Prayer Warriors
We need constant prayer for safety, wisdom and guidance from the Lord. The work we are doing is dangerous and are willing to put our lives in danger to do God’s work. It is work that no other ministry, here in the U.S. has done before (that we know of). We need true and committed prayer warriors, to join us. I will probably send out specific prayer request emails to those interested...let me know if you are interested.
Financial Support
I need people to commit to supporting me on a monthly basis in order to pay my salary... Though asking for money has terrified me for a long time, I am extremely excited about the opportunity to ask you for money…
I understand now that while I am raising "support," I am also raising awareness AND I am able to offer others the opportunity to be a part of this…to join Jesus in His battle against modern-day slavery! This is not my sole responsibility or just my ministry; it is OUR responsibility and HIS ministry! So I am not afraid to ask for money and I am not afraid to live on what God provides. I know I will learn a whole new meaning of what I “need” but I also know I will finally have the opportunity to truly trust that God will provide through others. Don’t feel pressured to give, but if you want to be a part of this you can donate as little or as much as you want to in a one-time donation or monthly pledge...I do need financial support immediately…my last day with a pay check is September 30th.
Just $10/month would help me so much: My rent is only $320, so if 32 people pledged to give $10/month, my rent is paid for!
*For a donation form, please email me at mkw304@yahoo.com
Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers: individuals, church groups, organizations, networks of people to fill our community center with services and activities for the future trafficking survivors, refugee families, and the urban poor…who are my new friends and family! We are able to offer a venue and just need groups and individuals willing to take ownership of services and come provide them. For example: ESL classes, computer training, job skills training, day care, fun activities and events, etc. Please let me know how you and your own networks want to get involved.
Come and See…
Additionally, I would love to show you in person what we are doing, or meet with you to share more details, dreams and desires. Please contact me if you are interested in visiting or talking with me in more detail about our ministry.
Thank you for your support!
Update:
I did get a laptop and bike rack, THANK YOU!!! I still need a Sprint phone with a full keyboard and internet access if anyone has an old phone to donate....thanks!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Our Strategy
We are a small group of believers with a large community and support network! Our dream is to share the love of Christ with the survivors of sex trafficking; but we are not going to stop there… We will find a way to also share the love of Christ with the traffickers and customers, the true leapers of today. We do not know exactly how we are going to do all of this (we are currently in trial and error mode) but we are going to do it with and for Jesus.
For safety purposes, it is hard for me to tell you what we ARE doing, but for now, I can tell you what we are NOT doing: we are not going in undercover and we are not breaking into brothels to rescue girls; but we are not afraid to risk our lives to do God’s work; and we are not going to ignore God’s voice as we follow Him to bring justice and grace to all of His children.
We are partnering with law enforcement, social services, church communities, volunteers, and non-profit secular organizations to battle this issue from all sides and provide a holistic approach. Most importantly we are developing a community center within our apartment complex, which currently ministers to the urban poor and refugee families. We will offer ESL, life skills and computer classes, etc. But most importantly, we are offering friendship, family and a true community of God’s LOVE and GRACE. The goal is to offer a safe and healthy community to eventually minister to human trafficking SURVIVORS.
*There are services for human trafficking survivors that need immediate housing but they will eventually be back out on their own and we do not want these girls thrown out to be trafficked again.
For safety purposes, it is hard for me to tell you what we ARE doing, but for now, I can tell you what we are NOT doing: we are not going in undercover and we are not breaking into brothels to rescue girls; but we are not afraid to risk our lives to do God’s work; and we are not going to ignore God’s voice as we follow Him to bring justice and grace to all of His children.
We are partnering with law enforcement, social services, church communities, volunteers, and non-profit secular organizations to battle this issue from all sides and provide a holistic approach. Most importantly we are developing a community center within our apartment complex, which currently ministers to the urban poor and refugee families. We will offer ESL, life skills and computer classes, etc. But most importantly, we are offering friendship, family and a true community of God’s LOVE and GRACE. The goal is to offer a safe and healthy community to eventually minister to human trafficking SURVIVORS.
*There are services for human trafficking survivors that need immediate housing but they will eventually be back out on their own and we do not want these girls thrown out to be trafficked again.
Human Trafficking Defined
I better explain this before I continue…
Human Trafficking is modern day slavery!
People of all ages, races and gender are being “trafficked” into and within the United States at rapid rates using force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. It occurs in many forms: forced and child prostitution, live sex shows, pornography, migrant agricultural work, sweatshops, domestic servants, restaurants, hotels, etc. They are treated as slaves: held captive without freedom, beaten, starved, drugged, unsanitary living conditions. Many times they are working under the belief they are paying off a debt, not knowing they will never be able to pay it off.
