New Statistic

Back in 2009, it was estimated that trafficking of humans brought in $32,000,000,000 annually with the illegal sale of women, men, and children. (1)  32 BILLION.  What a staggering number.  Can you imagine that number?  Can you imagine what we could do to end worldwide poverty with that amount of money?

But it is used for the sale of human beings.  Want to know what is more staggering?

That number has grown.  Not by a little.  I mean even a 5% raise would be huge - $1,600,000,000.  But it didn't rise by 5%.  Or even 50%.  Not even 100%.  It EXPLODED.  It is estimated that the profits from this "industry" has increased THREE HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT PERCENT. (2)  That's right.  368%.  So while America's (and other countries') economy(ies) has(have) gotten a little unstable over the last several years, people have found the money for trafficking.  For further demoralizing the poor, for further degrading those who need our hand up not their hands shackled.

Human trafficking now generates $150,000,000,000 in illegal profits annually. (3)  It is on the rise.  It is not going away.  

Think on that.  

Don't feel compelled to act?

If it continues like this, if it continues to explode by 368% every four years, that is another increase of $552,000,000,000.  It would be over a $700 billion illegal industry by 2017.  

I can only imagine that with the profits exploding that the number of victims has done the same.  We cannot keep turning a blind eye.  There aren't an endless number of human beings in this world.  One day, if this doesn't stop, each of us will be personally affected by this.  Our sponsored child, someone we met on a mission trip abroad, our neighbor, our friend, our daughter.  We aren't immune to this in America.  

We need to pray.

Then after praying, if you feel compelled to physically do something, please check out a website for many of the agencies that help rescue those who are trafficked or prevent trafficking.  Here are a few of my faves, but there are many more.

A21 - http://www.thea21campaign.org

Not For Sale - http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

Abolition International - http://abolitioninternational.org/

International Justice Mission - http://www.ijm.org/

Justice Generation - http://www.justice-generation.com/

Out of Darkness - http://www.outofdarkness.org/

Polaris Project - http://www.polarisproject.org/index.php

Project Rescue - http://projectrescue.com/

Please pray.  Pray nonstop.  Pray for these lives.  Pray that this will stop.  

Then act.

It doesn't do any good to know, then do nothing about it.  And you can't un-know.  

___________________________________________________

1. Keen, Laura. "Human Trafficking is on the Rise."  notforsalecampaign.org.  Not For Sale, June 24, 2014          
2. ibid

3. ibid

BOYS CANNOT BE BAHT

A cute little play on words.  A baht is Thai money.  But there is nothing cute or playful about the meaning behind these words.  Unfortunately the sad reality is that they are.  Boys are bought.

20 baht {just under $1 USD)

Trafficking and prostitution of Thai boys is a thriving business.  According to Wikipedia, prostitution is illegal.  However it is tolerated, practiced openly, and partly regulated.   Thailand has even gained international notoriety as a sex tourism destination. [1]

Thailand is a source, transit, and destination for sex trafficking.[2]  Women and children from Thailand are trafficked within Thailand and sent to other countries.   Many are also trafficked from other countries into Thailand.  Recently women and children were brought in from Burma, Cambodia, and Laos to work in Thai brothels. 

I had the opportunity to meet with the director/founder of a rescue home in Thailand.  Due to the nature of her work, the nature of the abuses perpetuated against the children in her care, and safety concerns, I took no pictures of the rescue home and will not share the name or place.  I have 8 pages of notes and the images in my mind that play over and over when I think of trafficking in Thailand. 

I asked her about the children she has in her care.  She and her husband care for boys between the ages of 8 and 18 who have been rescued from trafficking.  They also have girls who were at-risk of being trafficked, but had not been yet. 

According to the founder, there are 8 major tribes that live up in the mountains.  Families often have 10-12 children and there typically isn’t enough income to feed them all.  The parents sometimes choose a child, often a boy, to “sacrifice” in order to be able to feed others.  The child is left or “dumped” at the vegetable market in town.  There may be as many as 100 homeless boys between the ages of 8 and 15 at the market at a time.  There are even some who are younger than 8.  Many times the boys are young enough and traumatized enough that they do not remember from which village they came or what their parents’ names are.   

Traffickers know that these boys are there, so they will go to the town markets and pick them up.  Many of these boys are put to work in homosexual bars and are fed very little.  The children are abused for a promise of a bowl of rice.  Many are abused physically as well as sexually.  Because of the nature of the sexual abuse, typically 8 or 9 out of 10 boys will end up with HIV, which is a higher rate than the girls.[3]

My heart breaks for these little boys.  Boys who did not choose to be born into a family who could not feed them.  Boys who are given up for the sake of others.  Boys who are trafficked and abused by adults and whose lives are essentially ruined.  It takes brave people to stand up to trafficking and care for these little ones.  We need to make a stand as well.  Sure, from here in the States we can't really make a difference personally, but there are things you can do.

