Lantern Rescue - Corrupted Families

Hey, this is Mike Zwick from If Not for God podcast, our show Stories of Hopelessness Turned into Hope. Your Chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it. Share it. But most of all, thank you for listening. And for Choosing the Truth. Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network.

Previously on Lanterman Rescue. And there's this beautiful girl who, you know, should feel nothing like that.

And the moon shoes do traffic down sucks in the evenings. She wasn't on playfield yet. We were going to go to to get her in before she got pulled out permanently. And we went back to get her.

She never sees the parents of her daughter to. She had a beautiful smile because they could still see her very plainly. She's a real rescan.

Welcome to Lantau and Rescue, a ministry program dedicated to bring light into the darkness of human trafficking.

It's time to light the way to freedom. This is Lantern Rescue. We tell the stories. We talk about rescues and we empower you to do something about it. William Wilberforce once said, let it not be said. I was silent when they needed me.

This is Lantern Rescue. So while today's topic is this, it is disturbing one for me personally, because I've seen pictures and heard a few stories like, oh, my goodness, here you're in for an interesting ride today because it's come along the lines of corrupted families, you know, something that God had provided for us to be taken care of. But what you guys are seeing there in Lannan Rescue is often it's families that are the problem.

Thank you, Ravi. And it is.

We see a lot of disturbing things, you know, versus definitely the situation that our victims are found in their life, not just at the present moment. Now we start to get the whole story. It's lengthy.

And many of them have been involved and forced into this for so long. And probably one of the most disturbing things that we want to talk about today is, as you mentioned, the Krupp family factor when when parents are trapped in there, too.

It's just absolutely horrifying. And Ren, you sent me this picture, this darling little girl this morning. And can you share with our listeners a little bit of what happened to her?

Yes. So the picture the rabbi is talking about is a girl from an undercover case that we were working in the Dominican Republic and a really sad situation.

Her mom, the mother, this little girl, she was. She had been a trafficking victim in the past and she had become a madam. So now she is trafficking other people and she was trafficking some adult women as well as trafficking her 10 year old daughter. And what was unique about this situation is the daughter looked very different than the average child in this country when she had a skin condition that made her look very unique.

And that was a it's hard to say.

It's when you're talking about a toddler young. But that was a fetish for pedophiles that are coming to that country to abuse her. They were very interested in this particular child because she was unique. So we were doing our work in a in an area in this country. And we're in an area known for prostitution and known for trafficking victims to be at home. We saw this little girl and me, you know, we wanted to really start getting the story. Why is she out here? You know, when we first encountered it before, we really do all the attacks that we know now and we go over and I sit down on a bench near her and I'm talking my partner, whatever. And she said getting closer to me. And she's just chewing on her nails and looking around real nervously. And eventually the mom comes over and tells you that she needs to get to work and we still go overseas. Older gentleman propositioned them and do it. The trafficker expects over. And eventually we see a cop and we're like, oh, this is great. Like, you know, the cops going, do something. And you guys ever talk to their mom?

They had some type of exchange. I assume it was money and the cop weeks.

And this little girl is just there. The people that assist was actually the cop and her own mother are complicit in this.

And the mom's trafficking is really tragic situation. Very heartbreaking. Very sad to see someone to you. You know, that's the fact that she's a trust most in the world is your parents, your mom. You know, that's the person that the nurturing and loving you and they're actually the person that's doing the trafficking.

Yeah. When I look at this picture, the innocence of the face of this little girl is just horrifying to think what's being done to her.

This is not an unfamiliar story, right?

It really isn't, even though we saw many farms, it's always shocking. If I get into that moment, too, that we're in a society where you go through the cycle of there, we're in an obvious place where girls are being trafficked and then you identify this one, too. It's very different because of our skin color. But also, she is she was a baby, nine years old, eight to nine years old. And, you know, in disturbing fact, is this a orphan insist that this girl what's going on? And then you begin to see the connection between the mom and her and the mom giving that instruction to this girl. And it's so disturbing, so sad to watch a little girl who should be playing with toys, experiencing safety at home in the comfort of a mom and dad or a parent who loves her and takes care for her.

This girl is saddling up on a bench next to an older European man moving her way, looking at him in a way that she has been told by her mom. Clearly, you know, responding in ways that she has been taught. And it is disturbing to see that. And it's really become something of a ridden and can maybe talk here in the show at some point is becoming a primary way that our victims are being trapped in this light is by family members.

You know, it's it's it's not just the the sack or somebody, you know, or heads bag and everything else from where this is. This is real not only in other countries that this is real in America.

Wow. And I know every listener just likes me like what happened. I mean, I'm hoping that you guys rescued her.