Here are 2 stories to help illustrate how human trafficking takes place in the Unites States:
Maria’s Story
Maria was approached by a family friend who promised her a job waiting tables in the United States making ten times as much as she was making in her home country. Once across the border, a burly man told her that he had purchased her. Next, she was taken to a brothel and told that she would have to buy her freedom by sexually servicing men. When she refused, three men gang-raped her and locked her in the trailer without food and water until she succumbed. She was forced to service 20 men a day. When she and several others tried to escape, they were beaten severely in front of the other girls. Shortly after her second abortion and this beating, Maria became sick and felt crazy. In order to keep her functioning in the brothel, the traffickers gave her drugs and alcohol to numb her pain.
Ajay’s Story
Ajay worked for 20 years as a chef in Calcutta, supporting a family and struggling to make ends meet. Then he heard about job openings with a U.S. Company through a travel agent. Ajay and several of his friends decided to go to the U.S. in search of the American dream and an opportunity to provide for their families. They were charged roughly $2,500 in fees, and paid this through high-interest loans in India. They planned to work off their debt and then begin sending money home to their families. Once they arrived in the United States, the men were ill fed, packed into a cramped, unsanitary dormitory and forced to work 12 to 16 hour days, six days a week, at wages well below the federal minimum wage. When they complained about conditions within the factory, they were threatened with deportation, locked inside their barracks and patrolled by armed guards.
Scope of the Problem
Now if you take Rosa and Ajay’s story and multiple it by hundreds of thousands, even millions, you will get an idea of the magnitude of the global problem. The CIA says that between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked per year globally and between 14,000 and 17,000 are trafficked into and around the United States every year and Texas is one of the leading states in Trafficking people for labor and sexual exploitation. We suspect that no one really knows the numbers…but does it really matter how many!? The simple fact is, this is not just a foreign problem and we cannot ignore it, slavery is taking place in YOUR backyard and it is time to do something about it!
Suggested Resources
Websites:
· http://www.polarisproject.org/
· http://www.ijm.org/
· http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
· http://www.love146.org/
Movies/Documentaries:
· Trade
· Trading Women
· Not For Sale
· Call + Response (coming out soon)
Books:
· Sold
· Terrify No More
· Not For Sale
· The Good News about Injustice
Human Trafficking is modern day slavery!
People of all ages, races and gender are being “trafficked” into and within the United States at rapid rates using force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. It occurs in many forms: forced and child prostitution, live sex shows, pornography, migrant agricultural work, sweatshops, domestic servants, restaurants, hotels, etc. They are treated as slaves: held captive without freedom, beaten, starved, drugged, unsanitary living conditions. Many times they are working under the belief they are paying off a debt, not knowing they will never be able to pay it off.
Here are 2 stories to help illustrate how human trafficking takes place in the Unites States:
Maria’s Story
Maria was approached by a family friend who promised her a job waiting tables in the United States making ten times as much as she was making in her home country. Once across the border, a burly man told her that he had purchased her. Next, she was taken to a brothel and told that she would have to buy her freedom by sexually servicing men. When she refused, three men gang-raped her and locked her in the trailer without food and water until she succumbed. She was forced to service 20 men a day. When she and several others tried to escape, they were beaten severely in front of the other girls. Shortly after her second abortion and this beating, Maria became sick and felt crazy. In order to keep her functioning in the brothel, the traffickers gave her drugs and alcohol to numb her pain.
Ajay’s Story
Ajay worked for 20 years as a chef in Calcutta, supporting a family and struggling to make ends meet. Then he heard about job openings with a U.S. Company through a travel agent. Ajay and several of his friends decided to go to the U.S. in search of the American dream and an opportunity to provide for their families. They were charged roughly $2,500 in fees, and paid this through high-interest loans in India. They planned to work off their debt and then begin sending money home to their families. Once they arrived in the United States, the men were ill fed, packed into a cramped, unsanitary dormitory and forced to work 12 to 16 hour days, six days a week, at wages well below the federal minimum wage. When they complained about conditions within the factory, they were threatened with deportation, locked inside their barracks and patrolled by armed guards.
Scope of the Problem
Now if you take Rosa and Ajay’s story and multiple it by hundreds of thousands, even millions, you will get an idea of the magnitude of the global problem. The CIA says that between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked per year globally and between 14,000 and 17,000 are trafficked into and around the United States every year and Texas is one of the leading states in Trafficking people for labor and sexual exploitation. We suspect that no one really knows the numbers…but does it really matter how many!? The simple fact is, this is not just a foreign problem and we cannot ignore it, slavery is taking place in YOUR backyard and it is time to do something about it!
