The last time I began to blog regularly I had gotten fired from my job. I needed to write my thoughts to get it all sorted out. I was walking my dogs this morning with a broken heart and I realized I should open my blog and type a bit. I think it may help.
I have been reading stories about human trafficking since the early 90’s. I am a firm supporter of International Justice Mission (IJM) and tried to keep up with the latest news from those working in the field. Lately, the news about human trafficking has escalated exponentially and I went to hear a young woman in her late twenties speak about her 2 years being trafficked from ages 8 to 10. She would get off the school bus and immediately go to the park near her apartment. Her mother was at work. One day a man moved into an apartment near the park and began to groom her to deliver sexual favors to clients.
What I was hearing and reading was overwhelming. I wanted to do something about it. That is when my sister, who is a church secretary, sent me an e-mail she thought I’d be interested in. The person wanted to bring a sex-trafficking prevention program to teen and elementary-aged girls in our county. My sister was right. I was very interested. I made contact right away and became part of a 5-woman team to set up a Born 2 Fly prevention program in our country.
This was the beginning…
Dschondog's Blog 
Heartbreaking to read but eager to hear rest of story.
It’s been a long time since we communicated. I am glad to have you along.
My heart is hurting already as I start at the beginning with you. Thank you for blogging. I think this is going to be something that needs to be heard. Blessings.
I’m glad you are willing to read along. I will appreciate your feedback.
Life has taken some stunning turns. I think of you each time I pass your area and pray.
A.
Life has taken some stunning turns. I think of you each time I pass your area and pray.
A.
Thank,you, A! Praying that the stunning turns were good ones! 🙂
This is absolutely important~ child grooming and sexual exploitation is more common than people realize. Churches and clubs and schools are unknowingly filled with it and the people most often guilty are people who are close friends or family. I have seen it begin in our community to children a few years old and then heard that it has continued for more than ten years. The children are often too frightened to tell anyone, they often want to die, they are afraid if they mention it to anyone then their little sisters or brothers will also be hurt. The abuse often includes videoing/ and pornography sales. It can happen to your toddler. I have heard that the rapist will put a tampon in the child/baby with the string cut off and take it out as the next opportunity arises, The children are told no one will understand if they tell someone and that their family won’t love them anymore. Fear and pain and torment follow these children~ many come from loving, secure homes where the pedaphile has simply won the family’s affection because they have no idea about the evil he or she plans and does. They are charmers and they will pull your children secretly away from planned sleepovers who have no idea that their friend out of fear will leave the house once everyone is asleep and meet with the tormentors where perhaps others will also be there to rape and hurt your child. And out of fear and shame.. the child will tell no one. They will return quietly in the early hours and no one will know.
The Child will one day go on with life and all this pain and any memory of their youth will somehow be forgotten. And then one day, perhaps ten, twenty, or thirty years later something will trigger a memory and the pain and torment will begin all over again, PTSD at its worst and they think no one will understand.
This is happening more often than you know. The children know and keep quiet. They grow up and may never tell anyone out of shame and fear.
We need to have something in place to protect our children and then for those who are so mercilessly hurt we need to be there to offer support and healing.
Our nation is filled with marvelous people but it is the evil charmer who slides in as a wolf in sheep’s clothing that we need real discernment against. Our courts must uphold protection for children and for men and women who are exploited.
We had a pornography scandal in our small community many years ago and the hundreds of children scarred from it continue to ache and fight to find hope and a way through the terrors of each day and every night.
I see these young lives in our community or through Facebook as they have moved on. They are brave ones, courageous ones, taking each day the best they can, some with a deep faith in God, who seemed to be the only One they believed could ever still love them. Some have families of their own, some go it alone looking for someone to trust. All need our understanding and compassion and confidence that they are not the guilty one, that shame need not clothe them, that they are loved and precious to us and to our Heavenly Father.
Families need to know to protect their beloveds. Be careful who you trust, know what your children are doing, where they are and do not be afraid to check everything out. Watch people closely that have contact with your children. They will even just look at your child a certain way as a sign that it is time to meet them in the hidden stairwell, or else. The child out of fear will comply. They will hate it and have trouble forgiving themselves for not telling anyone.
In our community children were raped in school washrooms, after hours in the furnace room of the church or school if the evil ones had keys, at a friend’s home around a corner somewhere, in your own home when you are busy… they can pretend to be holy and say all the right things, sing and pray and give great sermons or they can just be ugly sinister people; they can be men and women and force their own children into sexual exploitation with your child, by them, the tormentor….they can be your best friend or family member.
The children may show detachment signs and may also try to be the perfect kid so no one will know the horrors of what goes on behind closed doors.
Be careful. be watchful. and may God’s presence be felt in everyway for these precious ones.
I am continually in prayer….I have many young adults coming for prayer and encouragement and healing. I am honoured that they come to me; my heart is broken that they have to.
Father have mercy on our nations~ may your Light despel the darkness and bring great healing.
Oh, yes, Susan, this IS how it is. You detail it so very well. The sentence, “Families need to know to protect their beloveds.” is where I am right now. Teaching the children these past 2 weeks did not yield what I had hoped. We must partner with families so adults can continue the discussions we begin at home, but having the children was enlightening. Almost half could not draw a picture of anyone in their lives whom they would trust to tell if someone violated them! When this is the case, the violations are easy. Thank you so much for your wise, thoughtful, compassionate comments.
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