Encouragement from Dr. Rebecca Johnson, PhD.

Someone told me there are now over 200 anti-trafficking organizations in the USA alone, then quickly added, “and most of those are awareness raising only”.  In the midst of the explosion of anti-human trafficking organizations, how do we distinguish the dreamers from the doers, the good from the good intentions? 

            Don’s Blog this week is being (politely) hijacked. After being a short-term volunteer with AIM the past 5+ years (7 trips) and being here in Cambodia these past few weeks, I wanted to briefly share some thoughts.

            In recent years I have had the privilege of serving, both in the USA and abroad, with numerous agencies fighting against modern day slavery.  While each organization has its strengths, I am an enthusiastic cheerleader for Agape International Mission. 

            “Jesus moved into the neighborhood” is how a friend described AIM’s involvement in Svay Pak.  AIM’s work in restoration of the sex trafficked and in community and national transformation (education, health care, training, children’s programs, evangelism discipleship and more), is bringing the light and love of Jesus into unimaginable dark places of lust, greed, abuse, torture, poverty and slavery.  AIM is providing practical assistance as well as God’s message of hope to many, many despairing people. AIM IS making a difference.

            I recently wrote about AIM to some friends, “This is a front-lines, genuine, “doing-it” ministry, where the leadership doesn’t limit God, is humble, God-dependent, and every penny is wisely spent.”   This brief statement coveys my observations and sentiments – AIM is a quality, God-honoring organization.  (Dr. Becca Johnson, 12/14/11)

           

What Are They Thinking?

I have spent two of the last three weeks in Siem Reap, Cambodia.   It is there we are opening a new Rahab's House, but more about that in future blogs.  What I want to write about today is the experiences I had over those two weeks, and what they seem to revealed about those who benefit from the sexual exploitation of children.  Both of these experiences took place in five-star hotels along the main street in Siem Reap.

 The first involves 2 Western men somewhere between the ages of 45 and 55.  Every morning for five days these men would bring to the breakfast buffet 2 teenage Cambodian girls they had purchased to use as sex toys while they vacationed in Cambodia.  Each day as they arrived the men would be laughing and joking, all smiles.  However, the girls worked very hard not to make eye contact with anyone in the restaurant, but when that eye contact was made their eyes revealed deep shame.  That shame would grow every time the men tried to hug and kiss the girls.  But the men seemed to feel no shame at all, and absolutely no concern for the shame of the girls.  I wondered what are they thinking?

The second incident occurred in the lobby of the other five-star hotel.  I was standing there talking with friends when a Western man in his 60’s walked through with a teenage Cambodian girl.  Holding onto the girl’s arm he took her to the elevator and up to his room.  Certain that a hotel as nice as this would not put up with such nonsense I went to the front desk and explained what had happened.  To my surprise the front desk clerk said, “It’s okay sir.  The lady paid her $20.”  I relied, “What do you mean?”  She answered, “Our our hotel has a very strict policy about the ladies.  If the gentleman wants to bring a lady to his room the lady must pay $20.  You see it is okay sir because the lady paid $20.”

Is it that simple?  I'm beginning to believe it is.  Those who benefit from the sexual exploitation of children simply think it’s okay.  And the only thing that will change that thinking is a transformed heart…a heart that allows one to see others through the eyes of Christ.

Note:  Efforts to confront the men while not in the presence of the girls were unsuccessful.  But we’ve not given up.  To the contrary we are just getting started.

How Rahab's House Works to Prevent, Rescue and Restore Victims of Child Sex Trafficking...And Equips Others to Do the Same

A Holistic Approach to Prevention, Rescue and Restoration from Sex Trafficking

Svay Pak, Cambodia

VISION:  Jesus Christ through His church will defeat the evil of child sex trafficking.

MISSION:  Serving to meet the holistic needs of both individuals and the community, thus building relationships through which Christ can transform hearts.

CONTEXT: 

Cambodia continues to suffer the after affects of the unique genocide it suffered at the   hands of the Khmer Rouge.  Cambodia’s genocide is unique in that there was no winning side, and as a result the after affects are felt across the entire country.  Included among them are the following issues that feed the epidemic of child sex trafficking.

·         Abject Poverty

·         Lack of Education

·         Government Complicity/Corruption

·         Decimation of the Family Structure

·         Personal Moral Failure (Lack of a Strong Moral Compass)

In the recent past significant resources have been spent on the first two items with little, if any, significant progress made in defeating the evil of child sex trafficking.  While still early in the process, the progress seen in Svay Pak through the holistic ministry of Rahab’s House is very encouraging.  In addition, it can be argued that wherever child sex trafficking flourishes the same issues Cambodia faces, though may be not to the same extent, are present, just manifesting themselves in different ways.  This being the case the principles bringing success in Svay Pak can likely be applied in a wide variety of contexts with the anticipation of similarly positive results.

