Rocking back and forth, I’m riding the scariest bus ride of my life. The bus rocks drastically side-to-side, wheels spinning and shifting backwards on rocks beneath. One side of the bus windows shows thick boulders carved out of the earth-lined neatly in horizontal layers and barely sticking to the side of the enormous Himalayan Mountains. The other side of the bus, I see nothing. I peek over the window seal but only see mountains in the far distance… unless I look directly down and find the next patch of ground, a bright green rice field and a small Nepalese farmer, about 400 feet down.
(Photo courtesy of: sploid.gizmodo.com)
Surprisingly, I’m very calm, possibly even comfortable smooshed between my two backpacks and a tiny seat. I grin to myself as I envision my worried mother and thank God she can’t see my situation right now. I say another short prayer to God, “hold the bus on the mountain, please,” and recognize this Nepali bus ride entraps one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen.
We’re on our way, deep into the Himalayas towards Tibet. We’ll be somewhere in-between to a remote village, not even large or explored enough to be charted on a map.
The bus stopped and I jump off. I’m instantly freezing. Winter jacket, mittens, hat, and 3-pairs of wool socks. I realize the dense layers aren’t necessary for this temperature, but I’m coming from India heat of high 90’s and 100% humidity to Nepal in the 30’s and 2% humidity.
And then we started trekking. About 2 ½ hours later and in the pitch dark, we reached our destination; a tiny wooden shack with no windows, a light bulb, and a few beds in it. I pulled out my sleeping bag, and only took only my shoes off before I climbed into my bag with all my winter gear on.
….
I was connected to a ministry network (I have to leave unnamed due to protection) that was the jackpot of all ministries. They connect many Non Government Organizations together to work toward one strong effort to stopping sex trafficking.
Some of these undercover Christians go into remote villages saving children from trafficking and spreading the gospel to villages. My team partnered with one of the organizations focusing on cleanliness, health and spreading the gospel; which leads us to why I am freezing in the crisp Himalayan Mountain air.
Upon waking the next day and playing a vigorous game of soccer with mountain children, in-between the glorious mountain peaks and wheezing from thin air, we were told stories about some of the girls the network saved. Most girls were being trafficked through the mountains, and the network caught them crossing the border from Tibet/Nepal. From ignorance, thousands of girls were sold into sex slavery by their own families or neighbors at an average age of 8 years old; promised by traffickers their daughters would find good, stable jobs in Nepal’s Capital, Kathmandu.
One of the most recent girls saved was 13 years old. She was considered a high-seller, and was sold about 10 times a day for the past 5 years. She was forced to work every day, meaning she was probably raped over 18,000 times in her life. When the organization found her they said her body was literally falling apart and organs were not staying inside of her body.
“Saving” these girls consists of convincing the girls the network is a safe outlet for them to turn to. Most girls are untrusting, wounded and have completely lost hope of another life; which is the most difficult part of saving the girls. Once the network takes girls into their care, they help provide assistance for their mental and physical health.
I can’t describe the level of anger, disgust and depression that hit me the day I heard the stories of innocent, beautiful, Tibetan/Nepalese children being sold into the worst, most powerful form of slavery yet. The stories still haunt me, and I beg people to understand this is not just in Nepal, or Thailand, or Cambodia or wherever else I’m going. It’s in your neighborhoods, and chances are high you’ve met someone a part of it.
Please pray about what you can be doing to stop human trafficking, no matter where you’re stationed. It matters, and you can help.
If you’d like to support the great organization I was partnered with, please let me know and I’d love to connect you.
Grace and Peace,
Anna
