Sex: The Trade

Hi ladies. Sorry my posts have been somewhat somber lately. But here we go again. I sort of told you girls already that I've been thinking a lot about the sex trade lately. I had this horrendous dream that I won't get into here about sex trafficking and the industry has been on my mind ever since. Not so much the industry actually; more like the hundreds of thousands of girls being exploited every day. This isn't a new issue to me, but my eyes are open wider than they've ever been toward it. Here's an entry from my journal the other day:

October 6, 2009

I’m having a hard time concentrating today. I know that happens a lot, but today I’m especially distracted by that churning stomach feeling that something’s not right. I can’t get over that dream I had about sex slavery. It’s not that I’m really thinking about the dream, I’m just thinking about trafficking in general. I didn’t think about it for most of the day yesterday. I guess I figured if I didn’t think about it, it would go away. As if a global trauma issue were dependent on my belief as to whether or not it exists. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s my unconscious attempt to not feel passion about something I don’t know how to stop. And how am I to stop it? What is a twenty-year-old Caucasian, poor female supposed to do? I keep asking myself this with the hope that the answer will come: “You’re right, Elisa. Let someone else do it. You can go back to living as you please.” But this simply has not happened. And I don’t believe it will.

A few facts (courtesy of IJM):

• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion (U.N.)
• Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade (UNICEF)
• 1 in 5 women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. (U. N. Development Fund for Women)
• Human trafficking is the world's third largest criminal enterprise, after drugs and weapons. (U.S. Department of State)
  

I'm not sure where all this is headed, but I pray that the Lord would direct me. I've been in touch with a man who's speaking at Urbana on the issue and hope to find some avenues through him. Pray for direction if you think of it. Peace, sisters. I love you all dearly.

-e l i s a