Lakshmi

In light of some new information that has recently come our way, we have made corrections and updates to this story.

From the Heart of Our President:

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Several years ago in India, I met a Nepali girl named Lakshmi. I was speaking to the leaders of her safehouse, reinforcing their brilliant and powerful dream of lifting tiny lives to dignity and wholeness, urging them to persist against incredible odds. They dreamed big for their land. Lakshmi was their first rescue from sexual slavery. She cowered in the corner, twitching and acting out bizarre behavior while I spoke. Having grown up in that culture, I knew their world, and I watched her from the corner of my eye. When I looked away from her, she stopped twitching and acted normal and attentive, shaking her head at the appropriate times—obviously understanding even the English—and acting “smart.” When I’d look at her, she’d twitch again. Smart girl! She’d learned that acting weird made customers leave her alone and helped her avoid abuse. When I saw her body language go from dead to alive and alert, I knew there was a thriver hiding in the wreckage. Beneath the brokenness was a very alert mind and a survival instinct.

Sold by a family member, she had been taken from her homeland and trafficked to India. Abused repeatedly in a particularly vicious ceremony, she had a vehement fear of blood. We learned not to speak of “the blood of Christ.” Instead, we talked about the Lamb of God. She was fascinated with a God who loved her, stood in her stead and protected her from wrath. She had only ever known wrath. As she came alive, her relentless drive to share this God of love with others also came alive.

Yet I also saw in her a grieving mommy. Soon after coming to India she had given birth to a son, then was sold to a faraway brothel while he was still quite young and had never seen him again. Though now flourishing, she was desperately lonely for her baby. The day I met her and saw her hollow eyes and broken mommy heart, I took Lakshmi on in my own heart. She knew I saw the mommy in her—something no one else in her life had seen. I bought her all the beads the market held, and we paid her to make baby bracelets in her son’s memory. Though she longed to find him and prayed for him daily, she eventually found peace in knowing that God was taking care of him.

Her longing for her son grew into a deep desire that others come to know the SON. She used to go back to the red light districts to share her testimony of the God Who Changes Lives. After a few years, she decided to visit her family in Nepal to reconnect with them, forgive them, and share the gospel. Her sister chose to believe!

On the day she was to return to India, she did not show up. Her family said she had died in her sleep. We sent a local non-profit to investigate and discovered that the police were also investigating. Her death was fraught with shadows and lies. All we know is this: she arrived in the village, professed that she no longer served a god that dripped blood, and declared the Lamb of God. She ended up dead. My partners grieved and held a memorial service, planting a tree in her memory in their garden.

We later found out that Lakshmi had shared the gospel to the very end of her life. She chose to live the last days of her life sharing Jesus with those who sold her: her own family, whom she chose to forgive. When she knew she was about to die, she sold all her jewelry and used the money to buy samosas and sweets for the village children. The next day, in unspeakable pain, she lay down on her bed and, with her Bible on her chest, passed away into glory.

I carry in my Bible a picture Lakshmi gave me of her dressed as a bride on the day she declared she was now a Daughter of the True and Living God. Safehouse staff had given her a brilliant red wedding sari, wedding makeup, jewelry, and a full party. She was so proud of her status as a Daughter of this God of Refuge. The village spoke of the fact that she would not back down on this God! It makes me wonder what really happened. God knows. Whatever happened, her death was not in vain. Those in her village saw how Lakshmi lived out her life and they, too, wanted to know the One who helped her to forgive. In a neighboring village, known for its traffickers, there had been a dormant church. Because of Lakshmi’s choice to live her last days sharing the gospel, this church is now growing in number, with members actively sharing their faith.

I want a portion of the memorial garden slated for the front and side of our headquarters to be named the Lakshmi Memorial. We have 2000 patio tiles that make up the garden. We will raise $100 dollars per tile to finish the memorial garden in her name: a forever reminder of a Daughter of the King who died trying to tell others of the Lamb of God and the greatest rescue of all.

lakshmi-2The Memorial Garden will have a dozen stations where you can stop, meditate, pray, and reflect on the sorrow and JOY we address as the Family of WAR, Int’l. In honor of Lakshmi’s beloved son, there will be one stop in memory of children ripped from their moms, the Sweeties of life. Your gift will help make this place of healing, reflection, and memory a reality. On a wall at Headquarters, there will be a Tree of Life with the donors’ names on leaves. It is fitting that Lakshmi in Indian lore is always connected to the Lotus flower that grows in muddy water rising to bloom above the darkness. Life began in a Garden (Eden), was restored in a Garden (Gethsemane), and will be returned to a Garden (the Garden City of Heaven).