Suggested Resources
Websites:
· http://www.polarisproject.org/
· http://www.ijm.org/
· http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
· http://www.love146.org/
Movies/Documentaries:
· Trade
· Trading Women
· Not For Sale
· Call + Response (coming out soon)
Books:
· Sold
· Terrify No More
· Not For Sale
· The Good News about Injustice
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The First Week...
My first week went really well at the non-profit organization (I am temporarily working for). Remember the non-profit assignment is temporary. October 1st I will be in the full-time ministry. Our ministry and the non-profit have the same goal in mind, to prevent and provide aftercare for human trafficking victims.
At the non-profit, Christina and I are responsible for raising awareness in the community and trying to find victims of human trafficking. On the first day, they told us we have total freedom to take any approach and try any strategies we want to…how cool is that?!!!!!!
We learned that many victims are allowed to go to church even if they are being held in slave like conditions. So one of the first projects we assigned ourselves is to identify and build relationships with religious leaders in the community.
They are also teaching us Spanish which is so exciting! I took Spanish in high school and college but never used it. Last week we went to a clinic with mostly Spanish-speaking people, and tried to speak Spanish (very poorly) but I hope to improve on my Spanish while I am here getting weekly lessons.
We also had several encouraging meetings with people from our church and have been asked to be the main points of contact for Human Trafficking. Additionally, there is a ministry fair this Sunday and Christina and I (along with other volunteers from our group) will work the booth to raise awareness, increase our network of volunteers and ministry partners and hopefully begin to raise financial support too.
Last, but most importantly…
We ask ourselves daily, “What would Jesus do?” And the answer seems clear so far, Jesus wants us to minister to all of his children involved which include: the victims, the traffickers and the customers. Many of the customers are battling with sex addictions and we hope to offer help for them too. We are not sure how to do this yet, but we have some good ideas to get us started. My hope is to be able to direct men (and women) who want help to an aftercare program of their own. We are so excited about this approach because we are now combating the DEMAND for commercial sex. The Human Trafficking industry is just like any other dollar driven business…it is driven by the demand from the customer who is willing to pay for a service. So if we are not addressing the demand, we are not making any progress to end modern-day slavery.
My current needs:
Prayer: Please continue to pray for me and all those involved in this work. We need God’s wisdom, courage and protection.
Donations: I am in urgent need of a gently used laptop. Additionally I need a blackberry-type phone (with a full keyboard), and a bike rack (for the trunk of my car). I do not want anyone to buy these items for me, just thought I would get the word out incase someone recently upgraded and has extras lying around.
Financial Support: I will be sending info in the next few weeks about how to offer financial support, thank you to all of you who have already offered.
In Summary: GOD just flat out ROCKS, we have been so blessed with open doors, helping hands and many opportunities coming our way…all in just ONE WEEK! It would take me all day to tell you about each blessing but I have found my courage, peace and motivation from God's continued guidance and encouragement...HE is making all of this happen, I am just trying to follow His lead.
Lots of thanks and love to all of you for your prayers and support!
At the non-profit, Christina and I are responsible for raising awareness in the community and trying to find victims of human trafficking. On the first day, they told us we have total freedom to take any approach and try any strategies we want to…how cool is that?!!!!!!
We learned that many victims are allowed to go to church even if they are being held in slave like conditions. So one of the first projects we assigned ourselves is to identify and build relationships with religious leaders in the community.
They are also teaching us Spanish which is so exciting! I took Spanish in high school and college but never used it. Last week we went to a clinic with mostly Spanish-speaking people, and tried to speak Spanish (very poorly) but I hope to improve on my Spanish while I am here getting weekly lessons.
We also had several encouraging meetings with people from our church and have been asked to be the main points of contact for Human Trafficking. Additionally, there is a ministry fair this Sunday and Christina and I (along with other volunteers from our group) will work the booth to raise awareness, increase our network of volunteers and ministry partners and hopefully begin to raise financial support too.
Last, but most importantly…
We ask ourselves daily, “What would Jesus do?” And the answer seems clear so far, Jesus wants us to minister to all of his children involved which include: the victims, the traffickers and the customers. Many of the customers are battling with sex addictions and we hope to offer help for them too. We are not sure how to do this yet, but we have some good ideas to get us started. My hope is to be able to direct men (and women) who want help to an aftercare program of their own. We are so excited about this approach because we are now combating the DEMAND for commercial sex. The Human Trafficking industry is just like any other dollar driven business…it is driven by the demand from the customer who is willing to pay for a service. So if we are not addressing the demand, we are not making any progress to end modern-day slavery.
