It happens here.

Sitting there in the neighborhood of where she was trafficked - In her home - In her living room........

Mom walking us through her story of finding out her daughter was trafficked. Picked up down the block at the grocery store....

Transported. Drugged and abused. Bought and sold, bought and sold. From pimp to pimp, John to John. Exploited.

Dad looking away as mom recounts the horror, the agony. I can hear him sniffling as he is turned, looking blankly at the fish tank.

My heart cries out. Oh God! I know you hear these cries, you ask for action, you ask for us to do something.

As I sit in their home I can feel the grief, the unknown, the frustration, the intensity of - she's gone! The process. The community coming together to search. The cry of someone, anyone help us! I can feel the panic, the emptiness, the hopelessness.....

Then found. Not every story has that part. It's not over though. The journey continues on. The recovery process is not a quick one.

I can hear mom saying - It shouldn't happen to anyone's daughter. Not mine, not anyone's.

I can hear God saying I am hope.

Giving Thanks.

Its late...not sleeping and I am thinking about our trip thus far. Thanksgiving is over, Macys Parades are finished, Turkey is now the traditional "turkey sandwich" and the frenzy of Black Friday overtook some of us. I truly hope your Thanksgiving was a good one.

This years Over Indulgence day was in a few words....different, rushed, surprised, blessed, amazing. I would not really know what to do with a "normal" Thanksgiving...Trying to think and I can't remember. We spent the first half in San Fransisco leaving an amazing family in the surrounding area and drove a 1.5 hr drive (turned into 4 hrs cause of traffic) and met up with another family that we are to interview today (22nd). I was a little worried about just stepping into a family thanksgiving but we were treated like just like family....I love Jesus. (I can't wait to be able to host people in my home...tent anyone, maybe a thrermarest?)

Anyways, a few things that are going on behind the scenes. Josh and Ashley have left us. Not for good though they flew up to Seattle and are having Thanksgiving up there with family. I have already done one little set of street interviews but tomorrow will be the first real test of what Josh has taught me. (crossing fingers). I am sure it will turn out fine. Its really interesting to me to watch us work as a team without Josh and Ashley. They really are a huge part of the team and bring a lot to the table. I hope my work would say the same if I were to leave.

Just to wrap this up. Some things I am really thankful for is this team, the passions we all have for the lost and enslaved, the vision of what we are doing and where we are going, and the dedication. Ro, Malissa, Josh, Ashley lets take over the world. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Well, its late and I need sleep when I can get it. So the photos as follows...

San Fransisco (yes, I know its the Full House opening shot), Josh filming (Project Exodus) and Ro Driving. (Not getting us lost.)

Courage 2 Be You

This is an awesome music video created by an anti-human trafficking organization in Sacramento we're visiting called Courage To Be You. The video follows an American girls journey into the sex trade. Disturbing but very poignant.

--Ro

san francisco

The other day we were supposed to interview a guy who is a recovering sex addict. I met him at the john school where he speaks to the guys about their compulsive addiction and encourages them to get help from Sex Addicts Anonymous. During his presentation he tells them about himself, how he first started going to prostitutes when he was 19 and wasn't caught until he was in his late forties.

The johns really respond well to him and ask all sorts of questions about recovery. Most seem skeptical that there really is help for people like them but they also seem willing to try anything to get out from under the control of their addiction.

On the day we were supposed to interview him he called up and said he got the flu. Too bad! I think his perspective on the demand side of human trafficking and prostitution is invaluable. I'm hoping he recovers enough for us to drive back to San Francisco (we're in Sacramento) this weekend and interview him.

a few photos of our week

We've done some interesting things over the last few days. An interview in Vegas in front of the Bellagio, talking to the cops in the worst part of the city, and enjoying a beautiful castle in Mexico. We've had a lot of fun together but learned a lot of hard things about the world of human trafficking.

Just today we talked to the SAGE Project in San Francisco and learned that one in six men over the age of 15 will experience sexual abuse some time in their lives. Our interviewee told us that if women are raped the world holds the rapist at fault and feels sorry for the victim. If a man or boy is raped they tell him he must have asked for it and he should just get over it.

Oh My Gaawsh!

