Not Free, Not Rescued, Not Okay!
Hey Friends,
My last BLOG/CHAT started with that humorous and slightly scary image of one much loved hairy "sleeping beauty", but this time I want to share a letter that was received regarding some of the sobering realities of human trafficking. I think we all agree that this is NOT a small issue on the earth, and when we hear alarming stats like "every 30 seconds a person is trafficked", it's tempting to think "the problem is too big, too overwhelming, it's out of control, it takes such effort and finance to rescue "one", so how will justice ever prevail?"
Personally, I don't have all the answers, except to say that when gross injustice and wickedness abound, we need to "abound even more in PRAYER, LOVE, CONCERN and DESIRE to make what is wrong RIGHT!" So read this letter I received from A21 - often times the raw realities and details cannot be shared because it would compromise the safety of those involved, but A21 encouraged me to share this with you, because good things ARE happening.
"I wanted to tell you about our visit to the detention centre, our meeting with my new friend, Grace and all that has happened in just the last two days.
DETENTION CENTRE: Yesterday morning the police called us and told us that they had a 6month old baby in a holding cell with her mum, and that she was in desperate need of nappies. When we arrived at the center I was shocked at the number of girls awaiting deportation, as well as the conditions they were being held in. We saw them crowded together in a terrible, dirty holding cell that smelled horrid - there were about 20 women in total (all victims or potential victims of human trafficking). It was bad enough to know most of these women were forced from one prison (trafficking) into another... but when I saw a baby in this grotesque environment, my heart broke. In fact, there were 4 children in the cell. The police would not let us go in, but instead brought the mother "Laura" out to us. She couldn't have been older than 20 and was holding her 6-month-old daughter. It was heartbreaking to see such a small little life in a place that is not fit for babies. The gratitude we saw written on Laura's face as we gave her nappies, clean clothes, and a croissant with juice is something I cannot describe. She looked at us in disbelief and kept thanking us over and over.
We continue to build relationship and trust with the police there, and when we offered to clean and paint the cell yesterday, the police almost fell out of their chair. This is a very real door of opportunity that has opened for us to reach more victims!
MEETING GRACE: Grace is an amazing girl I met at the prostitute clinic as I sat in the waiting room chatting to different girls that were going in for their regular medical.
Grace became a slave at the age of 19. (We chatted in English so that her madam standing near by could not understand us.) Grace told me that her dream after finishing school was to become a nurse. However, her parents were poor and said that they couldn't afford to pay for her to study, and that she needed to find a job to support them as well as her brothers and sisters. So when the traffickers in her home country told Grace that she should go to Greece, promising her a great job with loads of money, her parents agreed.
Grace desperately wants to get out, but she is scared for her family back home, because the traffickers told her that they will kill her family if she talks to the police. Another very disturbing thing she said is that she is terrified of voodoo magic. She said one of her relatives was killed by voodoo magic. She told us that she was very scared of what might happen to her or her family if she escapes because she said she has taken an oath on behalf of her family, and that if she breaks this oath, bad things would happen to her. She says she knows girls who have gotten out, and then got sick or went mad because of voodoo and breaking their "oath". We are learning that there are so many levels of demonic oppression when it comes to trafficking and it is becoming more evident than ever that PRAYER truly is our greatest weapon.
We got Grace to agree to meet us for coffee this morning. I gave her a copy of Nancy Alcorn's book "Violated". We also explained to her what her legal rights are - and that we can offer her a way out.
Grace was so nervous and seemed on the verge of tears the entire time. She then went on to tell us that she owes her traffickers a great sum of money - a "debt" that she has in fact been trying to pay her traffickers since she first arrived in Greece two years ago - however, even after working 10 hour days for the last two years, she has never seen any of the money she has earned, and is not sure when her "debt" will be paid in full.
Grace could not stay long as she was afraid her traffickers would find out she was meeting us, so we drove her within walking distance of her job to ensure she would not be late and raise suspicion.
We really need to pray that the spirit of fear will break over Grace, that voodoo will not have a hold on her life, and that she will find the courage to escape the nightmare that has become her reality. I am going to stay in touch with Grace and build a relationship/trust, and will let you know the progress on our assistance in her brave journey back in to freedom.
Praying for justice!"
So friends, when we post or Twitter "It's Monday so don't forget to say a prayer..." OR "it's the 21st let's pray or fast something..." OR when we forward other prompters, let's remember there are very real and precious lives at stake. PRAYER is not a lame last response to issues that appear too big. PRAYER is the "spiritual fuel" that somehow empowers the miracles. Crazy doors and strongholds that have existed for years have suddenly opened and changed, and our friends in the fray attribute the breakthroughs to heightened awareness AND PRAYER!
Take this in the right context, but being AWARE of injustice doesn't actually change anything! I can be aware of a family struggling in my neighbourhood, but if I don't pray and ACT, nothing changes. And it's the same with human trafficking. For those who are working on the ground, they want to act and in many cases are positioned to act, but often times are held back because of forces that are spiritual, BUT WHEN WE AS A COLLECTIVE FORCE PRAY, TAKE AUTHORITY, PROCLAIM JESUS NAME, BIND EVIL STRONGHOLDS, ASK/KNOCK/SEEK FOR MIRACULOUS BREAKTHROUGH, SPEAK HIS WORD INTO THE SITUATIONS & INTERCEDE THAT GRACE & FORGIVENESS ETC WILL EXECUTE GOD'S REDEEMING HEART & WILL INTO THE SITUATIONS... then things change and a WAY is made for hope and rescue.
So can I encourage us ALL (myself included) to be intelligent, faith filled believers. Let's live our individual lives openly and honestly and be diligent to whatever and wherever we are planted, but let's also be sensitive and mindful of those in tragic captivity, who often look heavenward to "our God" for help. They are not forgotten, He does not overlook them, His arm is not so short that it cannot save, He is kind and concerned, it disturbs Him as much as it disturbs us (probably more), He gave His only begotten Son to redeem this mess, He is a sovereign all powerful God, but for some wild reason He has chosen to include and empower us (His Church) in the rescue plan. So let's do whatever we can. And if all you can do is PRAY, then please know that prayer is a critical element in the strategy... and eternity will probably bear overwhelming witness to that one day!
You are all amazing, be blessed, be safe, be encouraged and know that you are loved and important. In John 15:16, Jesus says, "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], HE MAY GIVE IT TO YOU".
Bobbie xoxo
[PS: SYDNEY HILLSONG GIRLS: Let's come out in force & pack the Hillsong Convention Centre this Tues 28th July for our SISTERHOOD UNITED NIGHT]
[PSS: Stay connected to prayer updates & praise reports by following the @COLOURsistahood twitter]