My current needs:
Prayer: Please continue to pray for me and all those involved in this work. We need God’s wisdom, courage and protection.
Donations: I am in urgent need of a gently used laptop. Additionally I need a blackberry-type phone (with a full keyboard), and a bike rack (for the trunk of my car). I do not want anyone to buy these items for me, just thought I would get the word out incase someone recently upgraded and has extras lying around.
Financial Support: I will be sending info in the next few weeks about how to offer financial support, thank you to all of you who have already offered.
In Summary: GOD just flat out ROCKS, we have been so blessed with open doors, helping hands and many opportunities coming our way…all in just ONE WEEK! It would take me all day to tell you about each blessing but I have found my courage, peace and motivation from God's continued guidance and encouragement...HE is making all of this happen, I am just trying to follow His lead.
Lots of thanks and love to all of you for your prayers and support!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
HUGE Announcement Confirmed
Well I did it…
I turned in my 2-week notice last Monday, and Friday August 8th will be my last day. I have been there for 4 years and it has truly been a family and home to me and I am very sad to leave many friends behind, but I am so ready for my new life in full-time ministry…
What will I be doing?
I will be working with a community ministry...Our vision is to provide real community within this apartment complex to resettle refugees and human trafficking survivors. We are creating a work of unity among non-profit organizations, churches, and volunteers to organize ESL, life skills and job training classes, with many more services to come. We hope this concept can be easily adopted by other cities and multiplied across the nation. We exist to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the local community. Much more to come on our vision and work…
How did this happen so fast?
As you know, in May I left my treasured apartment to move into the low-income apartment complex in the city that we partnered with. When my heart committed to this so quickly, I knew this is what I wanted to do full-time. I did not know if it would be one month or one year but I knew I wanted and needed to do this work. The need for me to work full-time came quickly and I started trying to prepare… Going full-time in this ministry would require me to raise money to pay my own salary and that takes a lot of time and preparation. So for several weeks (maybe a month or 2) I have been asking, how do I do this, when do I quit my job, how much money do I need to live on, and how do I raise money for my salary???
And then we got a call… A non-profit organization that we have partnered with called us with a problem: they have grant money that they need to get rid of by September 30th, and they have to spend on salaries and on human trafficking. Knowing that Christina and I wanted to go full-time and were about to begin raising support, they offered to hire us on a temporary basis to help with the human trafficking street outreach (raising awareness), ending on September 30th. Can you believe it? I can’t imagine a better opportunity for my transition into this ministry. It will be like an internship, I am going to have the opportunity to learn everything about Human Trafficking and be able to go out and educate the community. It is pretty clear to me that God provided this opportunity and answered all of my questions with a simple answer, “the time is now, just follow me, one step at a time, and I will provide for you.” So I did, I am, and I will follow Him! This is something I have been longing for, praying for and needing to do since I wrote that paper in college (see previous blog). God is not just opening doors, he is pushing me through them! It is clear there is no time to waste, He has work for us to do and He wants us to get started NOW! I feel so honored to have this opportunity!
Am I getting paid?
I will get paid a small amount from the non-profit organization until September 30th. With my savings I should be okay for a month or two as I begin to raise support. Starting October 1st, like a missionary, I will be relying on the support of others, on a monthly basis, to pay my salary.
I turned in my 2-week notice last Monday, and Friday August 8th will be my last day. I have been there for 4 years and it has truly been a family and home to me and I am very sad to leave many friends behind, but I am so ready for my new life in full-time ministry…
What will I be doing?
I will be working with a community ministry...Our vision is to provide real community within this apartment complex to resettle refugees and human trafficking survivors. We are creating a work of unity among non-profit organizations, churches, and volunteers to organize ESL, life skills and job training classes, with many more services to come. We hope this concept can be easily adopted by other cities and multiplied across the nation. We exist to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the local community. Much more to come on our vision and work…
How did this happen so fast?
As you know, in May I left my treasured apartment to move into the low-income apartment complex in the city that we partnered with. When my heart committed to this so quickly, I knew this is what I wanted to do full-time. I did not know if it would be one month or one year but I knew I wanted and needed to do this work. The need for me to work full-time came quickly and I started trying to prepare… Going full-time in this ministry would require me to raise money to pay my own salary and that takes a lot of time and preparation. So for several weeks (maybe a month or 2) I have been asking, how do I do this, when do I quit my job, how much money do I need to live on, and how do I raise money for my salary???
