In addition to running Hope for the Sold on evenings and weekends, I work at an office where we do creative and silly things…like decorate our windows with window markers.  As I was heading out the door last night, I saw a quote that had been written on one of the office windows:

“The impossible can always be broken down into possibilities.”

- Author Unknown

The impossibility of ending human trafficking glares at us every day.  It tries to master us, discourage us, defeat and cripple us.  Injustice personified mocks our efforts, tests our motivations, and undermines our actions.

But what if we broke down the fight against sex trafficking into a set of possibilities?

• It is possible to teach our children to respect women.
• It is possible to say no to paid sex.
• It is possible to practice integrity.
• It is possible to adopt, foster, or sponsor a child.
• It is possible to start supporting fair trade.
• It is possible to speak up when you see abuse.
• It is possible to become more generous toward those in need.
• It is possible to stop supporting the pornography industry.
• It is possible to start something super creative to fund anti-trafficking efforts.
• It is possible to volunteer at a safe house.
• It is possible to learn more about what is going on in our world.
• It is possible to say no to legalization of prostitution.
• It is possible to call a hotline to save a sex trafficking victim.
• It is possible to change company policy.
• It is possible to sign petitions and change human trafficking laws.
• It is possible to reject the status quo and live sacrificially.
• It is possible to get trained to identify human trafficking victims.
• It is possible to shut down avenues for exploitation.
• It is possible to change.

Let’s treat impossibility a little more like this:

Last year when my husband Jay and I were living on Vancouver Island, we had the honour of screening our documentary about sex trafficking at an event hosted by Miss Canada 2011, Tara Teng.  Back then she was just days away from winning the Miss Canada title, a platform that has provided her with opportunities to fight for the exploited all over the world this past year.  One of those opportunities included a 4 month internship on Parliament Hill with MP Joy Smith, who champions the fight against human trafficking in our government.

Since that event in BC, we have become friends with Tara, and she is truly one of the greatest abolitionists of our time.  Don’t believe she is more than a beauty queen?  Read our interview with Tara!

In addition to catching up via Skype dates over fair trade tea, I love following Tara’s blog.  Recently she wrote a beautiful post about conviction.  Here is an excerpt from that post, followed by a recent Relate Church video interview that is so powerful.

I’ve learned many things over the past two years but one thing that I learned is that the spotlight reveals truth. When all the glitz and glamour fades away, all that will remain is your character. It doesn’t matter how much you shine from a distance, it is only by the strength of your character that you will ever be able to influence others.

Strong character inspires respect. It is by your character that you leave a legacy worth remembering. Good leaders are not born through the spotlight; their character was cultivated deep within them far before they stepped into the spotlight.

Character is only strengthened through intentional discipline to apply integrity to our daily lives in every situation that we encounter.  Character is refusing to back down from your convictions and choosing to do what is right, regardless of personal cost.

True leaders have taken the time to invest in the growth of their character. They know that their convictions and integrity must be intact before accepting any position of leadership or platform. I walked through years of character development and learning hard life lessons before I ever stepped up to the platform of Miss Canada or Miss British Columbia. I went into the pageant with a clear focus, end human trafficking and the sexual slavery of my sisters around the world. I was intentional in my decisions leading up to the pageant and throughout the pageant. No revealing evening gowns, no fake hair extensions, fake nails or bra inserts and no swimwear competitions…No matter how fierce the competition may be, I refused to alter who I was or water down my message. Winning a title is never worth compromising in your convictions.

God is daily challenging me to deepen in my convictions and strengthen my character. I named my blog “With Conviction” and I sign all my emails with the signature “With Conviction” because I want everything in my life to be drenched with conviction. I’m not perfect but I’m willing to learn the hard lessons in life because I know that it is through these that my character is strengthened.

Thank you Tara for reminding us that we have such a responsibility and opportunity to promote justice and freedom in our world!

**In case you missed it last week, check out Eye See Media’s interview about human trafficking with me here.

In Numbers:

• 8,940: Number of Internet protocol (IP) addresses in Ontario where child porn is suspected of having been downloaded in the last three months
• 23: Number of police services searching 76 locations to seize computer equipment
• 60: Number of suspects arrested
• 213: Number of charges filed, including sexual assault, child luring and making, possessing and distributing child pornography
• 22: Number of identified victims, now longer being abused

MP Joy Smith issued a statement on the bust, commending those who worked long hours to put an end to this crime.

I want to commend the Ontario Provincial Police Child Sexual Exploitation Section and the 23 law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation for their dedication and commitment to tracking down the individuals who created, distributed and made available child sexual abuse material. These investigations are long and complex and exert significant emotional and physical tolls on the officers involved.  Due to the immense and heroic efforts of these police officers, 22 child victims have been rescued and are now receiving care.

Children are the most precious members of our society but also the most vulnerable. The creation and distribution of child sexual abuse materials results in devastating trauma in young victims. As a nation, it is incumbent on each of us to support efforts that protect children, hold predators accountable, and restore rescued victims.

I echo her words. This kind of predatory behaviour is unacceptable, and I am so grateful for those one the front lines who are doing something about this injustice.  My hope is that victims can now get healing, and that the perpetrators experience true heart change while paying for what they did. Considering that some of those accused have already had previous sex-related convictions, I am reminded that some form of restorative justice is so necessary in our country.  For more information, check out these articles:

• Repeat offenders among those charged in huge Ontario child porn bust by Tu Thanh Ha at Globe and Mail
• Region police investigate 4 men as part of province-wide child porn bust by The Waterloo Record

Joe and I in the bottom row at an anti-trafficking event at the University of Guelph, 2008

Please see the concert details below, and learn more about Joe and his CD on his website. My personal favourite from the album is #6 (hint: Something I aspire to & very cute), but you’ll have to come to the concert to find out why! Jay and I will be presenting on the current project we are working on as well. Hope to see you there, and don’t forget to bring a friend!

