Many women enter into prostitution because they have no other real choice. They face limited job options in poor conditions that do not provide enough money to take care of the needs of their families and themselves. While some struggle to eke out such an existence, others decide to work in bars where they can earn better wages. They do not want to sell their bodies, but they feel they have no other choice.
Human-trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by the means of threat, force, deception, or abuse of power for the purpose of exploitation including prostitution, sexual exploitation, labor, slavery, removal of organs, adoption, or marriage.
In the Mekong sub-region, estimates indicate that anywhere from a few thousand to 200,000 individuals are trafficked each year.
Trafficking victims are typically females who come from minority, rural, economically disadvantaged backgrounds and have low levels of educational attainment. Many come from source countries bordering Thailand. These women are often trafficked into prostitution.
In Thailand, the expectation that female children are to provide income for their parents is one of the contributors to the high number of women who are trafficked.
New Garden from david butgereit on Vimeo.
Eva’s Rescue: Three years ago, Eva*, a frightened little 12 year old girl from the far side of B* was being trafficked across the border when an alert police officer noticed something was off and began to ask questions. The man who was escorting her ended up in jail for human trafficking. Since the police had no place to put her, little Eva also spent over two weeks in a jail cell. Her own mother had agreed to sell her own daughter, but God had other plans for Eva. Through a police contact, the staff at the safe house were alerted. They were given permission to take her in and Eva has lived in the home ever since. It took several months for Eva to be able to smile; but, as she experienced the love of Jesus and compassion of caring staff, she is now thriving in the safe house with her friends.
Joy's Redemption: In April, 2010, Joy* narrowly escaped sharing her older sisters’ fate of being prostituted. She actually ran several kilometers across her city to escape the clutches of an army man her own father was attempting to sell her to. Her path took her straight to the safe house. The leaders were able to negotiate with the parents and win her freedom, albeit just for a season. The weekend following, God led us to wash Joy’s feet and declare her free in Christ. It was one of those God moments where the Lord was sealing a great work in Joy’s life. Just moments before she had recited a chapter of scripture from memory (Psalm 139) and shared how God's love has deeply touched her life. What impacted her especially knowing that she was “fearfully and wonderfully made.” She put her head into her Bible, and sobbed with the tears of a captive set free. Since then, we’ve seen Joy grow stronger and stronger in her faith in Jesus. Joy is now no longer in the safe house, as she is now attending school several hours away. Her dream is to become a teacher. Pray that God keeps her strong in the faith and that her whole family (father, mother, 3 sisters and 1 brother) would also come to know Jesus.
Pippie’s Visions: In June, 2011, the newest little gal in the home, Pippie*, shared with us in private how she had just come out of an abusive situation. This energetic 13-year-old orphan actually had three visitations in her dreams,warning her to leave the karaoke bar/brothel 
which her aunt ran and where her step-uncle was regularly attempting to molest her. When she wouldn’t cooperate, he would beat her mercilessly. She said the third visitation in her dreams was by a man with nail-scarred hands. She knew that it was Jesus. God opened the door for her to come into the safe house, where she was able to join her sister Chasey (who has been in the safe house since early 2010) and she has now been there three months. We shared with Pippie that not all men are like her uncle. We also prayed that she would come to understand the 
Father's love for her and that we would do our best to keep her safe. In April, Pippie surrendered her heart to Jesus. In July, she was baptized in confession of her growing faith. Please pray that both Pippie and her sister Chasey can stay in the safe house. Her aunt knows that these girls could make her some serious money in the karaoke bar/brothel and has threatened to take them out. We are working to help both of these orphans get identification so that they will be able to legally cross the border and get healthcare and legitimate jobs in the future. (This process of getting ID could cost about $400 per girl).
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