I grew up in Hong Kong and my mother frequently visited a place called Chunking Mansions where she would have tea with women and lead a Bible Study. On days when school was not in session, my mom would sometimes take me and my siblings with her to Chunking Mansions. It’s a place that has developed a reputation for low-end accommodations and retail. It can be home to petty criminals and illegal immigrants; other times just your average backpacker looking for a cheap place to sleep. We would go to the mansions for a Bible study and a meal and, as I recall on one occasion, one very strange production of the Christmas story. The place gave me the creeps most of the time. The elevators lurched into place and the doors didn’t always open all the way. Odd smells would make their way through the winding hallways and the lights, if they were on, were always impossibly dim. But I remember the people I met were always gracious and kind. It was in this place that I was first introduced to the concept of Human Trafficking. In places like this, where people could easily get lost or disappear, human slavery has found its niche. I became aware that there were many places around the world where people were bought and sold. Some for sex, others for labor, and I never wanted that to happen to the women I met in Chunking Mansions, and as far as I know it never did.
I think this is what began my passion and desire to work for an organization that focused on anti-trafficking issues. I believe in the dignity of all peoples, and in this case, I believe that we are meant to be free. Isaiah 61:1 says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.” We are not meant to be bought and sold. I tell you this story because I have faith in God who can work miracles and a hope in a future that knows freedom.
CWR partners, Ministering to the Abused and Exploited in Mexico (MAEM), held a strategic planning retreat at the beginning of October. In this meeting, they were able to create lasting partnerships with other around Mexico and set major objectives and goals for the next two years. They are dedicated to the work of preventing childhood sexual abuse and uniting against human trafficking. Partners like these are a joy to partner with because a desire that was first instilled in me over 10 years ago is held by more than just one person. It will take more and more voices joining together to see the end of child exploitation and human trafficking, so I ask that you would join CWR and MAEM in that journey.
–Hannah Gaskins, CWR intern