A delayed introduction. This is the team. Ro, Malissa, Ashley, Josh, and me (Ryan)

Last night in L.A. We have been on the road for a total of 10 days...Honestly its felt like 2 months. A mix of interviews and walking around the Red light districts in different cities takes a toll on a person. Just the head games that come into play when walking down a street with enough camera gear to get the next “fix” for the next year is a sobering idea….I can say I am getting more comfortable approaching people on the street. In fact last night we went out to Hollywood Blvd.

to interview people about human trafficking and it was pretty much not known about among the “american” culture. We were able to talk to law enforcement and just regular people on the street. The overwhelming response was…”wha

t is it? Answer...OH, my gawsh! That happens here?! Thus the reason we are doing what we are

doing...raising awareness.

A few days ago we were able to host an Experiencing Injustice with one of the churches here in the area. Mostly Jr. Highers from the suburbs of LA. Part of me hopes we didn’t traumatize them too much….but on the other hand….The evening turned out really well YWAM LA came out supplied the actors and did an amazing job. The Sex Trafficking acting and Organ trafficking was the best I have seen thus far. Pretty cool to be part of an experience that was birthed out of YWAM Salem. Great stuff.

Tonight we are heading somewhere here in LA to work withProject Exodus to be trained on how to do a stake out and log different things that we find about human trafficking. Should be pretty interesting the things that we learn. Tonight will be the last night we are in LA tomorrow on to San Fran!!!

Making a difference.

What a crazy couple of weeks! To be honest I was nervous and kind of scared to go on this trip. I was worried about my emotions..would I judge the people I saw? Would I be angry with them? Would my life be affected by the images I was bound to see working in this kind of environment? How would I deal with the the real life issues that many Americans choose to be ignorant of or simply ignore?

While in Mexico it was easy for me to see and emotionally understand the issues of human trafficking in that country. I understand that Human Trafficking happens in other countries whether it be sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or oregon trafficking. I have seen it with my own eyes while over seas and understand that it is blatantly there, there is NO denying it.

I realized that I have this perception. I believe it's the same perception many Americans have on the issue of human trafficking. The perception is that Human Trafficking happens in other countries but not in the United States. That can't be farther from the truth.

I understand it happens here. I did not realize how much and I never expected that I would choose to look for it. I'm scared and nervous of what we will find. The whole reasoning for this documentary is to show people that human trafficking is happening in there own backyard and how they can get involved. I have been struggling with questions like...Who am I to do this? To uncover these issues that has been ignored by the American public? I am one of them. I have been afraid to do something. I see that I am one person and can only do so much which in the grand scheme of the issue is not much. This is the plan of the enemy!

I know God has a purpose for me to be here. I may not see the impact or even understand how I can actually do much, but I know he wants me here. I am passionate about this issue and want to help others ignite their passion for it as well. Even though I am a normal human being I know that Christ will use me to stop this horrific crime. Wether he has a small role for me to play or a large role I will do what ever he asks. I am here...a part of a documentary uncovering the lie that human trafficking does not happen in the United States and that normal people like me can not do anything about it. I am proof that God can use anyone to make a difference in the darkest areas of this world. I am privileged and anyone else who chooses to do His work is as well.

The John School

Our team needed to be in two places at once yesterday; we had a few interviews scheduled in Los Angeles and we also had an invite to sit in on a "john school" in San Francisco.

By the votes of the majority, I was chosen to take a 9 pm flight out of LA on Friday to attend the school. I wasn't looking forward to a late night adventure on San Francisco's public transportation but it ended up not being as bad as I thought. The train (BART) was full of European travelers and our complete ignorance of San Francisco bonded us.

The john school was incredible. San Francisco has a re-education program for johns who are first time offenders. (If you don't know, the term "john" refers to the clients of prostitutes). Instead of slapping the johns with a bunch of punishments the idea is to educate them on the entire scope of prostitution-- how it feeds and funds exploitation and how it adds to the greater world of human trafficking.

The program is a great success. The number of guys going back out there doing the same thing drops dramatically.

