[This blog was written BEFORE going to Thailand…I’m sure there is a lot I DO NOT know about sex trafficking yet…and so I hope this will give you a glimpse of my heart before working with this type of ministry.]
I don’t know for sure what we’ll be doing this month…but I do know often times World Race teams work with sex trafficking. Let me spell this out for you…this can involve children as young as 6-8 years old (men are looking for pureness or virgins)…boys and girls…this can involve young teens and women. They are bought and essentially raped. These men who buy these people are often well-educated businessmen or guys on vacation. They have families back home….maybe even their own children this age. These men don’t think about the fact that these children have been sewn up or doctored up to look pure etc and what kind of trauma this causes a child. Some get pregnant and their bodies can’t handle childbirth…they are developed enough for this…they die leaving an infant behind. They lose bladder functions and all sorts of other unspeakable things that we take for granted are greatly affected. Children dying from preventable diseases that are passed along…CHILDREN.
Very few of these people…yes these people…HUMANS…are in this business because they choose this or wanted this. It is almost always because their family needs the money, their family was promised their child would be taken away to receive an education or a better life, their boyfriend or husband left them with several children at home and no other choice, or they were born into this.
Are you mad yet? I am. Are you sick to your stomach? I hope so. Ready for a fight? Me too. What will shock you is that I’m not just heartbroken for these children and women involved…I am torn up that these men are so broken, so wounded, so far from God…that they crave this need to rape and steal this purity from these people. I want both sides to KNOW Jesus and to understand and fully feel the embrace of Christ’s love and FORGIVENESS. I want to believe with all my heart that if Christ died for me…He died for ALL people. I know we preach this in church…but are we willing to do the uncomfortable? Are we willing to love those who are considered MONSTERS by society? I’m not sure how…but I want to be able to…because I know Jesus does.
So as a World Racer…at times we’ll go to build relationships with these people…humans…beloved children of God. To be able to do this at times…we have to BUY these people for an hour, hours, or day to be able to hang out and give them a night off from being raped. I’ve bought many things in my life…some really spur of the moment purchases…some really foolish purchases…and some items that I’ve later realized it was best to return…but never ever have I had to BUY a person. The thought of having to do this BREAKS MY HEART…but sometimes you need your heart broken…its healthy…it makes you cry and just realize that things that really mattered to you before just don’t hold the same standard or value as they did before. It’s time to LOVE. Are you ready???