Donate to Lakshmi’s Memorial Garden

Good News for the State of MI

 

On March 2, legislation was approved by the Michigan House, forcing many public places to begin posting human trafficking notices. This effort is designed to help fight the 32 billion dollar industry currently flourishing here in the United States. The legislation was passed 95 to eight, proving that this bipartisan bill was widely accepted by legislators and advocates alike.

This new law will require notices in places like state rest stops, public transportation venues, strip clubs, and airports, among many other places. Businesses that refuse to comply with this new standard will be fined 250 dollars a year after their first notice. The fine could reach up to 500 dollars after the third notice.

The proposed legislation comes shortly after Shared Hope International released their Protected Innocence Challenge results from 2015 stating that Michigan as a whole went from an F to a B grade in how trafficking cases are handled.

Advocates of the legislation have argued this could lead to more arrests in the long run, while helping victims feel more comfortable to speak out about their abuse. Ultimately, the hope is that this will be a low-cost way to educate the community on the issue of human trafficking, provide the help victims require, and prevent the start of other trafficking cases in the state. This bill encourages Civilian First Responders to keep an eye out for trafficking situations in their own backyards.

A volunteer at WAR, Int’l has also worked hard to make it easier for victims to receive help. Creating what she calls the “Unbound Project,” she is in the process of sending tear-off cards with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number on them into local businesses – right here in West Michigan. We get so excited to see volunteers finding creative and unique ways to reach out to those in need in our community!

We are very thankful for the advocates and legislators who made this bill a reality, forcing others to join the fight against human trafficking for the betterment of our communities. We pray this would be an opportunity to raise awareness, while providing the resources victims need to get back on their feet after abuse. Our goal at WAR, Int’l is to see lives restored with dignity and hope. We believe this legislation is one more step in the right direction to do just that.

No one came looking because I never went missing

“No one came looking because I never went missing” – Jen Spry

Human trafficking is real and ever-present, right here in our own backyards. Across the country, little girls just like Jen Spry, whose story is featured in the video below, are trafficked by predatory adults. We want to thank Jen for telling her story, and for being willing to unveil the secrets of her past to save even just one child from this injustice. Just like Jen says in this video, it’s time for the church to stand against this issue. Shared Hope International has developed a Faith-In-Action kit, educating church leaders and members to identify the signs of human trafficking, while understanding the necessary steps that need to be taken if a child is being abused. You can join this effort by clicking here.

The Faith-In-Action kit includes the Chosen PLUS educational DVD, targeted, practical discussion and study tools for men, women and children, a “Resource Guide for Men” to break the chains of addiction, sermon notes for pastoral staff, facts about trafficking, a how-to-respond guide, and a 30-day prayer guide.

As you listen to Jen’s story, we pray you’ll be encouraged to fight for the children within your circle of influence, and begin thinking about what you can do to be a voice for the voiceless. She was trafficked by a neighbor – not even a mile from her home. It is our job as neighbors, friends, guardians, parents, family members, coaches and teachers to know the signs of abuse so we can create circles of protection around those we come in contact with.

Our desire at WAR, Int’l is to step into risk issues just like human trafficking – to lift women to lives of dignity and worth after abuse and exploitation. If you are not sure where to begin when it comes to joining the fight against this injustice, consider attending one of our Civilian First Responder conferences. At these training days, we cover the basics of human trafficking, how to identify a victim, how to get involved, and how to report what you see. Join us as we seek to educate the public on why becoming a safe haven for the vulnerable is the key to combatting this issue right here at home.

Touchdowns and Trafficking

February is known for many things: Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, the beginning of Mardi Gras, and even Groundhog Day. But, maybe one of the most iconic “holidays” in February has become Super Bowl Sunday. Football fans everywhere look forward to this celebration of a true American game, finger foods, and the best commercials we see all year.