So that case was turned over to not the police in that area, but it's turned over to an actual legitimate law enforcement agency that was able to gather more evidence. That was an extremely, extremely tricky case because, you know, normally we do a rescue, a raid, and we go in and it's a trafficker. It's a very distinct difference between trafficker and caregiver. And I know we talk in another episode about the same country and. Another two little girls are being trafficked by their mother. It's like becoming a tramp. And like came, said Delta as well, in the sense that they're doing the raid not just to get the victim, but to do this horrible, traumatic event to them where you're ripping them away from their parents, their parents getting arrested in front of you. No matter what the parents said to the child, you still look at your parent and you have a feeling of affection for them to your parents. The you know, we worked the local law enforcement agency that was able to find actually a stronger investigation and gather the evidence that they needed and to conduct the raid to arrest the mother and separate the child from her and get the child into aftercare.

Wow, that's that's great news and Mark, do you know what? Is there any follow up on that actually? Was she put into a foster home or do you know, was that a case?

It was an early on relationship in that country. And I'm not 100 percent certain, but I do know we worked with that country social services. So that's where that would have that the interaction would occur to that. And we're fairly comfortable with in that country where in some we would not be we would facilitate the aftercare in that when we get the authority to go to the aftercare. Wow.

What we're really unique about this situation and I just wanted to bring it up real quick and hopefully someone finds this motivating interesting.

During this case, we had previously rescued a woman that was older. She was twenty three when we did her deal and she was being her trafficker, recording her child against her. Her trafficker was making her walk the streets and taking her child every day. And if she didn't walk the streets, he was right behind the house. She had a three year old daughter and we did her rescue and now she is. So I can better word an informant, a little investigator for us. And she would while this investigation is going on, she would send it back to court. Like I still see the child. The child's on the streets. But she she got hurt. She was healthy. She's OK. And when the rescue happens, you know, she suddenly is like the tall guy. I haven't seen her anymore. That was really cool to have that victim that had already been rescued take such an active role in wanting to help other people get out of that situation in understanding the severity of it.

Wow. And it's just, again, a mind blowing event. Alan, do you have a story along these lines?

Not a firsthand. It's actually through my wife who works for law enforcement in the United States. The situation was similar to this. There was a female in the same type of trafficking.

She trafficked her daughter and an infant. Her daughter was the same age as about six. And the infant was just like 12 or 13 months. The boy was actually brought by the state law enforcement. They did a sting operation. The mother was actually exchanging her children at a bus stop. To whom she believed who was going to be elderly gentleman that was going to take one or both children. What wanted to. It turned out that when she got to the bus station, the person she was meeting was actually the state law enforcement officer. And they took her into custody and then the children and to the child services. But that's not firsthand knowledge. But the information my wife has, that is some of the transcripts. And it was just pretty horrific. The incident itself.

Wow. And so, you know, the point that I know you wanted to make ran was this stuff could be happening right in your back door.

Yes. Yes. So this stuff, like Allen said, you know, let's say a case in the United States and the case that we had talked about in the past, events under overseas.

But, you know, there could be monsters in your everyday life, you know.

It's not always a stranger that snapping and grabbing a kid. There there are these cases and we've been seeing it more and more often lately, which is alarming. There is a lot of cases of parents and familial trafficking. And these people that I know, I hope it's out of desperation. And it's not just that they're horrifically evil people, but it's hard to you know, even I'm the only person on a team that's not a parent. And it's it's hard even for me. I can't imagine how it is for the guys to imagine. Just having such a little concern for your child's welfare is to do something so horrific to them.

John. It's it's really it's scary stuff.

So how about UTC, if you got a story along these lines, if you have a fairly extensive knowledge of the case until all those. For my couple jobs don't actually tell you about a. Maybe the tail end of the story. So the person that I know who was traffic of this female, she was trapped by a mother.

And by the time I get to know this person, I have I was supervising her for the state and she had at that point her life, she had killed somebody. She was a crack addict. She's a fugitive. You might have changed in court and you're in jail to get out.

So I had pretty good, you know, and I knew her story.

And actually, eventually, I actually supervised her mother as well. The woman temperature. I also supervised her. So her mom was almost a lifelong alcoholic when I had you know, she was certainly under the control of alcohol most of all. Most of the time, she was absolutely manipulative and self seeking medical practitioners trafficking her daughter out.

She's really just trying to make money. So, you know, guys, you're coming out of the house and mom would make her daughter.

What would you do that happened then, much of her marches there?

I hate to break in here, but we have to go to a short break.

I know that, like me, you're all are interested to know what happened in this situation.

When we come back, we'll hear about that as well as a whole lot of information that we all could benefit from, both in prayer, but also just an awareness of the things that are going on around us. We'll be right back.

