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26.6.09

Modern Day Slavery: A Fact Sheet

Please check out the links (Free the Slaves) in the side bar for more information.
  • There are 27 million people enslaved in the world today. And that's a conservative estimate.
  • 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the US each year for the sole purpose of being slaves.
  • Child sex tourism is a popular trade in East Asia, with an estimated 40,000 women and young girls from Burma forced into the sex trade in Thailand each year.
  • Up to 20 million of the 27 million "bonded laborers" - i.e., slaves - are in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
  • In India and Nepal, a slave can be bought and kept for as little as $36, though the average cost is around $90.
  • Contrast that $90 with an average of $1,500/slave in the American South during the height of slavery - you'll see that slavery as an option has become cheaper, easier, and more readily available; therefore the people are considered also "easily disposable."
  • Slavery generates a yearly profit of $13.6 billion a year for the slaveholders.

It's time for a change.

Facts taken from the Free The Slaves Campaign: http://www.freetheslaves.net

25.6.09

An Introduction: The Heart of the Matter

The country of India has been on my heart for a couple of years now. Oddly enough, it was the TV show 'The Amazing Race' that first brought it to mind when they had an episode that featured some of the poverty that runs rampant in the world's largest democracy. Since then, India has come up again and again, at the oddest times. Over the past year (no small thanks to the popular influence of Bollywood in American cinema), India's been popping up more and more.

And then, last week (June 14th), I felt this extremely strong conviction during church that I was somehow meant to go to India. I didn't know what to do - my student loans are high enough to be prohibitive of just taking off and going right after I graduate, so it would be at least five years before I can take that trip on my own. Yet I still felt impressed upon me this strong desire for these people, for this country.

So I started praying. Less than a week later, Stephen Christian, one of the founders of Faceless International, posted a note on his blog (which I checked randomly after a good year of never checking it) announcing Faceless' December trip to India, Dec 26th-Jan 6th. Here it was, here seemed to be God's answer. But I didn't know what to think, I didn't know whether this was really God talking or if I was making a "sign" out of something that wasn't one.

So I sent out messages to a TON of people asking them to prayer for me and got encouraging responses. Monday morning, though, it seemed that reality had hit and I didn't want to do this anymore. The money seemed overwhelming and I didn't know how I could handle fundraising and all that while teaching in the fall.

I still don't know how I'm going to handle it, but this morning, when I woke up, it was with a kind of peace about the money issues. Suddenly $600 by July 31st looked like a much smaller number, though nothing had changed except my heart. The chance to meet victims of Modern Day Slavery, and to be changed by God through this encounter far outweighs any monetary issues. God will provide, and has given me a peace about this.

Thus, my decision. I am applying to be a part of Faceless Int'l's December 26th trip. Your prayers would be coveted, and I will update you guys on whether or not I get accepted. Only 15 people get to go, but I have a feeling that God really wants me to do this. I will let you know. Thanks for bearing with me.