Comment Response

Hey all - I wanted to respond to a comment on received this evening on "Some Startling Facts".  I wish blogger had a way to respond to comments within comments - but I haven't figured it out.

Anywho - got this anonymous comment and I wanted to add to what this commenter correctly said.  First, though, lets share the comment:

"Keep preaching! Get the word out any way you can. Let's take a serious look at what Sweden did and the the success they found. Go after the Johns and the demand drops and the pimps leave. Quit slapping guys who buy sex on the wrist - hand out real punishments"

Anonymous - I couldn't agree more!  I don't understand why the person selling the sex ends up punished more severely than the person buying the sex.  Really - is there a difference?  If people wouldn't buy - then there would be no reason to sell.  Reduce or eliminate the demand and suddenly prostitution ceases to exist.  This commenter is right - this is what Sweden did and they have almost totally eliminated prostitution in their country.

Let me add another thing to this if I could take the opportunity to do so.  Pornography.  If we make buying and selling porn illegal and impossible to gain access to legally - then we would also reduce the demand for prostitution - thus reducing the "need" for young women and men to be prostituted.  Pornography is also part of the problem that needs addressing.

It all boils down to this.  Lust of the flesh.  The sin nature.  The perversion of what God intended for good.

Thanks commenter for sharing your thoughts with us.  I love when people comment - lets me know someone out there is listening.  Keep it up!!

Slavery Map

Want to know if slavery IS happening in your backyard?  Go to this site and click on the map in your area.  Little orange boxes appear and you can click on them for further information.  It's - well - heart breaking.  You don't have to register for the site to check your area.  That confused me at first - but I finally figured it out.  There are several cases in our area of Toledo.  It isn't the problem of other nations alone - it is our problem too.  We must become aware.

How you can help

Recently I had someone comment on my blog about how they could help in the fight against sex trafficking so I thought I would post this here and give you something to pray about.

I don't know this person personally and I'm trying to remember how I happened on her blog in the first place.  She works in prison ministry and in the brothels in Haiti to bring the love of Jesus to all imprisoned there - in whatever way they are in chains.  It's amazing to me.  She is allowed to go into the brothels and work with the girls - pray with them, shine the light of Jesus on them.  She gets to know the women there and just plain loves on them.  It's pretty cool if you ask me!  When I think I can't do anything "big" for the kingdom - I look at this blog and think - now there is someone who simply loves on people - and look at how awesome it is!!

On her latest post entitled "Where to Begin?", if you scroll down, she will tell you the names of the girls in a new brothel she is now visiting.  You can pray for those girls by name.  I found it interesting to note - almost all of these women are working in the brothel since the earthquake.  With no other means to feed their families, they ended up selling their bodies to help their families.  What a heart breaker.  Can you imagine being so desperate?  Can you?  Oh church - there is so much to be done in the world!  So many need the love of Jesus!!  So many need even more - feet to action!

Just wanted you to check out Melonnie's blog, read the stories, allow it to break you heart and get on your knees and pray for these women.  We can all make a difference!

God is waaaaayyy cool!

So today I spent the day with an INCREDIBLE organization called Mending The Soul.  I can not tell you what an amazing day it was.  This afternoon - surrounded by Pastors, Community Leaders, my fellow trouble-makers (just joking) at The Daughter Project and the beautiful Mending The Soul team - wow.  Isn't it great when you KNOW God is in the midst??  Can I get an AMEN???

:)

Seriously my friends - what a day.  I'm so thankful for the time we had with these amazing people.  There's more to it than I can share tonight.  Stayed up all night talking with one of the speakers and I'm a little tired this evening and making coherent thoughts seems to be a problem!!  I'll try to write more in the next couple of days.

Just wanted to say that I love my Jesus.  I love that He places people in our lives that are like-minded.  I love that His timing is always perfect. 

Okay - this is gonna have to wait 'till tomorrow.  I seriously can't think straight I'm so tired.  Love you guys at Mending The Soul.  Thanks for an amazing weekend.  Lots of laughs - you guys kept us in stitches and we felt blessed to get to know you.  I was seriously sad to say goodbye tonight and felt like we had known each other for a lifetime.  Thanks for all you do.

CNN News Story

Here is a link to a story done by CNN about Amy, a young woman who wore one dress - I think it was for 6 months - to help raise awareness about sex trafficking in our area.  You will also see Jeff, the founder of The Daughter Project.  So proud to be part of this group of people :)  We sure are BLESSED!  God is so good.

