Day 9. More than a statistic.

Last night, I watched a movie about Nicholas Kristof (my favorite NY Times columnist who writes about injustice and atrocities going on in the world) called The Reporter.

In the synopsis of the film it says, "In the summer of 2007, Kristof traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to shine his light into the darkest pockets of conflict and poverty. Nick knows that statistics deaden his readers' interest and compassion. So to get the world to care, he goes in search of individuals whose stories will reflect the country's desperate crisis and mobilize readers worldwide. He journeys through ravaged villages and displacement camps, and makes a harrowing visit to Congo's reigning rebel warlord, General Nkunda, at his jungle hideout."


In the film, someone asked him why can't he report on events that are less devastating. His response was that if it's going on in the world, people should know about it. 


I know that the more I have learned about what is going on in the world, the more my heart has changed. The more stories I have read, the more I want to respond. And then actually seeing injustice with my own eyes on the streets of Pattaya completely wrecked my heart. I am not the same person I was after that experience. After seeing hundreds and hundreds of girls lined up on the streets, waiting for men to come and have sex with them. Waiting to be raped and treated as an object. My heart broke for those girls that I saw and talked with and it continues to break for them. It has made me want to do more, and I'm continuing to pray about what bigger steps I can take to stop this injustice. 

This is a sight that is common place on the streets of Pattaya, Thailand. It was hard to see, but I am thankful for the ways God is working in Pattaya. I continue to pray for transformation. 

The film also talked about not just hearing the statistics and letting them go in one ear and out the other, but actually hearing the stories of people, people who have experienced injustice. Nicholas Kristof said that every life needs to be valued and felt. I desire to make this more of a reality in my life. Where I seek out the stories of people who are hurting, feel their pain, and respond with compassion. I don't know what exactly that looks like, but I am praying for God to show me what he wants me to do with the knowledge that I have been given. 

According to the U.S. State Department's annual reports on trafficking in persons 2005 report, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year, with 14,500 to 17,500 trafficked into the U.S. The report does not provide data on sexual exploitation specifically; the numbers include people trafficked for any sort of forced labor. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/slaves/etc/stats.html)


There's a statistic. Here are some stories of lives affected by this injustice: http://love146.org/slavery
And if you want to read more stories, another book I really recommend is Not For Sale.

Read. Learn more. Ask God how he wants you to respond.