10,000 Women Victimized Every Year by Mexican Sex Traffickers

A new study just released by University of Nuevo Leon and funded by the National Science and Technology Council revealed that criminal rings in Mexico abduct or entrap approximately 10,000 women every year. These women are taken from the southern and central states of Mexico and sexually exploited in the northern states.

The study confirms what typically happens in these abductions, i.e. young ladies being lured in by the promise of work and income in the big city. Once in the big city their identification and resources are taken, they are locked away and brought "clients".

Once they realize they have been sold into prostitution in a brothel they attempt to leave and go home. At this time they are repeatedly gang raped for days on end until they have no will to fight back. They are then used by these pimps and traded among brothels so they can keep fresh girls for their "clients".

This is the third largest industry worldwide behind trafficking drugs and arms bringing in about $6 billion dollars per year. Women in eastern Europe have talked about being forced to take more than 50 "clients" per day and a dozen being a very slow day! Pause and let that soak in for a minute.

The study found that monterrey is one of the most frequented areas of sexual tourism, primarily due to it's proximity to the U.S. Additionally, almost 5,000 are trafficked to the U.S. every year.

Folks, we've got to break down these gates!

Read the article by the Latin American Herald Tribune

Gates of Hell

There is a very common, well known scripture that says "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matt 16:18 (KJV) I want you to key in on the bold part, "the gates of hell shall not prevail".

For some reason (maybe the deception of the evil one) the Church has largely thought wrong about this verse. I, and many others, have understood it to mean that evil will not be able, ultimately, to prevail against the Church. Although this is true, it is not taught with this scripture. This says that "the gates of HELL shall not prevail". Are gates an offensive or defensive weapon? They are clearly defensive. So what this is saying is that the gates of hell will not be able to withstand the attack of the Church.

Reading through a few missionary biographies gives us a good picture of how those who have loved the Lord have gone boldly into the abode of the wicked and the gates of hell did not prevail. It takes bold action, led by God's Spirit, to defeat the evil in this world. My friends it is time to stop being content in our defensive posture and get on the offensive with the good news of Jesus Christ and start knocking down some gates.

Where is the abode of the wicked...look around and take your choice. Whether it's the watered down feel good gospel often preached in the U.S., the murder of millions of babies through abortion, or the trafficking of children into the sex trade industry, we have to get involved and boldly go to the gates with a battering ram!

Evil and Suffering

I'm reading "The Case for Faith" right now as I recently finished "The Case for Christ" and came across a great exert from Lee Strobel's interview of Dr. William Lane Craig. While discussing the argument that there must not be a loving God with so much evil and suffering in the world Dr Craig comments that he would never ask God why he allows so much evil and suffering when he could do something about it because he's afraid God would turn it around and ask him the same question. I think that is a great way to look at issue. God in his wisdom has chosen to use us to be his hands, feet and mouth, let us use them wisely for that is faultless religion.

Outrage

After writing the previous posting I sit here growing more and more outraged with the evils in this world and my seeming willingness to let them be. What is it that causes evil? God's word says that "each one is tempted when, by HIS OWN evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:14,15 It's all about people. So it would appear that all evil in the world can be combated by evangelism. If people are changed by God, desire to do right, have self-control and battle evil at the root i.e. our desires, then we would not have to read the statistics below.

• Mexico City has 1,900,000 underprivileged and street children. 240,000 of these are abandoned children. (Action International Ministries)
• In the central area of Mexico City there are 11,172 street children. 1,020 live in the street and 10,152 work there. (City of Mexico/Fideicomiso, Report, 1991)
• In 1996, the Inter-American Development Bank and UNICEF estimated there were 40 million children living or working on the streets of Latin America--out of an estimated total population of 500 million.
• Begging - Some 20% of the children survive by begging, 24% by selling goods, and others by doing subcontracting work. ("Over 5 Million Child Laborers in Mexico", Xinhua: Comtex, 14 September 2000, citing National System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), "Prevention, Attention, Discouragement and Eradication of Childhood Labor")
• 8-11 million children under the age of 15 years are working in Mexico. (US Dept of Labor, Sweat and Toil of Children, 1994, citing US Dept of State, Human Rights Report, 1993)

Evangelism is good religion.