behind the makeup...

Behind the makeup and the smile what is really there?  There are days when I have a smile on face but my heart is heavy.  Proverbs 13:14 assures me that I am not the only one who does this.

We are currently in the midst of a seminar on Aftercare for Survivors of Human Trafficking.  One of the myths about those who are being prostituted is that "they enjoy it or they wouldn't do it".  I cannot imagine anyone who would take delight in being used, violated, and demeaned day after day.  A woman being sexually exploited may be the one smiling and laughing to court her customers but that doesn't mean that she is not torn up and grieving her situation in life.

Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and rejoicing may end in grief. 

Proverbs 13:14

The clown in the photo is standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.  She seemed to be happy.  I sure was happy and absolutely filled with gratitude for each and every moment of our time in Paris.  I didn't ask this street performer if she was genuinely happy.  But, never again will I assume that a smile and a laugh are sign of a joy-filled life.  

May we let go of whatever mask we are wearing...

and may we find wholeness and compassion in Him.

And may those being exploited discover a way of escape

and find safety and comfort in His loving arms.

from righteous anger to action!

Today Tom and I participated in Day 1 of a Three Day seminar on Aftercare for Survivors of Human Trafficking.  Our brains are filled and our hearts are motivated to glean from the expertise of others so that we might be more effective here in Belize.  

We are so grateful for all who feel called to learn and grow and help others as well.  It definitely takes a village working together to provide support and stability to those in need.  Keep us all in your prayers...we have two more long days ahead!!

back to work...

 

We are still traveling after a weekend get away to San Pedro...a city on one of the islands off of Belize called Ambergris Caye.  Right now we are in Orange Walk Town up in the northern part of Belize.  Today begins a week of teacher training all over the country and the Ministry of Education has allowed for the first day to be an Anti-trafficking seminar.  

Please keep all of the teachers who are attending similar sessions across the country of Belize in your prayers.  And pray that they would be a strong line of defense for vulnerable children in their classrooms for years to come. 

behind the veil of the sex industry...

The first film in the Nefarious Documentary Trilogy comes out on DVD May 1st... help spread the word!

Synopsis 

“Modern slavery.” It sounds like a paradox. Hasn’t humanity progressed? Didn’t we leave slavery dead on the battlefields of the American Civil War? Didn’t social reformers like Lincoln and Wilberforce legislate against such cruelty over a hundred years ago? So we had thought. But, with over 27 million enslaved people in the world, human trafficking is once again the battlefront of the century.

Regardless of nationality, victims are systematically stripped of their identity, battered into gruesome submission, and made to perform humiliating sexual acts on up to 40 strangers every night. Most are held in dingy apartments and brothels, forced to take heavy doses of illegal drugs, and monitored very closely. Victims are often thrown into such ghastly oppression at 13 years old. Some are abducted outright, while others are lured out of poverty, romantically seduced, or sold by their families.

Nefarious, Merchant of Souls, is a hard-hitting documentary that exposes the disturbing trends in modern sex slavery. From the very first scene, Nefarious ushers you into the nightmare of sex slavery that hundreds of thousands experience daily. You’ll see where slaves are sold (often in developed, affluent countries), where they work, and where they are confined. You’ll hear first-hand interviews with real victims and traffickers, along with expert analysis from international humanitarian leaders.

From initial recruitment to victim liberation—and everything in between—the previously veiled underworld of sex slavery is uncovered in the groundbreaking, tell-all Nefarious, Merchant of Souls.