Click Here

FYI

Another heart wrenching story.  My heart breaks as I read this.  Remember - it doesn't just happen in Africa, in India or Cambodia - this stuff goes on right in our backyard too.  Don't ignore it or turn your heart (I meant to type head - but heart is fitting as well) because it's just too difficult to face.  Get involved, do something - but don't do nothing.

Click HERE to read the story.

FYI

More thoughts on this article later.  Really?  An sex trade island?  Sure, lets just isolate it a little more so there's even less of a chance of escape for those girls.  Grrrrr.  And to think this guy is in office - THAT needs to change.  Would love to hear from my Canadian readers on their thoughts on this one!

FYI

Stories like this - both break my heart and make me angry. Jesus be with your children today!  Protect them- wipe their tears - show them your love the way it was meant to be!  Equally grateful for justice - because a lot of kids don't get to see their perpetrator given consequences for their crimes.  It's happening everywhere people - someone YOU know has been or is being abused.  It's time to say enough - to speak up - to protect those who can not protect themselves.  May we all be willing to take a stand!

Click here for article:  Leipsic, OH man charged for 3 decades of sex crimes against kids

Daughter Project

Today we had the land dedication ceremony for The Daughter Project.  The Daughter Project is a recovery home being built for girls who are victims of sex trafficking.  It was an amazing 3 plus hours of my life.  Below you will see a video of the song we started worship with. We were all in tears thinking of the girls God is preparing to bring to us soon.  There is nothing like worshiping in a room full of like minded people - all on fire, burning with passion to bring justice, compassion, mercy - God's love - to a hurting world of trafficked girls.  I am so glad we were there.

At one point, Jeff (DP director) prayed - I don't remember his exact words - but basically that God would help the girls hold out another day because their rescue is coming.  Sends goose bumps down my spine!  Reminds me of the song "My deliverer is coming - my deliverer is on his way!"  Amazing.  I think of myself - in a bit of a different situation - but the week I was to be "rescued" - I didn't know.  I didn't know my rescuer - my deliverer - was on His way.  I didn't know the life He would bless me with.  I was stuck in a pit of hopelessness - and now - here I am!  I am so excited to see God do in other's lives what He has done in mine.  I can't wait!

Here are the lyrics - following is the video.  Click on it - it's a beautiful song and so fitting for this.  If I ever speak - I will gather up some courage and sing this song.  It's my life story.  So cool!  Isn't God amazing??

All this pain

I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all

All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

My friend Amira

FYI

Haven't had a chance to check this out thoroughly yet.  My friend Amira gave me the link.   Trying to bring awareness.  Please click and watch.  Thanks.

Frontline - Sex Slaves

Does this make you uncomfortable?

I've been watching quotes from Traffic Jam on Facebook this week.  They make me uncomfortable.  I also had a conversation recently with a sex trafficking survivor who told me of a website about trafficking whose title made me uncomfortable.  I've been tossing this blog post around for a while.  I never want to post things for the "shock" value.  My desire is not to turn people away from the plight of victims.  Nor is it to sensationalize a horrible crime. 

At the same time, in my recent conversation - she had a valid point.  She was talking about this website she saw (one I will not put on here, but will explain in a moment) and she said the creator of the website was intentionally trying to make people uncomfortable.  Why?  Because being a victim of sex trafficking is not comfortable - and glossing it over with mild words does not help people to truly grasp the reality of sex trafficking.

The website uses a very graphic term to discuss what, literally, happens to sex trafficking victims.  To children.  When I first heard it, I was appalled.  Then I heard the reasoning behind it.  Although I would never use those terms because - quite honestly - it's too much for me - it is definitely a way to make people realize, in very graphic terms, the reality of what is happening to children as young as 6, if not younger.  Hearing it drives the point home - and to a victim, myself being a sexual-abuse victim, it definitely makes me feel like throwing up.  Which is the whole point - that people would grasp how a victim feels.  Grasp it enough to do something about it.

Anyway - back to the quotes I've been seeing on Facebook.  I'm going to list them here - they are not like the website, so don't worry - but they will make you think.  It is, my friends, a reality - and one we must do something to stop.  Again, these came from the Facebook page of Traffic Jam.

~‎10% of Moldova's population has been trafficked out. Can you imagine the uproar if one in ten Americans were stolen and enslaved?

