Round 2

"When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers." - Proverbs 21:15

Hey there gang. I'm back in the saddle in South Asia. Here's what's been going on here with me.

The Basics:

• I arrived back in the city about two weeks ago now and I'm getting into the swing of things again. Work is already busy which is good, and it's been fun connecting with co-workers old and new.
• Last week we were able to conduct a rescue in our city of a minor girl who was being sold for sex out of a private apartment. This was a big milestone for our office as we have been able to rescue 45 young women and girls so far this year, and provide them the opportunity to choose a free life. I want to stress that this has been a huge accomplishment for us, God has given us a lot to celebrate!
• Our staff met this weekend at our directors apartment to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was great to share an American holiday with our national brothers and sisters, and reflect on the ways that God has been faithful this year. 

The Extras:

Adjusting back to life here has been somewhat easier than I expected. Getting back to work, my apartment, my routine, this has been very helpful for me and I'm grateful to be back fighting the good fight. Leaving home was very hard this time around, especially saying goodbye to my parents, but I have a real sense of peace about being here now. Some of my closest friends that were working here when I returned to America have since gone. This is a real bummer, but we've been graced with some new American interns that I am making friends with now. Going back to my church here has also been great, and I've been having fun leading music again in our office devotions each morning. I'm looking forward to the advent season and seeing what God has in store for the rest of my time here. 

The Flavor of Life:
A small taste of life in south Asia:

• The other day I needed to do some small repairs in the apartment, but I found out that every hardware store in the city was on strike somehow. Not sure against who, or what they wanted, but I couldn't get the screws I needed till later. 
• These dudes are cobblers. Just cobblin' away.
• This is the first in a surprisingly long series of pictures of weird trash cans I've found here. Enjoy.

The Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for my finances. As of right now I am significantly behind what I will need to cover my expenses over the year. Donations are my only source of income here and that covers everything, including rent and food. Please consider donating by clicking here.
• Pray for my team and I as we finish out the year, that we would make sound plans about next years cases.
• Pray for my Mom and Dad as I spend another holiday season away from home. 
• Pray for my discipleship and the discipleship of all our staff. We are trying to do things out here that simply cannot be done without God's constant supply of life in us. Pray that I would grow closer to Christ and that nothing would hinder that relationship. 
  
  Thanks everyone. 
  
  1. Show up.
  2. Be Cool.
  3. Take care of business. 
  
  -Greg

Ps. This year I will also be sending updates via newsletter. It will be more like this format, while the blog will most likely be more for reflections and talking about what I'm interested in. If you'd like to be added to the newsletter mailing list, please write me at greg_shfr@yahoo.com. Or get in contact with me through some other means.

Keep Showing Up

Friends, I'm coming to America. I'm coming to the United States of America. I'm going to eat burritos and play with my dog and see my Mom and Dad and go camping with my friends. I am beyond excited.

This will likely be the last blog before I head home. So what goes here? What do I write? How am I supposed to wrap this up? What can I say that hasn't already been said by Neil Diamond?

It's feels a little futile to try and tie a bow on this past year. Probably because it's been a large, chaotic, magnificent monster. And monsters tend to resist having bows tied to them in my experience.

There is also an element of my time here that seems simply to resist communicating. When I come home, people are going to ask, "How was South Asia?" and some of them will want the long story, and some will only want to know about the food and the weather. But no matter who is asking, they inevitably wont get the full picture. Maybe the best I can say is that this year pulled a good deal of sweat and tears out of me. A lot of sweat and tears. And not just because it is so dang hot all the time.

This year I've seen some of the greatest examples of humanity and endurance enter into the most wretched and hopeless stories of suffering and tragedy and exploitation. I've been consistently amazed by the capacity of regular people to withstand, and endure, and adapt to untenable circumstances. Prayers were answered and not answered. I have seen much and understood little. There were many days where it felt like I just got knocked down the stairs. And others where I just wanted to sing and jump around and shout and laugh and be a goofball. Friends it has been just a glorious mess.

It feels like I'm walking away from a plane crash.

I told that to a friend recently. She said that she was sorry to hear I felt that way, but I meant it in a positive sense. I feel like I have survived a plane crash. Like God has brought me through some powerful, violent, event over which I had zero control - for some reason or another. Like I am experiencing the sensation of someone who has narrowly escaped some great danger.

But hell, I'm walking right back in in a few months and I can't wait!

