Human Trafficking

Every week I receive a prayer notice in the mail... I got one last week... I have been meaning to blog about it. So I am going to quickly take the time to share this right now...

Andrea's Story (paraphrased)

"I was sold into sexual slavery by my mother when I was 4. I was born in the United States and sold within its borders. I spent the next 12 years as a slave of a sex-trafficking ring. The ring abducted and purchased tollders (ages up to age 4), children (5-12) and teenages (13-18) from the US and other countries. We were sold mainly to American business men according to these groups as well as a "damage" group. In the damage group, they can hit you or do anything they wanted. Though sex always hurts when you are little, so it's always violent, everything was much more painful once you were placed in the damage group. We were sold in Mexico and through the US, CA, OR, MI, NJ, NM, AZ, CO and every where in between. For a time, 16 of us children and teens were kept in the basement of an upper-middle class home on the West Coast. We were frequently beaten to keep us obedient and afraid. They taught us to play sex roles. I never thought of escaping. There was nowhere for me to go. We're way too damaged to give back to our families. I'm no good. Plus, we had customers that were police and one a child psychologist, so I couldn't talk to a cop or social worker. So who are you going to talk to?"

When I read this my heart broke and I couldn't help but to pray for Andrea - and for others who have been sold in to the sex trade. Its hard to believe that this is happening in our world... this past weekend was slotted to pray for those who have been sold in to Human Trafficking... but I want to encourage you to pray for these people, not just because its the weekend, or the month to do it... but these children need our prayers!

Michelle