There are many misconceptions around the increase of human trafficking with this particular event in our nation. Regardless of whether or not human trafficking actually increases around the Super Bowl, this event is a rare opportunity for abolitionists everywhere to take a stand against sexual exploitation.

This year, the Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The state as a whole received a D on their Shared Hope Protected Innocence Report Card in 2015. However, California has also begun implementing significant laws to combat trafficking and will continue to do so this year.

In San Diego County alone, there are up to 11,700 women and girls trafficked each year, with fewer than 25 beds available for survivors. WAR, Int’l is pleased to partner with a safehouse in San Diego which is making a difference through long-term housing and a holistic restoration program for women coming out of a trafficking situation. This safehouse will be expanding its capacity over the next few years to be able to provide hope and healing to even more survivors.

As Super Bowl 50 nears, we encourage you to speak out against trafficking in your own community. The S.O.A.P. Project, a partner of WAR, Int’l, will be at the Super Bowl, monitoring an online website where sex is sold and reaching out to hotels with bars of soap labeled with the human trafficking hotline. Please pray for the team. This kind of outreach is not easy, and we would love to see our country rally around them in prayer during this time.

As we look to the Super Bowl in anticipation, hoping our favorite team shows up to play well, we hope you’ll take the time to pray for those who may be in trafficking situations. There’s no doubt that traffickers loom at large events – there are plenty of statistics, news stories and personal testimonies to prove that. Whether the number of trafficking victims increases drastically or minimally during the Super Bowl is almost completely irrelevant. The point is that many different events, especially large events like the Super Bowl, attract predatory men and women seeking financial gain from the coercion and enslavement of another human being.

While the Super Bowl is a fun event, it also serves as a reminder of the grim reality of human trafficking. With knowledge comes responsibility and a duty to educate both ourselves and others. We hope you’ll use this event and this month to shine a light on trafficking.

If you would like information on how to help survivors and fight trafficking through WAR, Int’l, click here.

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

For the last few years, January has been named National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In fact, the President released a statement earlier this month, calling upon, “Businesses, national and community organizations, families, and all Americans to recognize the vital role we can play in ending all forms of slavery and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.”

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Here at WAR, Int’l, we observe National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month every month. You see, trafficking doesn’t sleep. Oppression reigns around the world, where the innocence of another is stolen every 30 seconds. For 10 years, we’ve been asking ourselves this question: How many is too many? We believe that answer is one.

This month, more than ever, we deeply desire our communities to rise up against injustice. We’re asking you to come out of your comfort zone to bring hope to the hopeless; to be a voice to the voiceless.

We want to give you a few suggestions on how to join the movement this January:

  1. Give up your weekly Starbucks. Many of us absolutely love our coffee. But, have you ever considered giving what you would have spent on coffee to an organization fighting human trafficking? The reality is that children as young as five years old are harvesting coffee beans on plantations all around the world for little to no pay. This is what we call labor trafficking. We invite you to give up coffee for the rest of January and donate your savings to Women At Risk, Int’l. If you’re interested in this opportunity, please click here.
  2. Pledge to tell five of your friends about the dangers of human trafficking. In any of its forms, trafficking easily engrains itself into our communities. Share this issue with those closest to you to raise awareness!
  3. Pray. We know that sounds so simple, but prayer is the only way we will end human trafficking. Think about it: We can fundraise and we can build safehouses, but if there’s no heart-change, we’ve done very little to break the cycle.

If you are interested in sounding a battle cry with us this month to rescue those trapped in the bondage of slavery, we invite you to visit our Get Involved page here. We have practical tools to help you take your first (or next) steps in ending human trafficking.

Please join us in this fight, and know that while one month may bring light to this tragedy, at-risk women all over the world suffer, sometimes for years, before rescue. What can you give up this month to bless a woman in need? Through your time, talent and treasure, we can fight exploitation together.
While it breaks our hearts that we even need a month here in the United States to recognize that trafficking exists, we understand the importance of raising awareness, and we applaud our government for declaring this month one for reflection and justice.

Join us today and spread the word this month!