One Body Village - Một Thân Hình

Back Make A Difference

Setting the stage

I met the girls for the first time yesterday. But before I get into that, I have to share with you a heartfelt story. I woke up in the hotel yesterday morning and logged into Facebook as part of my addictive daily routine. I see a post by Father Martino announcing that he just rescued a young girl who was trafficked to Singapore. I thought to myself, "Wow, what an incredible story to kick start my mission with OBV". I went downstairs to have breakfast with the group and sitting across from me was the same girl that Father Martino mentioned in his post. My heart dropped into my gut. She's beautiful. Her hair is long but tattered. Her skin is soft. Her face is gentle. She's quiet.

I didn't ask her age, but I can tell she is younger than I am. Father told us that she was fooled into a free vacation to Singapore. By some amazing fate, while on the plane she spoke with a young man who then exchanged numbers with her. She grew suspicious when she landed and sent him a message explaining the situation. The young man turned out to be an OBV associate and she was immediately removed from Singapore before she was introduced to the pimp.

Without even talking to her I could feel the tears flow from my eyes if I had let them. I had to remind myself that it was not about me and my pity for her. She does not need my pity. She's safe. She's lucky. She would have been lost in the dark and cruel nights of Singapore, unwelcoming of an endless revolving door of horny men.

She's kind. She's patient. She showed grace an courage. She shows us hope. There could not have been a better way to set the stage for my mission with OBV.

Angela

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Every year, Father Martino leads many mission trips entitled "Lend A Hand" - One of them is a trip beginning in January 2013! Father Martino continuously repeat the purpose of the mission: “When you are on the mission with me – you don’t do a lot!! I want you to open yourselves, watch, listen, see and learn! The DOINGS begin when you return to the US!” so you can talk about it and do with passion to be the VOICE and the HAND of these children being sold/forced into sex slavery!

Here are some of their reflections.

OBV

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Hằng năm, Cha Nguyễn Bá Thông dẫn đầu nhiều chuyến hành trình với sứ mạng "Chung một bàn tay" - Một trong số đó là chuyến hành trình vào tháng 1 năm 2013. Cha Thông luôn lặp đi lặp lại một điều: "Khi tham gia hành trình sứ mạng cùng Cha - các con đừng làm gì nhiều! Cha muốn chính các con hãy nhìn - nghe - chứng kiến - và học hỏi! Việc "LÀM" hãy bắt đầu khi các con trở về đất nước! Khi đó, hãy nói và làm với cả tâm huyết để trở thành TIẾNG NÓI và BÀN TAY cho các trẻ em bị bán/bị bắt ép làm nô lệ tình dục!"

Đây là cảm nhận của các bạn gửi về sau mỗi hành trình.

Một Thân Hình

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