Did you know that there are 270,000 documented victims of human trafficking in the EU? The UN states that you must times this by 30 to really get an accurate picture of the amount of people in bondage in the EU alone. Eighty percent of the victims are women and fifty percent are children. Human trafficking is the second most lucrative illegal business behind drug trafficking. It brings in about 45 billion dollars a year. That happens to be more then Coca-Cola, Walmart, and McDonalds all make... combined. Of the people trafficked into the EU each year 90% end up in the sex industry. Only 1-2% of victims are rescued, and only 1 in 100,000 europeans involved in trafficking are convicted.
In relation to Greece, it is estimated that a little over half the sexually active men in Greece participate in sex services. It is not uncommon for a father to take his son to the "family prostitute" for his first sexual encounter. We walked around the brothels, and went to one of the streets we would be doing outreaches on during the women's working hours (11 pm - 3am). The white light that shines over the doors at the brothels means there is a woman in there working. In each brothel, one woman and one madam, with an 8 hour shift. The men go to the brothel, the woman steps out from behind a curtain, half-naked, and they access her. If she is not what they want, they move on to the next brothel. A prostitutes life is one of rejection and judgement. These brothels run 24/7. Because of the economic decline, the women cannot be too disparaging in what their clients request of them. Thus, they have to do more and more degrading and risky things that these perverts request.
How can a woman stay in this? How do they allow themselves to get involved? Do they do this to themselves? Is it their choice? Honestly, I do not know how you even begin to differentiate any of these questions. Many of these women wanted out of their country, they were starving, they needed money for their families, they had no where to go, they were alone, they were lied to, and they were taken advantage of. One of the women that works here full time said "It is humbling to see how these women are just a few bad life circumstances away from being me. Look what I have and look what they have." 90% of women who are apart of the sex industry have been sexually abused. This realm is full of woman who are unwanted, shamed, and alone. Many do not leave because they cannot go home, they have shamed their entire family. They leave or they will be beat. They have been arrested so many times that there is no way they are getting papers. How would they even be able to support themselves on the jobs that they would get outside of prostitution? They have no skills. They live life in fear and disillusionment. Last November a woman was beat to death because she was not bringing in enough money.
My heart breaks for these girls. Many are between the ages of 14 -20. That is the age of my little sister and I. As a girl, I know the desire to be loved and cherished. To twirl, to play, and be delighted in. We all have the desire to be the love of someone's life. We want to be known and wanted. Oh, the joy that comes from being adored by one's father... by others. To know that you are safe and secure and that no one can take that from you. Is this not the desire of every girl deep down inside? Do we not all long to be princesses in our own fairytale? The women that work with these girls say a common comment of the girls as to why they can't leave prostitution is "Who would want me? I am worthless. " I am worthless. I am nothing. I am not loved. I am not cherished. I am soiled. I am unworthy. Who would want me? Who would love me? I am not precious. I am not beautiful. I am alone, and I am worthless. This grieves me. All I can picture is a little girl about the age of my baby sister or one of my little cousins sitting in the window of this brothel with so much hurt in their eyes thinking these thoughts. Believing these thoughts about themselves. No hope. No future of happiness. No true life. The tender innocence and youth torn from them, only to be replaced by a bitterness and hardness that will flavor the rest of their lives.
It took everything within me not to sob during this meeting. I just wanted my Dad at that moment. I cannot handle the thought of anyone being unloved. It took me awhile before I could even talk because I knew if I opened my mouth I was going to lose it. The Lord really spoke to me as I prayed and walked in silence for the next hour.
"Shelbi, do you know that I love you?" "Yes, Lord" "Do you think I love you anymore then I love these girls?" "No, of course not Lord." "Who am I Shelbi?" "You are Lord, You are Father and Saviour, You are gracious and kind and loving." "Shelbi who am I?" "You are the one who comes to bring life and life abundantly. You bring hope to the hopeless." "Shelbi, Who am I?" "Lord, you are Love." "Now go and abide in me."
Jesus wants these girls. He longs to love them. He longs to bring them hope and joy. Who will bring the light to their darkness?
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" -Isaiah 61:1
(quoted again in Luke 4:18)
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