And then we got a call… A non-profit organization that we have partnered with called us with a problem: they have grant money that they need to get rid of by September 30th, and they have to spend on salaries and on human trafficking. Knowing that Christina and I wanted to go full-time and were about to begin raising support, they offered to hire us on a temporary basis to help with the human trafficking street outreach (raising awareness), ending on September 30th. Can you believe it? I can’t imagine a better opportunity for my transition into this ministry. It will be like an internship, I am going to have the opportunity to learn everything about Human Trafficking and be able to go out and educate the community. It is pretty clear to me that God provided this opportunity and answered all of my questions with a simple answer, “the time is now, just follow me, one step at a time, and I will provide for you.” So I did, I am, and I will follow Him! This is something I have been longing for, praying for and needing to do since I wrote that paper in college (see previous blog). God is not just opening doors, he is pushing me through them! It is clear there is no time to waste, He has work for us to do and He wants us to get started NOW! I feel so honored to have this opportunity!
Am I getting paid?
I will get paid a small amount from the non-profit organization until September 30th. With my savings I should be okay for a month or two as I begin to raise support. Starting October 1st, like a missionary, I will be relying on the support of others, on a monthly basis, to pay my salary.
Monday, July 21, 2008
How did I get involved in this ministry?
I guess I never really told many this part…
When I was in college I did a paper on Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision and began to learn about how women are treated in other cultures. I wanted so badly to get involved to help women and end this extreme injustice. I continued to learn over the years about similar brutal practices towards women and people in general and Human Trafficking (forced prostitution, modern-day slavery) kept coming up and I began to learn this is not just something that happens in other countries, cultures and religions. This is happening right down the street. I longed to join the fight against injustice but was convinced I would be of no help. I knew I was not smart enough, talented enough, etc. I was paralyzed with self-doubt so I did nothing.
As you all know, in the last few years I have gotten involved in church again and I learned something I did not know about. I learned about having a true relationship with Jesus. Then I started to learn about who and what God really is and he has become my best friend, my confidence and my strength. I no longer need anyone else to tell me that I am good enough or able to do something. I talk to God about it and if it is in His will, He will empower me and give me the strength and talent to accomplish His work.
A couple of years ago, I shared my passion for bringing justice to women around the globe to a mentor at church, she introduced me to Christina. She has a huge heart for God and working against Human Trafficking, and was trying to get a ministry started of believers fighting against Human Trafficking. We had a hard time getting anything started at that time…
In March Christina and I went to a meeting organized by Not For Sale Campaign (the organization I went to Cambodia with) to start a local network of advocates against Human Trafficking. That night we met a guy who currently has a ministry for refugees in a local community. He had recently heard about trafficking and been researching it in local areas. His vision is to expand their current ministry and services to human trafficking survivors in addition to the refugees and urban poor.
The current ministry staff had recently partnered with an apartment complex to offer housing and offices, classes, etc. They have a vision of creating a real community: living and working amongst refugees, trafficking survivors, and all of God’s children in need, participating with them in LIFE to bring hope and justice through the LOVE of Jesus.
So I moved there…When I heard about this vision for community among refugees and trafficking survivors, I wanted to be a part of it so badly, so I moved there. And I dreamed and prayed for an opportunity to work with them full-time. The ministry now needs to increase their staff so they can build the Human Trafficking side of the ministry and continue to minister through love and empowerment to the whole community of refugees, urban poor and soon human trafficking survivors. We will model the love, care and community that Jesus spoke of and work with the people, not just for them.
When I was in college I did a paper on Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision and began to learn about how women are treated in other cultures. I wanted so badly to get involved to help women and end this extreme injustice. I continued to learn over the years about similar brutal practices towards women and people in general and Human Trafficking (forced prostitution, modern-day slavery) kept coming up and I began to learn this is not just something that happens in other countries, cultures and religions. This is happening right down the street. I longed to join the fight against injustice but was convinced I would be of no help. I knew I was not smart enough, talented enough, etc. I was paralyzed with self-doubt so I did nothing.
As you all know, in the last few years I have gotten involved in church again and I learned something I did not know about. I learned about having a true relationship with Jesus. Then I started to learn about who and what God really is and he has become my best friend, my confidence and my strength. I no longer need anyone else to tell me that I am good enough or able to do something. I talk to God about it and if it is in His will, He will empower me and give me the strength and talent to accomplish His work.
