"Don't go unless you are called… and as you are going, make disciples."
These two short phrases stood out to the most from our dinner conversation last week with the founder of the ministry we are working with this month. He has been called by God to start this sex trafficking prevention ministry. After praying for the Lord's direction for many months, he felt called to search for a girl who's story he had heard at a conference. After several trips to southeastern Asia, he found her. Through years of research, prayer and hard work, his ministry was started. I love the specificity of his vision: to bring an end to sex trafficking through preventing high risk children from ever entering the industry. In 6 years, this organization has opened 17 children's homes in several countries. They are currently looking to expand to several more countries, including places where foreigners cannot go.
This ministry is absolutely incredible. The best part is hearing stories of how the girls came to know the Lord. No one preached the gospel to them or led them through the "Romans road." Christ's love truly compelled them. Christ's love displayed in the face of the founders, in the faces of their house parents and the interns. They have experienced the love of the Father first hand in such a real, tangible way. They know they are safe, loved and will be cared for.
The toughest, yet most amazing part of this ministry: these girls don't need us. They are so full of life and joy that it overflows out of them. Being around them is so life giving and restoring. They are able to be the little girls and run around like they are supposed to. When I am with them, I often find myself thanking God for rescuing them and bringing them to this place of love and safety because here's the reality: if the girls weren't at this home, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SOLD into human trafficking. This organization collaborates with the chiefs of the hill tribe villages to identify the most at risk children in this area. These precious little children WOULD have been sold into human trafficking. Not MAY have or COULD have, but would have been. This ministry only takes children who are high risk for being sold. There are several factors that cause them to fall into the "high risk" category. Some of these include being orphaned, being abandoned by their parents, parents with a drug or alcohol addiction, or coming from an impoverished family. Because of this ministry, somewhere between 450 and 500 kids have been rescued, prevented from ever entering the industry. But what about the other 1.2 million children around the world who are sold into slavery each year?
It is sickening to think what could have been the fate of these girls. It is sick to know there are people out there who allow a young girl to be raped repeatedly day after day. THAT IS NOT OKAY. So what are we to do about it?!
This is a call to RISE UP. I believe that this completely breaks God's heart and that he desires for our generation to take a stand and care for the orphans, bind up the wounds of the broken hearted, bring justice to a sinful world and fight for those who aren't able to fight for themselves. God may call some to pray, some to give and some to go. We have the ability to end human trafficking in our lifetime. So lets rise together, stand together and fight for the thousands of children who will otherwise enter the industry this year.
