS, the umbrella organization under which Relentless operates and maintains non-profit status, has undergone a significant reorganization of its focus and strategy. The core values remain the same, but implementation and work will look slightly different. This impacts Relentless because now Human Trafficking is one of the main strategic sectors and Relentless will be one of the headline projects. This means that there will be more people and projects that will be coming under the banner of Relentless’ organization.

I won’t necessarily be in charge of running all of the various projects but I will be acting as a consultant to the work being done. My work will largely remain the same, but I’m looking forward to being able to have impact at a higher level, coming along side projects focusing on different aspects of anti-human trafficking work.

The first person to join Relentless is Maggie Rapson. She runs a human trafficking prevention program that was initially started under Free For Life International, but she continued the work on her own when that organization closed in 2022. She has recently joined IDEAS as an associate and will continue do her prevention work under Relentless. Human trafficking prevention is a passion of mine and I’m thrilled now to have her working with Relentless! What’s even better is that Maggie and I worked together on outreach to prostituted women in Bangkok! So I know she’s a fabulous person, and a dedicated freedom fighter.

Maggie lives and works in a large city in India, where she’s been training churches, universities, social workers, and other organizations about human trafficking prevention strategies. She also travels and does virtual trainings, so if you are interested please contact us!. Maggie has also been working with another Indian organization to facilitate and train workers to do outreach and repatriation of sex-trafficked women back to their home countries. We’ll for sure have her on the podcast to discuss her prevention and repatriation work.

In the near future, I’ll be introducing more anti-trafficking partners who are working in various countries. As a strategic focus, IDEAS intends to integrate anti-human trafficking initiatives into the other sectors such as Health, Education, and Agriculture. I’ll be working with IDEAS leadership offering ideas and guidance. It is too premature to say more at this time, but I’ll keep you updated on the developments.

These developments are very exciting! I am able to continue to apply my knowledge and passion and years of experience to anti-human trafficking initiatives in effective ways. I’m not as active on the ground as I would like to be, but this is a great opportunity to serve and build capacity and stay active in the field.

Me at dawn in the mountains of N. Idaho at The Bear 100

Current Project: Hands that Heal 
The current project that is taking up most of my time is writing the chapter on physical health needs of survivors in the Hands that Heal manual. From the website: “Hands that Heal: International Curriculum to Train Caregivers of Trafficking Survivors provides a comprehensive approach to serving victims of trafficking and educating caregivers so that they may appropriately and effectively provide care and support. It is being used by secular and faith-based universities, churches and community groups to inspire people to engage in the battle against human trafficking and to train people on how to provide transformational care to survivors of human trafficking.” It was first published in 2007 and a team of us are in the process of updating the material. There is someone helping on a couple of aspects of this chapter, but I’m responsible for most of it and I’m glad to be a part of the project as it gets me back in touch with many of my European colleagues. 

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month
There are a few upcoming events next month: 

• On Jan 8^th, I’ll be speaking about human trafficking at St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church in Zionsville. Anyone is welcome to attend so if you are interested I’ll send you details.
• The Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking (ICESAHT) will be holding a (virtual) Human Trafficking Conference on January 23 and 24.
• I’ll also be participating in “Human Trafficking Day at the IN State House” on 16 January.

In 2024 I plan to revitalize the podcast because there is some great news and material that I’d like to share with the world. Got ideas? Anything you’d like to hear? Let me know! The webinar on organ trafficking has been on the back burner but that’s going to get back on the priority list.

Highlights of 2023:

• Participating on a panel discussing human trafficking with nearly 100 women judges from over 20 countries in Indianapolis for a conference. (see pic of panel above)
• European colleagues invited me to write a chapter for their soon to be published book, “A Healthcare Provider’s Guide to Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking”.
• Presented a talk to staff at a downtown women’s center about human trafficking with a colleague from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept.
• Wrote revisions for several modules in the CMDA’s (Christian Medical Dental Association) online human trafficking curriculum

Gender Transformation: The Untold Realities
A little off the topic of human trafficking (but not far), I’ve also been getting more involved in the gender-critical space, speaking out against the trans-rights activist agenda that has captured a large segment of mainstream and academic medicine. Basically, we have to re-claim the fact that there are only two sexes and that allowing kids to try to change their sex through medicine and surgery is child abuse.  

I was invited to participate in a documentary that examines the complex issues surrounding transgenderism and youth. Through the real-life experiences of several transgender youth and expert interviews, this film explores the roles played by the education system, medical and pharmaceutical industries, the financial interests behind the transgender movement, and the societal and political mechanisms at work. Yes, it is behind a paywall, but $4 is totally worth it to see a month’s worth of Epoch Times content – now the FOURTH largest newspaper in the USA.

As a follow up to that I also participated in a presser and panel discussion about the topic sponsored by Moms for America and the Epoch Times. 

I’m also working with a newly formed group of clinicians seeking to find new and promising practices to help those who have attempted to transition (detransitioners) recover their phenotype in the most holistic way possible.

Although the pace of this work still seems slow to me, I’m encouraged by the few things that have been accomplished this year. As in ultrarunning, the goal is to keep moving and making relentless forward progress. Because I’m also working full time in a busy growing medical practice, I can feel disappointed, but that only fuels my vision and passion.

Thank you very much to all of you for your faithful support, your generous giving, and your determined interest and advocacy! I wish all of you a special holiday season, wherever you are. 

Have a Blessed Christmas and a Joyful New Year! 

Katherine