Something happened to me while I was in Texas…..
.…okay, so this could go a whole bunch of directions…so, let me be more specific:
This last trip to Texas…..last week, affected me - and I’ve been trying to remind myself of this all day…..so I never, ever forget…..
You see, Byron and I (and Barry Leathers - C3 Executive Pastor and his better-half Amanda) went to the annual “Creative Church Conference” at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas. The conference was good…I wasn’t feeling particularly receptive, though…just a little weary, actually……..but, I digress….
Then, on the first night - which was, honestly, feeling a little like a TBN Christmas Special, a petite Australian woman woke me up from my glitter-induced trance……she came crashing right into the middle of my “weariness”…..
Her name is Christine Caine and this is what she said: (for my friends in “google reader”…there’s a video here…you’ll have to come to my blog to see it…sorry for the inconvenience!)
…and it didn’t end there. For a break, the next afternoon, we decided to take in a movie……..“Taken” sounded action-packed. We just didn’t bother to really research the story-line. So, I spent the next few hours - knees up against my chest in a theater, weeping…..and promising myself I didn’t need any more pushing to action……vowing to myself that it didn’t have to be my daughter in order for me to be compelled to help!
Then, Tommy Barnett spoke of his “Dream Centers” and I remembered once more my desire kindled the year before to do something like that……..it was all coming back to me……
On the final night, after a rousing message from Bishop T. D. Jakes…like there ever are any other kind from the Bishop….but, again….I digress…..
Anyway, on the final night - we came in a little later than usual after stopping to grab some burgers….and the lobby was just beginning to jump with activity….so I almost missed her…
I could tell she wanted to remain “unseen”…it’s what actually drew my attention to her. She looked as if she could’ve been meeting friends…going “clubbing”…..but, then again, not really. She was going out as everyone else was coming in….and just didn’t look like a carefree 20-something girl. She would’ve been tiny except for her 4-inch stilettos…..and so pretty….but, her make-up was already worn……….
Something about the way she put her head down and pulled her trench-coat so tightly around her made me look closer……our eyes met…..
She rushed by even more quickly then, not wanting me to examine her………..
It was like a gradual dawning….so that I was weeping on the elevator. She was leaving after her “work” was done.
I said to Byron, simply, “Did you see her?”. He said softly through tightened lips, “Yes” - (wanting to beat some unknown man into the dust). And all I could say was, “That was someones’ daughter….somebody’s little girl……..and someone has just been so, so careless with her……”
It haunted me all night…
…haunts me still.
But, I know I need to do more than just feel bad…..
So, I’ll do for now all I know to do: Research, Raise Awareness, Gather Support, …….and Act….however that is that I can….whatever that ends up looking like.
This is just the beginning of my journey into fighting injustice…..
It’s a huge, huge war.
But, I’ve got to practice what I preach - you know, “LOVE WINS”….remember that? Well, I’ve had enough reminders lately that there are so many out there that have no concept of what love even looks like…..let alone feeling like it’s “winning” for them.
I’m listening….now I’m really listening……
Can you hear them too?
Peace………..please, peace………
Angie,
I have become more aware of this as some of our m’s are working in other countries. My heart breaks for what I hear from them and that is only a little of what is going on around the world. That video was very thought provoking. Thank you for having a heart for others and for sharing your heart. Love you.
when i watched that video, my heart sank. when i read “children as young as four, i felt like i couldn’t breathe and i got a knot in my stomach.
i’m gonna go to the website when i leave here and see how i can help.
thank you for posting this, angie.
…i’m listening.
Wow…Thank you so much for posting this…I don’t even have words after watching that video…
Hey Angie,
Thank you for sharing this. It’s truly heart-breaking.
When we first moved out here, our “new” church was encouraging people to watch the movie “Call + Response” and follow God’s leading in helping eradicate the slave-trade that’s here in the states. (It’s less threatening to focus on problems “over there” than it is to deal with problems in our own back yards! Just look at what you’ve been through with PBC -> C3, and how “comfortable” it was to spend money on “missions” while failing to reach out to the local community in a meaningful way.)
Here are a couple of websites you might want to check out - to help on a much more local level:
http://callandresponse.com/takeaction.html
http://slaverymap.org
I deal with this daily. Not so much the “working” part of it, but the girls here that will do anyting to keep or get a man. They are more concerned with how he will react to the positive lab results she got, the life long “virus” they need to tell him about. They will not leave him even after he treated her like dirt or just took what he wanted, evern when she said NO. I could cry listening to the sexual abuse, physical abuse and drug abuse some of these girls think is normal….?
Thanks to all of you who have taken this to heart…for all of your heart-felt responses. It is my hope that somehow we can turn our desire to effect a change…into real change! Thank you for caring…. Angie
What a powerful post … trapped and sold should never be words that we use to describe the state of woman and child in the world!
Rescue, restore and rebuild should be the goal for all of us!
We are listening … now what do we do for action?
I agree, Gina…and I’m asking the same question! I think I’m going to get some women together, then contact Christine Caine and say, “Hey, I’ve got 60 women ready to do something…..what do we do!?”…….or something like that.
I believe this problem is also very close to home here in O’town….the world comes to Orlando, you know?…I’m also going to research that…..
…and maybe take some martial arts classes, too!
I’m in. This really grips me.
Ang,
You remember the time I interned in DC after college? It was for International Justice Mission…an international human rights agency that fights for justice for the oppressed all over the world. They deal very closely with the issue of human trafficking.
They have ways for churches to get involved and raise awareness.
please check them out:
http://www.ijm.org
I love you! This is such a serious issue!! it’s especially real in border states (like FL).