People Wonder How It All Began - August 27th, 2025

People Wonder How It All Began...

On August 23rd, 2022 our friend sat at our dining room table and told us about this message she received from a Kenyan national claiming she was stuck in Myanmar.

What we thought was some random scam message unraveled into being the first we had really heard of this global atrocity—this mammoth deception, this horrifying truth that hundreds of thousands were trapped just kilometers from us in places that would become known to man as “hell on earth.”

I say that it was the first we had heard of it, but to be frank, nobody else knew about it either. These rooms where innocent men and women were turned into criminals—forced to coerce naïve citizens of Western nations into victims of “pig butchering.” These rooms where they hunch over desks to work 18-hour days with multiple electronic devices to collectively scam people for countless millions of dollars—through the seduction of romance or the ploy of wealth.

What looked like a job in a foreign country to provide food or education for their families in developing nations has become a graveyard of dreams and ambitions… not to mention the literal graveyard it has become for many.

Living with the Reality

For the past three years, my family and I have lived with this reality on our “doorstep.” Although our physical home is not a rescue center for victims, it is the home that Judah uses to connect with victims, their families, their embassies… We have become a home that has been enveloped by their stories—not to our demise, but to our surrender to the things of God and to partnering with Him.

Our home has hosted the ambassador of Kenya and his delegation, and countless friends in the field, teams of people that have come specifically to pray for the ending of slavery and many others. In our home we have laughed, cried, and spent many nights tossing and turning at the stories and experiences that we have witnessed.

For me, I am the support, the one who looks after the children, a part of the formidable army of saints praying and standing guard. I choose to surrender time spent with my husband, and surrender my will and emotions so that I get to be a part of this story, the story of what God is doing on the borderline.

For Judah, he surrenders in a much greater and physical, mental, and emotional capacity that few could comprehend. He very literally stands in the GAP for the countless victims he has served over the past three years.

His phone is filled with cries for help and updates from the latest embassy and government meetings. He fields calls from all directions, advocating for the victims.

And for what?
​For the cause of Christ to be glorified.​
​For the release and repatriation of just one more soul from the pits of earth’s hell. Offering a glimmer of what it means for Heaven to come to Earth. By being a voice for the voiceless.

In it all, I have seen the steadfast love of Christ shine through him. His hope unshaken by his faith in Christ.

The Hope We Carry

The sacrifice is great, the surrender is real. But the reward is sweet. It's definitely not seen on earth. Although the favor has been seen and there has been some recognition for a job well done. But that's not the point. The point is giving hope. Bringing light in the darkness. Showing the world what Jesus looks like.

We have not lost hope, we are sharing it.

Partner with Us Our story is about bringing hope to this borderline—and to any that God puts in our path. ​Our story can also be your story. Support our Family

The Silence Finally Ends

We’ve been quiet in your inbox for about a year, ever since our old email platform retired. It took me months to feel like it was worth finding a new system for sending updates to family, supporters, and friends. Honestly, I’ve questioned whether it even matters — with social media rising and inboxes flooded with spam, it’s felt like our emails just disappeared into the void. Out of 350+ people, maybe one or two would reply (one being my mom — and let’s be honest, she’s kind of obligated). It started to feel disheartening, like a one-sided connection. But recently, I’ve been seeking real connection again — not just the one giving the news, but actually hearing back. I’ve found so much joy in reconnecting in other areas of life, and I know we’re created for that kind of meaningful, mutual exchange.

Over the past few months, I’ve realized how much I need deeper connection with Jesus — to stop letting life pass by without tuning into the Holy Spirit, and instead intentionally ask Him to speak to and through me. This very thing has given me more joy and life than I’ve felt in a long while.

So here I am, writing again, from the borderline of Thailand and Burma — not just to inform, but to invite you into our story of hope.

If anything in this resonates, would you hit reply and just say hi? A short note, a thought, a prayer request, a family photo, or let me know what you'd love for me to write about — anything real. I’d truly love to hear from you. - Kelly Cook Tana (for Judah, Zz and Sirichai)

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