From a young age when an elephant is being trained his master chains him to a tree so that the elephant can be touched, taught, and coached. As the elephant grows and becomes more accustom to its owners the chain gets replaced with a smaller and smaller chain until the elephant is totally trained and released. At times, during shows for example, the elephant may have a small string and wooded stake placed at the end of his foot. If at any point the owner puts the stake in the ground, the elephant reverts back to its days being chained to the tree and will not move until the stake is removed. An elephant will remain in place until the death even though it is merely a string and small stake in the ground. Why is the world would an enormous, ferocious, and intellectual mammal do such a thing? It is the only life he knows- obedience and slavery.
Today my world was shaken after meeting Jenny and hearing her detailed “R-rated” testimony about being repeatedly sold at the age of five by her grandfather for sex while living in the state of Missouri. We learned about the ministry that Jenny works with here in Thailand called E3Resources. The following video link is more about Jenny and how God redeemed her life and is working through her here in Thailand. http://vimeo.com/71758026
After hearing Jenny’s story, my team watched the documentary called, “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls.” I highly recommend watching this brutally factual documentary on the reality of what is happening behind closed American doors and also in brothels around the world. To pick up from where I left off on my last blog, I will share some questions about what I learned so far about sexual exploitation:
Why would parents allow their daughter to be sold into a life of slavery?
Because of deception, for a way out of poverty for her and the entire family, because of denial, because they do not know the value of life, because of the uneducated hope that their children may in fact receive a better life
Former Choice: Why doesn’t a woman involved in prostitute just leave the brothel scene?
Forced control by her pimp, pressure to provide an extremely high income for the family, her income is honorable to her parents, limited knowledge of alternative opportunities, because- like the elephant- she doesn’t know any other way of life
Isn’t she smiling? Does she enjoy living as a prostitute and making so much money?
To survive, women in prostitution learn to detach themselves from their true identity, emotions, heart, and soul. The world sees her false self and façade. Not long after she learns to disconnect does she then lose her way back to who she really is. In the documentary, an American woman formerly involved in prostitution in Las Vegas stated that she, “never met a single woman who enjoyed being a prostitute.”
Women who are forced into sex trafficking are sentenced to a period of “breaking” before being allowed in bars and brothels. During the period of being broken, women are starved, beaten, raped, and taught to depend on their pimps.
Prior Choice: Where does the root of sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and prostitution stem from?
Sexual abuse. Ninety-five percent of all female or male prostitutes around the world were formerly molested at home by a family member or loved one. From a young age their sexuality was stolen, used, and abused. So how would she know that her sexuality and life have worth? She never had a choice about the robbery of her innocence and sexuality. In her mindset, at least through prostitution she is now getting paid!
In third world countries, some families are tricked into selling their children while others knowingly sell their children for profit. In fact, some families are thankful to give birth to a daughter, because if all else fails they will have a means of income. In the United States, prostitution is broadcasted in Las Vegas while sexual abuse occurs behind closed doors.
The root of all of it seems to begin from the value that is given to young girls and women from significant male family members and friends in their lives. As the Nefarious documentary stated, sexual exploitation and prostitution is nothing more than men exerting their control over women by masturbating in women’s bodies. So again, from my last blog and in the words of John Mayer, I plead- fathers, be good to your daughters.
Is there a solution?
Only through the presence of God, by the love of Christ and power of the Holy Spirit, can a woman who has been sexually exploited begin to understand her value and worth and be redeemed from her nightmare. She does not know that her life is worth more than the price she is being sold for sex. Only Christ can set her free.
So what can we do about it?
Become Educated and take a stand http://enditmovement.com
Find an organization to be involved with by donating or volunteering http://www.lighthouseinaction.org/zioncafe/
Pray (no website needed)
Love your family well http://www.5lovelanguages.com
By financially supporting The World Race and me, you are providing a means for us to meet with these young girls and share with them the love of Jesus https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=worldrace&desc=For%20Samie%20Griffis
Now you have heard. Now you know. Now you can no longer claim naivety.
What will you do about it?