1. Please pray for these little fellas.  They need rescuing, redemption, and restoration.  There is only One who can fully and completely do these things.  We can be intercessors for them with the One who can save.
2. Please pray for those who daily work on this in Thailand (and every other country in the world).  Please lift up those who are making a difference every day.
3. Please pray that the demand for little boys (and little girls and women!!) will stop.  Until there is no demand this crime will continue to be inflicted on innocent children.
4. If you are not the praying kind (and even if you are!!) you can still help out by donating to agencies and organizations who are on the ground.  One such place is Zoe Children's Homes.  You can also follow them on the Zoe Children's Homes Facebook page.   Zoe is in Thailand.  There are others in Thailand as well.  If you want to help by donating and want other options in Thailand or other countries, please contact me and I will get the information to you.   Of course there is always my favorite - A21. 

**Zoe Children's Homes staff is not who provided information to me for this blog post.

We are blessed abundantly in this country and honestly do we really need ALL those gifts?   Please consider donating to an agency or organization who is helping rescue trafficked victims or helping them after they are rescued.  Giving up one gift for ourselves or our loved ones can mean the world to a hurting child. 

---

[1] “Prostitution in Thailand.” Wikipedia.com. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Last modified 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 23 Dec 2013.

[2] “Sex Trafficking of Women and Children.” Wikipedia.com. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Last modified 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 23 Dec 2013.  

[3] Anonymous. In person interview.  2 Dec 2013.

Girls Gone Wild - RLD

I really liked this video.  It makes you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-a8dAHDQoo

Things aren't always as they seem.

Open Up My Eyes

God is still doing quite a work on my heart.  I keep pushing my way through the research and the stories, the facts and the figures, the tragedy and the hope.  I am anxious to really get started on what God would have me do.  I have been researching and gathering information for presentations, working with Jeannie on reviewing our church's purchases, and making plans.  Plans for what to do here in mid-MO and plans for a trip, God-willing. 

During this process though, I have started to get discouraged.  I feel like God is moving me to take a trip to Thailand and see the effects of trafficking with my own eyes.  To truly open up my eyes to what is breaking His heart.  Twice, I thought I had the money to fund at least part of the trip and then things keep coming up that seem like they are blocking it ~ loss of both part time incomes, car problems with 3 of the 4 vehicles, a wrecked truck, a clutch going out in a car, the list goes on (and on and on).

It is so easy to give in to the discouragement, to just give up, because it seems like every time I turn around something else has gone south. 

But God knows my heart and He wants me to have the same passion He does for these people, so He did two things.

1) The movie "Not Today" came out on DVD on August 6th.  I was so looking forward to seeing it that I pre-ordered and had it in my hand on August 6th.  Then it took me 23 days to finally sit down and finally watch it.

Wow.  That is all I can say.  It is an amazing movie about God using a vacation to break one young man's heart for the hurting and the poor in the trafficking industry of India.

This young man has a courage I cannot even imagine.  I know it is a fiction movie, but there are people in this big world who have done what this man did or something like it.  It pushes the drive in me even more to see this for myself.  To be changed by it. 

2) I am currently doing the David Platt study "Follow Me".  Before it started the other day, someone at church asked me about my trip.  I gave the basics - hoping to still raise funds to go, being discouraged, want to go in late fall.  When I went to Bible Study, I texted her then to ask what made her think of it.  She said, "God has laid it on my heart.  I want to do what I can either donate personally or help with a fundraiser."  We talked more later about what my discouragement was about and she encouraged me.

Wait...did God use people from church THREE times to motivate me?  Yes.  (First time was when a friend told me of her vision of what my role was to look like and another asked me to speak in the future ~ see The Rest of the Story).  He is using others to push me forward.  I cannot even begin to tell you how much that made my heart happy.  Every time I get discouraged or think I can't, He sends  me someone to tell me I can.

So, in the Bible Study, we studied that Matthew tells us that Jesus told His disciples at least six times to "follow me".  They were to leave their families, jobs, possessions, even a dead relative to follow Him.  His ministry was short and demanded their full attention and commitment that although his demands seem radical, it was because of the urgency of the message.  I have been looking at my own life over the last two weeks - since starting this study - and I wonder if my life looks different.  If I am "following Him". God has chosen each of us to do something for His kingdom work.  I believe He has put trafficking in front of me for a reason.  I believe He has looked me in the face and said, "Follow me.  Follow me down this scary, dark path.  Be the light to someone.  Be a fisher of men, of women, of children."

Maybe I won't be able to save a life from a trafficker's grip.  Maybe I won't be the one who prevents another life from suffering these horrors.  But maybe, just maybe, I can be a small light, plant a small seed, bring hope.  I truly believe it is what I am supposed to do. 

SO...I will be doing some small fundraisers.  These are to raise money for a trip that will allow me to go into the Red Light District, prayer walk, see and truly understand the brokenness and darkness, and I will even be able to go to a rescue home that cares for children after they have been rescued from the traffickers/sex industry.  I need to see the depravity and allow it to truly break my heart so that in my broken heart I can be more motivated to help end slavery/trafficking. 

If you wish to donate new or craft items to an online auction, donate used items for a yard sale, have any brilliant ideas on fundraisers, or just wish to donate, please let me know.  The online auction will be coming up soon and has some great items already. 

I covet your prayers ~ for me, for this trip, for my journey, and more importantly for those impacted by trafficking - the victims, the traffickers, the slave owners, and the johns. 

Truly this is my prayer (from Hillsong's Hosanna) -

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity