World Cup - Watch and Pray

The World Cup is an amazing spectacle. I’ll be watching my share of exciting games (like the USA vs. England right now!). The color and culture mix are absolutely brilliant and contribute to the fan experience.

But we can do more than watch. Events like the World Cup provide a venue where sex tourism flourishes. As one player scores under bright stadium lights, 1000s of other players are scoring under cover of darkness. Millions see and cheer the former. No one cares about the latter. And the demand is greatest for 10-14 year old girls - http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gmhoJEl3FN6OPLkr1szsaQFo615Q.

There is something we can do about this. We can watch and pray. Check out this excellent WORLD CUP PRAYER GUIDE (http://www.exoduscry.com/downloads/south_africa_prayer_guide.pdf). We can intercede for sex trade victims a few minutes each day of the World Cup.

I hope you’ll join me. Go deep just a few minutes a day praying for these dear, exploited people.

Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/markfoshager) or be my friend on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mfoshager) for timely updates on issues like this.

Red Light/Green Light (Immigration)

You may have played the childhood game Red Light/Green Light. If you need a reminder, this link will help - redlight/greenlight.

I often enter I-90 west of Chicago. Well before the toll booth a prominent red sign reads “ALL VEHICLES MUST STOP”. At this point, good people of all races, genders and faiths begin to slow down. As my vehicle approaches the toll booth, but well before I actually stop, a bright green light comes on that says “THANK YOU”.

I’m told to stop. Then I’m told to go. Before I can stop.

For decades, the US has consistently sent undocumented workers two contradictory messages - (i) you must leave, and (ii) you may stay. US law says they must leave. US (in)action says they may stay.

We lived in Zaire (now Democratic Rep of Congo) in the late 80s. I would walk into a local bank to exchange $USD for zaires (the local currency). This is what Zairean law dictated. But the banker would laugh, and point me down the road to one of several business establishments where they told me I could purchase zaires. Every facet of Zairean society knew that this was the way things worked. The law was there, but in real life things functioned consistent with the (in)action of the authorities.

So…do undocumented workers need to leave? The US has been very open on this for many years - yes, they must leave. And no, they may stay.

However you see the immigration issue, know that there is no nice black and white (or in Arizona’s case, brown and white) solution. This is very complex. The road forward will have many potholes, twists, hills and dead ends. And red and green lights. Let’s hope that this time the green light outshines the red.

Haiti IV - History

Virtually all of what I write here I had never heard before several accounts of Haiti’s history met my consciousness for the first time, sometime after the January 12, 2010 earthquake.

There are clear indications that Haiti got royally screwed, both a few centuries ago (by France and the U.S.), and then again early in the 20th century (by the U.S.).

• Near the start of the 19th century, the U.S. (with France) fought against Haitian slaves. The result was independence for Haiti. WE FOUGHT VS. HAITIAN SLAVES.
• Following this war, the U.S. played a role in enforcing Haiti’s 150 million franc debt (today $21 billion) to French slave-owners for their loss of the slaves. This essentially destroyed Haiti’s economy. WE ESSENTIALLY RUINED HAITI’S ECONOMY.
• The U.S. occupied Haiti for about 18 years beginning in 1915. Some term this a peace-keeping mission; others see that Haitians were enslaved and over 200,000 acres of land were given to American corporations – land basically stolen from tens of thousands of Haitians.

Haiti is a poor nation. But that’s almost a half-truth. It would be more true to say that Haiti was made to be a poor nation by the injustices of the U.S. and France.

If this understanding of Haiti’s history is true, it renders me angry that I never knew it before, and livid that this treatment of such a beautiful people took place at the hands of my country.

You can read some accounts of this history here.

• Why Haiti Matters at racialicious.com
• Haiti’s History: Revolution, Subjugation at cbsnews.com

Haiti III - Mental Illness

If I suddenly lost my dear wife, and/or my parents, and/or my siblings, and/or my children, and/or my friends, and/or my car, and/or my home, and/or my job…I could easily see myself joining the mentally ill and being in need of significant psychological care.

I recently heard that 1 in 5 Haitians will likely require some kind of very long-term therapy/psychological help in order to fully recover from their earthquake-wrought personal life trauma. Whether in the ball park or not, the stat at least suggests that Haiti’s pain goes beyond the financial and physical aspects of life. This situation is exacerbated when one realizes that the topic of mental illness is neither well understood nor given much credence in many sectors of Haiti.

Along with the potential for traffickers to have a heyday with new multitudes of orphans, the mental illness issue troubles me the most. My own forays into depression inform me of how significant a matter this can be.

