Saturday, July 26, 2014

Voice for the Voiceless- Part 4

"It's estimated that there are more than 5,000 brothels disguised as massage parlors nationwide." - Polaris Project
"Sin causes a madness which makes sick souls dream that Fifty shades of... No Waythey are in sound health." - Charles Spurgeon
"50% of all Christian Men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography." -ChristiaNet Poll, 2006
I start off with these quotes from the 31 Days of Freedom Bible study because I want to talk about how our social media and our culture have fooled us into believing forms of Human Trafficking are okay. 
First, let's think about what clothes look like these days. As a young Christian woman I feel that every summer shorts are getting shorter and shorter and tops are getting lower and lower. There is also the whole legging issue. Now, I am a fan of leggings. They keep you warm when you wear a dress during the cold months. They also come in different patterns and colors that pants don't. However, leggings are NOT pants and when I see a girl who wears leggings as pants, I honestly think it just looks trashy. You can see underwear lines when you wear leggings and they leave nothing to the imagination. No wonder when we see a young girl on the street corner in a short, almost see through dress we just turn the other way! It's what we girls would put on or have seen our friends wear! Wake up people! We are making it harder to tell the difference between a girl in prostitution to a girl who is just out shopping!
Now for media. I have seen previews for a new TV show called Satisfaction. The preview shows that a man comes home one day to catch his wife cheating on him. He hunts the guy his wife was with down and learns that the wife has been paying, yes you read right PAYING, this man to sleep with her. So the husband, trying to save his marriage, starts selling himself for sex so it will keep their marriage interesting! Where do I even start on how wrong this show sounds and looks?! People are practically paying their TV bills to watch male prostitution! No wonder more brothels are popping up around the world and more people are disappearing into the life of prostitution!
Finally, let's talk about "50 Shades of Grey", the book and the movie. Now I have not read the book and I never will read the book. But, I did watch the movie trailer and right away a person can tell it is just going to be about sex and different things you can try. This has to do with Human Trafficking because in the documentary Whore's Glory that I watched the men would honestly admit the reason they would pay for a woman was because they would do and try anything they wanted. Sounds like what the book "50 Shades of Grey" is about to me.
"We can only end slavery by partnering together. It's too big of a problem for any one organization to handle alone." -Stacia Freeman, Abolition International

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Vocie for the Vocieless- Part Three

 "a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak," ~ Ecclesiastes 3:7
The links above are all organizations that are working to put a stop to Human Trafficking. I would like to share a story from the Abolition International Bible reading plan:
"One 8-year-old girl from California decided to use her lemonade stand to raise money to stop child slavery. She asked her customers to simply give whatever was in their heart. she raised over $100,000. Her small lemonade idea has since evolved into a corporation. Make a Stand Lemon-Aid sells fair-trade, organic lemonade at 137 stores. She is expected to gross $2 million this year alone, all for the sake of freedom. God can use small, simple things to do great and mighty things! Whatever your contribution, your gifts are invaluable to the body of Christ."
I know I needed to read that, because I was wondering if I was helping at all by writing about Human Trafficking. But, now I know God has given me what I need to do what He wants me to do for this cause!
Now, here are some stories from The A21 Campaign of rescues. Three weeks ago they wrote this on their Instagram page: "We are excited to announce a new survivor in Bulgaria! She is a young mother and was trafficked for sexual exploitation. One of the many interesting things about her case, is that she was recuited via Facebook. She is now in our care and FREE."
Two weeks ago they wrote: "BREAKING NEWS: We are thrilled to announce that we have just welcomed a new survivor into our Greece shelter who came to us through our national hotline! She was trafficked through a modeling agency for the past 10 years. We are so thankful that shi is in our care and finally FREE."
One week ago: "BREAKING NEWS: We've just welcomed a new survivor into our Greece shelter. Recruited by a boyfriend at the age of 12, she was repeatedly sold and abused. We're now happy to say that she is safe in our care. And to top it off, both traffickers pleaded guilty when arrested. Today is a good day at A21!"
Two days ago: "We're happy to announce a new survivor in Ukraine! Lured by a false job opportunity in Russia, this young university student was trafficked across boarders for exploitation. We're now helping her get back on her feet and build her education so that she can achieve her dreams for her future!"
One day ago: "BREAKING NEWS: We welcomed yet another young woman into our Greece shelter! After years of abuse and hurt, she is finally free. This makes four lives rescued and given hope in two weeks! Thanks to all our supporters who make our fight of freedom possible."
I share these stories to give hope to all of you. No matter what you are doing to help, letting people know, praying, donating money, whatever, it IS making a difference and we need to keep it up! Keep fighting the good fight and God bless all of you!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Voice for the Voiceless- Part 2

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." ~Proverbs29:7
Last week I watched a documentary about prostitution called Whores' Glory. This documentary held nothing back as it explored the world of prostitution in three different countries. The first place had the girls put on buttons with numbers on them and sat around until someone bought their number. These people had no respect for the women and saw them as something to rent for the night, like booking a hotel room. These women were in this "business" because they wanted to be. The next place was a brothel and the girls looked as young as eleven or twelve! Some of these girls were bought by other women and brought into this "business". The last country showed "Hookers" waiting outside of rooms to pick up a man. Listening to how these so called men would talk about these women was too much for me and I could not finish the last fifteen minutes of the documentary!
Here is how the dictionary defines the word Prostitute: a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money; whore; harlot. a man who engages in sexual acts for money. a person who willingly uses his or her talent or ability in a base and unworthy way, usually for money.
And the word Prostitution: the act or practice of engaging in sexual intercourse for money. base or unworthy use, as of talent or ability.
Let's be honest and call this what it really is, HUMAN TRAFFICKING! Some pimps, owners, whatever you want to call them, goes as far as to BRAND their "workers". Here is a clip from the movie Branded. I have not seen this movie, but the video was enough to make me want to cry.   
Finally, here are some facts about Child Sex Tourism:
Please pray for human trafficking to come to an end. Look up organizations that help put a stop to it. Together this horrible thing can be stopped!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Voice for the Voiceless- part one

Wh at is Human Trafficking? The dictionary says: 
the illegal practice of procuring or trading in human for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation.
Some popular ways this is done is child labor, most children fall into this by not being wanted, so when they go mkssing nobody says anything. Human trafficking happens all over the world, even in the United States.
This month is when Abolition International is working this month for "31 Days of Freedom" for more information go to www.abolitioninternational.org 
I'm in Washington D.C. right now celebrating the Fourth of July and I am so blessed! My best friend and I have been making care bags for the homless people here in the hopes that this will help them and protect them. Please join in this movement and let's put an end to Human Trafficking!