Over My Head and NOT Drowning! (Gurgle)

10/20/23

Hi Angel!

Have you done anything different this week? If so, how’d it go?

Would you participate in something like this – our group is having a ‘plawking event’ this weekend to raise awareness about child trafficking.

Do you know what ‘plawking’ is?? Picking up litter while walking, so we’ll be cleaning up a local park while raising funds for WAR International, too. It’s our first time doing anything like this so we’ll see how it goes. 

Took an online ‘master’ class for speaking through Speak Up!. It’s been extremely helpful and the facilitators create a nurturing, faith based environment so no matter where you’re at on this journey, you don’t feel as if you’re less than those who are more advanced. Over my head (and drowning at times :)) but the others’ patience and encouragement helped me get and keep my head above water (most of the time!:)). (Gurgle) 

Finished the class with a pretty good talk for future events10/20/23.

I had posted the opening paragraphs I had intended to use, as a second choice, a couple of weeks ago because a friend said she thought my first introduction would be a bit too much for some. But the facilitators liked the original and had good suggestions on how to improve it, so here’s the new intro . . . 

Hello Good People! Thank you for being here!    

First, a warning that some of what will be mentioned could cause triggers for some but it gets better, I promise.

Have you ever thought about one of the worst things a child could endure? Very early in life I survived unthinkable evil ~ and it was initiated by what most would assume is an unexpected perpetrator ~ family.  

I have a hard story to share with you today and my prayer is that it will help you to become a better advocate for those who need your help. 

Imagine this happening to eight year old You: A pretty lady is walking towards you with a puppy. She seems so nice. And even though you’ve been told to avoid strangers and you don’t remember her, she knows your name so you think she must be a family friend. You eagerly ask to pet her dog.

But then the unthinkable happens . . . 

Someone rushes at you from behind, grabs you and tosses you into a waiting van. The door slams shut and you’re raced towards places your worst nightmares never prepared you for.

And in all your desperation, you always know your beloved mommy and daddy are doing all they can to rescue you.

That’s what most people think child sex trafficking is. 

Another scenario is . . .

You’re four years old and already being sexually abused when one day you’re taken to your daddy’s best friend’s house. Into the basement you descend. There’s a crowd of restless males, and a camera on a tripod. You’re led to a staging area . . .  and forced to perform with males while others are hooting and hollering and yelling derogatory comments at you. 

When your ‘duties’ are done you’re traumatized and covered in seemingly irrevocable slimy shame when it’s time to go home. 

There, you’re told you’re stupid, can’t do anything right, and to keep your mouth shut about what’s happening to you.

Later that day you sit down to dinner with the family, say your prayer as a united group, then sup with these same people who you have to trust in order to survive. 

Later that week when you go to church people think you’re the problem in this swell family. After all, the wonderful parents bring the whole family to church regularly and the father is on several committees and knows how to make people laugh. 

Meanwhile, you’re the one who’s acting out, or is shut down, acting younger than your age, or whiney and clingy, and you’re frequently sick.

Many people think the first scenario is typical child trafficking when in reality, that happens less than 10% of the time.

As illustrated in second nightmare, the number one perpetrator of child sex trafficking is family, and that scenario is based on a few of my own experiences of being a survivor. 

Unlike even just twenty years ago, I truly believe that now-a-days many people are choosing to become aware of the child sex trade, and most truly do want to do something about it. 

Proverbs 16:1 says: “The preparations of the heart belong to people, but the answer of the tongue is from God,”

My purpose is to help you better understand what child sexual slavery really looks like, how it effects a child and who the adult survivor becomes, as well as to give some suggestions about how you could be a mortal angel for a survivor. That way if you’re ever confronted with the reality of this evil, my prayer is that this presentation will help you be prepared to take action in empathy while listening to what God will be asking you to do or say at that time. 

That’s it for this week ~ looking forward to meeting with you again! In the meantime, I looked up songs about hope when feeling overwhelmed and this one came up first. I love it, have already posted a couple versions of it but never a karaoke! Let’s sing our hearts out to “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey a time or two and see what happens, shall we? 🙂 (Thank God no one will hear ‘cept God and the critters!:)) Hey! Maybe the singing will cause the mice to find other housing???