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I'm taking a quick break in my Leadership Series to express myself AS I'm feeling some anger. I believe it is righteous anger, so I am speaking up about it.
I've got a problem with the 2 applications (I'm aware of) on facebook that are based around buying and selling your friends. Now I understand they're just games and they're based around how much your friends "value" you or having your friends as "pets," but these may just serve to desensitize us a bit to Human Traffiking.
Now I don't know about you, but one of the LAST things I want is to be desensitized to Human Traffiking! HT is a ghastly blight on all societies and humankind. When I even THINK of a small aspect of HT, I get seriously messed up inside. Anger, frustration, pain and a whole bunch of other feelings like that come rising up almost uncontrollably. Do I like that? No, but it is necessary if I am to stand up and fight against it.
I could throw some stats at you or talk about individuals who have been kidnapped into the world of HT, but I won't do that here. Not now. You just need to know my naked anger that we as human beings tolerate anything that even smacks of this vile practice.
I just blocked both of those applications on facebook. I don't know for sure what that means, but I'm hoping that if anyone tried to invite me any more, the invite will not come through. If not, I'm telling you right here, IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF MY "FRIEND" ON FACEBOOK YOU WILL NOT INVITE ME ANYMORE TO BUY OR SELL HUMAN BEINGS! I WILL NOT TAKE PART! I may be dropping friends on the spot who send me any more of these invites.
I ask you to do think about this and maybe do the same thing. If you're using either of those apps- shame on you! What were you thinking?!
Perhaps a group should be formed against these games (although I believe facebook won't allow groups "against" other things). Perhaps we need to look into this. Maybe we can write a petition to facebook? If anyone has any suggestions that you know will work, please let me know. I'm willing to put some serious time into this, because I believe this practice must be stopped.
Human Traffiking is NOT a game and we should NOT be involved in supporting it in ANY way.
I've gotten some good advise regarding my last post- "But What Can I DO?" I'm not sure yet how I'm going to put it all together, but for now I've decided I need to really start to get the word out about human trafficking. These blogs are a part of that, but I'm also trying to get the word out through Facebook.
Facebook has an application called "Causes." By adding the app, you can post information about that cause on your profile. You can also donate to the cause and invite friends to join your cause or get them to donate too. I've joined a few causes, but so far the one I'm putting most effort behind is "Stop the Traffik."
If you're on Facebook and you're my "friend" look me up, click on my Stop the Traffik link and join. I'll get "credit" for getting you to join and I'll know my first step is working. If you're not my friend, search for my name, add me to your friends and send me a note telling me who you are and that you saw this note on my blog.
Then YOU can start getting your friends to join and help spread the word too. Come on! This is a simple way to get the ball rolling. You can help make a difference. We all can.
Get the word out there!
For a couple of years now I have been very concerned about human trafficking. It all started when I saw a made for TV movie "Human Trafficking" with Mira Sorvino and Donald Sutherland. As I watched, my heart was broken and I sat quietly with a dull ache hanging over my spirit. The next day, even before the second part of the movie aired, I began searching the Internet to find out more. I wanted to DO something about it.
I found plenty of links and learned a lot, but other than send money, I came up empty. And which organization would make the most difference? Which would use my donations most wisely? Obviously, TSA was a good choice, but even if I did that, I still got no closer to personally DOING something and making a difference. And you're never really in on where your money goes, who you're helping and what it DOES to help.
Sending money at an issue like this seems like a way to avoid getting personally involved; sorta like keeping it all at arms length. It's always easier to throw money at such things than to actually roll up your sleeves and DO something (Debbie & I support 2 children through TSA, but we can't get personally involved in their lives [not that we don't want to]. We rarely hear any news about them and I usually feel like we're just trying to placate our conscience the easy way).
I have written a few blogs on the subject and lately taken to inviting friends on facebook to join the cause (and a few other good causes) to get the word out there, but even that seems like it's just "the socially acceptable thing to do."
When I recently asked Rob Dolby what I could do, he suggested I take a prostitute out to lunch. That shocked my system, but actually sounds plausible. Still, the average prostitute I would see on a street corner might not be trafficked (although many are [even though it's not seen that way in American courts] if you follow the path that led them to that place- it would certainly be a similar thing).
What really bothers me about trafficking is that women and children are kidnapped and hidden away from those who might actually be in a place to help them (like me taking them to lunch, developing a respectable relationship with them and helping them make a good choice [with most it's no choice at all] to get to safety). My heart SO breaks when I hear of such injustice!
I'd like to wear the "I am Coming" ring, but they haven't been produced yet! Not enough people have joined the cause through them to get them made. But wearing a ring, except for educating people, does exactly what?
That hurts me deeply at this point, but I guess all I can DO is pray my ache back to Jesus, who put that ache in me in the first place. He aches SO much more than I over the people trapped in trafficking; they are his children.
Interestingly enough, my prayers can actually DO something while I wait for a more tactile thing to DO.
Anyone out there have any suggestions?
