Sex Trafficking/Female Genital Mutilation

Being here at YWAM has already changed my perspective of life just in the matter of one week. I am doing the Discipleship Training School for PhotogenX. Most people don't get the concept of how you can do missions and photography together... and i didn't really completely get it either, till today. The issues going on overseas, and even here in the United States will absolutely blow your mind. Things that have been revealed to us in the past two days has completely made me NEED to live my life differently. There is no way i can go on living my life working a normal job, making money, buying tons of things that are absolutely worth nothing to me, while knowing such things are going on as they are. My leaders, Paul and Susi Childers have been to so many countries, and they have seen almost everything. They gave us their entire testimony today, on hearing the voice of God and obeying, and it was absolutely amazing. God led them to start the program and now it's a book and video type thing called "Voice for the Voiceless". Susi got this phrase from God and she had no idea what it was for, then her husband told her they needed to go to North Africa. They obeyed God, and while there, they were in a place where every girl had to be circumcised. The girls gave their hearts out to Susi, explaining the pain that they are in. The female genital mutilation is so big there, and every female is required to get it, or they are not allowed to get married. A female's wedding night and the day of the birth of their children are one of the most painful and horrible days for them. Also sex trafficking is extremely big over there and also in other countries such as Cambodia, India, Thailand, Amsterdam, and Ethiopia. Over 27 million people are sexually trafficked, a year. Being trafficked and prostitution are two completely different things. Trafficking is when you are literally forced or abused into being sold into sex slavery. You make no money, but you are under authority and have no choice but to follow their leadership, and have sex, or they will kill you. The way they get younger kids is they lure them in by offering them a better lifestyle, a job, money, a stable marriage, a house, etc. This way, the girls fall into it, and then after the men have control over them, or go through the marriage ceremony, they sell the girls into the trafficking system, leaving them with nothing. With prostitution, the girls willing (most of the time) choose this lifestyle for them. Alot of girls involved in prostituion have been abused as a child or involved in trafficking, leading them to this being the only lifestyle they know. It's up to us to make this issue known nationwide, and do something about it. It is such a serious issue in our world, and hardly any one even cares about it. While we are here in America complaining about the weather or us not having enough clothes or not enough food, kids and women around the world are being sold into sex slavery, being forced to have sex with 20-30 men a day, getting nothing from it. America hears about it, but thinks its just overseas and there is nothing they can do about it, so they dont, and they go about their lives. Think about it, and act. To learn more you can go to:http://www.photogenx.net orhttp://photogenx.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=8&Itemid=93