Honestly, this year has been one of the hardest in my short life. But I want to tell you that I'm just some guy that God brought out here. Why exactly I don't know. Maybe just to see. But the heroes here, the ones who have really suffered and sweat, are the ones that have shown up faithfully every day for years and years and years, and have looked into the face of evil and exploitation and madness and fury and just dealt with it. The ones who have shown up over and over in hopeless situations and brought hope with them from God. The ones who go into the vilest brothels on Earth and pluck children from the hands of death. And the ones who help pick up the pieces of their lives and try and get these girls to be healthy and ok and well loved. And the ones who fight kafkaesque legal battles that last years and years. And even more, the girls who are actual legitimate survivors, who have the guts to get up and live life and start over again.

Wendell Berry said that to Love anything good, at any cost, is a bargain.The people I work with have paid dearly for their love of the poor, and for their love of justice. I have been invited to pay part of that cost alongside them for a little while, and I have been blessed to take part in that Love as well.

So please, send me back! There is still work to do! I'm coming home in two weeks time for a few months to do more fundraising and get a new visa and spend some much needed time with my people. But after that I'll be coming back for a second year, God willing. So if you think that the work of Justice for victims of sex trafficking and abuse is worth doing and supporting, please continue to donate. Nobody likes asking for cash, but that money goes to plane tickets and rent and electricity bills so that I can continue doing the work I am doing here. And you're money will go farther this year because now I have some experience and a better understanding of the work.

I guess all I can say is that showing up isn't a one time deal. You don't just make this one time investment in the world and then coast forever on that commitment. Showing up is a daily, momentary choice. Sometimes this year it felt like I had absolutely nothing left to show up with. But what do you do? You show up anyway. You choose to love and be obedient despite the fact that you've got absolutely nothing left to love with and no strength left to obey. When you take that step, just that one most immediate step, even though it feels totally impossible and untenable, God is there. Sometimes you have to say it over and over in your mind to try and convince yourself that it's true, but God is there. And I'm convinced that something does happen when you take that impossible step, and when you chose to affirm what you know is true despite everything in and outside of you that says the opposite. Maybe you get stronger or build faith or just manage to endure it all. I don't know. But God is there. God is showing up. And that is important.

That's all I've got to say! I'll see you in America!

Love,
-Greg

Diaspora

In the Bible, there is this idea that one day God will gather all of his scattered people together in one place where they belong forever. When Israel was captured by Babylon and the Jews were taken away in exile, that began what is called the "Diaspora" which is essentially the scattering of a people all over the Earth. It was considered a great tragedy that the people of God should be so separated from each other, and so displaced all over the planet. And from Moses, to the Prophets, to Jesus himself, the great gathering of God's people has been a deeply held hope. 

I'm telling this story because there have been many big changes in our office in the past couple of months. Three of our year long volunteers finished their terms and returned to the U.S. That's been tough because these people, including my boss and room mate, were dearly loved by us and were some of my closest friends here. So we have been adapting to the changes in our office and in work responsibilities. 

Meanwhile, I've been hearing about all sorts of cool things my friends and family back home are up to. Many of them are leaving Chico for their dream jobs, or to be with loved ones, some are getting married, some are staying put. And all that is cool! I'm glad you guys are all doing cool stuff. But boy it's been sad thinking that my favorite people are scattered all over the state and the country and the world. I mean, I'm out here missing weddings and barbecues and all sorts of good times. And that's a bummer.

I've been really blessed in the people department. We have dinners and weddings out here too (Not so much barbecues though. Beef's not so big here.) Wherever I've been in life, God has given me cool folks to be with. As a result, I have people I love alllll over the place. From Asia to the middle east, from Cincinnati to San Francisco, nor cal to so cal. I was looking over the list of folks who have donated money for me to be here yesterday, and I have a lot of generous people who care about me and who care about the poor! I am a rich man! And I have no reason to believe that God will stop the flow of good people into my life.

All that being said, mostly I've been wishing lately that all the people I love were in one place. 

But hey, you know what? I get to be out here working with awesome people, and I can talk to my loved ones whenever I want. That's pretty great. And what's even better, is that God is using us to get these girls back home to the people they love and the people who love them. God is going into those dark places and gathering up those girls and putting em back where they belong. And some of them are even helping us find and rescue other girls who need to go back home. It's an honor and a privilege to be here doing this, and I love doing it.

So I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you this. My office offered me the opportunity to extend my position here by another year, and I accepted. I'll come home in September for a couple months and then I'll come back out to South Asia for another year. There are a number of reasons why I made this decision. But ultimately it's because I love and believe in the work we get to do out here, I think God has put me in this place to contribute what I can while I'm here, and I think that I am getting closer to him by being here. Being away from home is awful, and I can't wait to come back for a bit. But if by being scattered for a time I can help some kids go home for good? Well, I'll take that.

Until then, I'll look forward to the day when we're all back where we belong together.

