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Ten Shekel Shirt is a Christian rock band on a mission—and not just a musical one. They first hit it big in 2001 with their self–titled debut album. Last year, their second album, Risk, garnered even more acclaim. The group's sound is fresh and melodic, but what really sets these four guys apart from many other bands is their desire to use their music to bring attention—and desperately needed funds—to the fight against the sexual exploitation of women and children around the world.

In 2002, bandleader Lamont Hiebert went to Thailand with the International Justice Mission (IJM), a ministry that works to rescue and assist oppressed people around the world.

During the trip, Hiebert witnessed IJM's efforts to help children escape the enslavement of forced prostitution. "One night, investigators from IJM took us on an awareness tour for a glimpse of just how bad the child prostitution situation is," he recalls. "We actually saw a roomful of young girls with numbers on them displayed behind glass, like a store window."

After the trip, Hiebert and Ten Shekel Shirt—which also includes guitarist Jake Carey, drummer Austin Morrison, and bass player Steve Cowley—launched Justice for Children International (JFCI) in the band's hometown of New Haven, Connecticut, to help support the rescue and after–care of exploited children.

In the spring, the band did benefit concerts at college campuses across the country to raise money for JFCI. Hiebert hopes these efforts will put the band's current fame to good use.

It all goes back to a promise that he made to God while in Thailand: "I vowed to no longer just tell people about the love of God without physically reaching out to show His love and compassion for the world."

Editor's Note: For more info visit www.jfci.org.

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine.
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