I sat across a table from a man I can
tell you almost nothing about.
He's an undercover investigator working
with The Exodus Road, and I was truly impressed by him. I don't want
to get all gushy, so I'll only say that he was a total effing badass.
(Like if Chuck Norris and William Wallace had a baby and the baby
grew up and married John Wayne and they had a baby, that
baby would be this guy.) So, anyway, he spends time doing
surveillance and gathering evidence against pedophiles and
traffickers. His nights go to looking for underage sex workers in
brothels, taking covert video and detailed notes, he and his
teammates carefully follow the trails that lead to the traffickers of
children, and assist the government (when needed) in sting operations
to bust them. Bad. Ass.
He
took us for a drive in a car with dark tinted windows, and it didn't
take long to get to a little karaoke bar on the side of a dirt road
surrounded by a high wall, its big metal doors open for
business. He and El Chupacabra went in for a bit, then texted Matt and I to join them. We found them at a small table
with a bench on each side. A few teenage girls were seated around them, while a pretty girl with braces and chipped nail polish was
pouring them drinks. And, there, pressed in against my hulking
husband was a girl no bigger than my 13 year old. A tiny delicate
thing.
The
girl didn't speak, didn't smile, scarcely made eye contact, unless
prodded by the obviously more seasoned girl next to her. After a
little conversation and a few seemingly casual questions, our tour
guide learned that she didn't speak the local language. “Maile”
was her name, and she'd only been there for three days.
Now.
Everything in me wanted to jump up and scream, “THIS IS TOTALLY A VICTIM OF TRAFFICKING!!!
QUICK! LET'S GRAB HER!!!" - But I
kept up appearances, as instructed to “just party”. Because
that's what the beginning of rescue looks like -- it looks like average,
every day dudes going to strip clubs and gay bars and brothels looking for a good
time, when, in actuality, they're super badass mofo's looking for
underage sex workers and victims of trafficking.
As we
finished our drinks, a couple of the girls took their leave, disappearing into a
back room, but not until she was waved in by an older girl did the
little one make her hurried (and clearly relieved) escape. We got
up, paying our tab and leaving a tip, and headed for the car. But
I watched that hardened investigator linger. He pulled a bill out of
his wallet and put it in the pretty girl's hand, pointing toward the
door the other girls left through, he said, “This is for Maile.”,
and she nodded understanding.
I was completely undone - but wanting to
sound like I, too, was a stone cold badass (and not some shuddering,
traumatized suburbanite), I tried to say something aloof and
appropriate, like, “So, you'll go back and investigate that,
right?”
"I could tell you, but then I'd
have to kill you."
First
he said something about not jumping to conclusions (the mark of a good
investigator). Then he said, “Yes, I'll go back." and "It's hard to walk away when you have
an idea of what could happen to them, but you could pull boys and
girls out of brothels all day long and there will be 10 more to take
their place.” And then he talked about the importance of getting to
the root of the problem and the need to prosecute the pedophiles who
create the demand for children and the traffickers who supply them.
Ugh! For real, I wanted to stand and clap.
There
are millions (MILLIONS, you guys!) of men, women and children around
the world, who, are hopelessly enslaved. They're in dark places;
in brothels and bars, brick factories, fishing boats and slums. They
live and breath in places the American Church is afraid to go.
They're hidden in the shadows of a world that doesn't care for them
or about them.
But
rescue is coming...
I was invited to SE Asia by an
organization called The Exodus Road, a non-profit coalition that
empowers freedom from sex slavery through investigation and rescue.
Just “come and see”, they said. “no strings attached.”, they
promised. I felt it brave for a group who knows my penchant for harsh scrutiny of overseas NGO's to invite me in to have a close look
around. If I'm being honest, I was prepared to be disappointed. I was
expecting “Look at us, we're the Saviors of South East Asia!”. I
was expecting a short-sighted plan to do irrelevant work led by
unqualified people. Because I'm a jerk.
I know, I know. I'm an ass! A cynical,
pessimistic, hyper-critical ass.
Which is why I'm pretty excited to say
that I fell in love with The Exodus Road and the work they are doing
around the world. Smitten. Seriously.
2 investigators and the national
leader of a group home for victims
of sexual abuse (33 boys & 8 girls),
looking over a pedophile's case.