A couple of years ago, I shared my passion for bringing justice to women around the globe to a mentor at church, she introduced me to Christina. She has a huge heart for God and working against Human Trafficking, and was trying to get a ministry started of believers fighting against Human Trafficking. We had a hard time getting anything started at that time…
In March Christina and I went to a meeting organized by Not For Sale Campaign (the organization I went to Cambodia with) to start a local network of advocates against Human Trafficking. That night we met a guy who currently has a ministry for refugees in a local community. He had recently heard about trafficking and been researching it in local areas. His vision is to expand their current ministry and services to human trafficking survivors in addition to the refugees and urban poor.
The current ministry staff had recently partnered with an apartment complex to offer housing and offices, classes, etc. They have a vision of creating a real community: living and working amongst refugees, trafficking survivors, and all of God’s children in need, participating with them in LIFE to bring hope and justice through the LOVE of Jesus.
So I moved there…When I heard about this vision for community among refugees and trafficking survivors, I wanted to be a part of it so badly, so I moved there. And I dreamed and prayed for an opportunity to work with them full-time. The ministry now needs to increase their staff so they can build the Human Trafficking side of the ministry and continue to minister through love and empowerment to the whole community of refugees, urban poor and soon human trafficking survivors. We will model the love, care and community that Jesus spoke of and work with the people, not just for them.
HUGE Announcement…
I am getting prepared to go full-time with the local refugee and anti-human trafficking ministry that I have been working with…so YES, I will be quitting my job very soon! VERY soon!
I know it sounds crazy to some but this is what I have been passionate about this for a long time. I am honored to finally have the opportunity to do this full-time and to start moving forward in God’s will for my life!
As things develop, I will update my blog...
I know it sounds crazy to some but this is what I have been passionate about this for a long time. I am honored to finally have the opportunity to do this full-time and to start moving forward in God’s will for my life!
As things develop, I will update my blog...
CAMBODIA: Leaving Cambodia...
Every other time I have left a country, I have closed that door never expecting to return…because I want to travel and see the world and not repeat countries…daaaa!!!! But I feel differently about Cambodia. I pray that I will have the opportunity to return. I am growing spiritually and I believe God is preparing me through the local Dallas ministry to go overseas and share Jesus’s love and passion for justice around the world.
My heart grew while I was in Cambodia. I have told you some really horrible beliefs and practices in Cambodia, but please understand there is so much more to the story. They are still recovering from a genocide just 30 years ago that most of us never knew about. This genocide wiped out their entire educated people and wiped out all religion and ethics. All doctors, all teachers, 1.7 million people killed out of a population of 8 million. And that is what they are recovering from. They are strong and some of the most loving and joyful people I have ever been around. They are the kind of people who are willing to live in trash dumps just to make a living, to avoid begging on the street, they search though trash all day long to make one dollar to support their family.
The Cambodian people are survivors and I love and respect them!
My heart grew while I was in Cambodia. I have told you some really horrible beliefs and practices in Cambodia, but please understand there is so much more to the story. They are still recovering from a genocide just 30 years ago that most of us never knew about. This genocide wiped out their entire educated people and wiped out all religion and ethics. All doctors, all teachers, 1.7 million people killed out of a population of 8 million. And that is what they are recovering from. They are strong and some of the most loving and joyful people I have ever been around. They are the kind of people who are willing to live in trash dumps just to make a living, to avoid begging on the street, they search though trash all day long to make one dollar to support their family.
The Cambodian people are survivors and I love and respect them!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
CAMBODIA: The College Students
I was getting pretty frustrated to see so many foreigners doing such wonderful things in Cambodia but I did not feel like I saw enough people empowering Cambodians to run their own programs and to help their own people...until we met with the group of college students.
This organization is run by Cambodians and they have developed curriculum to teach Cambodian college students to make a difference, help their own people, get involved in business, politics, etc. We got into break out groups and talked with the students and heard about their ideas and own personal plans to make changes and help people in their country. And they had a huge heart for sex trafficking too and ending domestic violence. It was such a breath of fresh air and I was so proud of all of them. They have better ideas than I do. They can be more effective than I can. And those are the people I want to support and work with. I am going to stay in touch with the Director of their school and maybe able to be an American ambassador for them and help them to raise support to continue to do what they are doing and to multiply their work.
This organization is run by Cambodians and they have developed curriculum to teach Cambodian college students to make a difference, help their own people, get involved in business, politics, etc. We got into break out groups and talked with the students and heard about their ideas and own personal plans to make changes and help people in their country. And they had a huge heart for sex trafficking too and ending domestic violence. It was such a breath of fresh air and I was so proud of all of them. They have better ideas than I do. They can be more effective than I can. And those are the people I want to support and work with. I am going to stay in touch with the Director of their school and maybe able to be an American ambassador for them and help them to raise support to continue to do what they are doing and to multiply their work.
