Last weekend I babysat 15 kids with Kirsten (the other intern) and periodic help from Kristianna (the daughter of the conference director), and some teen girls who came to help on Saturday.
I am certain that this experience was for the purpose of learning to trust God more. Latvian parenting is much different than American parenting, and honestly, it's better, it is simply nerve racking. American parents often seek to control their children and replace care with precaution. This has recently been outrageous as we have seen schools taking away things that are fun from playgrounds because they are vaguely dangerous. While it's obviously different in more urban environments, Latvian parents just let their kids scatter.
One of the first activities we did with the children is make pizza. Kristianna asks, "Connor, will you pass out the knives?" I was a little shocked. It was interesting watching the tinniest ones get tossed about on the trampoline. That was probably the moment in which I said, "God, these children's lives are quite literally in your hands..."
The weekend was truly amazing though. I had such a good time with the kids, I wish I had pictures because they were adorable. The girls loved attention and the guys loved to play and hangout. The oldest, Ginthers, stayed after the conference was over. We went the lake, practiced each others languages, we were pals. I really loved the staff at that YWAM base also, they were all very hospitable. I am amazed at how quickly relationships can form even with those who do not speak your language.
Also, local strawberries are awesome, especially in cake, and jam.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
My Vision for Riga
Last week I visited six errotic massage parlors and took pictures of the surrounding area. The purpose of this post is to show just how shady these places are despite their masquerading as a legitimate business. I found these places by doing some basic research online; these locations are prime for finding young, foreign girls. Those words should trigger the word "trafficked" in your mind.
The first location I went to, which is a few blocks from the apartment, is called Caprice. This was the most normal of the parlors, it had a front door and everything! Anyway, as you walk in this door, you go up some stairs to another door which is opaque, then into a lobby which has several murals of people having sex. Interesting for a place that can only legally give massages.
This is the building, once again, the door is in the back.
I went down stairs where some women awaited me, but I told them I was just exploring and left.
"Indigo," one must be let in from the inside.
"Dolce Vita," must be let in from the inside, there is a locked gate and a locked door one can go through. The building had walls on all four sides, one gate was unlocked and led to some back doors.
"Aleksa," around the building and through a gate leads to some stairs. As I walk in a girl in a short dress holds the door open for me. There is a kitchen and a living room connected to the small lounge witch has a fridge with alcohol in it.
Finally, "Emor," surrounded by walls, front door is unusable. Voice pad entrance through a gate.
The first location I went to, which is a few blocks from the apartment, is called Caprice. This was the most normal of the parlors, it had a front door and everything! Anyway, as you walk in this door, you go up some stairs to another door which is opaque, then into a lobby which has several murals of people having sex. Interesting for a place that can only legally give massages.
The next place was called "Sofija," as you can see there is not a front door. This is very common with these places. Usually one must go through a tunnel and into a backdoor in order to gain entrance.
This is the building, once again, the door is in the back.
"Indigo," one must be let in from the inside.
"Barbaris," was the most shady of the locations, several alleyways take you to a corner of an apartment complex where calling a voice pad would reveal your final destination.
My vision for this city is simple. I want to see Christians from local churches sending teams to these places and caring for the girls there. Providing a way out should they seek it. The other part is something that you also can help with. Praying that these places would close and that those who work there would find employment that honors them. Pray specifically for each location, we have seen several clubs in Riga close as a result of prayer.
Thanks for reading!
Freedom61 and Life in Latvia
Welcome to my first post in Latvia.
Freedom61-
Since working with Freedom61 I have been doing many things to help out at the apartment such as cleaning and fixing things. For the first time this Tuesday we have served soup and bread to the girls which was very successful. I usually walk around and pray while the girls interact and from what they told me, those on the receiving end were very grateful. One girl, Karina, stayed for an hour and a half and even mentioned that she would like to leave her profession. On Wednesdays we take part in what is called the "Transforming Riga Prayer." Riga has regions and microregions, and every week YWAM Riga picks a microregion and prayer walks there. On Thursdays we bring cupcakes, coffee, and tea, to the girls and continue to build relationship. On Fridays the men (*Tchaigo from Brazil, and myself) walk around old town and talk to tourists and inform them that prostituted girls are not free, and are in one way or another forced.
There are a few layers of work that are required to remedy this problem: prevention, perpetrator accountability, rescue, and rehabilitation/reintegration. Freedom61 has been devising ways of reintegration to couple with their relationship rescue. Should a girl working on the street decide to leave she can receive Latvian lessons at the Freedom61 apartment; this is critical for obtaining a job because most of the girls speak Russian. Given that she is not addicted to drugs or alcohol, she can live in the freedom61 apartment. If she is currently addicted freedom61 can help transition to and from a rehabilitation clinic. Lastly, Freedom61 is thinking of possible business opportunities to provide jobs themselves.
There are so many areas of prevention but the most important one of these is you. It takes a global effort to break the misconceptions that allow inaction and apathy regarding this issue.
1: Woman do not choose to become prostitutes, and those who do, have no other choice. What women do you know that want to be sexually abused 10+ times a day? What women do you know who think of that as an easy way to make money instead of getting a "real job?"
2: Women do not become prostitutes to pay for addictions, the reason most prostituted women have addictions is either because their pimp forced them, in order to gain further control over them, or because being repeatedly sexually abused is too difficult to endure sober.
3: Men are not controlled by biological imperatives. Men can find sexual freedom, and do have a choice regarding issues of pornography and prostitution.
Thank you for reading.
Freedom61-
Since working with Freedom61 I have been doing many things to help out at the apartment such as cleaning and fixing things. For the first time this Tuesday we have served soup and bread to the girls which was very successful. I usually walk around and pray while the girls interact and from what they told me, those on the receiving end were very grateful. One girl, Karina, stayed for an hour and a half and even mentioned that she would like to leave her profession. On Wednesdays we take part in what is called the "Transforming Riga Prayer." Riga has regions and microregions, and every week YWAM Riga picks a microregion and prayer walks there. On Thursdays we bring cupcakes, coffee, and tea, to the girls and continue to build relationship. On Fridays the men (*Tchaigo from Brazil, and myself) walk around old town and talk to tourists and inform them that prostituted girls are not free, and are in one way or another forced.
There are a few layers of work that are required to remedy this problem: prevention, perpetrator accountability, rescue, and rehabilitation/reintegration. Freedom61 has been devising ways of reintegration to couple with their relationship rescue. Should a girl working on the street decide to leave she can receive Latvian lessons at the Freedom61 apartment; this is critical for obtaining a job because most of the girls speak Russian. Given that she is not addicted to drugs or alcohol, she can live in the freedom61 apartment. If she is currently addicted freedom61 can help transition to and from a rehabilitation clinic. Lastly, Freedom61 is thinking of possible business opportunities to provide jobs themselves.
There are so many areas of prevention but the most important one of these is you. It takes a global effort to break the misconceptions that allow inaction and apathy regarding this issue.
1: Woman do not choose to become prostitutes, and those who do, have no other choice. What women do you know that want to be sexually abused 10+ times a day? What women do you know who think of that as an easy way to make money instead of getting a "real job?"
2: Women do not become prostitutes to pay for addictions, the reason most prostituted women have addictions is either because their pimp forced them, in order to gain further control over them, or because being repeatedly sexually abused is too difficult to endure sober.
3: Men are not controlled by biological imperatives. Men can find sexual freedom, and do have a choice regarding issues of pornography and prostitution.
Thank you for reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)