Please note: we were switching hosting this week for the HFTS website, and are correcting any small glitches there may still be floating around.  Thanks for your patience.  Should just be minor things though.  Contact section is functioning fine.  I will remove this message very soon, once everything has been dealt with.

When I was younger, I remember hearing that the most powerful comfort can come from a wounded healer.  Many of the women at Treasures have experienced exploitation, manipulation, self-loathing, regret, and abuse, enabling them to understand fully and empathize with those trapped in the trade who feel forgotten.  Check out the Treasures website to read stories and learn more.

We recently had the honour of speaking at a spa and awareness event put together by Trade Sensation, an event planning company based out of Toronto.  They suggested we make “in lieu of wedding favours” available through Hope for the Sold. Here’s what I came up with:

If you would like to make a donation to Hope for the Sold in lieu of wedding favours, you can select which style of card you’d like to give your guests.  Once I have your information, I will then customize it with your names, wedding date, and picture, and send you the PDF file that you can get printed for those attending your wedding.

All the money from the donations will be going toward this project.  All donations will receive a charitable tax receipt (this is possible for U.S. donations as well).  You can find out how to give online or by cheque on the bottom of this page.  If you are interested in donating in lieu of wedding favours, please contact me here, with subject line “wedding favours” so we can get the ball rolling!

If you know of any people getting married, just copy this link to send this post their way: http://bit.ly/HFTSWeddingFavours

The phone awoke me from my slumber.  My best friend Katharine had been in a car accident. Coach bus.  Airlifted.  Serious condition. Words became a jumble in my head.  Along with her family and closest friends, I spent the long, dark night at the hospital by her side.  The next day we were all ushered into a small room with very white walls, and the doctor told us what we’d all feared: at 19 years old, our Katharine’s vibrant young life was over.

Life, interrupted.

Fast forward five years to just 11 days ago.  My husband and I found out that one of our dearest friends, who was a groomsman at our wedding, had just been diagnosed with leukemia.  The chemotherapy began the next day, and as I write this our friend is still at the hospital, fighting for his life and trying to stay as positive as possible as we cheer him on and try to help in any way we can.

Life, interrupted.

Life has such heavy burdens, doesn’t it?  I think of all the split second moments when life is interrupted, and schedules, routines, and plans fade into the background.  Chances are some of you have been though this, and you know exactly what this is like.  Whether it’s a scary diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, financial crisis, betrayal, the death of a dream, or even the devastating moment a trafficking victim realizes they are trapped, life is often made up of what ifs and if onlys.

If only she hadn’t gotten into her car that day.  If only he hadn’t said that.  If only she had eaten healthier. If only I had not believed his promises.  If only I’d been a better dad.  If only If only, if only, if only.

Our minds and hearts can become so weighed down by the pain and suffering in our own lives, let alone the suffering we hear about all over the world.  Human trafficking, poverty, exploitation, war, disease, famine.  Discouragement, heartbreak, disappointment, despair.  What is our role in all this? How can we, even in the midst of devastating interruptions, live in such a way that we do not get overwhelmed?

I have been learning a lot from Ann Voskamp, author of a book called One Thousand Gifts.  I’ve been working through the concept of being more grateful, and here is a quote that really resonates with me:

“I know there is poor and hideous suffering, and I’ve seen the hungry and the guns that go to war.  I have lived pain, and my life can tell: I only deepen the wound of the world when I neglect to give thanks for early light dappled through leaves and the heavy perfume of wild roses in early July and the song of crickets on humid nights and the rivers that run and the stars that rise and the rain the falls and all the good things that a good God gives.  Why would the world need more anger, more outrage?  How does it save the world to reject unabashed joy when it is joy that saves us?  Rejecting joy to stand in solidarity with the suffering doesn’t rescue the suffering.  The converse does.  The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest light to all the world.  When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows.  How can this not be the best thing for the world?  For us?  The clouds open when we mouth thanks.”

I am the last person who would flippantly tell you to grin and bear it.  That suffering is not real.  That pain is exaggerated.  That grieving is easy.  But I know that for myself, the suffering in this world often leaves me burdened and wounded so deeply that all my energy is sapped and I want to quit caring.

Let’s not stop caring.

Let’s start noticing the little joys and the little gifts, intentionally practicing gratefulness, and taking the time to focus on moments that bring life.

Disappointment, interrupted.  Fear, interrupted. Anguish, interrupted.  Hopelessness, interrupted.

In doing so we can begin to flood light into a world that is so, so broken.

We will post pictures of the event next week, and I promise to get back on the blogging horse now that I am feeling myself again.

How true is that?!

Jay and I will be showing some clips from our documentary on sex trafficking in Canada as well as sharing about this very important and heartbreaking issue.  100% of the entrance fee is going to Hope for the Sold, as well as 10% from sales proceeds.  I am told there will be some Swiss-made organic make-up available for those of you who are interested as well as open forums on several topics.  We will also be highlighting how you can sign up to donate to Hope for the Sold in lieu of wedding favours.

So come on out on Sunday, January 22 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm at 238 Supertest Road in Toronto, ready to feel good, learn lots, and take a stand on behalf of the exploited.

Please pass this onto other friends or family that might be interested, and RSVP to info@tradesensation.com before January 20th.

Hope to see you there!