Lannan Rescue is a U.S. aid based organization that conducts international rescue operations for people suffering from human trafficking. Lannan specializes in sending former U.S. special operations, law enforcement and intelligence personnel to partner with host nations and assist them in creating specialized units to combat ongoing security problems such as genocide, terrorism and human trafficking. As a nonprofit charity, they offer services free of charge to their host nations. Human trafficking has grown into the second largest criminal activity in the world, reaching an estimated 150 billion dollars in annual activity. Lantern Rescue was developed rapidly to combat trafficking. Van Horn operates through a trained international network in order to rescue women and children from sex and labor slavery and facilitates holistic aftercare services. They're gearing up for operations right now. And you can go to Lanner and rescue Dorji to see how you can support them financially.

So welcome back to Lannan Rescue. And today's show kind of family has gone corrupted.

It's just it's scary stuff. Monsters in your own backyard.

And when we left, T.C., he was describing the situation that he in. Clearly, this was in the United States, right. T.C., if you were supervising these people, this is back when you were working in parole and that kind of thing.

That's correct.

There was definitely space for just the reason that part of what I want to bring forward making will Segway to this later. The way that the way that my wheelchair ended up being an informant for me as well. And to this day, we're friends.

I won't talk about that promise, but.

I just want to say that from a very young age, her life got back and she struggled for years, for years with how how this happened to her. And it's, you know, the cause and effect, I think, will say that eventually.

She she really kind of got straightened out to some degree, and she'll probably always struggle with something that she's drug free and she she's actually a plant manager at a place now in the state not far away.

And so, you know, she kept and I would say she's a Christian, as far as I know. And she she has a family. She. So I guess part of it is, you know, at a young age. Huge. Life was dramatically altered.

But I also want to say, and I think we'll pick up on this, is that there is hope if we can get these folks out, if we can get them rescued and get them really kind of help in their lives and be productive and happy and enjoyable.

Yeah. And so I'm listening to that, T.C., I'm thinking, wow. No doubt you were praying for this young lady a lot. And it leads me to think, wow, I you know, I knew about praying for you guys, but I hadn't really thought until I saw the picture of a little girl. Wow. I need to be praying specifically for victims that I know about. You know, that God will come in because eventually he's the one that does the rescuing. He did it for me and I was there with Travis. But I look at situations. But interestingly, I mean, it really is it. It gives us an opportunity as listeners to participate in this. And I want to mention that we're going to post this picture, of course, of a little girl's face will be blurred out a little bit at the at the notes that the podcast. So if you, you know, just go to the Apple podcast and look for Lannan Rescue, you're going to see that in the show. Notes that there'll be that picture if you want to seek in an idea of of who this is that we could be praying for. Because, you know, Allen, you definitely wanted to speak to the spiritual and the physical relationship that's going on here.

Yeah, the the those two things, spiritual, the physical aspect, you know, that they're separate, but theater intertwined. So we as the operators that to the rescue. Were physically going in and removing the individual from the environment or separating them from their traffickers or that that's the physical side of the spiritual side. Now, there's a different different thing altogether. And that is something that you actually have to. Impera, about that is something that only Jesus can actually heal the spiritual wounds caused by the physical wounds. You know, the physical wounds can be addressed. A lot of cases, band aids as really things, but the spiritual damage that is done, if that's not healed and corrected and they never do fully recover. And I think T.C. was know that part of the individual he was involved with that. There has to be healing on both sides, not just the physical and spiritual. And I think that's where the pros really need to be put and not just for the victims and perpetrators, but for us as individuals to make us more aware of that spiritual battle here and not just the physical one out to do these things.

Yeah, it's just it's it's really remarkable. And Mark, you had some thoughts along that as well.

I'm so grateful that you see an alum both have such a vast experience in law enforcement, other things in the states for them to share their background and their stories, because we do see this stuff internationally and they see it. We all see it. But to tie over to realize that this is a problem, you know, around the world that parents sell their children for money or goods like drugs, you know, and that that same parent is probably also taking that child home for dinner or homework in the evening, you know? And so when they barter their kid or give their child to somebody else for sex or any kind of sexual favors. And right now with Kovin, we've talked about the demand for photographs and videos of, you know, their children. A sexual nature is rampant and it's just a problem that is definitely, as Alan was just saying, it is a problem, the heart and then the damage that it does to the child when he talks about how this girl got off course early on and then now the need of the spiritual healing for this kid. You know, don't. We don't always get to be the final outcome of that child, you know, years later. But we do get to see some that we do get to connect with several. And I want our listeners to know this, that as a teen, we all know that this be rescuing somebody is one thing, but then the spiritual rescue has to happen. And we are committed as a team that the ones that we rescue are given that that opportunity to learn about Jesus, to hear about God, to get that type of therapy. And we're so grateful for our aftercare partners. And then we're continuing to build that out in other countries. So I just want to share how important that is to the team.