COMPONENTS:

The specifics of the components will be determined by needs of the community served;   however, generally speaking they will fall into three broad categories.  Most importantly these components must be delivered by an entity within the community itself, an entity that is part of the community.

RELIEF

Direct aid to meet immediate physical, material, and economic needs.  The needs to be met include protection and advocacy.  Relief should be temporary.

DEVELOPMENT

Providing an individual, family, or entire community what they need to move beyond the

dependency on relief into a condition of economic self sufficiency.  Development is far more

time-consuming, complex, and expensive than relief.  Development will provide access to

wide ranging opportunities such as education, job creation and training, daycare, heath care, athletics and the arts.

REFORM

Social reform moves beyond relief and development and seeks to transform the conditions

and social structures that fuel child sex trafficking.  It is resisting and changing the legal,

political, and social systems.  Social reform can address the deeper sources of hopelessness in

communities as it is applied on both an individual and communal level.

www.agapewebsite.org





Some days living in Svay Pak it can seem fighting the evil of child sex trafficking is a losing battle. Yesterday was one of those days...The bad guys seemed to be coming out ahead at every turn. I went down stairs to get some fresh air and just as I did one of the four van loads of kids (and I do me van loads) just arrived to attend classes at our Rahab's House School. This is what I saw...

WOW! I didn't think you could fit that many victories in one van!







BETRAYAL

Saturday I met with one of the girls at one of our aftercare homes.  She had asked us to protect her two little sisters from the horrors of child sex trafficking she had experienced.  Bravely she shared the details of her trafficking and abuse from the age ten until fifteen when she was rescued and brought to ARC.

It amazed me how she could share such painful experiences without shedding a single tear.  But things changed when I asked if her parents were involved in her trafficking.  Her immediate response was an adamant, "No!" Of course this seemed difficult to believe considering the young age at which she was first trafficked, and that she continued to live with her parents for the first two years of her being trafficked.  So I said, "If you really want your sisters protected you need to let us know everyone that was involved in trafficking you." 

This time, in halting words, she explained that it was her parents who first took her to the man who trafficked her.  It was her parents that took her to him over and over for the next two years.   Now the tears flowed.  And it was clear that of all the  unbelievably painful abuses she has suffered the betrayal by her parents was by far the most painful...the one most difficult from which to heal...the most difficult to forgive.

Please pray for her and all the girls of ARC as most suffer from this same betrayal.  Pray for their healing, for the grace to forgive.  

Truth in Advertising



This billboard in Phnom Penh reveals the truth about Cambodia’s karaoke clubs…Bring along your condoms because you won’t just be singing.  No, Cambodia karaoke clubs are places to buy sex with young girls, a significant number just kids.  Thousands of them held captive, some physically, emotionally enslaved, others as a result of the abject poverty from which the country suffers. 

And this business is growing and evolving.  Back by powerful network of organized crime the clubs are growing not only in number, but in size.  Some hold several hundred girls.  The answer is a holistic approach that includes not only immediate relief, education and economic development, but heart transformation through Jesus Christ.  Our Rahab’s House in Svay Pak, Cambodia has been using this approach for three years, and while we have a long ways to go significant progress has been made.  Learn more on our website: www.agapewebsite.org



An American Pedophile in Svay Pak, Cambodia

I live in Svay Pak, Cambodia, a place where foreign pedophiles come to purchase and sexually abuse little girls every day.  In the past we would confront these men and force them to leave our village.  While this was emotionally gratifying, it really did nothing to stop the abuse of the children.  Recently we have changed our tactic and now try to initiate conversations with these pedophiles in order to obtain information that can be used by law enforcement and NGOs to stop the abuse and torture being inflicted upon dozens of children. 

Last week we were able to record an American pedophile as he negotiated with one of our staff (who he believed was a pimp) to purchase girls between the ages of six and ten in order to sexually abuse them.  Sadly, this audio file represents what happens daily here in Svay Pak.  In addition to the audio file we have a video of this pedophile.  Both files have been given to law enforcement, but a lack of resources have limited any action being taken against this man as he continues to rape and torture little girls.

Please help us by watching the video and listening to the recording (see link below), then share it with everyone you know who will join the fight against child sex trafficking.  The video and audio quality is not as good as we would like; however, if you know this man you might be able to ID him.  Any information we receive about him will be given to law enforcement helping to make up for the resources they lack. 

 http://vimeo.com/30006934