Over
the course of a few days, a few beers, and more than a few bowls of spicy papaya salad, Matt Parker, CEO of The Exodus Road, answered every question El
Chupacabra and I could come up with, even the weird, dumb, and
awkward ones. The perception I walked away with is one of a young but
healthy organization, with a big picture mentality. They honor the
local government, and value partnership with sister organizations
(including those working in outreach and aftercare) who agree to high
standards of practice. Pushing the long-standing but broken Christian model of “good intention” aside, they've carefully
chosen trained investigators with unique skill sets to do the best work on
the ground, contracting men and women with a wide range of ethnic,
religious, and professional backgrounds.
It was
terrible and wonderful to see and hear about Rescue in SE Asia. I was deeply moved, and I was certain I wanted to help. Having just heard from those
specializing in aftercare about the difficulties getting victims
rescued in order to help them move forward, I knew this is where I wanted
to join the fight.
Now, I know some of you want to tell me
that I didn't need to fly to SE Asia to find sex for sale,
pedophiles, ping pong shows, and trafficking. I totally get that. But the U.S.
economy doesn't rely on tourism generated by selling our sons and
daughters. Our children's bodies aren't counted as part of our Gross Domestic
Product. Our government (while super flawed) has the will and the
means necessary to investigate, arrest, and prosecute criminals who
sell, enslave, or traffic human beings. So, yes, the problem exists
in the U.S., but, no, it's not the same. Regardless, we, the Church, must take
both to task—not choosing one as more important than the other, but
by realizing that we have the financial and human resources to
address both, wisely and fully.
So, this is the part where I ask you to
get involved. (Oh c'mon, you knew it was coming.)
My approach will be to invest
financially in global rescue, and physically in local
anti-trafficking efforts.
Locally, I'm meeting with several
organizations who are working in rescue and restoration of victims of
sex trafficking in my region. I'll fill you in as those details
emerge, but it wasn't hard to find
interesting groups to consider volunteering with - I just googled it and invited some friends to check it out with me. I challenge you to do the same.
Globally, I'm pledging $35 a month
to sponsor an investigative team in SE Asia, through the Exodus Road.
But my gift, alone, is pretty
insignificant -- that's why I'm asking you to join me in
the full financial support of an entire investigative team focused in
one SE Asian city, notorious for sex crimes against underage boys and girls.
My gift is small, but if 200 people
come together at $35 a month each, we can fund a whole damn team! And
that's HUGE. If we pool our resources, we can make a
significant contribution that puts pedophiles and traffickers behind
bars, rescuing current victims and helping to prevent future victims.
We CAN help. We can empower
rescue and prevention. We can RESCUE A CHILD.
To protect the investigators, I can't
publicly name the country or city of the team we will be sponsoring.
(Though, I will say, it's a city I visited on my recent trip and the investigators I
met.) So to make this fun, I'm creating a private Facebook Group where up to 200 donors can join me in a safe place to talk about,
celebrate, and pray for the work we're conspiring to fund. The Exodus
Road will provide us with covert footage and other super-duper-top-secret info
from investigations and arrests as it comes. And we'll even have an
occasional awesome give-away. (The first one will be next week!)
Over 100,000 people will likely see
this post, more if you share it *wink wink*, I only need 200 of you to join me, please be one of them!
I honestly believe we can make a difference.
To join the team, click here: http://www.theexodusroad.com/donate/
and put "DELTA TEAM - JAMIE" in the comments section, along with the email address you use for Facebook so I can welcome you to the private group.
… ….. ...
I wrote this in my notes, sweating in
bed after that hard night out with the investigator:
What if a little band of merry men
gathered their resources to empower the rescue of trafficked and
enslaved women and children? What if we supported and encouraged the men
and women on the ground in just one city in SE Asia? What would
happen if they had everything they needed to investigate and
prosecute those who prey on the weak?…Word would get out if more bad guys went to jail, and traffickers disappeared, and brothel doors
closed... What would happen if we came together from all over the
world to shine a bright and focused light in the dark? ….Perhaps it would create a
ripple of Hope where once there was none, as rumors of escape spread and one child turns to comfort another, whispering with assurance, “Rescue is coming."
... ..... ...
$35 a month (or $5 or $15 or whatever!). Will you join me?
...This is for Maile.