I watched my hubby spends weeks writing this post and pouring his heart into researching the subject. We have two daughters, and I know this was a hard one to tackle. I’m so proud of the Man Up teams for standing UP (with muscles flexing) against human trafficking and going to the unreached people groups to share the gospel with the very men who are abusing girls. Please pray for the team that God is building to make a difference in the life of the fatherless who are priceless.

That’s me … simply ignorant. About human trafficking that is. I first heard about sex slavery through my church. In fact, I still remember thinking that the word “slavery” seemed to be a little strong. We are in the 21st century? Slavery … we got rid that when Abraham Lincoln was president, right?

Girls are being lured, snatched, and taken to be sold into slavery from Russia to India to Thailand to Ethiopia to Brazil to the United States. Yes, it’s real and it is a problem right here in our own backyard. As of April 4, 2012 the UN announced, “That 2.4 million people are victims of human trafficking at any one time. And, 80% of them are being exploited as sexual slaves.” That means at least 1,920,000 are being sexually assaulted today! Check out this website here called A21 Campaign to learn more about abolishing injustice.

Detestable! I wish this corruption could be treated like a disease. We could hire a group of scientist to invent a vaccine or an antibiotic to eliminate the atrocity of this horrible crime, but obviously we can’t do that. So … what can we do?
Ashton Kuchter and Demi Moore did an anti-trafficking campaign called, Real Men Don’t Buy Girls. Regardless of how they live their personal lives, Ashton and Demi are on the right track in helping to eliminate trafficking … by targeting MEN! Now, I’m a man and I love being a man and I have no intentions of bashing men. I’m just simply going to CHALLENGE men. Why? Unfortunately, men make up the majority of the perpetrators against these young girls and boys. I know, it is getting worse by the minute. Men preying on boys is also a part of the moneymaking sex trade industry. With all the new laws, regulations, and task force assigned to help eliminate trafficking it will only have a minor impact. The real antidote to trafficking is getting MEN to simply Man Up Against Trafficking.

Why do we need men to Man Up Against Trafficking? There is a great story in the bible about a man who Manned Up. In fact, he has a whole book dedicated to his Man Up adventure. It’s called, Nehemiah. He was a simple man who saw a problem and answered the calling. He took a city whose walls were destroyed and rebuilt the entire wall around Jerusalem in just 52 days. Nehemiah gives us a good blue print of what we (men & women) can do to help restore the sanctity of these precious lives caught in the this horrible crime.

1. Pray: After Nehemiah heard the news of Jerusalem walls being torn down he fasted and prayed with such intensity that he wept and mourned for days.  Basically, all of Nehemiah chapter is his prayer to God for the restoration of Jerusalem. The prelude that pushed Nehemiah to pray was hearing that not just the walls were broken down and its gates were destroyed by fire, but in Nehemiah 1:3 it says the people were in “great trouble and shame”. Nehemiah was not weeping and mourning over a wall. It’s the people who were living inside of the wall. It was his people. God’s chosen ones. Every child who is being exploited is in “great trouble and shame” needs our prayers!
2. Protection: Obviously, the walls gave the Israelites protection against their enemies. Without a solid fortitude around Jerusalem it left the people exposed to attacks. What would happen if all the men in the U.S. decided to Man Up and say, NO to trafficking and prostitution? I know that is not possible, but what can we (men) do to Man Up and say no more?
3. Restoration: Imagine the daily humiliation, beatings, and being degraded daily by men. Picture the orphan who so desperately wants a daddy to love them, protect them, and be a “daddy’s girl”. Instead, a pimp is looking at how they can increase that child’s profit margin as opposed to nurturing that child’s heart. By rebuilding the wall, Nehemiah gave the Israelites tremendous confidence. The wall represented “strength” and without it the Israelites were very ashamed.  Men who are followers of Jesus Christ can restore the wall by modeling the love of our Heavenly Father to show what real love looks like. Men who choose to Man Up can be a part of changing a girl’s perspective of what a real Godly man looks like … honorable, leader, honest, gentle, integrity, sacrificial love, etc. What can we do to restore the sanctity of these precious lives? What can we do to bring hope and big dreams to each child who has had their future snatched from them?

I’m sure you are asking, “Where are the solutions?” “How can we put an end to this?” Like I said, I’m just simply ignorant about human trafficking. However, I’m a dad. I’m a dad who wants to love and protect the fatherless. If trafficking makes you MAD. If trafficking breaks your heart. If trafficking makes you want to stand up and fight. It doesn’t matter if you are a male, female, knowledgeable or not knowledgeable about trafficking, like myself, I want to challenge you to Man Up and go to the front line of trafficking. Research and find mission trips to see where trafficking takes place, were you can visit orphanages where the pimps take the girls from, we will visit and love BIG on former girls who were rescued from trafficking.  Most of all, you get to be the start of change and hope for a child stuck in the atrocity of these horrible acts. You don’t know them or how, but God is already at work. Join His work in rebuilding the walls around the fatherless.

Today, when you are braiding your daughter’s hair or watching them play with their dolls or picking out the perfect outfit for the day … would you pray for the young girls in the world ages 3-13 year olds who are being raped, abused, neglected, and sold into slavery.