Picture this:
He came to your home in the village. Cash changed hands and the next day he took you away from your parents, away from everything you ever knew and into the city. In the darkness he stole from you, things more precious than money could ever repay, and your shame bound you to him. Now you belong to him.
He always knows when the police are coming to the bar, and he makes you hide upstairs. He says you are too young, and it’s for your own good.
Today a new “fa rang” from the West comes into the bar. You stand back while the other girls line up for him.
“Is this the youngest you’ve got? What about her?” He points at you. With a nod and some cash you are told to lead him upstairs.
Inside the room he paces. He asks you questions. Something is different about him. He keeps checking his watch…
*Bang*
The door opens and three Thai police are inside in a moment. It was a setup. And you’re gone. Taken again, but this time the outcome could’t be more different.
This is reality for many girls in Thailand. If it were your daughter, would you be more than just uncomfortable? What lengths would you go to rescue her? This week our team was led to two ministries born from Gods own desperate heart to stop the horrific cycle of abuse against His daughters.
We encountered Destiny Rescue first while we were in Chiang Rai. We met with Jenny, a World Racer from the first generation of squads several years ago, and her husband Jesse. Jesse and Jenny moved to Thailand and began working with Destiny Rescue in January 2014. They run the Learning Center and were happy to walk us through the ins and outs of Destiny Rescue.
Destiny Rescue was started by Tony Kirwan with the intention of rescuing underage victims of human trafficking. To date, over 1000 daughters and sons have been rescued through Destiny Rescue, and its long-term success rates are much higher than any government program offered. The story above describes a raid or “hard rescue”. While Destiny Rescue’s men participate in raids, most of the girls in the organization’s program come via “soft rescue” in which agents visit the bar or brothel a number of times to build trust with the girls before offering them freedom.
A mural of some of the Destiny Rescue women
The girls choose to begin Phase 1, which can last up to six months and includes full time participation. They are paired with a case worker and a counselor who help them throughout their journey. During Phase 1 the girls’ days are structured from 8am-5pm, filled with physical activity, Christian studies, soft skills classes such as budgeting and decision making, jewelry making, and either Thai or English language depending on the girl’s educational history.
While Phase 1 prepares the girls for internships to help them reach their personal goals, more importantly the girls are daily introduced to the Gospel and healing offered by Jesus. Phase 2 involves the girls’ off-site pursuit of goals through internships and such programs, and Phase 3 involves a gradual reintegration back out into the world with the help of the case workers.
Jewelry made by Destiny Rescue women
But Destiny Rescue is not the only ministry breaking chains of human trafficking in Thailand. Check out Part 2 “Justice.” of this two part blog for more perspective from our month in one of the biggest trafficking centers of the world.
