A saw a man named Gary Haugen speak one time and I’ll never forget it.
Gary quit his job as an attorney for the US Department of Justice when he realized that perhaps there was no one out there taking the risk of rescuing innocent children enslaved in the sex trade. He created an organization called International Justice Mission and began traveling across the globe, getting in good with scary dudes with guns who guard prostitute compounds. Once his team felt they could slyly breach a compound, they’d rescue as many girls as possible in the middle of the night without getting shot to death. His wife’s main request was that he be home every weekend, sitting at the dining table, ready for a normal dinner with his family.
After hearing his story, I had to know more. I read his book called Terrify No More. The subtitle is Young girls held captive and the daring undercover operation to win their freedom. It was daunting.
You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may terrify no more.
Psalm 10:18
One of the main places in the world that is highlighted in the book is Svay Pak, Cambodia. To give you some insight into this place, here is just a small excerpt about Svay Pak from Wikipedia:
Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission (IJM) wrote that in 2000, Svay Pak was a lawless village where “tiny, elementary-school-age girls” were prostituted to the public in broad daylight. One or more girls shared individual 6-by-8-foot cubicles where they served Western child-sex tourists. In 2002, child prostitution was bustling in Svay Pak, driven by child sex tourism from the Western world after child prostitution in Thailand was cracked-down upon. The Daily Telegraph supposed that any sex tourists in Svay Pak were there for the children, for if “a man wants an older girl then there are plenty on offer in the brothels and bars of Phnom Penh.” The majority of the children were overseas Vietnamese, sold into prostitution by destitute families. Between the ages of six and 13, girls’ virginity was sold for “hundreds of dollars”; prostituted repeatedly, the price diminished until reaching a low of GB£3 or US$4.84. At the turn of the 21st century, clients of child prostitution in Svay Pak expressed little fear of authorities because the police were compensated by the brothels; foreigners were only arrested if “a bribe is missed, or an example needs to be made of someone”. In 2003, Svay Pak saw up to 50 clients per night for child prostitution.
I learned that there are centers in many countries that are set up for rescued girls from the trafficking industry. While part of me would like to be a spy/rescuer for IJM, another part of me would like to spend my days telling these girls how valuable they are so they can relearn what love is.
After reading the book, I watched a documentary called The Pink Room about the whole thing. It’s both disgusting and inspirational. Here’s the link to the trailer. Whether you’re squeamish or not, you should see the entire film (available on Amazon Prime) so that you know how other people are being forced to live in the world so that you can make a difference in some way.
Know, too, that trafficking isn’t just something happening elsewhere. It is right under our noses. I know a woman – a white, American woman – who grew up being sold by her stepfather to all of his buddies. You might be surprised to see where it is most prevalent. Washington, DC, Nevada, Delaware, Nebraska, and California rank highest in human trafficking rates in the United States. To see where your state is in the list, go here.
I’ve always hoped that my next profession someday will happen either on the Africa Mercy Ship or with International Justice Mission.