Prayer: O Yahweh! Bare Your mighty arm on behalf of your captive ones! Comfort, protect, bring hope and a way out. Keep them from physical, emotional and spiritual harm. Let them know of your undying love and concern. Break their captor's teeth, cause them to get caught and punished! End this blight on humanity and help us to DO what it takes to bring true freedom to all.
For some time now I have been very concerned with the issue of Human Trafficking- to the point where I would call it a prayer burden from God. He's got some purpose for me and I have been meditating and seeking what and how I need to get involved in its destruction.
I just read Aaron's blog on ArmyBarmy about the I am Coming Campaign and I was immediately taken by it's simplicity yet power. I bought in!
There is hope; hold on just a little bit longer- I am Coming!
Go to the official site (I am Coming). Click around; explore. Check out the videos (a surprise awaits in one). Sign the petition. Sign up for a ring (I can't wait for mine! Alas, I will have to). Read up on Human Trafficking. Talk it up. Do SOMEthing!
Did you know there are more people caught in this slavery right now today than there were in all the history of African slavery? Incredible. Yet it's more incredible that hardly anything is being done about it. In fact in some places, such slavery is even protected by some of the legal authorities?
There is much more to write about and I will be blogging more soon. It is welling up in me and I can hardly keep it down (not that I want to).
In the meantime- get busy learning as much as you can.
In New England, we just completed our annual Prayer & Fasting weekend (Fullness) at Camp Wonderland. It was a powerful time of fellowship, learning, worship and warfare! I believe much was accomplished in the heavenlies this weekend- especially since we were joining a world-wide prayer effort this year. Much thanks to Janet Munn for her God-anointed leadership in our territory (talk about a God-inspired appointment for us all!).
Great things took place and I'm sure I could blog for days about it, I only point out that God started this event a few years ago and it is just now beginning to break out into . . . (yeah- you guessed it) fullness! I understand that this year there are 8 divisions in our territory out of 12 (and what about the other 4?) who have scheduled such events. Incredible! God is ramping things up- get ready for the explosion!
I have a few others things to share with you today:
1) I want to make a clarification regarding my blog AGAINST human trafficking. While we should pray AGAINST the Enemy, his demons and their plans (like the trafficking of human beings), we should not pray against people. God loves every last one and desires that none would turn against him and lose his plan of salvation for their lives.
Our prayers for people should always be that they see God's love for them, repent, believe in Jesus and let Holy Spirit regenerate them into new creations.
2) Here are some specifics we can pray for in our war against human trafficking:
The Victims
The victims families
Careers and counselors
Police and immigration services
Lawmakers and governments
Media awareness
Those who abuse women
Those who profit from slavery and the sex trade
Against the Enemy and his evil plans
3) While our special weekend of prayer regarding Human Trafficking is quickly coming to an end, please don't let your prayers end as quickly! For the church to make a serious dent in such degradation we need to be persistent in prayer.
Ask and KEEP asking. Seek and KEEP seeking. Knock and KEEP knocking. If we will continue this attack on Satan's kingdom it is sure to fall and we will be witnesses to a HUGE victory for God. This is because our God is greater than even this problem. All he needs is our help in doing our part.
You're a part of the answer- don't shirk your duties. Pray!
Psalm 10 (NIV)
Why, O Yahweh, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles Yahweh.
4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies. 6 He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble." 7 His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims. 9 He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. 10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength. 11 He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees."
12 Arise, Yahweh! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless. 13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account"?
14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.
16 Yahweh is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 You hear, O Yahweh, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Today is the start of The Salvation Army's special weekend of prayer for victims of Human Trafficking (September 29 - October 2). I want to go one step further and suggest prayer AGAINST human trafficking.
We have a VAST arsenal of weapons at our disposal through prayer and one of them is praying AGAINST the Enemy and his tactics. Perhaps you think there's not much difference, but in reality praying FOR someone and praying AGAINST the Enemy's plan is at opposite ends of the prayer spectrum. ALL prayer is war, but your prayer "stance" is certainly more aggressive when praying directly against the Enemy.
So this weekend, while you're praying for the victims, don't forget to take your stand and pray AGAINST human trafficking.
The Salvation Army is starting an annual international prayer week-end for victims of sexual trafficking. On Friday September 29 through SonDay October 1, Salvationists all over the world will be praying corporately and individually against this blight on humanity.
Ever since I saw the special movie "Human Trafficking" (get the DVD HERE) my awareness of ST has been heightened and my gut has been twisted. I honestly did not know the extensiveness. The fact that it exists is extremely frustrating to me and I have a desire to do SOMEthing about it.
If this sounds like feelings you've noticed in yourself, here are a couple of sites that might get you started:
http://www.humantrafficking.org/
http://www.traffickinginpersons.com/
http://www.catwinternational.org/
http://www.rapeis.org/activism/sextrade/sextrade.html
For more information on The Salvation Army's prayer campaign against human trafficking, go to:
http://www1.salvationarmy.org
Please pray with me: "Dear God, make it stop!"
I'm taking a quick break in my Leadership Series to express myself AS I'm feeling some anger. I believe it is righteous anger, so I am speaking up about it.
