Last night I took a trip to our local newsagent for some needed milk. Gabriel had been in the house all day so I decided he could come along with me. I wrapped him up warm and put him on his trike and we went on the ten minute round trip.
As we were leaving the shop I was struggling to get my shopping, Gabriel and his trike back through the door. As I turned to pull Gabriel out backwards I saw this notice in the shop window.
“YOUNG PRETTY GIRLS MASSAGE AT YOUR HOUSE”
A number of things started to shoot through my mind.
I remembered the recent “Stop the Traffik Road show” we held
at our church, where a Vice Police Officer told us “massage” always means
"sex".
I thought it might as well say “Girls for sale!”
Are these girls willing or are have they been trafficked?
Have these girls been trafficked into London for the upcoming
Olympics?
How “young” are these poor girls?
How did they ever get roped into this horror?
Has is always been so obvious in and around the streets
where I live? Or have I just been naive?
With all this whirring round my mind I continued to push Gabriel
home and took the wrong turn. It was a
longer route. I noticed two young girls -maybe 17 or so- walking towards us. They were dressed up
and holding each other’s hands. They
were giggling but looked nervous. Then I
noticed a rather big guy walking 3 or 4 steps behind them, looking very serious
while smoking a cigarette. I got this
sinking feeling in my stomach. Could
they be prostitutes? Could he be there
pimp? Could they be... trafficked girls?
As we moved past Gabriel was singing happily. He was innocently oblivious (like I was two
minutes before) to what was might be going on.
Now, I may never be sure if they were trafficked girls. But I do know that there are girls in Newham
who are being forced to sell themselves by sick and greedy men. Maybe God just wanted to open my eyes again
to the realities around me I do not want to see.
Please pray for East Ham, especially with the Olympics coming
later this year. With it’s millions of
tourists comes the lure of money for traffickers.
Pray that our eyes may be opened to what may be going on
around us!
Pray the church can make a difference and see women set
free!
"O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."
Psalm 10:17-18
