“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”?But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand.The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
Psalm 10:12-14
FACT: There are over 5,000 men, women, and children are involved in sex trafficking in Chiangmai, Thailand alone.
FACT: North Carolina is estimated to be in the top eight states for human trafficking in the United States.
Sex trafficking occurs when people are forced or coerced into the commercial sex trade against their will.
It may be natural for us to think, OK then. If God doesn’t “forget the helpless” and if He supposedly sees “the trouble of the afflicted,” how could God allow people to be involved in sex trafficking? How could there be over 5,000 people being sex trafficked in Chiangmai if God “sees their trouble?”
I’ve been thinking…. It may be more accurate to ask, is God allowing human trafficking, or are we allowing it?
I am guilty of turning the channel when orphaned child sponsorship infomercial appears on the screen, I’m guilty of hearing heart-breaking statistics about human trafficking and thinking, “Wow. That’s horrible”… then going about my day without giving it a second thought, I’m guilty of looking away when I see homeless people on the street.
After all, the need is so great. What could I do?…
I think we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with the great needs of the world too quickly and then give up before reaching out to just one. You don’t have to change the lives of an entire village… what about the one person in front of you? What if God waiting to use us to help the afflicted? What if we are the answer to someone’s prayer to stop human trafficking?
A few weeks ago, God gave my parents and I an opportunity to fight human trafficking in the infamous Red Light District of Chiangmai, Thailand.
During our first week of ministry in Thailand, my parents were able to visit me and spend the week helping a ministry that exists to end sex trafficking in Chiangmai. Our ministry host told us about the Red Light District and her heart to share God’s love with the girls (and guys) and help them leave the Red Light District. Throughout the week, we had a few different options in how to participate in helping the ministry… and one of them involved actually going out into bars in the Red Light District to build relationships with the people we meet in hopes help them understand they do have an option to leave the sex trade. I honestly thought, there is no way my parents are going to want to do this. But to my surprise….
By the end of the week, my parents and I had helped throw a birthday party for a complete stranger working in the red light district.
Who would have ever thought my parents and I would help throw a birthday party for a girl working in a bar the red light district? Furthermore, who would have ever thought my parents would be by my side making it happen? In fact, I didn’t do much. My parents took the wheel and did it themselves!
You might think, how is throwing a birthday party for this girl going to help anything?
It’s true. Throwing birthday parties isn’t going to end sex trafficking, but showing people the love of Christ and loving people who believe they’re unlovable are steps in the right direction.
When was the last time this girl got a hug from a man or woman and they expected nothing in return? When was the last time someone took the time to go out and buy her a beautiful birthday cake? One of my favorite parts of the night happened when my dad told her we were going to get her a cake…. she hugged herself.
Since then, my teammates and I have been back to minister to her several times. She is searching so hard for hope.
The Red Light District is real. Sex trafficking is real. These girls are treated like meat every day. Yesterday, we went to a place to minister to women who are ordered off a menu. Literally. Under choices for food, there is a choice to buy women. I just can’t look away anymore.
Indeed, God has not forgotten the helpless, He sees the trouble of the afflicted, and their grief is in His hand. I’ve spent all year seeing how God is truly the helper of the fatherless. And He is not finished. My team and I have been able to build great relationships and encourage several girls in the bars, but this isn’t enough. God is moving and wants us to move with Him.
You might be thinking, Ok, but what does God want me to do? I don’t know, but it won’t happen sitting at your computer reading other people’s stories of how God is using them.
Are we going to move with Him, or just look away?
“There is strength in numbers. That is why we need EVERYONE to help end modern day slavery.” – A21 Campaign
Prayer Need: We have officially ended our ministry in Chiangmai and are headed out to Cambodia in a few days. Please pray for the women and men we have reached out to this month and pray for us as we transition into month 10 of the Race. God is doing great things!
Interested in learning more about how you could help fight human trafficking? Here is the website for the ministry we have been working with this month:
http://www.lighthouseinaction.org/shes-worth-more
Also, here is another reputable organization fighting human trafficking:
http://www.thea21campaign.org/
ALSO, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL MY SUPPORTERS! I NOW ONLY HAVE $661 DOLLARS TO RAISE BEFORE I AM FULLY-FUNDED! I CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH!
