The Price of Life

So InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is a pretty awesome fellowship that I am a part of and it is the first time in my life that I really have been presented with the question of what Jesus would do to answer the problems of injustice in the world. Its pretty awesome. So at Breakthrough, a retreat that we had, we were presented with the fact that human sex trafficking is the 3rd largest illegal industry in the world. Honestly, I didn't even know what sex trafficking meant. So it is when people are sold as a commodity and forced to have sex. After the retreat Ana, our staff worker, showed us a movie so that we could feel the heart of the oppressed. We watch and these girls are 8-12 years old, sometimes even younger and are taken from their homes, drugged, beaten and sold for 100-200 dollars as a sex slave. Then they are forced to 'service' men who pay around 20 to have sex with them. When the girls refuse they are beaten into submission and eventually give in. It's absolutely disgusting. And the most disgusting thing is that very few people knows this happens or know that it happens in the UNITED STATES IN YOUR STATE IN YOUR TOWN! What if your 8 year old sister didn't come home one day after school? What if 6 years later she was dropped back off at your house, obviously disturbed, after you had already held a funeral for her because you thought she had been dead for many years now. She tells you she has had sex with over 1,000 men, has ad 12 abortions and is HIV positive. Insane right? The fact is this happens!

So we educated our campus about this with proxy stations up for four days and held a big event called The Price Of Life. We had four proxy stations set up around campus. Two of them were mattress' that said Satisfy your Craving on them. We would give students 500 dollars (in fake money) and ask them how they would satisfy their sexual cravings. The options on the mattress were things like $0 - Booty Call, $50 - Fancy Dinner, $200 - Child Sex Slave....and a lot others. They would read through them all and pin their money on the event they would choose and it allowed us to start the conversation of yes child sex slaves are how some people satisfy their cravings. The other two proxy stations were like a panel, made of wood, that had different injustices that face us on a day to day basis. Some of the options were racism, being poor, cancer, addiction and a bunch others. We would give students those neon dot stickers and they would put them in the box of things that they were dealing with in their lives. We would then start the conversation that God cares about the injustice in their life. They were awesome!

The Price of Life is a game show that was played just like The Price is Right. After the contestants were called down they would bid on young girls, or boys, for a certain length of time. Once you made it to an actual game you could win prizes. Luckily, we had the support of 13 other Christian organizations on campus and 4 surrounding churches so we got really awesome prizes. About 250 people came out so it was pretty successful! First we showed everyone the beginning of the movie that Ana had showed us and kind of did a disclaimer about how some of the things the contesetants would be bidding on would be awkward and hard to think about. Then they played the first round - with the big wheel. hahah acutally the thing that slowed the wheel was a couple of index cards so it took forever! it was kinda funny. Then the founders of Embassy of Hope (an organization that helps women transition from being a sex slave back into society) talked about warning signs, truths about trafficking, and stories about what has happened in our city. They also did a little message about how God can work in your life and cares about you as well. Then they played the second round, the wheel again, long again. Then Ana talked about why Jesus cares about injustice and how following Jesus in your own life and caring about injustice in the world go hand in hand and you can't do one without the other. Ana was pretty awesome and everyone was clapping for her and going crazy! soo cool to see! Then they played the Showcase Showdown! As students, we haven't had an opportunity to see the response cards yet but I know it will be great when we do 'cause God is great! I can't wait! And if you have never heard about this issue, educate yourself. Watch the movie The Day My God Died, join your local Coalition to Stop Human Trafficking, tell everyone you know because they probably don't know either and figure out who, in your area, you would call should you see suspicious signs of human trafficking.

One of the main messages of the night was not only does Jesus care about the injustice of sex trafficking but he also cares about the injustice in your life - and you! Jesus wants to know you....yes youuuuuuuuuuuu!

On a personal note, about 8 of my sorority sisters and my wing crew went out the event! It made me so happy for them to one support me, and two care about this issue. The best thing is it has opened the door for me to have spiritual conversations with them. AND one of the girls in my sorority was moved so much that she has contacted Ana and wants to show the video to my whole chapter! God is good :)