"And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you."
- Deuteronomy 30:1-4

Take care out there everybody.

-Greg

Chinatown

I recently saw the movie, "Chinatown" starring Jack Nicholson as Jake Gittes, a private investigator in 1930's Los Angeles. It's a great noir mystery with an excellent soundtrack, and Jack Nicholson is in it so that's a good enough reason to see it right there. In the movie, Gittes gets wrapped up in an investigation of an illegal business scheme revolving around water rights in southern California. As the case unfolds, it becomes apparent that the entire city is at the mercy of big business interests, a corrupt municipal system, and dirty cops.

Gittes, himself an ex police officer, used to work in the notorious Chinatown district of L.A. Throughout the movie, we learn that Jake became disgusted with the corruption he encountered there, and presumably left the force to become a private investigator. In fact, corruption among law enforcement is so pervasive in this part of L.A., that "Chinatown" becomes a byword for lawlessness and miscarriage of justice.

In one of the best lines in movie history, Jake's partner Walsh laments the intractable police dishonesty by saying,

"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."

The powerful are too powerful. The rich are too rich. This has been going on for far longer than you've been a part of it. There's nothing you can do. Forget it. It's Chinatown.

Anyone familiar with the developing world will be familiar with the pervasive corruption, bureaucracy and inefficiency of public services - particularly the police. But the problem for development agencies is, if you want to build up law enforcement in a country by strengthening the police, how will you prevent them from using their new power to abuse those they were meant to protect? In practice this is a legitimate concern. Many top level development agencies actually had prohibitions about giving aid to public law enforcement until very recently for this reason. Across parts of Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and other areas, law enforcement exists as little more than armed gangs that extort the poor in their communities. Giving them aid money just seemed dangerous and counter productive to many NGO's. It's a problem that often seems too entrenched, too dangerous, too big to tackle.

When it came to law enforcement working on behalf of the poor, aid agencies were saying, in essence "Forget it, it's Chinatown."

But the problem is, no matter how much support is given to the poor, it won't effectively change anything until they are protected from exploitation. It doesn't matter how many wells you dig or how many micro loans you lend if a gang can come steal, rape, and destroy any advantage gained thereby.

That's what we are trying to change at IJM. The goal of our organization is to rescue thousands, protect millions, and prove that justice for the poor is possible. We want to prove that justice systems can change. By rescuing victims, and ensuring that traffickers are publicly brought to justice, we can prevent the cases of bonded labour, child prostitution, and human trafficking that exist on such a horrific scale. This can only be done by making local law enforcement function correctly. We want to transform malfunctioning justice systems to work for the poor, rather than against them, one case at a time.

I'm basically summarizing the premise of Gary Haugen's book, The Locust Effect. Gary Haugen is the founder of International Justice Mission, and his book explains in greater detail what we do at IJM and what I've alluded to here. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in helping the poor.

In "Chinatown" the bad guys and dirty cops of Los Angeles in the 1930's seemed too powerful and too entrenched to ever allow true justice to be done. There's not a lot of hope in the movie that things will ever be different. But the thing is, in real life, police in L.A. now are actually pretty good. L.A.P.D. isn't perfect for sure, but they are one of the most respected law enforcement organizations in the world today. They are well trained, well equipped, and generally relied upon in order to prevent rampant crime. In "The Locust Effect," Gary Haugen explains that at one time in history, police corruption in the U.S. was so bad, it was actually comparable to the law enforcement we see in Peru, Bangladesh, and many other countries in the developing world - but things got better. It took a long time and it was a big fight, but eventually, police became essentially reliable, helpful, and good at preventing and solving crime in the United States.

And if it could happen then, it can happen now.

IJM and organizations like it are proving that this kind of change is possible in the developing world. Malfunctioning law enforcement systems can be reformed. Justice is possible for the poor. And that's pretty exciting.

JVSTICE

Hey there friends,

I found this picture on the internet awhile back and something about it struck me. I printed it out and put it up next to my computer at work, along with pictures of friends back home, old students I had, and postcards from Chico and Paradise.

Lady Justice is an excellent symbol. There's a lot to say about her. This picture in particular is so grave, even a little spooky. The old Roman like font gives the pursuit of justice and right law a sense of timelessness. The circular frame and her sure pose underscores the law as the essence of stability in civic life. She's clearly strong, and powerful, wielding a double edged sword - for the law governs the poor and the wealthy alike. She's impartial, being blind and carrying even scales to show that she judges in fairness.

