The impression that I got when I first walked in and choked down the cloud of cigarette smoke that was the air of her apartment, was that she could not have gotten much if any training in domestic matters. Everything was disorganized, dirty, cluttered and stunk of cigarette smoke. Katelyn offered to tackle the pile of laundry both dirty and clean that Davika wanted folded and put into a large trunk. I tackled the kitchen.
In this process of tidying up, Davika conversed with both of us. She had a lot to say, most of the time it was just chatter about clothes and this and that, but at one point she brought up the color of her East Indian skin and how she feels weird dressing the way she does and wonders what other people think of how she dresses. She has a style that she likes, but it isn’t typical of how traditional East Indian’s dress, so that makes her feel awkward.
She asked our opinion… Without a pause God lead me to speak to her heart about how she is a daughter of God and how He made her exactly how he wanted to, and that He will always think that she is beautiful no matter what other people think. I told her that she is beautiful and that she didn’t need to be ashamed of her ethnicity and how she liked to dress; those things don’t need to be important.
She was stunned. She was quiet for just a little bit and then responded saying that she had never thought of that and that she liked thinking about her self like that.
So, here is a precious daughter of God, who can’t organize and doesn’t care to keep things clean and tidy, but I hope and pray that what I was able to speak into her life has some sort of lasting impression and that she carries those thoughts of God with her wherever she goes. Self worth is so important. God wants us to love ourselves; we are His temple, and as such need to be happy with the way that He as made us. I only wish that I could have said that to everyone down there! I can’t imagine how sad it must make him to see His beautiful creations living such evil and dirty lives of bondage.
I feel that this moment was impactful for me because God has used me to speak into people’s lives before, and I LOVE getting to be used by Him to bring joy and peace and comfort to people. I hope and pray that God will use me like this more and more, as I develop the gifts and talents that He has given me.
With this in mind, the thing that I struggled with overall was the discussion we had with Jeff Baergen about the brothels, and their underage occupants. He told us that because the people inside are never let out, no one can get in there with a warrant because there isn't enough "evidence" to get one. That makes me sick! I wasn't sure if I should cry, or throw up, or both... I know that it hit the other members of my group with viscous impact, but for me, and Jason, it had to have seemed more personal. We have two beautiful precious daughters at home who I can't IMAGINE ever being part of that kind of situation. How is it that these poor 9 and 10 year old girls (and boys) can be born into THAT kind of situation. It makes me so angry livid! Can you imagine? So then he asked us the question... how are we supposed to love that pimp? Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves... so how are we to love that PIMP??!! Can you do it? So, we were walking down the street handing out bread and pastries to the homeless and see a beautiful motorcycle sitting at the edge of the street. My first thought was wow, that guys is pretty brave to leave that sitting out here on Hastings Street... Then I thought for a moment more, "you know, I bet people would get killed if they touched that bike..." You know where people that frequent Hastings Street get their money from, right? They get it from the blood, sweat and tears of little children that they put out for abuse! Seriously, if I could have a "puke-on-demand" ability I may have walked past a certain motorcycle and activated it. So we continue walking... then we turn around and guess what we hear? A motorcycle start up. he hooks a U-ey in the middle of Hastings and heads towards the stop light. That short, husky, clean shaven, man, in his mid forties, rides up and stops in the line of cars right next to where we were handing out bread. This self-centered, psychopath who must have a heart of lead, was just sitting there with a big smile on his face enjoying the sunshine just like the rest of us.
I can't believe what sin has done to the world and to people that they can treat other people worse than animals. How is it "fair" that people can be born into bondage that they have no control over? How is it that a mum can pimp out her own daughter at 7 years old to get money for her crack habit? How is it that another mum or dad can sell a daughter into prostitution for a supply of heroin? And how is it that a pimp can take a 9-year-old girl and "train" her for her new occupation. $600 a "trick," that is what sick, good-for-nothing, slime-balls will pay for time with a ten-year-old. But when you reach 13/14 you aren't worth that anymore. Your human value is similar to that of a car lot. New, unscratched, $600/trick, but once you have a few miles on you, it's $300/hr. Somewhere in there, they all start using drugs to ease the pain and make life bearable. When these poor girls hit eighteen, they are kicked out of the brothel to the streets, heavily addicted to heroin or crack with a street "value" of about $20/hr. They live each day, performing to supply their drug habit.
God, show us how to reach these oppressed brothel children! How can we rescue them, if the laws that are in place to protect people, actually do more to protect pimps? How do we walk down the street okay with that? How do we live each day knowing that each night these things are happening in our world? These poor children are victims of Sodom and Gomorrah. And I know that things will only get worse until the day comes when Christ can set all the captives free.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
-(Luke 4:18-19 ESV)
...learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.
-(Isaiah 1:17 ESV)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
-(James 1:27 ESV)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
-(Luke 4:18-19 ESV)
...learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.
-(Isaiah 1:17 ESV)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
-(James 1:27 ESV)
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