I am disturbed and after nearly four and a half years here I thought I would be difficult to disturb by now.
A friend from my home church in Australia is currently here investigating opportunities to develop a vocational training centre for victims of trafficking. Today she and her husband were telling us of one lady they met.
A Vietnamese woman who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War has come to Cambodia to join her sister who fled here with many others. She is now working to establish schools, churches and opportunities for these illegal immigrants despised by the local Khmer people.
Without papers that would enable them to either return to Vietnam or work here in Cambodia, 100% of the young girls in one community are being trafficked into prostitution. 100%.
Prevention is the key. But how? At 12, these girls are young – too young to be working. Options and ideas are rolling around in my head, making sleep difficult. Maybe the key is to work with the parents…
In writing this blog, I was reminded of the verse that says our God does not sleep nor slumber. I was intending to end on some witty comment like “Now I know why”. However, I went searching and found it in Psalm 121. I think the entire song is worth sharing.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills –
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip –
He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you –
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm –
He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forever more.”
As always, the key is Jesus. The key is for people to come to a saving faith in this God who never sleeps to watch over us. The key is to walk with Him, discovering His faithfulness through the trials of life and to discover His purpose for our lives.
This life purpose is never to be the receptacle of another person’s lust so that the family can afford to eat, but it might include leaving behind our insatiable desires for family closeness, familiar food and financial security to share with others about the love of our insomniac God.
Anyone??
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2 comments:
Thank you Lisa, for the once-again reminder of what is real. And that the things that keep us awake until 2:27am are mere trifles compared with the enormity of young lives stolen by predators. Bless you for your heart and your compassion - and that of your friend.
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