But there are some subtle things about this picture that I think are telling. She wears black robes, imparting to the viewer that the matters of law, of right and wrong, are serious indeed. Matters of life and death even. And that while injustice anywhere is a threat and tragedy, the writing suggests that there is something lost in the pursuit as well. The inscription has this sort of sad threatening caveat, that justice must always be sought, ceaselessly, tirelessly, at the expense of all else - until it is either attained like some mythical treasure at the end of the rainbow, or until liberty is killed on the altar. The archaic use of the word "end", here meaning the goal or objective of government, calls to mind the modern sense of the word, suggesting that government and civil society might simply cease. Perhaps most tellingly, justice is always portrayed as a young woman, symbolizing purity - but also fragility. And while she is impartial, you can't deny that she is in fact blind, and bears the consequences of that serious handicap.

Justice is fragile. Maybe that's obvious in life. "Nobody said the world was fair." But it seems like this is a lesson I've been learning in a new way.

The past few months have been more difficult to handle. The grime of the work has been getting under my skin here and there. I've heard some pretty gross stories and seen a few pretty vile things since I've been here. Stories of abuse and hopelessness. Girls being sent as a sort of sacrifice to the brothels on behalf of a whole village. Sisters pimping sisters. I work with a lot of social workers who see the long term trauma of the girls we work with, and if you are familiar with that kind of work in the states, I'm sure you know how tragic and grinding it can get. I've watched folks who had the power and the means to end injustice, abuse, and rape of young girls turn and walk away, for the sake of a few dollars or to save their own skin.

And that kind of stuff takes it's toll. I've seen myself get unreasonably angry and upset. Or withdrawn for no good reason. It seems that the lesson I learn most often here Is that I simply don't have the internal resources to be a patient, compassionate, loving person on my own. My deepest desire is to love those around me well, and yet I sometimes find myself feeling bitter, frustrated, and cold. Relying on my own willpower get's to be exhausting, and I really depend on the prayer of you guys at home and the love and of my friends and coworkers.

That being said, I've seen some incredible acts of grace and forgiveness here, and I am seeing God at work in this country and in myself. The phrase, "God's strength is made perfect in our weakness" has been on my mind all the time recently, and I've been trying to learn that mystery. I'm not sure what it means, or what to do about it. But it seems to be a key to getting by in this work. I think it has something to do with facing our failure and death before God and others with humility and honestly . By looking deeply at our weakness, holding it at arm’s length, knowing it, examining it in detail, raising it up for others to see, and finally, with mourning and a contrite heart, giving it to God. It’s not simple, or brief, but I am grateful for the people that God has given me here and those back home who love and support me.

I've seen some great things. Girls made to smile from a simple joke or dance in the midst of total depravity by a kind heart. Unbelievable changes as victims grow healthy and whole after years of enslavement. Law enforcement and IJM staff travelling incredible distances and working long hours for the sake of a girls life. I've seen a young girl who was sold for sex, comforting the weeping child of her captors.

This verse is from Isaiah 42:1-4. It's been helpful to remember that while I get tired, while we get discouraged, when we are battered around like bruised reeds, Christ won't falter until the end, until justice is obtained on the Earth.

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
    or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4     he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

Thanks guys for reading and checking in. I've gotten some serious donations since I last wrote, and I thank you guys for that. I'm not sure if I'll be in the black or not yet, but I'm getting pretty close. Thanks for your love and prayers.

-Greg

Black December

I think we can all agree by now that Black Friday is a pretty horrible thing, and I'm grateful that I was able to avoid it this year by being in a country devoid of Best Buys, Walmarts, etc.

The origin of black Friday is a point of minor historical interest. I'm sure many of you know this already, but the name "Black Friday" comes from an accounting quirk. Traditionally, retail businesses would consider the day after Thanksgiving the first day of the year in which the revenue they had taken in should be greater than the costs of running the business. By the day after Thanksgiving, the business should have taken in more money than it spent for the year. In their ledgers, debts would be written in red and credits in black. So on Black Friday, the total balance for the business should have gone from being written in red ink to black ink. Thus the name "Black Friday."

Why am I telling you this? Well, some of you may have noticed my digital begging bowl of a progress bar on the right of your screen. As you can see, it is not full. It creeps forward a bit now and then, and I am extremely grateful for the generous ways that many of you have chosen to support me in this.

Today I worked out my budget for the year and tallied up how much money I had left versus what my expenses looked like for the rest of my time here. Unfortunately, I am in the red.  As it stands, I don't have enough donations to meet my monthly expenses for the year. Nor have I factored in unexpected expenses like travel, repairs, or emergencies.

I don't live in squalor here, I am quite comfortable actually. I share an apartment with another American. We have electricity and hot water. I have a cell phone. And no matter what, I won't starve. I have some savings and people behind me and I will survive. I am confident that God will provide enough.

