Getting Real About Ukraine

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As we're speaking, he is working, working, working to help some folks get out of that country. That's right. Austin, why don't you give us a little bit of an update because you're headed to, like, you better get your long underwear.

That's up. Well, I hope I hope it's not too cold. Hopefully I won't have to run to keep warm. So I'm headed to Warsaw next week, which is in Poland, and then we'll supply up and then head over towards the border. And, you know, the purpose of the visit is to do an assessment to see where the holes are and see what we can plug. This morning, Mark got an email from one of our international partners that works very closely with the United States government and looks like we're going to be doing something in collaboration with them for Ukraine. And then I'll be headed into Ukraine to work with our network that Mark has spent the last two weeks with no sleep organizing and putting together to get all these folks out.

And so you may want to put your fingers in your ear because once you hear this, you won't be able to hear what we're fixed to tell you. Because I can't get off my mind all week ever since these guys told me this, but there are wolves that when these apparently, and I can't explain it like you guys can, that when these kind of mass evacuees thing, especially when there's not, when men aren't there protecting the women, can you kind of take them through that? So Eastern Europe is, over the decades, has been pretty notorious for human trafficking, for various of the types of trafficking. Now you have a situation where the Ukrainian government is not allowing males 18 to 65 out of the country. They're essentially enacting a draft. Now you have women and children without husbands or brothers or fathers going across to a country that they have no idea what's next.

So it really allows for an opportunity for those wolves to start. Can you kind of give our listeners a picture of what, I mean, who's waiting for them over there? Traffickers. That's our worry is that, you know, that there's a bunch of traffickers waiting.

And when those traffickers, how are they going to? You know, there's a number of different ways they could be doing it. You know, obviously these are vulnerable people that are looking for help, right? And if you, just one example, you know, there are a lot of great people in the world that just want to help. But, you know, those wolves like to take advantage of those situations, right? So now you've got a bunch of people coming to a train station in Poland, and you have good people, probably some bad people, holding up signs saying, hey, I'll drive you here, or you can come stay in my house.

And I don't want people to think that, you know, this is, I don't want to sound the alarm bells that don't, just stop trusting people. God has provided these folks in Poland and in Romania and in various other countries an opportunity to help where they can. But among those good people are going to be people that are trying to take advantage of the situation.

And if you look at the type of trafficking that goes on in Eastern Europe, people are a commodity. And now there's a situation where these young girls and young children are coming across the border, and if they get into a car with somebody with ill intent, they'll never be seen again. And so here's where, I mean, your listeners can really, like if they're, you know, we're all wondering, how can we pray? How do we pray for this situation and for what's going on over there? Like, oh my goodness, what a cool time to be praying for the team for Land Rescue and other organizations. You know, what these people are meant for evil actually might call some of these bad people out to where they can be caught and put away and prosecuted because you guys, the neat thing about your task force is that you're not just there to stop that one abduction.

You're there to get to the heart of the whole system network and put them through the process of the government to actually have them put in jail and as high up as you can possibly get it. And there's a lot of technology involved, too, right? That's the beauty of what I've seen from Land and Rescue. It's not just, you know, a few guys out there looking, you guys have tools and skills.

That's correct. And partners. Really great partners.

Yeah, really. We have, and if, you know, if we just take a second to, you know, our activity there has been to extract and move people immediately from the moment the invasion happened. We were blessed to have driving sales of people, you know, and volunteers and then some more government, former military, Ukrainian, secret service types that assisted as well. We've had successes that honestly have been in the major news outlets, but we can't really say what those were, but it's been on everything, you know, from Fox to everything, but that's our mechanism.

Boston is going to go first. I've got to be out of the country. We're training a national SWAT unit next week for some raids that we have to do.

I have to be there the next couple of weeks. But, you know, we're looking at increasing our capability there in a couple of ways. One is that at an undisclosed position inside the country, we currently have a safe house, a large one that we can leapfrog people around. And we're looking at establishing a warehouse. Again, that's got to be held tightly because, you know, Austin, you're the one that's like, you know, if that gets out, Russia will bomb it.

Yeah, that's for sure. If we're keeping supplies there... Yeah, we've already been managing some supply runs to the front. I mean, well, there's multiple fronts, but to the UK, the Ukrainian army. And we want to increase that, but we're really trying to support the civilians, you know, the women and children that are the IDPs inside and then those who want to move.

And, you know, we've been able to commandeer buses and minivans and now some trucks, right? So that, and then outside of that, you know, Austin is going to be meeting with the governments of Poland and some of the surrounding countries to, like he said, to establish hopefully a good effort because it's going to be long term. This is not a two month, you know, thing.

We're looking long game, Robbie, you know, long game, just like we do in all the places we work. We're there to stay, right? We're not weekend warriors. This is not an American superhero complex that, you know, X this and X that and X everything else goes over and gets in a fight.