It was a little weird for me to walk into a room full of johns. There were 21 of them there yesterday; some were Caucasian, some African-American, some Hispanic and some were foreigners. Some had been caught in bars lured by an undercover cop, some inferred that they were victims of their own sexual addictions and some had prowled the internet looking for a good time. They were old and young and every age in between.

What they all had in common was that they had been caught and were charged with agreeing to, or actually engaging in sexual acts in exchange for compensation or money.

At the beginning of the day the atmosphere in the room was a mix of shame and attitude. Their dark, dirty secret had been revealed to the world, exposed to the light of day and it made them uncomfortable. And yet, wasn't it their right to go to a prostitute? After all, she was out there asking for it. Wasn't this kind of behavior a sign of being a true man?

What surprised me the most was how the guys were treated. They weren't condemned and they weren't judged. Their actions obviously were but not who they were as people. There was a genuine atmosphere of helpfulness and a true desire to help these guys understand the damage their actions cause. The guys responded to that openness and really listened.

By the end of the day their attitude has shifted dramatically. There was much more of an understanding of the implications of their actions, for themselves (the dangers of STD’s and HIV, what happens if they are caught again) and for the women (exploitation, violence, depression). Will some of these guys go back out there and seek out prostitutes? No doubt they will. Will some never again engage in that sort of activity? Definitely. And that’s pretty awesome.

Stopping human trafficking by stopping demand is a pretty great way to go about it.

--Ro

Last minute in Las Vegas

Well sort of on a whim, we decided to hit up Las Vegas on our way back from Mexico to Los Angeles. Originally we had no plans of hitting up Nevada because we wanted to focus strictly on the west coast, but we just felt like it would be a good idea. After all, Las Vegas is "sin city". Ever wonder why "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"? Its because they don't want anyone else to find out.

We left Tijuana late at night immediately after an interview (the third of the day) and drove through the night to Nevada. It's incredible how loopy everyone gets in a van delirious with sleep deprivation and on a sugar high. I actually fell asleep for part of the time with the heater blowing air directly into my gaping mouth only to wake up with a sore throat! Sort of funny to everyone except me. :p

Anyhow, we woke up early in Las Vegas and hit up a few contacts. So of the "big fish" fell through because of short notice, but we got to talk to some really great people who work in trafficking prevention there.

About 15minutes after we got out of the car, a police officer pulls up, "You guys lost?". Turns out we had successfully found the "most dangerous corner" in all of LV. Man, we're good.
Spent the rest of the day interviewing and talking with folks. Got hassled by casino security; apparently they don't take too kindly to people filming their patrons. oops. Who knew. But the footage is safe and we got TONS of great info.

Aside from all the horrible stuff that is fueled by the atmosphere and attitude there, the strip really is an amazing place to see.

Just finished an hour interview with one of the most knowledgeable people involved with human trafficking I've ever known.

We have crossed the US/Mexico border twice today before we have even eaten lunch.

A Glimpse of Tijuana

Tijuana is a unique city. Perched on the very edge of Mexico the whole city seems smashed up against the tall fence that marks the US/Mexico border. It's unique in other ways too. In the "North Zone" (the red light district) young women line the streets their faces blank, their short skirts too short and their faces plastered with make-up.

Red light districts exist everywhere in the world but some are more obvious than others. Tijuana is the first place I've been where so many women line the streets. I've seen brothels, I've seen a few ladies here and there... but not so many all at once all on the same road.

A few nights ago we talked to three American men on the strip and asked them where we could find the youngest girls. "All the classy women work in these bars," they said pointing towards the bright neon lights of two high end bars. "They're older and they do it by choice. It's good money. The younger ladies, the underage ones, they're on the street."

When I asked they if they thought the girls wanted to be there he said, "Of course they do. They probably have family and kids somewhere and they need the money. If it wasn't for us they wouldn't be able to feed their kids. They wouldn't be able to make any money and they'd probably starve."

I clarified. So you're doing them a favor?
"Absolutely. We're helping them"

Right. Nice help. Then why don't you just give them your money and leave? Are you really so benevolent that you actually care about the fate of these women? Do you even know if she has kids or why she needs the money? And do you really thing they choose to prostitute themselves if they have to do it in order to feed their kids?

