I rode in the back of a truck on insanely bumpy and twisty jungle roads for two hours staring out the opened back as worlds unknown flew by me, while the guy sitting across from me hurled his innards out the back.
I hiked 6 miles into the jungles of Thailand to find the majestic creatures who do not live in enclosures but are rescued to be free in a safe sanctuary.
I swam with the 2 babies of the makeshift heard and was later kissed over and over by those same babies.
We fed them copious amounts of cucumbers.
We bathed them.
We hiked along the oil-slick mud slopes of the mountains and laughed as the elephants skied down the very sides of the mountains we had just fallen down.
I hiked back out of the jungles with the baby elephant walking directly in front of me, wandering down incredibly narrow paths passing rice paddies and more dense jungle.
And the funny thing is all I could do was stare. I could barely smile. I was so enthralled and captivated. And so broken at the same time. Knowing what these elephants have come from. And knowing that millions of tourists every year, pay thousands of dollars to have the abuse and lifestyle these magnificent beasts were rescued from.
My mind flashed back to two nights before when I was walking back to our hostel from my first night in bar ministry in the very epicenter of trafficking and prostitution in Chiang Mai.
I was talking with my squad leader and friend, Jenni. We were chatting about the pros and cons of the different tourist attractions like riding elephants and lounging with tigers. We both know the abuse and injustice that these animals go through for the pleasure and entertainment of humans. But it is just so enticing! We both agreed that it is hard to choose against it when it’s something you have planned on for years.
“I could almost see someone justifying it all by saying ‘their spirits have already been broken so’—” I stopped myself immediately and swallowed the bile that rose.
Exactly like the girls we are fighting so hard for this month.
In both cases, I suddenly found it interesting that they call it “breaking the spirit” for both elephants for entertainment, tourism, and work, and for humans exploited for sex (i.e. entertainment, tourism, and “work).
I looked at Jenni and felt so overwhelmed with a renewed sorrow for this earth. We live in on a planet where man justifies what he does with sick reasons, for his own selfish desires, at the cost of others.
I have always been moved by things like the elephant abuse, the whale mistreatment and captivity, the drugged tigers, and all the other wildlife sacrifices for the sake of tourism and entertainment. But it was never in the way it has been while I’ve been in Thailand.
**Please hear me when I say that I am not trying to equate an animal’s life with a human life. But for me, The Lord brought a new depth to this in my heart to show me greater things.
One is that we as humans, (sometimes, especially Christians), will go to great lengths to have the fun we think our hearts will find joy and contentment from. Enslaving women, abusing and capturing animals etc. We see this in the multibillion dollar sex slavery industry and trafficking efforts all around the world. We see this in the Ashely Madison scandal where a recent article pointed out that after the accounts were leaked, there was a significant jump in the resignation of pastors, deacons, church leaders, and influential Christian men, as they had participated and paid for the service. We see this in the exploitation of children. In the multibillion dollar porn industry. And it even counts when we see it with elephants, tigers, whales, dolphins, penguins, seals, and any other wildlife you can name.
Knowing that the race would take me to India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Lao meant that the dreams I’ve had since I was a little girl of petting tigers, riding elephants, and playing with monkeys would soon become an incredible reality. I incessantly stalked the 11n11 hashtag on instagram from Racer’s experiences with these animals as they were on the race. I literally would stay awake at night envisioning the pictures I wanted, the specific poses I would make sure to get with elephants and tigers, and the witty comments and captions I would have for each experience. I even saved the pictures on my phone and would look at them for a boost when I was feeling down about fundraising.
But being here, it wasn’t the same. I could not get passed the fact that these creatures are more often abused than safely guarded. For an entire month, every single time I got on Pinterest, a certain pinner I followed, would for some reason flood my home page with alternative tourist options regarding elephants and tigers while in Thainland, Cambodia, and Lao. Only those three countries. For an entire month. From someone I didn’t know, who doesn’t know me, and who has no idea where I am.
That apprehension grew and grew until the night I was walking home from making friends with girls who are enslaved in prostitution and sexual exploitation.
I made the decision then that if I were to experience these animals, it would not be in ways that harm them, my money would not be going to organizations where they are abused or held in captivity, or where there was riding.
Our host booked an incredible trip for us where we spent an entire day encountering these incredible animals and interacting with them in their own habitats and safe environments with people who have dedicated themselves to caring for and treating these animals who have been rescued. We fed them, swam with them, had water fights and mud fights with them, we hiked with them, and got to simply experience them for a whole day in the jungles of Thailand. They weren’t caged. In fact, one of our guides started laughing and told us the previous day when they had visitors come to see the elephants, the elephants had traveled to a neighboring mountainside and had to be retrieved for the guests to meet them.
I hiked 6 miles into the jungle for a single kiss from a baby elephant named Cassinova when I know well that I could have ridden one for free.
I know how many people reading this have ridden elephants. My own squadmates have posted pictures sitting on elephants with the bamboo seats, or meeting tigers and monkeys. I know how many racers have done Tiger Kingdom and elephant rides and monkey interactions. I’ve been to a circus before. I’ve been to zoos. And hear me when I say I am not trying to shame anyone. I was simply so moved and convicted by the correlation that I had to share with you and ask you to reconsider.
This month, my team and I have partnered with an incredible organization that is dedicated to ending human trafficking and loving on the women, men, and children who come out of such a life. We are fighting so.hard. And The Lord just reminded me that he cares for all of his creation. Like I said, not equating human and animal lives, but he is a God who created the universe with intentionality and beauty. Each part of it. And the abuse, exploitation, and mistreatment of it hurts him.
This was just something I had to share. I don’t know where you stand on it all, and that’s fine. But know that this was written from a girl who grew up with pets and looks forward to seeing her puppies again, a girl who still loves steak and burgers, a girl who had hidden dreams of being a marine biologist or animal trainer, a girl who asks every day for her Father to implant his heart into hers, and a girl who deeply wants to please her Father and care for his creation, whether it be her own body, an enslaved woman, or an elephant.
For more information on the sanctuary I went to check them out on facebook or trip advisor: Hug Elephants Sanctuary or at hugelephantssanctuary.com
here’s a few pictures, stay tuned for more!