Learn more on mental illness in Haiti.

• CNN - http://www.cnn.com
• Scientific American - http://www.scientificamerican.com
• Haitian mental health providers from Boston area - http://www.boston.com

Only the initial rescue and relief phases have passed. Every other conceivable hardship continues for so many in Haiti.

Haiti II - Restavecs

The word “restavec” (or restavek) comes from the French words “rester” (to stay) and “avec” (with). It is the word used in Haiti to refer to the approximately 225,000 children who are “sent by their parents to work for a host household as domestic servants because their parents lack the resources required to support their child” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restavec).

Many of these children work for little or no pay and are poorly treated;  some are sexually abused. The U.N. considers the restavec situation to be a form of modern-day slavery.

My first reaction upon hearing of the Haiti earthquake was fear that traffickers and other predators would use the opportunity to seize children left homeless by the quake.

Numbers.

• 225,000 - estimated number of restavecs in Haiti before the January 12 earthquake (source article)
• 1,000,000 - estimated number of new orphans from the January 12 earthquake (source article)

Action.

• I am not multi-resourced in this area. However, I am aware of a good entry point for at least one way we can help - sliedrechts.spaces.live.com.

Learning more.

• Video on restavecs - mobile.france24.com
• Article on restavecs - www.npr.org

Haiti I - Timing

A little late with this post, aren’t you? It’s been 50 days since the earthquake.

The question helps make my point. The Haiti earthquake wasn’t in the top 3 items on CNN’s 8:00 (Eastern) news programming this evening. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t mentioned in the first 60 minutes. Gone are the glory days of the gory photos (understandably). And largely gone are the donations needed for ongoing help.

Ironically, nearly all the funds needed for Haiti have yet to be donated. That is, all the funds thus far received are an extremely small % of what will be needed to restore significant parts of Haiti to a position of adequate stability.

New Orleans is only a fraction restored following hurricane Katrina. People felt compassion, gave generously, helped sacrificially, then largely disappeared. (I don’t dismiss the good first efforts and those that continue; I am pointing out the drastic reduction of needed aid that follows the strong initial giving.) Five years later, optimistic estimates say that the city has recovered about 50%, more in white areas, less in black areas.

It’s not at all too late to write about Haiti. It’s way too early for this matter to fade from our consciousness. And it’s always a good time to help a nation in great need. Here are some excellent opportunities to give:

• http://www.iteams.org/index2.shtml (International Teams, the organization I work with)
• http://partnerswithhaiti.org/index/Earthquake_relief_fund.pdf (Partners With Haiti, a wonderful Haitian-led organization)
• http://ellul.bandcamp.com/ (a friend’s website donating (to Partners With Haiti) proceeds from the purchase of his made-for-this-event album)

In a few days: Haiti II - Restaveks

Any Room in ANY Inn?

We have just come through the time of year when many people think of Jesus’ birth. Well known is Mary and Joseph’s “no room at the inn” incident, and the resulting maternity stay in a nearby stable. It is common in December for devotionals and sermons to encourage people to make room in their hearts for God to do his work.

I want to stay literal with the “no room” concept…regarding victims of trafficking and prostitution. There are many challenges with this issue (e.g., all who participate in and profit from the industry; male demand; helping victims in a range of ways).

But what if some of the traffickers’ captives are set free and they have no where to go? What if young victims of prostitution are rescued, and the housing they need doesn’t exist? What if there’s no room in any inn?

This is happening now in the U.S. Here’s the L.A. Times article: no-room-at-the-inn

At some point the church will have to face this question. Hopefully soon, the church will see this kind of overwhelming need as one they are called to help meet. Scripture says that a sign of the real deal in faith matters is “reaching out to the homeless and loveless in their plight” (James 1:27). At some point the church will need to….

Jesus’ Scandalous Lineage

The first chapter of the New Testament of the Bible contains the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham through Joseph (the husband of Mary, Jesus’ mother). This stunning list includes kings and other people of distinction. It also includes the following:

• A john; also the leader of a tribe of Israel (Judah)
• A prostitute and schemer (Tamar)
• Bastard twins (Perez & Zerah)
• A harlot (Rahab)
• A foreigner/refugee (Ruth)
• An adulterer, liar and murderer (David)
• A voracious womanizer (Solomon)

Some observations:

1. This list is a picture of the breadth and depth of God’s love

A line in “Give Me Your Hand” by Enter The Worship Circle reads: “There’s none too poor, too dirty, too broken, too naked, too stupid, too drunken to be thrown outside his love.” (Watch the video; listen to the soundtrack.)

