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Ive been home for a few days now. Im feeling a little jet lagged, but more than that, Im dealing with some “let down” … even depression on some level. Im happy to be back with Frieda but my routine back here feels painfully small and insignificant compared to my time in South East Asia. I was at the bike ship today trying to hold it down but finding myself miserable. “Maam, in the time it takes you to pick out this bike about 20 children are going to be trafficked … why don’t you just make that check out to Love 146″

I can’t bare the thought of something as trivial as ski wax.

My last three days in South East Asia were spent in Manilla with a larger group of Love 146 staff, partners and supporters, all there to open the new “Round Home”. I have previously described visiting Prevention “partners” and Aftercare “partners” of Love 146. “The Round Home” is the first Aftercare program they have done on their own and it is a joyous time for anyone even loosely associated with Love 146. After the lows of Cambodia and the highs of Thailand, I found myself feeling a little removed emotionally … but still it was great to watch so many people involved in the “Round Home” project seeing it for the first time completed.

I am impressed on a couple of levels. The care put into every detail of the home is incredible. This place has been designed for healing, from the shape of the girls home to the therapy tree house. I don’t have much to compare it too but Im guessing it is all cutting edge in the context of the Aftercare field. Also, the “Round Home” happened as the result of the work of Task Forces in the US. Specifically the Long Island Task Force raised a lot of money for this along with True North Church (also on Long Island). One of the Long Island Task Force volunteer coordinators, himself a home builder, Paul Morin served as the “project manager”. Locally funds raised last June from “The Ride 4 Love” were directed to this project. The idea that the development of a place that will have such an impact happened at a local Task Force level challenges and motivates me.

Here are a couple clips for you to check out … Rob Morris talking about the Round Home along with a short film narrated by Dr. Gundelina Velazco who directs Aftercare for Love 146 and will oversee the Round home.

The first seven girls who will live at the “Round Home” have moved in. They surrounded Rob for a picture and as they did I noticed they called him “father” … an incredible honor for him … Rob has become a friend and I was blessed to share this day with him. Another 9 girls will move in over the next few months. I imagine them arriving at the Round Home seeing this safe place built for them … being welcomed into a family of girls already there. Good stuff.

After landing at Newark the other night we were waiting to clear customs. It was late … people were tired. I was standing in line behind an American couple. He held a little Asian boy in his arms and she was carrying a large sealed folder. When it was their turn, I watched as the customs officer unsealed the envelope and went through each paper slowly and carefully. I realized I was watching parents returning from somewhere in Asia with an adopted child. The people behind me shuffled their feat and snorted impatiently … even started to grumble watching the customs officer operate so slowly and deliberately. I held my tongue but wonder if I should have given in to the urge …”don’t you understand what is happening here … why he has to be so careful?”. Finally he stamped them through and then left his station, hand carrying all the paperwork to a secondary control … he was gone another 5 minutes. The rest of my party was through waiting for our bags and I was stuck in the line with a bunch of tired and now angry travelers waiting for their stamps. Finally the customs officer returned and waved me up to the stand. As he flipped through my passport, I told him where I had been and what I had seen. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the line going apoplectic while we chatted. I thanked the officer for taking so much care and being so careful. He stamped my passport … “Welcome back to the United States Mr. Miller”.

One interface with one careful customs officer should not be taken as notice that all is well back in the “land of the free and the home of the brave”. Not all children will arrive here with their adopted parents and not all law enforcement people will do their jobs so carefully. Children are being trafficked here too. 25% of the men who will visit the illegal brothels like I visited in Cambodia are American pedophiles.

While I was helping him with his move the other day Paul Gordon asked me if having been there and seen it all first hand if I felt child sex trafficking could be stopped completely … in our lifetime … and I answered very quickly that I believe it can. I believe we can end child sex trafficking in our time. Not only do I believe that but I believe that the network model that Love 146 uses is the solution. Further, I believe that Terra Nova Church and the local Network of Task Forces we are apart of can play a significant role. Ive already been brainstorming some ideas with Kristian Rose my roommate on the trip and my counterpart at Apostles Church in NYC. Over the next few months you can expect the long anticipated and talked about Terra Nova Love 146 Task Force to get underway addressing … the education of our people, initiatives designed for the protection of children in our area, and addressing the demand side of trafficking locally. We will continue to develop our own fundraiser and continue to help drive joint initiatives as a part of the “518 Network”. So stay tuned …

Many thanks over and over to Terra Nova for giving above and beyond your tithes to send me on your behalf. Thanks for covering me in prayer as I traveled. Thanks for following these long blogs. Thanks in advance for joining with me as we press forward …

Abolition!

Matthew

PS: I built a playlist of the music that accompanied me on my trip to share with you … its here …