I have been reading the book Terrify No More, written by Gary Haugen, the president of International Justice Mission. IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression all over the world. The book describes a brothel raid that IJM did about 10 years ago in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where we’ll be moving soon. About 40 girls ages 4 and up were set free due to IJM’s strategic work. There was a particular passage in the book that challenged and encouraged me. I wanted to share it with anyone who might read this:
Our investigators march into these dark, ominous settings because they believe they are called by God to be that defense. As Sharon Cohn often says, “We can’t expect the children to be more courageous than we are.” Some Christians are uncomfortable with the idea that God has been in a dark, repulsive brothel, that he could possibly be a witness to all the evil acts that take place there. Our investigators are not only comfortable with the idea---it’s the truth they count on. Robert Earle explained his emotional state during this first journey into Svay Pak. “I don’t mean to discount the feeling of apprehension or vulnerability that comes from being in the dark, completely disoriented in an entirely unfamiliar setting,” he said. “But I also don’t want to discount the fact that prior to going into this village we had prayed. I know that sounds very simple, but it makes all the difference in the world, certainly on an emotional and mental level, but more important, on a spiritual level---to draw upon the resources of God who is already in that place and is familiar with it. He’s already aware, sadly, of every horrible thing that happens in there. So you call upon his promises that he’ll be with you. You’re not going in there alone, someplace that he can’t lead. He’s been in there for years, and he’ll be there long after I’m gone. You’re simply not going in there alone.
--Katy
--Katy