~RT @trafficjam_org: The Super Bowl - "The greatest show on earth and single largest human trafficking incident in the United States"

~"Child sex rings spike during Super Bowl week" - USA Today

~ ‎"The Super Bowl is a magnet for child sex Traffickers" - ABC News

~ ‎"People are thinking of the Packers and Steelers. Most don't think about a 12 year-old being forced to dance naked" - Texas AG

~ ‎"Pimps hawking young girls see the thousands of men who travel to the Super Bowl each year as a gold mine of potential clients" - AP

~‎"We are expecting thousands of underage domestic minors to be trafficked to the Super Bowl" - Nancy Rivard, Airline Ambassadors

I'll never look at the super bowl in the same way again.

It's easy to say "sex trafficking" - isn't it? Not so easy when you read the quote about the 12 year old above, is it?  I highly encourage you to read some books - there are plenty out there - of accounts of sex trafficking.  It's hard, it hurts and it makes you sick to your stomach.  But it makes it real - and it puts names and faces to the millions of kids out there who need our help.

Does it make you uncomfortable?  Enough to move?  If your interested in getting involved - let me know. 

Another FYI

2 in less than 24 hours.  I'm not searching for these articles.  They pop up on the yahoo main page, on facebook status' and in local news I get via e-mail.  If I searched, there would be no end to the articles I would find.  I hope this helps us to understand how big this problem is and how many little hearts are broken from it.  Hopefully it bothers us - makes us uncomfortable enough - to do something about it.

Caught on Tape: Planned Parenthood Aids Pimp’s Underage Sex Ring

FYI

I've decided that every time I see an article or news story on sex trafficking, I'm going to link it here.  I don't think we realize how much it goes on - right here in our own backyard (USA).  I hope this helps to bring awareness to this terrible crime.  I will label them under the title "sex trafficking" and you will be able to locate the articles on the right hand side under that category.

Human-Trafficking Suspect Is Arrested While Gambling

Poem

This poem is called "Identity Theft".  It is written by a sex trafficking survivor.  You can find her blog here. 

In the beginning her life is full of play

She hears the songs of innocence and dances through Monet

Her path is paved with wondrous things; her heart is made of gold

Her mind dreams of enlightenment at the age of 6 years old

He makes her think it’s just a game, come on let's play pretend

Now for the person she’s supposed to be, that moment was the end

May innocence and serenity beware

For hiding in the room next to hers is a man who does not care

All signs are there but they say it just can’t be

Then they turn their heads so they cannot see

He makes her think its just a game, come on let's play pretend

Now for the person she’s supposed to be, that moment was the end

She's left alone with feelings she can't feel

She can't recognize the pain she's in, so she cannot heal

Her head is down; her eyes now watch the floor

The only time she feels whole again is when she’s treated like a whore

He makes her think it’s just a game, come on let's play pretend

Now for the person she’s supposed to be, that moment was the end

Now if she can just find the one’s who are truly safe

She can become strong again and in life she will find her faith

Though she may feel these wounds are much too deep

She will find herself and so much more, once she allows herself to weep

Now for the person she became that day, this moment is the end.

A photo that makes you angry/sad

This image makes me both - angry and sad.  Angry at Satan for twisting what God intended for His children.  Angry at the men and women who are so sick in the head that they would even consider hurting a child.  Angry for the pain and suffering inflicted on hundreds of thousands of children every single day.  Sad because I know the pain.  Sad because the reality is - most will continue to go nameless, faceless, without someone to fight for them - every single day - for the rest of their lives.
Sex trafficking is alive and well here in the USA.  Toledo, our home town, is the 3rd highest place it occurs in the USA - falling only behind Atlanta and Vegas.  It makes me sick to my stomach even thinking that right now - there are little boys and girls in so much pain - crying out for someone to help.
Marty and I are helping with something called The Daughter Project.  You can find their link to the right of this blog.  Consider joining us in helping victims of sex trafficking right here in Northwest Ohio.
The question becomes - how angry/sad does this photo make YOU?  Angry enough to do something?  Angry enough to take action instead of just shaking your head at the injustice of it all?  Angry enough to invest your time, your money - into rescuing one of these children?  If so - let me know - and I can help show you the many ways you can get involved.
It makes me angry.  It makes me sad.  God doesn't want us to sit back and do nothing.  He is a God of justice and this photo - makes Him angry and sad as well.