End It

I'm not sure how many of you were aware, but today was the day to show support of End It. End It is a coalition that supports people stuck in slavery; whether that be human trafficking, forced labor, or boded labor. Today was the day to stand against it and say "no more."

As I have walked through my life post-Cambodia, things have been a lot different. I have seen things happening around me that aren't quite right, and have a stronger desire to participate in movements such as this one. I know that simply drawing a red X on my hand for one day in the yearnwon't solve any more issues than the act of sharing a page on Facebook. The real difference is made when people who were previously unaware are made aware. The real difference comes when the 23 students in my class show curiosity about the new body art or when other teachers ask what it's all about. When I'm given a platform to talk to others about real world, close to home issues...things slowly start to change.

One specific moment in Cambodia still sticks with me to this day: I remember sitting in a small room in Svay Pak talking casually with one of AIM's (Agape International Missions) lovely ladies. She was telling a few of us about her day, and it slowly turned into an educational session about sex exploitation. After quite some time of her telling us stories and fun facts (it's weird to call them "fun" facts, but they were so interesting and I can't think of a better term) she came to something that struck a cord with me. She said, "You know, about 60% of the men that come here to buy sex with children are Americans." I'll give you a minute to let that sink in.

Sunk?

Great.

Sixty percent. 60% of men that are buying children for sexual purposes and/or torture are coming from our back yard. They are our neighbors, relatives, coworkers, and business men. Friends, this is a wake up call! This cannot continue on our watch. We have real control over what is happening in places like Cambodia. If we stand together to say "NO MORE" eventually we're going to strike a cord. I remember Don Brewster putting it this way: "We could solve the issue of human trafficking TODAY if we really wanted to. You know how? We could just kill all the men." Obviously, that's not a plausible option. But in all reality, couldn't we just commit ourselves to educating them?

I took this challenge on one day in the most tangible way I knew how:



I wore this shirt all day and all night. I wore it to my nannying job, to the store, I think I even went to the bank...But the real kicker was when I got to volleyball open gym. I got onto this team with 5 grown men and myself, and played with them for about 4 months before the wedding. We got to know each other pretty well, and had a ton of fun playing the game we all loved so much. It was amazing how shocked everyone in the gym looked when I walked in sporting this shirt. Maybe I'm just un-observant, but it usually takes me a while to take in all the logos and punny lines on people's tee shirts. But it honestly felt like the whole gym hushed when I walked in wearing this. One of my teammates even said, "Well if that's not a punch in the gut, I don't know what is." It made people uncomfortable and it made them squirm. But that's exactly what it was meant to do. I wanted people to notice and recognize that what's happening around this world (and even in our own backyard) is not acceptable. I wanted them to ask questions and to be more aware. I think it's safe to say: mission accomplished.

Now it's time to continue this task. Even if you missed February 25, 2016 it's not too late to make a difference, and it's definitely not too late to check out these amazing sites to learn more about the issues. Click on the name of the organization you want to learn more about to be redirected to their home pages.

End It Movement

Agape International Missions

Together, we can end this. Join me.