CAMBODIA: Domestic Violence Shelter
Domestic violence is a way of life in Cambodia. They are taught that it is the man’s responsibility to run the household and he must beat his wife to stay in control. Both the men and women believe it is okay. Most girls have been raped by a step father, uncle, or stranger. It is expected and never discussed, not even with your mother or sisters.
They have a saying in Cambodia that men are of gold and women are of cloth. So if you drop a white cloth in the mud, just once, it is stained for a lifetime. But if you drop a piece of gold, you can rinse it off and polish it up to be shiny and new over and over.
The shelter we visited was for women who had survived very brutal violence and many had been disfigured or burnt with acid by their husbands. After the tour many of the girls were playing on the swing set with the young children and I noticed a group of young teenage girls peering out of the window at us. So I walked over and started to talk to them. Then I motioned for them to come out and they all rushed out to me. They asked if they could hold me, so I held out my hands to hug them. They took a hold of my hands, squeezed them and then hugged me so tightly, and when they pulled away, I noticed they were smiling but wiping away tears just pouring down their faces. And their teacher told me that they said they were crying because they were so happy. It blew me away to see that kind of emotion and response to a hug, a visitor. I guess we gave them hope but I don’t think I will ever understand it completely.
They are still in a lot of danger, so we cannot post any pictures of these girls…
They have a saying in Cambodia that men are of gold and women are of cloth. So if you drop a white cloth in the mud, just once, it is stained for a lifetime. But if you drop a piece of gold, you can rinse it off and polish it up to be shiny and new over and over.
The shelter we visited was for women who had survived very brutal violence and many had been disfigured or burnt with acid by their husbands. After the tour many of the girls were playing on the swing set with the young children and I noticed a group of young teenage girls peering out of the window at us. So I walked over and started to talk to them. Then I motioned for them to come out and they all rushed out to me. They asked if they could hold me, so I held out my hands to hug them. They took a hold of my hands, squeezed them and then hugged me so tightly, and when they pulled away, I noticed they were smiling but wiping away tears just pouring down their faces. And their teacher told me that they said they were crying because they were so happy. It blew me away to see that kind of emotion and response to a hug, a visitor. I guess we gave them hope but I don’t think I will ever understand it completely.
They are still in a lot of danger, so we cannot post any pictures of these girls…
CAMBODIA: Hagar
(http://www.hagarproject.org/)The day we visited all of the Hagar sites was a life changing day for me (and I never say that). We visited the center for the after care program for the young girls, ages 7-15 yrs old, who have been severely and brutally raped by a family member, stranger or in the sex industry...
First, we had a short exercise to give us a glimpse of what it feels like to be a victim of sex trafficking, and I volunteered... I sat in a chair and they read one of the girls' personal stories of her aunt selling her into sex slavery and threatening to do the same to her sister. I was supposed to imagine that I was the girl in the story. With each statement they draped a dark, heavy and HOT blanket over me, one after another. Remember it is 100 degree weather, 95% humidity without air conditioning…it sucked! I started out feeling sad and sorry for myself, but I could not really put myself in her mindset…no amount of blankets could come close to illustrate what it is like to be in forced prostitution at the age of 12. So then I just got pissed off…I was pissed at her parents, her aunt, men and society in general. And I stopped caring about the additional blankets, the heat and weight, I just felt alone and really pissed off! They gradually took off the blankets one by one as they illustrated her life after surviving and being rescued out of the sex industry. Of course I was crying and could barely talk and then the rest of the group lost it.
After the chair and blanket exercise, the young girls performed a dance that was a personal story of one of the girls' experience and how she described her life after she went through the after care program at Hagar. It was a story of a Lotus Flower...to make a long story sort, a lotus flower grows deep in the dark and dirty water, but it has a strong stem and it grows above the water and blooms a beautiful flower. And this is how one girl described her life before and after being a child sex slave.
After the dance they changed and we took them for ice cream and coke at Lucky Burger (like McDonalds) which is a huge treat for them. They were very shy at first but when we motioned for them to come with us, they all rushed us and grabbed our hands and started pulling us and hugging us, they were so loving and full of hope and joy…it blew me away! I can’t imagine having hope and joy after what they have been through but I know that is from my Jesus…and only he can restore hearts and lives like that! Three of us piled in their vehicle and crammed in the back of their truck with some of the girls. One girl held up her hand and said, "1, 2, 3..." and they started singing and clapping and laughing, I realized it was a worship song that I recognized the tune to....then she held up her hand again and pointed to us and said, "1, 2, 3...go!" And it was our turn to sing for them...we spent the whole car ride singing worship songs....we were singing in English and they were singing (the same song, I think) in Cambodian. It was one of the most touching moments in my life. That day and those girls will stay in my heart forever!