Too often the church presents a harshness that shuns offenders like these. Jesus related warmly with the marginalized, with people in moral struggle (like the woman caught in adultery); he spoke tough with the Scripture lovers of his day, who too often condemned sinners while practicing the same sins they condemned.

2. This lineage links God’s love with people in these situations today

Of course Christmas and immorality go together! Yes, God’s great Christmas love goes really, really far! He’ll go to the homeless African refugee in Minneapolis; to the young girl held as a sex slave  in a middle class American suburb; to the central Asian Muslim treated as a labor slave in Moscow. YES! Hope and hopelessness meet.

3. Connecting God’s wide love with people on the margins gets messy.

The film, Amazing Grace, portrays the story of British politician/revolutionary William Wilberforce, whose efforts led to the abolition of slavery in 18th century England. Former slave ship owner, John Newton, in exhorting Wilberforce to continue his mission of abolishing slavery, says, “You won’t come away from those streets clean. You’ll get filthy with it. You’ll dream it, see it in broad daylight. But do it! For God’s sake.”

It’s messy.

• You might find yourself conversing with someone who until now was only a label.
• You may enter the subworlds of the clandestine and learn things you wish weren’t true.
• Some will misunderstand what you’re doing; you’ll be criticized.
• You’ll feel uncomfortable talking about sex and slaves and “other people”. While delighting in God’s love, you may shrink from delivering it to those who desperately need it.
  

4. Jesus’ mother, Mary, models an identification with people of ill repute.

It’s an incredible circumstance. A holy woman now unholy, in the eyes of anyone with eyes. A sexually pure woman now sexually impure, in the minds of those who knew how things worked. A lady and a tramp in one person.

Hard to believe that part of God’s plan for Mary was that she have a sullied reputation. Hard to believe that part of Jesus’ identity on earth was enduring a sordid reputation (drinks a lot, hangs with loose women, befriends business cheats…). Hard to believe that part of God’s way for his followers today is that they not worry about their reputation. Way, way, way too many of us do.

5. I’m in this list!

I know something of my own weaknesses - not fully, but surely my heart would scream that I am no paragon of virtue. No way have I been impeccably honest with my wife. (Has any husband?) Who can’t point to “that time” or “a certain situation” when scandal could easily have referred not to someone else but to oneself?

This list is so scandalous, so all-inclusive, so easily misunderstood. It even includes me!

A Trafficker Threatens His U.S. Slave

Redbrown.org advocates for oppressed people (see About RBO). It is driven largely by these words :

“Speak up for the people who have no voice,
for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak out for justice!
Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

- from Proverbs 31 in the Old Testament

“If I kill a dog, I will get in trouble. If I kill you, I won’t get in any trouble. No one knows you are here. You don’t exist.” - Threats made by a human trafficker to Flor, a 37-year-old survivor of modern American slavery, who came to the U.S. to earn money after losing a child to starvation in Mexico. She was forced to work 17 to 19 hours a day for no pay in a sewing sweatshop. “People feel if you come in illegally, anything that happens to you is your fault,” said Lisette Arsuaga, with the Los Angeles-based Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking. “Slavery is not an immigration issue. It’s a civil rights issue. There’s no justification for making someone a slave.” (Source: Kansas City Star)

[from SOJOMAIL, the electronic magazine of Sojourners - http://www.sojo.net/]

Toledo - “They’re in Our Communities”

Toledo, Ohio may be best known for the Mud Hens, an International League (minor league) baseball team. (Get tickets here: mudhens-tickets.)

I also think of John Denver’s song “Toledo”: “You ask how I know of Toledo, Ohio. Well I spent a week there one day.” And “Here’s to the dogs of Toledo, Ohio….Ladies we bid you good-bye.” Oh, John. (Listen to the song here: Toledo. Scroll down to #7 on Disc 2.)

Toledo is home to a few auto assembly plants. The DaimlerChrysler Toledo Supplier Park (pictured here) manufactures Jeep Wranglers. Toledo’s work force benefits from the presence of this and other auto assembly plants, whether these vehicles actually traverse the city’s streets or not.

But Toledo is known for another kind of traffic. Increasingly, it serves as a haven for human trafficking. Here are a few excerpts from the full article linked below:

“Ohio is a prime Midwest ‘recruitment area’ for young girls forced to work as prostitutes in hotels, truck stops and temporary ‘cat houses’ at major sporting events.” But awareness “has been slow to spread, especially in suburban communities, where many who are aware of trafficking are hesitant to talk about it because they don’t want their communities or schools associated with the issue.”

This article is from the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch: They’re reaching into our communities. This is a good opportunity to increase your awareness on this issue.