That being said, I do my best to live frugally here. I take the bus to and from work. I make most of my meals at home, or eat street food which is pretty affordable. Most of my expenses have come from things stateside, like health insurance, vaccinations, and plane tickets.

As we've gotten closer to Christmas, and I've gotten a better idea of what my expenses are like here, I've oscillated between frantically asking people to give me money and trusting that God would provide enough to survive the winter.

So I guess I'm trying to take a middle road here by humbly asking that you consider donating to help me live here in South Asia and continue my work with International Justice Mission. This office is doing good work out here, we are seeing girls being rescued and restored to healthy life, and I really love what I do and the people I'm with.

What I'd like for Christmas is to be in the black by the end of year. If you feel like you want to donate toward the cause of Justice, and help me out in the process, you can click the "Click Here To Make A Donation" link on the right of your screen, or just go here and pick my name from the list. That money goes to my food, rent, medical expenses, and everything else in my life as it is my only source of income. If you give anything, I will write you a letter and mail it to you, and it will probably have a cool stamp on it, and maybe a drawing or joke or a rhyme inside. I'll also say a prayer for you and will remember that you care about me and about justice in the developing world. (Not that you don't care about me if you don't give me money, or that I won't pray for you, good grief.)

If you've already donated. Thank you thank you thank you. Especially in these past few months, your donations have been a boost of confidence for me. Anyway, that's all for now. Thanks everybody for your thoughts and prayers. Stay sane out there.

Love,
-Greg

Travel, Trench Work, and Thanksgiving

Hello friends and well wishers,

First, some photos:

A breached brick barge.

Photo credits due to a couple skilled co-workers.

Hello faithful readers. I hope you enjoy these photographs. I've been very lucky to travel a little with some co-workers recently. These pictures are from that.

You'll be pleased to know that the weather here has become very pleasant. We are all enjoying a very moderate tropical autumn.

The holidays feel remote. A friend asked me if I had plans for Thanksgiving, and I was completely unaware that it was this week. November is already old and Christmas will be here soon without warning because there will be no snow or rain or noticeable drop in temperature. I wear a t shirt everyday and sleep under a ceiling fan. The air is choked with the caw of birds and car horns. The sun sets by 5:30.

I get up early here. I make breakfast and take the bus to work. I have a routine I can depend on. I like this. Maybe I'm boring but I'm grateful for the stability in a chaotic place. The initial excitement of being here has cooled into a more mellow and sustainable enthusiasm. I feel more steady.

It seems that autumn goes quickly everywhere in the world. Everyone buckles down at the same time. We collectively gather momentum and rhythm. Everyone is looking forward. To Christmas break, or the end of the harvest, or the new year. It comes with a kind of tunnel vision, and its hard to notice the weeks pass. I guess that's a price you pay for routine, and steady work. You don't notice things growing older.

We work hard here. Generally, It feels really good. We also sing and eat a lot. So that's pretty rad!

Sometimes our work is intensely frustrating, and upsetting, and emotionally draining. There are locked doors everywhere. There are dead ends everywhere. Sometimes, it feels like we are just a few folks trying to stop kids from being prostituted. Other times, it feels like that's all everybody wants, and yet we still can't make it happen for some reason or another. Emotions weigh on you in ways you don't expect. Our job is a weird mix of CSI and The Office. There are insane time lines, risks, tough decisions. Then there are pranks and youtube videos and coffee breaks.

We had a win recently. We'd been trying to rescue this particular girl once already, and that had failed. She's very young and we didn't want to let her go. We planned to go back with a new strategy, and by God's grace, she was rescued. It feels completely surreal. It's not what you expect, going from slavery to freedom.

On the one hand, it's very abrupt. Almost anti climatically. You prepare for weeks and months and sometimes years for a case. Tension builds all day as you get ready. You open a door and she is there, and then she's free. Just like that. Slave one minute. Free the next.

On the other hand, that moment is just a small first step on a long road to recovery. Most girls have suffered extreme psychological trauma during their confinement, and that takes a lot of time and resources to heal from. Girls often have to struggle to overcome social stigma and learn practical job skills that will allow them to survive in a different profession. From a legal standpoint, a case can drag on for years and years before perpetrators are brought to justice.

I really admire the long term staff here, because this is a job that requires a lot of patience, and constant reliance on God to do the work. This Thanksgiving I just want to say I'm thankful for all of my friends and family back home, I depend on you more than you probably realize here. I'm also thankful for my friends and coworkers here in the office. They've really been a blessing making me feel welcome and involved here. I hope you all are well and delighted. Happy Thanksgiving.

Love,
-Greg