Sex Trafficking All Around

Today begins a mere one week of wearing the same outfit in hopes of helping myself understand the lack of choice women, girls and even boys have throughout our world, country and even Ohio where sex trafficking is running rampant. Not only sex trafficking but horrible, unfathomable attrocities that are being done to women all over the world because they are not valued highly enough to have a voice. I want to be that voice. I want to stand in and do what I am certain I would be crying out for if I was in their position. I do not stand because I want to be a good Christian, however. I stand because Jesus would stand if this were during His time on earth. He would set free those caught in places that are being held captive because that is why He came. In Luke 4, He STANDS UP and says..."THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him."

A friend of mine wore the same dress for 6 months and was not only changed hereself, but was able to bring awareness nationally to human trafficking. I am reading a book called "Half the Sky" by a married couple named Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It has really been an eye opener for me. As a result of reading it, one of my favorite authors, Carolyn Custis James wrote "Half the Church" talking about how women can have a voice for women. God is up to something in the area of social justice. I am not wanting to jump on a bandwagon, but I am wanting to join God with where He is working and I want to impact wommen in ways that are outiside of comfortable Christianity.

There are so many other human atrocities are done to women everyday
o Aborting female babies
o Leaving female children to die
o Forced labor
o Girls malnourished while boys are well fed
o Girls named names meaning “Rejected” or “Unwanted”

Some startling statistics...

Toledo, OH is the 3rd largest source of human trafficking in the U.S.

All over the world...Taiwan, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Haiti, China, Congo…everywhere…

Between 14, 500 and 17,500 trafficked into the U.S. Annually
Between 600,000 and 800,000 women and children trafficked between countries throughout the world annually.
3rd largest grossing crime industry (32 billion dollars with a total of 27 million enslaved today).

Some harsh realities...

Victims are forced into a "debt slavery" situation by coercion, deception, fraud, intimidation, isolation, threat, physical force, debt bondage or even force-feeding with drugs of abuse to control their victims. Once they are addicted to drugs it is difficult for them to leave the brothel because they cannot get drugs to feed their addiction. As well, many girls end up having children who are then possessed by the brothel and the girls don’t want to leave their children behind. The intention of the pimps is the children provide services as well.

So here I sit with my grey turtleneck and black leggings that I will be wearing until next Saturday wondering what God wants to speak to me this week. I am curious what He has for me and for the women at my church as we journey though this together.

May women be set free...