I didn't ask these questions but I wanted to. I also wanted to punch them all but I resisted. Instead I walked away saddened by the lies and excuses people tell themselves to justify their perversions and saddened by the lives these women lead standing on street corners late into the night waiting for cash.

It takes it out of you

Well this is basically day 3 now. We've been on the road since the 12th though. We've spent the last few days and nights getting interviews with people who've been working closely with drug/sex/slave trafficking a few years back before being reformed. We've been to the Red Zone every day we've been here and i've really given the batteries and charger a workout.
It's been frustrating though. We really hit the ground running. We picked up all our camera gear in LA, and immediately drove down to TJ. I didn't realize there would be microphones sent with the cameras so I was very excited when I saw that our donor had included a small shotgun mic and a lavalier! However, I had no time to check it all out. Well we went to have an interview so I busted out the lavalier mic. But I couldn't figure out how to make the recieved pick up the signal... It wasn't wireless. Haha. So we've been searching for a merchant of xlr cables in TJ. We might be out of luck until we go back to California though. So I'm going to be a little dissapointed with the audio quality of the interviews in Mexico but it'll have to do till we get the right equipment.

- Josh

Hitting the red zone again

3+ hour interview with a former drug dealer, and pimp was the agenda this morning. We could not have asked for a better start to the day. He is a walking example of a redeemed life - Hope. We gained such insight into the area's of injustice in this city and country...

Ocean view sunset here in Mexico. Tonight we're hitting the red zone- downtown Tijuana. We have a few leads on organ trafficking, and the selling of babies, and a couple interviews scheduled in a new club. Should be a productive night. Pray for our safety.

In the Red Zone

Last night we spent some time in the Red Zone downtown Tijuana. A little nerve racking at first, it always is. Once we got into our groove we got to talking with a lot of folks down there about the area. Two very cool things happened. We got to film a guy trying to sell us a 13yr old for a couple nights... Yeah... And we got invited to film in a bar and interview some of the guys who own the joint. Some really great stuff, and for the first night out I think we did alright.

The arrival of our first camera!

You come to appreciate the small things when you travel, like a hot shower, clean towel, and strong coffee! This past week alone I've seen my share of coming and going! Tuesday I was in England, Wednesday- Oregon, Thursday- California, Friday- Mexico. Some have told me "how exciting". I've come to the conclusion it's just a lot of sitting. Sitting in buses, planes, shuttles, trains, cars, vans, trucks, subways.....My bum is sore!

This morning was pretty exciting. Woke up at 6am from jet lag with Ro who is also jet lagging (she just got in from India) to find the video camera being shipped to us in California had arrived. It was like Christmas morning, with hot weather.

Headed south

We left oregon (base camp) this morning at 6am. I am so proud of all the girls. NO potty breaks! We drove straight (minus gas and food stops) to LA. After 16 hours in the car, it'll be good to take a short break tonight to sleep in beds. Tomorrrow we head down to Tijuana Mexico to officially start the documenting of the trip.

I was just thinking how crazy it is how the team came together for this project. Ro has been in India, Malissa in Paris and England, and Ryan in Idaho just before we left. The girls are still working off jet lag! Not only our team, but our equipment for the filmmaking process was a miracle too. A woman who owns a production studio in Denver heard about the project and offered us two cameras at the last minute. They're be rushed to our hosts here in LA and as soon as we get the package were on the rad again to Tijuana.

It's good to know that the longest drive of the trip is already over. From here on out it's quick hops to major cities along the way.

See you tomorrow in Mexico!

West Coast Documentary Project

The time is upon us. Tomorrow we venture off into the wild. The Human Trafficking documentary that we've been planning is about to start.

For one month, our team of five will travel up the west coast from Mexico, through the US, and into Canada. We will be conducting interviews both of those who are tasked with raising awareness about human trafficking, but with individuals who deal in the enforcing of laws against it. We hope for the opportunity to talk with people who have been affected by it too. Human Trafficking is a huge issue in todays world with the US and Europe being the final destination for many victims.

We'll be following the trails of Human Trafficking up the west coast over the course of the next month and posting our adventure here. With cameras in tow and a fire under our feet, we trek the coast against human defeat!