Sex Trade

Step 1.) find a clock. Step 2.) watch the clock. count 26 seconds. Step 3.) understand that 1 more child was just enslaved into the sex trade.

Thailand, a country where some of our global interns are currently serving in, is statistically the number one country for the sex trade. What’s conducive to this trade is the high tolerance of prostitution and it’s acceptance such as long as the prostitute is over twenty years old. A terrible truth is how many teenagers are brought into the trade as long as they look of age, but what’s even worse is the children who are deceived into this slavery. Brothel owners come into the village and promise factory work and income to the children of needy village families. The families being poor, the parents will often be enticed by the thought of sending their child to this alleged factory where they will be able to make some money. They agree, and off the child goes to the “factory”. The veil is then removed, and the girl is found shackled and being abused by up to twenty men a day.

Also contributive to the sex trade is the corruption of the police force, which turns a blind eye on the obviousness of the situations. As brothel owners take advantage of defenseless refugee children (refugee children make up 80% of child prostitutes in Thailand) the police lift not a finger to defend the defenseless.

I was able to speak with a brother in the Lord named Justin Stech who has been working with Destiny Rescue since March of 2009. Through his extensive travels he saw the vigor of slavery in full strength throughout the world. His eyes were opened and, tailspun by the face-to-face encounter with the truth, he met with the Lord and asked what he could do to stop this, to change things. It was then that he was introduced to Destiny Rescue.

And that is exactly what all of us must do as well. We must seek the Lord, crying out “O Lord, What can I do!?” It is my honest hope that this blog compels people to the mission-field, but I can only inspire you for a moment. It takes something far greater than emotions or even beliefs to compel you to cross the ocean. Emotions are fleeting and beliefs can change, but convictions are worth dying for. And it’s by conviction that people of faith, such as Destiny Rescue or the MST project, can do what they do.

I read this post I have written and cannot help but ruminate over the reality of the sex trade. What a horror it is. I mean, there’s no condemnation for living in America, but if this is really happening… how can I sit back and do nothing? How can I stay here in the States?

I just feel like there’s so much more that I can do.