All of that, you know, I just tell you, I mean, there's a lot of that. That's not what this is. Although I'm sure, you know, all of us have been there, you get in fights, but that's what we're trying to do is build something sustainable to counter evil where it's got an opportunity to flourish. Who's going to step up? Who is going to step up to the plate for a million and a half refugees that are susceptible to all kinds of, you know, advances and evil and manipulation and they're just completely vulnerable.

You know, I know people, there's fan tax organizations are going to do, they're going to feed them and they're going to do a lot of those wonderful things and that's incredible. That's not what we do. I mean, we have fed some people, honestly, also inside the Ukraine, but we do what we do and we know we have to get there and we have to train task force and law enforcement and agencies to work with us to hunt down those who want to sell children. And the existing infrastructure, law enforcement and government infrastructure is completely overwhelmed. Oh man, yeah, they're like, can you imagine if you live in, you know, Winston-Salem and then all of a sudden there's a million and a half extra people with nowhere to live? Yeah.

No food, no resources, no money. You know, it's, and I just want to point, Mark never likes to pat himself on the back, but this guy, we're here in Nashville for the conference sharing a room. Mark does snore. When he sleeps. When he sleeps.

And that was the point that I was going to make. The week that we've been down here, Mark has probably gotten, I don't know, maybe two hours of sleep because he's been, you know, obviously it's daytime there when it's nighttime here and Mark has been nonstop on the phone. And so he told some of our local staff to take a break because they had just been working nonstop, the local staff in Kiev and the surrounding areas. And instead of taking a break, these folks then went and got food and went down to the train station and sort of feeding people and sent this amazing video to Mark. And we showed it to some of our staff this morning and everybody was in tears. You know, it's just, it shows that people with good hearts are out there to do good things, you know, and it's just amazing.

These people are living in a war zone, literally in a war zone, fleeing their country. And then you've got these folks that aren't getting paid anything, just there to go and help. And I think that's what the rest of the team, you know, here at Lantern, it's just what they do, you know? And so I know the listeners are, again, we're all kind of overwhelmed.

I know you guys are. And people are going, you know, how do I respond to this? Obviously, prayer is the thing that jumps right out there. And so as you're headed that way, Austin, how would you tell us to pray? You know, the other day I sat down with my kids and I actually even prayed for these Russian soldiers, you know? These young kids that are out there being told to do evil things by a crazy person sitting in their capital. And, you know, I think we just have to pray that God gives us all the strength to get through this, you know?

And those that can, you know, He gives them the will to do it, right? And support the Ukrainian people as much as we can. And then obviously the resources, you guys couldn't have too much money right now. I mean, you've got people to fly everywhere, you've got supplies that are needed, equipment that needs to be transported. So clearly this wasn't in our yearly budget, right? Right, this wasn't something you planned for.

No, not at all. And so the needs are just- Neither was Afghanistan. And it's still, I've got three significant, you know, we evaluate each one in Afghanistan and start to get sidetracked, but some people, you know, we just continue to house in Kabul now or get them fed, you know, until the end of the winter. But I've got, you know, we've got three family groups now that their houses, they've been ran out of their house, their cars have been stolen, they're basically homeless. Yeah, it's, you know, those things come at us and we're just trying to, we're trying to address those as we can. So we definitely need our donors. Those who want to give, there's never a shortness of what needs to be done, you know? Right, and we're just, you know, blessed, obviously, to get the word out, right? That, wow, there is stuff going on, like, right this very second.

I mean, like I said, he's texting bus information, like, right the second as I'm watching it, you know? It's like, I got to fill this, but, you know, this stuff is, and then I just, the part that also just blows my mind is how God put these contacts, right, for such a time as this and these people are moving like right now. Yeah, there's some incredible heroes behind the scene in Ukraine and then also in America, you know, there's intelligence groups, former people with a lot of skill sets, you know, fighting to save the Ukrainian people in the way they know.

And that's, you know, I'm on some chats, you know, like, I'm pretty sure I don't know a single, understand a single word they've said in the last 30 texts, you know? They're hacking Russian somewhere, you know? I mean, they're all, they're in a fight that I'm just, it's intangible. I'm not sure how it works, but they're doing it.

It's amazing. The whole world is, you know, civilians all across the world that just have, you know, unique skill sets here or there, computers or whatever. Everybody is going to war. You know, we're going to war against evil. They're going to war against evil. Probably the biggest thing that needs to happen right now is we need to continue to collaborate with other organizations. Yeah, that's a good prayer right there, that these organizations would continue to, you know, that whole idea of the coalition of coming together. Got to go to a break, but we do. And so I know you're sitting on it and we got a lot to talk about. So stay tuned.