I think it's it's phenomenally important because so many of these victims actually feel like it was their fault in some way and getting at that from a standpoint of some type of counseling or something.

Ren, do you do you guys have something along those lines to try to get these people involved in?

Yes. So all the aftercare organizations that we work with, they all have their base, their foundation is built upon getting them the spiritual needs that they need, as well as they have advised counselors that are certified to work with victims of sexual abuse, victims of physical abuse and victims of trafficking. So when they transition into the Africare, they will do a whole show about the aftercare process. But when they transition there, yes, they're absolutely provided counselors and trusted individuals that are able to talk to them, as well as all the victims that we've rescued, have our phone numbers on the rescue team. They have at least mine in March and they're able to reach out to us whenever they're going through some type of struggle if they feel like they want to talk to us as well.

And I suppose you've had those calls.

Now, we've had a couple times of challenging. Usually they don't speak our language that it can be, you know, a little bit of a barrier, but, you know, they don't always want us to talk back. They just want they just want to say something and know that they're listening. So that's that's been beneficial, I know, for at least a couple of them.

It's so important to listen in those situations.

But speaking of listening, we'd like to you know, I know all our listeners would like a little more education on what we could be sensitive to looking for and those kinds of things.

Yeah. So, you know, people, especially the United States, the best people that are going to be the most equipped to notice if that is going to be your teacher.

We always say that, which that's another reason why this pandemic is has been so distressing to us, is that teachers that are able to check in on their students every day and see see the micro changes and see these interesting habits that they're picking up that they didn't have before, that the safety net is gone now.

So that's any more challenging. But in a normal, perfect world. Teachers are excellent to notice when a child is acting differently, when something things off, as well as health care professional. So when a kid comes into their checkups, when the part time around or something seems off, you know, make sure that we're addressing that. And if you're not comfortable doing it while the child is in the room, you can always call the national trafficking tip line. And that phone number is eight eight three seven three seven eight eight eight. So even if you know, you're thinking about it later, your kid in school or you thought a child at your kid's daycare or your child had a playmate over whatever the situation is, and you're not comfortable confronting it in that moment. You can call that tip line later and it's anonymous if you're wrong. No harm, no foul if you're right. You help the child.

That's awesome to see. Both you and your wife have worked a lot with the people in the United States and women. What parts you might have in the way of education that people could be looking out for.

My thoughts along this time with runs are said number one, the apostle Paul tells us to give the time to buy a bike and to make the most of all the life that we apply to this particular problem.

This particular epidemic of child abuse and trafficking.

There are so many things like my wife, those things like fundraiser's, equalitarian, and those people know almost incessantly about this is what you can do.

This is what you can look for. We go overseas. Every little thing that we can do, find water and candy bars to make sure that they get to the right place to having conversations to the label. And those governments, like there are so many things that if you continually do those little things, you can you create quite a force for good in coordinating with the father of the universe, the God of the universe, to do good. And there's just so many things seem so small. You have no idea the grandchildren are physicists.

Wow. Absolutely. And, Mark, can you kind of wrap things up for us?

Yes, I think I'd love to maybe wrap it up, but just ask you both, as always, to pray.

But we're getting into this season and next week and then much of September.

Lord willing to have some activity that is pretty critical to the lives of our victims and then also the law enforcement that we need to train and establish relationships and other places. So, you know, we're excited about the way God is growing our organization. But more than anything, we're determined. I know each one of us. We're not used to sitting around quite as much at home as we have. Probably been nice, but I know we're all motivated to be active in the actual rescue role because that's what we do and that's what we do best. So I know, Ellen, to see you guys will close out as well.

Allan, go ahead. Sure, Michael, saying the fact that the needs of us is the prayers.

I mean, monitoring and all that is wonderful. But really, that spiritual battle that we fight within ourselves and in the environments we go into, that that is a battle that that needs more than just us. It needs prayers from everyone to give us the strength to do that and the strength of those victims. To be healed by faith in Christ a lot. So I just really ask for your prayers more than anything.

Yeah, and actually, as I am thinking about it, this what I'm aware of, it's a really good time to be thinking about praying for Mark and Wren and Allen and T.C. because the upcoming weeks are critical.

And for other members of their team as well as the victims, again, I would reference the podcast that you can go there to see in the show, notes the little girl, and get an idea of, wow, how could we be praying for these victims as well as the team in these critical upcoming weeks?

And I know I'm personally excited because I know we're gonna be doing some shows coming up live from the field of what's actually going on out there.

And so you certainly want to tune in on the upcoming weeks, too. God is going to be, you know, working through the team there at Atlanta and Rescue.

So thank you so much for listening today's show. And don't forget, we can sure use your prayers. God bless.

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