advocate // for the enslaved and trafficked // it wasn’t supposed to happen this way
When I thought of doing this advocate series last week my purpose for the series was to help people who were not currently passionate about a cause find one to be passionate about.
While I know God may still work in people like that through this series, I’ve also come to realize that He is creating more passion in me for the underprivileged in the world. Particularly for the enslaved and trafficked.
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.
I already had “my thing”. Orphans have been my passion since I was a teenager. I’ve always dreamed of opening up an orphanage. One that is run honestly, where the children will feel love and acceptance from people on this earth and ultimately realize how much God loves them.
I think what has hit me the most so far is the correlation between orphans and many who are trafficked.
In Moldova 98% of the children in the orphanages are social orphans (they still have family but have been given up by their relatives, usually because they can’t afford to keep them). At the age of 16 those in the orphanages are released on to the street with the equivalent of $30 and given a bus ticket to their hometown. With little education and no resources these girls are incredibly vulnerable. And I’ve heard terrible stories of orphanage directors that actually tip off traffickers and let them know that these kids are being released. The thing is -no one misses or even notices that these kids are gone, they don’t have anyone looking out for them.
I’ve been reading Little Princes for the last few days. Long story short the author finds out that the kids in the orphanage that he has been volunteering in Nepal at aren’t orphans at all. Rather, their parents paid a lot of money to have them taken into the city where they were told the kids would get a good education, but instead the children are taken and then dumped into legal and illegal orphanages and the man that brought them takes off with the money.
We watched Nefarious: Merchant of Souls a few days ago and it was such a heartbreaking eye opener. The documentary is extremely well done and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about human trafficking.
God has broken my heart for the enslaved and trafficked.
I absolutely cannot believe the atrocities that occur (and often to CHILDREN! We are talking kids that are nine, eight or even seven years old!) and I know I can’t just sit back and read the stats and watch the videos, I need to do something about it and I will be starting with this list.
For anyone interested locally, there is a local lady who is doing The Freedom Climb -climbing up Mt. Everest and raising money to fight human trafficking. There is a steak fundraiser happening in a few weeks that we will be going to for that. There will also be a free viewing of Nefarious at one of the movie theaters in Saskatoon. If you want any more details on any of this or other ways you can get involved locally just let me know!
Has God been breaking your heart for the enslaved and trafficked?
Oh Chantel, I honestly just don’t now what to do with all this. I watched the clip of Nefarious, and that was enough to break my heart for those girls and women. I have been part of an outreach team to prostitutes in Europe….most of them trafficked. It’s heartbreaking. Still, I get the feeling that it’s just so big a problem, and I don’t know what to do about it, and so I do nothing. I guess that I just need to pour out my heart in prayer for those caught in trafficking, and ask God to show me, specifically, how I can be involved. Thank you for addressing a huge and heavy topic that many others (myself included) would rather avoid. It’s only when we admit that it’s there, that we can be part of the solution. Thank you. Hugs, Fiona xoxo
Yes, Fiona, prayer is huge! I’ll be praying that God reveals to you how He wants you to get involved!
Love this post. Thank you for speaking truth!
These posts and info is so eye opening – I honestly never realized it was this widespread either – sooooo sad – such evil evil evil !!!
It does feel overwhelming – wow!!!
May God continue to use your words to be light to this and glory to Him
You are in my daily Prayers girl!
Oh I know Janice! It’s everywhere. I am horrified to think of what goes on in this world! And while it is easy to get overwhelmed, think about the impact of saving just one child. That’s something huge in their life!
Chantel – I stumbled across your blog this week for the first time. I’m planning a rebrand for my blog and was looking for stylish yet simple design examples. (yours is beautiful by the way:-) Several of the blogs I came across – at least a half dozen – had recent posts about human trafficking. Like you, I already have “a thing” and like you my thing is orphans. I know there is a paper thin line between orphans and modern day slaves but it has always felt too big to go after. I thought all the blogs posting about trafficking was just a coincidence until this morning when I heard God say “No. I was showing you that for a purpose.” I’m not exactly clear what that purpose is but wanted to thank you for shining light on this dark topic. Blessings to you! Lindsy
Thanks for stopping by my blog Lindsy! I totally get what you mean about coming across the same issue over and over again (in this case, human trafficking). It’s amazing how many times God has to present me with the same topic before I realize that He is trying to tell me something!