We'll be right back. Lantern Rescue is a USA-based organization that conducts international rescue operations for people suffering from human trafficking. Lantern specializes in sending former U.S. Special Operation 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 in annual activity. Lantern Rescue has developed rapidly to combat trafficking. Lantern 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 lanternrescue.org to see how you can support them financially. The following program contains sensitive content, including accounts of sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised. Welcome back to Lantern Rescue and this unbelievable show today for such a time as this. And wow, if you're sitting where I'm sitting and you've been through what I've seen over the last three days of, you know, things ramping up all, like, how amazing is it that God had us for such a time as this in such a place as this? Like, you actually, listening right now, have an opportunity to be on the front line of what God is doing around the world as Lantern Rescue is just in full operation mode, right, as stuff has happened in the world, like this very second big stuff. Yeah, I mean, everybody's watching the news and understanding the situation. Everybody gets their news from different places, and a lot of people get their news from, you know, social media primarily, I think.

What I wanted to say is this, because I already see it. I see a lot of Christians who are looking for the reason for the war, the reason for the invasion, and they're chasing down conspiracies, they're chasing down thoughts, and it's great to be an American, it's great to be open-minded, it's great to talk about all those things. But I am just asking the Christian American public, put that aside, and do not dismiss, there are women and children who are incredibly suffering. By the tens of thousands, they are leaving their 45-year-old husband not knowing if they are ever going to see him again.

There are men who are working a little bit in the daytime, and then they are literally fighting to protect their city the rest of the time. There is a maternity ward hospital that was blown up. I mean, it's incredible, the civilian casualties and the deaths and just the IDPs. Stop chasing conspiracy theories so much that you excuse yourself from this situation.

That's what Christians are doing. They're like, well, no, no, the Ukraine president, he's evil too, and so is Putin's actually a good guy. I mean, I can't believe that. I'm like, people telling me Putin's a good guy, I don't know, he molests little boys.

Like, what in the world? But it's a propaganda war, Robbie. I know people, I know former generals and people who are spending tens of millions of dollars a month right now in this, in a propaganda war, and they're going to keep doing that. And I'm okay with it. If they want to show some, you know, entertainment person in Ukraine holding a gun and it inspires the local people, let it inspire the local people. Americans, shut up. Shut up. We sit from over here, and I don't want to call names because some of them are in this room. I don't want to call names who sit here and they promote a conspiracy or a knowledge they think they have. They are clueless about the way the world works.

Even some of our highest, you know, news analysts, they have no idea how war, they don't know the art of war. They don't understand really what's happening in a lot of places, but here's what they can understand as a Christian. People are suffering and they should be using their platforms not to do that conspiracy stuff, but to talk about how do we help these people? How do we love these people? What groups are doing it and doing it right and doing it well? Who do we give money to?

The American Christian response should be totally about the people of Ukraine and how do we help them. That's what that guy was trying to say. I've known Mark a long time. I've never seen that kind of... That's because I'm looking at videos and images of people begging me. They're sending me personal recordings going, we heard you're helping people.

Can you help me? There's been no less than, I don't know, ten people in the last three days that have walked up to the booth here, found one of us, found one of the team members here and said, we've got people there. We've got employees.

How do we get them out? The thing that's significant from my perspective about what you just heard was this is a guy who has the diplomatic connections. This is a guy who knows war. This is a guy who's been in Afghanistan.

This guy who's been all these different places and has people on the ground giving him information. This is a great source of information that you're listening to right now. The truth is hard to find.

How do you miss this truth? People are hurting. People need our help. Wolves are on the door. The moment is now that we can move in and do something.

Pray, use our resources and be a light, which is what I hear you doing, Mark. I always talk about the locals and how they are the superheroes. I want to bring out one demographic that's incredible in Ukraine.

The 25 to 30 year old girl. They can leave, right? There are so many that have not left who are the hands and feet of Jesus right now. I've got two that's driven straight into a conflict. Not a conflict that was at rest. An open engagement.

They have driven in to remove somebody. That's hard, man. This is a 26 year old girl and she's like, do I move now? Because they're shooting on the street, but I'm willing to do it. We will do this, but should I move now?

What do I wait? How frustrating it is to be right here. It's amazing the courage that comes.

I pray for you. We give them incredible intelligence that only a few have their hands on. We give them oversight and route options. That's very life based on a lot of information. That's part of the technology that we talked about earlier in the show that you guys have access to. God's made this available, but it blows my mind that it's out there.

I'll just be straight up honest. One brief that I get to do one move is about a $70,000 brief and it's just being given to us. And it's live satellite. And it's from our wonderful friends.

That doesn't normally go to people, right? So when you say a brief, again, I apologize. So an Intel brief, like an analysis of, all right, you're moving from point A to point B. What's between point A and point B right now? What routes are open?

