Last night Dani and I went to a concert in the capital. It’s always exciting when we are able to go because they are so few and far between. I love listening to dani and I singing to Jesus together, loudly. I love the body of believers singing in unison. One thing I look forward to in heaven is singing LOUDLY!
Jamie, Luke, and Tyler are down this week to do investigations to help make promos for FIGHT. We finally opened the safe house last week and I have so much to say, but I’ll write another one this week.
So after our Jerez concert, we joined the guys in walking the streets and clubs to get footage of what’s going on. We can talk about it all day, but when you go and see it yourself, your heart breaks. You just think how is this happening with right in front of us. How does evil win and the world just goes about their business.
Every morning this week I have sat with God to “show me roots” of what is going on. How do we rip out cycles—When girls do not even understand trafficking! Adults don’t even understand trafficking. If I hear one more person say a girl is just a prostitute or sex worker, I will die from a broken heart. No. A minor can never choose that life, she is always trafficked. And an adult women in it, is trafficked, too. There’s dominance and control from a young age and the evil in this world searches in the dark night to find them specifically to gain money off it. Someone is in control of them. Someone profits off their brokenness.
Trauma.
Deep trauma that pushes you to survive. Just survive. They are young children abandoned and broken down that are trying to get their basic needs met: care, food, clothes, bed, security.
It isn’t hard to take a child of sexual trauma and put them into situations that escalate slowly into trafficking and I’m learning from my own investigations this week, girls DO NOT EVEN KNOW they are being trafficked sometimes. They are set up in ways to think it’s just a huge party and you have been chosen as some elite female to participate free with other young girls. Then, drugs and alcohol soften anxiety and let them let feel good. Little do they know thousands of dollars are paid for the men to enter this space and you never chose what you were doing.
These targeted girls are desensitized to sexual acts from trauma and they dissociate from it. Disconnect emotions and even self from what is going on and feel, thinking they are wanted by men. Thinking they are in control of who and when during the night, but really, it’s all a set up. Afterwards, you gain new clothes and shoes and some food to look good. As my psychologist said in an interview, this is a huge part of the culture here. The way you look. You might live in a home with no bathroom and no running water, but you could look like you are a professional in the supermarket.
To a poor kid whose self esteem has been beaten with a belt, this feels like love and care, but it’s really something traffickers need to DO with the girls to clean them up and fit the norm. They don’t want a poor, dehydrated kid on the outside, just on the inside.
And so they feel cared for and their stomachs are warm with food.
Surviving at 12.
I need to shower to head out to another place but the last thing to share is that this week God has been talking to me about anger and righteous anger. Anger produces works of the flesh—Galatians talks about this—you want to damage and destroy others, sometimes even murder. But James tells us to be slow to anger.
Righteous anger produces power and change in Christ. Remember Jesus flipping tables?
Last week my psych messaged saying a doc wouldn’t let her in on a sonogram with our Perla because she didn’t have a mask. NO ONE EVEN USES MASKS! I had been in a copy place when it came in. I dropped my things on the counter and hustled down the streets back to the clinic. ANGRYYY.
OPENNNN THE DOOR! Now!
The doc repeated that no one comes in without a mask. I kept saying SHE’S A MINOR! He kept saying I’ll take care of her and raising his voice letting me know he thinks he’s in control.
Out of no where, I said, I TAKE CARE OF HER! I do! Not you! You are a stranger!!
Our Perla exited the bathroom and I had no idea she was even behind that door. For a moment I felt embarrassed at the way I was raising my voice at him with her behind the door.
But as I sat there watching the rest of the exam, I thought no. I’m not embarrassed. Devil is trying to mess with me. This is MY GOD GIVEN JOB! That was righteous anger. This body is not for everyone and it will be respected. Part of respecting a child is having an adult/mom/psych with you to watch over you in the doctors. I winked at our Perla as she stepped out of the bathroom and she grinned a little. Thinking, ahh, who is this side I haven’t seen out here fighting for me.
Last night, I looked across the bar and met eyes this tiny girl in a red dress that exposed legs just under her bottom, parts of stomach, and just covered top. There were many of the red dresses. Waiting. Then there was a lady my age walking around, too. None were waitressing. None were handling money for checks.
I smiled at the young girl and winked (as a mom does to say I love you when we are in public/large groups.) This sweet broken face smiled.
We’re coming for you, baby.
All of you.
And we are flipping tables and making whips to break the cycle.
THESE ARE OUR KIDS!
