We have been involved with Trafficking Hope for over a year now but we are finally diving in deeper to make a difference. When you think of the big scope of things it seems a bit overwhelming. Five years ago I never would have questioned whether or not the girl doing my nails was here working against her will. It never would have occurred to me that the 14-year-old who is posting near nude photos of herself on MySpace or Craig’s List was actually being pimped out by her boyfriend. I would have sat in judgment of a woman who took part in pornography not knowing that she was forced into it. I would have thought, “Can’t she just leave?”

But it really isn’t that simple.

For those who are smuggled into the country they may fear criminal prosecution or deportation. Who knows what their captors have told them.

Domestic slaves usually stay because they were trapped into it by spouses, boyfriends, or even their parents. Some have signed away their life in the midst of a drug induced state by giving away power of attorney. It has been reported by others that they were drugged, forced to have sex, and it was filmed. They captors then hold the video for blackmail.

The truth is we don’t know all the “tricks of the trade”. We are learning as we go.

In the meeting there were law enforcement officials, teachers, ER nurses, social workers, people who hide women in safe houses, attorneys, politicians, and even FBI agents. Among them were a few handfuls of everyday citizens just wanting to do their part. Ryan does what he can as far as his skills and talents are concerned and me? I am a voice for the victims. I can speak, write, and pray on their behalf. I can inform others of the reality that is modern day slavery. It is not prejudiced. It knows no race, gender, age, or religion and it affects everyone.

While the numbers are uncertain, what is known is that human trafficking is the second most lucrative crime in the world. That is pretty vast.

I want to do my part by making the problem known. Would you simply take a moment to read a bit about the horrors that are human trafficking? It could very well save a life; maybe even someone you know and love.

You can find facts and figures here: Polaris Project. Read the national report on the sale of minors here: Shared Hope. Find out more about commercialized sex here: The Defenders. And on this blog you will find lots of up to date news about human trafficking and some may even be close to where you live: The Anti-Slavery Project.

If you have any questions just leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.

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Having never even clicked on the image to see what it was about I did several things that caused me to sin:

1. I judged the woman who’s face I saw.
2. I became unsatisfied with my own self and the way God created me because I did not compare in physical appearance to the woman who’s image I’d seen.
3. I became enraged at her and other girls like her and the men who continued to obsessively keep them in business.

It put me in bondage. God had to set me free.

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
James 3:16

I had become envious of what I believed I did not have: my husband’s sole desire; a body like I had when I was 20; and answers as to why these girls do what they do. Then God spoke to my heart…

In the midst of angry thoughts towards these women God put images into my head, new ones. I saw an older man and He spoke directly to me. He said, “She is my daughter. I was never there for her. I worked long hours and weekends believing that was what she needed to have a good life. I wasn’t there to love her but others were. What have I done?”

Then I saw a woman about my age. She was crying and through her tears she mumbled, “She is my little sister. She was date raped when she was 16. She planned on saving herself for marriage. That all changed after that night. She was never the same again.”

I tried to shrug off the things going through my mind at that point but God persisted. A little girl showed up next. She was making cereal for her little brother. After she poured the milk she explained that her daddy left and her mom couldn’t pay the bills. They had already lived in their car and they didn’t have enough money to get to her grandma’s house. One day a nice guy offered her mommy a job taking pictures. Mommy promised she would only take a few and that once she had enough money to get to grandmas then she would stop but after a while that nice man wouldn’t let her stop. He would come to get her mom if she tried to stay home. He hit her a lot too. She put the milk back in the refrigerator and my thoughts drifted to another scene.

I saw a casket. A woman and a man knelt beside it. Her screams penetrated every fiber of my being. She cried and wailed. I saw a picture of a beautiful young girl on a table near the head of the box that would forever be her resting place. The father picked up the photo and held it to his close to his heart. Through his tears he said, “My daughter was kidnapped when she was 13 years old. Within days she was sold into sex trafficking and even though we got close to finding her many times they always managed to keep her just out of reach. They eventually killed her for trying to escape but not before they had uploaded her photos to the internet for all the world to see. They left her in a ditch like she was nobody. The papers read, ‘Local Prostitute Found Dead.’ She isn’t a prostitute! She is my little girl!” Tears overcame him as he rejoined his wife.

By this time I was crying too and I knew exactly what God was trying to tell me. I’d never seen these women as real people before. I just always saw them as my enemy. God wanted me to see them through His eyes. They all have a story just like I do. They have reasons for their actions just like I do. God loves them as much as He loves me and He wants them to spend all of eternity in heaven with Him too.

I have a new perspective on this. Though there are some who may not have ever experienced anything like this and still have chosen to live this life, we have to remember they are still God’s children. We must pray for them. We must treat them with dignity and respect and we must not judge them.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

If we want to see this foul practice come to an end then we need to intercede on behalf of all of those involved. We must ask God to break the strongholds and we must seek to find security in God and not in what we perceive to be desirable beauty. If we each only focus in prayer for one person then we could most certainly change the world. Won’t you join me?

Two great ministries to get information on this subject matter is: Cyrus International and A21.

Please take a moment and visit my sponsors to see how they can benefit you!

• True Simplicity in Life: Truly inspiring ways to simplify and be content in your home.
Simply Clean: Guide to Homemade Cleaners!
• One Bite at a Time (52 Projects for Making Life Simpler)
• Feasts in 15: One of the best "quick cooking" cookbooks around.
• Tell Your Time: A revolutionary way to get more done!
• List Plan It: Get life in order.
• The Fresh 20: This is the service I use...FABULOUS!
• ProBlogger's Guide to Your First Week of Blogging

Print this entry