Innocence Lost

I'm having a hard time just jumping into human trafficking, so I'm going to attempt to break it into peices. It's a huge issue, but here is some relevant info regarding human trafficking in the Nebraska/Omaha metro area.

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The FBI started a project in 2003 called "Innocence Lost" in order to find out and address the growing problems of the sex trafficking in the United States. Starting with 14 task forces in cities with the most reports of child prostitution, it has grown to currently 39.

There is now one in Omaha.

The Omaha FBI Innocence Lost Task Force has been in operation for about a year. It investigates sex trafficking in the area.

Weysan Dun, Special Agent of the FBI for the Innocence Lost Project in Nebraska said, “Since its establishment in January 2010, the FBI in Nebraska has recovered six underage children in twelve months. Some of the Nebraska children were found as far as the east coast”.

Tom Casady, Lincoln Public Safety Director noted that, “Half of female run a ways in Lincoln end up in the sex industry. Lincoln had 298 missing persons reported in 2010 -http://nebraskafamilycouncil.org/media/IPN.10-11.2011.HumanTrafficking.pdf

THERE IS TRAFFICKING HAPPENING IN NEBRASKA.

Here's one true story. Feb 2011 -- COUNCIL BLUFFS! A brothel was busted. The FBI was handling the case. The brothel was a *house* in a *residential area*. They targeted girls as young as 15. The pimp (or madam) was a woman. Her husband was there also, and their nephew played the part of the charming, good looking guy who would prowl around at high school football games in order to get vulnerable girls to come hang out at his house 'for fun' before being forced against their will to be sex slaves.

I heard an FBI agent talk about this case last month. The agent shared about many other things that they are doing in the area--it was very eyeopening and they are really doing everything they can to rescue these girls, but we as Nebraskan citizens and Americans need to become educated on this topic in order to be aware of what is going on! Being aware of the issues is a very obvious and beneficial way that we can help our local law enforcement and America as a whole, no matter what issue we are talking about here [I say this being also conscious of that fact that there are many issues I am not informed about. We all need to start somewhere. Let us not be apathetic!]. It's easy to point fingers at the traffickers, or to the prostitutes, or the men soliciting sex. Ignoring the problem only makes it worse. We are all broken people and the root of our sin is boiled down to our separation from God. Because of His grace, we need to stand up and stand in the gap for the children of God who need help.

-----As of Dec. 31, 2010, there were 85,820 active missing persons in America.
-----38,505 (44.9%) are minors.
-----289 of them were from Lincoln alone
---------->Where are these people??

source

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Please pray for the Innocence Lost task force in Nebraska, for the safety of the agents and their families, as well as the girls they are trying to rescue. Also pray for justice to be served to the traffickers.
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Here are a few more articles about that case:
http://www.kcci.com/r/26788047/detail.html
http://www.ketv.com/mostpopular/26773902/detail.html
http://www.ketv.com/news/26781693/detail.html

Prayers Needed!

My jubilation in having official plans has been dampened by further news about the flood situation.

Please pray for all of those without homes!!!

Things are very bad in Bangkok right now. My Aunt's sister, Kiel, is from Bangkok--her entire home is underwater. She could take nothing with her. She lost everything she has and is currently living at a safe home. Please pray for her. I have other relatives farther North who are very worried, but I don't know details on their situation. I will update you if I hear...

Also, I would ask for prayers for a friend of mine, his name is John (he has been my Thai tutor--and what a blessing he has been!). His family is currently unaffected, they have moved all of their things upstairs and are prepared to evacuate if needed, but the water is still moving. Pray for them!

And pray for the strengthening and further unification of the Thai Christians--that through this crisis, the Christian Church would be a place of safety, refuge and peace. That they would point many to Christ.

Thanks.

Let us live by faith

Yesterday my sister and I bought our tickets :) :) :)
AND today we sent out our Visa applications!!

It is so great to finally be able to answer people's questions "Do you know where you will be living?" "Do you know what you will be doing?" "Do you know...?"

I have no idea what life would've been like in the Old Testament. Before the Israelites had a King, during the time when God appointed Judges to deliver them from their oppressors, what a spectacular thing that would've been! Putting myself in their shoes I can't help but be excited. Imagine this conversation:
A worried Israelite--
"Who is going to be our next judge?" "God is!"
"Who is going to save us from our enemies?" "God is!"
"Who is going to rule our nation?" "GOD IS!"

If you are familiar with Judges, you know that the real conversation probably went like this:
"Who is going to be our next judge?" "We don't know...!"
"Who is going to save us from our enemies?" "We don't know, someone save us!"
"Who is going to rule our nation?" "We don't know, let's pick the best candidate..."

It's easy for us to think now-a-days, "those unbelieving Israelites! Can't they SEE God working?!?!" Of course, if somebody were to write the stories of our lives, I'm sure our paths would be wrought with unbelief, and the negligence in seeing what God has done for us. (Let us live by faith)

That being said. It is nice to have some answers. I can see why the Israelites were so worried about not having the answers--but they were just looking in the wrong place. I am glad to say the only thing that matters is that Jesus is my King.

So, I'm going to Thailand.
I'm going for 5 months!
That is just 5 months. A drop in the ocean.
Haha-sometimes I think I'm blowing this out of proportion.
Thanks for bearing with me--I'm so grateful for your loving support.
I'm excited to see what God does.