Today we met David Batstone, the author of Not for Sale. He was such an inspiring man, making us fully aware of the immensity of the issue of human trafficking, while giving us a reason to hope and conviction to fight. So much of the ways of fighting this is through economics. We can boycott the companies that use slave labor in order to force them to change. You can check whether or not the product you want to buy is helping or hurting those who made it at free2work.org. He also warned us against the danger of overrating awareness; awareness without action is simply another issue to talk about. He encouraged us to use whatever gifts, skills, and passions we have to fight against human trafficking. In the afternoon, we watched “The Killing Fields.” It was a really intense film about the genocide in Cambodia. I definitely recommend watching it, but be prepared to be shaken. A little bit of information for those who don’t know: Communists from North Vietnam invaded Cambodia during the Vietnam War. The U.S., without notifying Cambodian officials, bombed Cambodia in order to get rid of the Communists there, but killing hundreds of civilians in this unsuccessful attempt to prevent the spread of Communism. The U.S. also invaded Cambodia without notifying the officials. When the U.S. withdrew, the Khmer Rouge saw it as their opportunity to take over. Under the leadership of Pol Pot, over 2 million Cambodians were murdered, targeting the intellectuals and the aristocracy. The Khmer Rouge also brainwashed children, using child soldiers. This is a history lesson skipped over in school because of the shameful role the U.S. played in it. I was so enraged as I learned all this, and it made me wonder at the irony of so many Americans who are trying to do good and rescue the suffering and oppressed in these countries, while completely oblivious to our country’s part in creating these situations of despair. I am so deeply in need of God’s strength and His perfect peace, because I am being overwhelmed by confusion and anger and a desire for God to bring justice right now and in my way. We worship a God of hope, a God who hates injustice and the suffering of His beloved children. Through learning about all this, I have a greater longing to see God in this. Please pray for the Cambodian people who are carrying this grief and don’t know how to hope for all the things God wants to give them. Please also pray for my group, that God would be our sustainer and our peace.