What does it look like? Areas to avoid. All that. So yeah, you've been given intelligence of exactly where people are and how you can get people safe. And so when you're talking about the value of that, you really almost can't even put it in money.

No, you can't. That's God's favor, knowing what is needed for what he's got us trying to do. There's incredible heroes.

I had one who did a lot of operations and then it got just where there was nobody else on the streets around her. She was the last woman standing. And I promise, I was like, when you're the last one, I promise you we'll get you.

And that was a nervous two nights. Yeah, for sure. So, you know, because of this one individual who had done some incredible work and now she's the last one standing in the streets in that area. You know, because bridges are getting knocked out now. Yeah, so we were able to get her, move her.

We've moved her all the way out of the country now. An expression of our thanks and everything. And so what you're hearing, and again, I don't know what to believe as far as all the news out there, so I'm more than thrilled that I get to hear from you guys, is this is a very fluid, very active war that is going on right now in Ukraine.

That's right. I mean, it's hot and heavy and there's like battles. There's more troops moving in every day. I just saw an article this morning that they were talking about, that they were Syrians, that the Russian president talked to President Assad and started moving Syrians into the conflict zone. Russia's throwing everything they can at this.

Good on Ukraine for sticking out what they've done so far. So if this was a live show, this is recorded, but if this was a live show, you know, and this is open now, this is open intelligence and we're just trying to get it everywhere we can in the last two hours. Warning, imminent threat to life. Location, northern border with Polaris. It's going to happen in the next 24 hours. Credible intelligence suggests imminent threat of significant attack from the northern border of Ukraine. Border with Polaris in the next 24 hours.

And then it gives you the locations that I want to specify right here, even though this is recorded. Please be advised, all personnel operating within the area of operation are likely going to die, so you need to move. That's real people. That's real women and children. Those are people who were toddlers, grew up, went to school, lived a life, had dreams of high school, played a sport, went to school looking for a job, having a career, and now they've been invaded.

And no matter what the conspiracy or whatever the theory is of war in America's media, that is a mom and dad who are hugging and kissing each other goodbye, S sees his two, three children leave with his wife, and he doesn't know what harm's coming her way in the next country, and he's staying there. Real people. Yeah, with real needs. And again, you can't help it.

I mean, if you just heard what I just heard, you hear how God is literally providing people with information that are in a situation to really help, that are in a situation to do something. There's organizations, not just Lantern, right? Yeah, there's some other great ones.

I can't keep up with the ones that are an art. I'm not somebody to say who's doing what in Ukraine or that. The ones you want to work with are the ones that have that local presence and connection, and that's what you want to do. And a track record for getting it done. That's right. And so once again, as you hear that, you hear the need for prayer, like you said, Austin, for that continued collaboration. Yeah. Because, you know, the enemy, the way he defeats so many times is he cuts off communication wherever that is. That's right. Sickles us out and puts us, you know, by ourselves, right? We see it in our own lives, and then we also see it in big global events, right?

And you're absolutely right. You know, the more that he cuts those collaborations, the more evil is going to be flowing. You know, I hope everybody hears the passion and Mark's voice. Yeah, if they've known Mark, I mean, I've never heard it.

I've heard him, obviously, you know, where he had stuff that he's seen and he's done, but yeah, you hadn't heard that. That was anger and frustration right there. You know, that's real emotion.

Because there's real people. He can put faces with that. Yeah, absolutely. That, you know, a lot of folks, you know, they don't know anybody in the Ukraine or whatever, but unfortunately, or fortunately, he knows these people personally. And so when he says, yeah, they have a job. Yeah, they have a wife. Yeah. I mean, you know, when you know the person, it's like our friend or somebody you've worked with, you know, that's serious. I hate, hate, hate we're out of show, but I think this is just critical information. I'm so delighted that God provided this for you listening today, that you would know better how to pray and how to get engaged and think about, you know, God, how would you, what's the response for me to this information?

What can I do? Connect me to help these people. However, that can happen. Mark, could you finish this in a prayer? Yeah, absolutely.

Sure. God, you're so incredibly good to us as we sit in this comfort and secure place and we realize that there are those in your kingdom who you created who are suffering in a mighty way. And Lord, the depths of their spirit and heart is that they feel completely forgotten, forgotten by maybe even you. So Lord, in the ways that you do, I've seen before in war zones, the way that you reach out and demonstrate yourself to people.

I pray that you do this. Lord, I beg that your spirit would move throughout Ukraine in that region and that you would reveal your goodness to them. Lord, evil men have always wanted to control more and do more.

And there's a lot of evil men in this world. So Lord, I ask that you, as you control the kings, that Lord, you would remove this conflict that is so overwhelming. It is so overwhelming for the surrounding nations, for all those who are working in it. So Lord, we ask and pray for relief. And Lord, may you support the efforts of evil men and protect these innocent lives. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen. Amen.