CAMBODIA: before I tell stories...
I am still trying to process everything I learned and experienced in Cambodia. I met so many amazing people and connected with a lot of organizations that are all doing a lot of great things. I have to be honest though it was pretty overwhelming and discouraging to see the massive size of this issue, and that is just in one country. And to know this is going on in the entire world, in every city.
I am still overwhelmed, but so comforted and confident that Jesus is leading the way and He is a God that can handle this, we just have to trust Him and follow Him and that is all I need to know to join His fight against modern day slavery (human trafficking).
There are many stories and even more pictures to share. I actually stopped taking pictures after awhile because I wanted to truly experience every moment and not be worried about getting the best picture. And I wanted to protect the privacy and dignity of the Cambodian people and especially the sex trafficking survivors we met with.
I am still overwhelmed, but so comforted and confident that Jesus is leading the way and He is a God that can handle this, we just have to trust Him and follow Him and that is all I need to know to join His fight against modern day slavery (human trafficking).
There are many stories and even more pictures to share. I actually stopped taking pictures after awhile because I wanted to truly experience every moment and not be worried about getting the best picture. And I wanted to protect the privacy and dignity of the Cambodian people and especially the sex trafficking survivors we met with.
Why so long for the Cambodia update?
I apologize it has taken me this long to get this update to all of you. I have been running ever since I returned and just to ensure that you all forgive me, let me give you just the highlights of what I’ve been doing since I returned from Cambodia…
1. I had the most horrible jet lag I have ever experienced for about 1 full week...I was both physically and emotionally DRAINED from the whole experience...but it was worth it!
2. I finally got unpacked and organized in my NEW apartment and I love it!!!!
3. My anti-human trafficking group hosted a 4-day educational conference (to educate us), it was held over 2 back-to-back weekends. A professional human trafficking trainer flew in to train us, specifically on aftercare for human trafficking survivors and to help us get an action plan ready for our local area.
4. Our ministry group started meeting on Thursday nights for prayer, worship and fellowship. We hope the prayer night will eventually include refugees, trafficking survivors and the people from the community.
5. My sister’s and I threw a 3-day surprise celebration for my mom’s 60th birthday over the 4th of July weekend! The whole family came into town; we looked up some of her old friends from college and we arranged a full professional makeover for her…it was a blast!
1. I had the most horrible jet lag I have ever experienced for about 1 full week...I was both physically and emotionally DRAINED from the whole experience...but it was worth it!
2. I finally got unpacked and organized in my NEW apartment and I love it!!!!
3. My anti-human trafficking group hosted a 4-day educational conference (to educate us), it was held over 2 back-to-back weekends. A professional human trafficking trainer flew in to train us, specifically on aftercare for human trafficking survivors and to help us get an action plan ready for our local area.
4. Our ministry group started meeting on Thursday nights for prayer, worship and fellowship. We hope the prayer night will eventually include refugees, trafficking survivors and the people from the community.
5. My sister’s and I threw a 3-day surprise celebration for my mom’s 60th birthday over the 4th of July weekend! The whole family came into town; we looked up some of her old friends from college and we arranged a full professional makeover for her…it was a blast!
6. Last. I have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT coming…so keep reading!
Why did I choose to blog?
I have been struggling with the best way to share stories and pictures with my peeps since Cambodia…and I guess even before. Some people are on myspace (yuk), some on facebook (grrrrr) and some use snapfish (me) is only for pictures, etc, etc...but none of them make everyone happy. Therefore, since making you happy is my one goal in life (NOT) then I thought I would try my bloging options. Let me know what you think!
Additionally, some pretty amazing things have been happening before and after Cambodia that I would love to share…but it changes every day (I can barely keep up) so I thought this blog might help me keep people updated.
AND one more thing, I seem to have a lot to say these days so beware!
Here goes nothing….
ps. Remind me to explain “alive” later…
Additionally, some pretty amazing things have been happening before and after Cambodia that I would love to share…but it changes every day (I can barely keep up) so I thought this blog might help me keep people updated.
AND one more thing, I seem to have a lot to say these days so beware!
Here goes nothing….
ps. Remind me to explain “alive” later…
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)