Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

the exodus road

When sending your husband to a brothel is the right move: Review of The Exodus Road by Laura Parker

“There are a million reasons why upstanding moral men don’t belong in strip clubs. A million. … We couldn’t get past the idea that maybe there was a noble reason for a good man to frequent a brothel, after all.” (The Exodus Road, p. 31)

Matt and Laura Parker didn’t make the decision lightly. Missionaries living in Malaysia at the time, they were increasingly aware of the horrors of trafficking, particularly sex trafficking, happening not only in the country but in their community. When confronted with the realities, they couldn’t sit by and do nothing. So, Matt started going in.

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In The Exodus Road: A Wife’s Journey into Sex Trafficking and Rescue, Laura Parker writes about their experiences with the culture and the beginning stages of rescue from her perspective, as a wife and mom. It’s an honest and eye-opening look at the process the couple went through when deciding how to take action. What resulted is an organization, The Exodus Road, that works with local non-governmental organizations and undercover investigators to locate and document illegal activity in the sex industry. Their work began in Southeast Asia, and they now  have partners in India. exodus-road-book-274x300

I’ve been blogging for The Exodus Road for a year now. (Read my first post here.) And I love the work they do. What the Parkers discovered was a need for people to get in the fight. There were organizations focusing on prevention and aftercare but not a lot of people were going into brothels to gather evidence and initiate rescue.

The book tells the before story. The website tells the continuing story. And while I wanted more of everything from the book–more stories, more details, more chapters–it serves as a good introduction for someone new to the anti-trafficking movement. And it really is just the beginning of the story. Rescues are happening. Investigations are continuing. They are in the fight, and they are doing good work.

And while the Parkers write and speak from a Christian perspective because they are Christians, they don’t limit the work of The Exodus Road to only Christians. They cross cultural, religious and national boundaries to work together for the sake of rescue. It’s a beautiful thing.

I appreciated this book from a wife’s perspective. It would have been easy for Matt to write about his side of it, or for them to write a book together about what they’ve seen happen with The Exodus Road. But I think it’s good to have Laura’s words about her struggles and her journey to accept this part of their calling.

You can learn more about their work at http://theexodusroad.com. In their short life as a non-profit, they’ve supported nearly 200 rescues and have dozens of ongoing investigations.

“Justice is in the hands of the ordinary,” they like to say.  Their story may never make the big screen, but they are doing the work of heroes. Every. Single. Day.

Justice-in-the-hands-of-the-ordinaryI encourage you to consider how you can join the fight.

5 on Friday: Guilt-free Black Friday shopping

I avoid Black Friday shopping for the same reason I don’t go to the grocery store on Saturday mornings, Sundays or late afternoon on weekdays: I don’t like crowds, and people in a rush make me anxious.

That said, I do like shopping when I have money to spend. So, I don’t want to be a Black Friday party pooper, but I also want to encourage your holiday shopping to make a difference in the world, not just in your world.

Here are five places to shop tonight, and the rest of the holiday season (and all year long) that won’t leave you feeling guilty and will make a positive difference in someone else’s life.

1. Imagine Goods. I’ve told you before about the fabulous work these ladies are doing. But I’ll say it again. And again. And again. Here, they’re selling clothes, tablecloths, napkins, and aprons made through a trustworthy supply chain by workers earning a fair wage in Cambodia. They’re recycling clothing (and brass from landmines!) into new clothing and jewelry. And they provide a symbol on each of their pieces so you, the buyer, can learn about the person who made your clothing and what this job means to them.

2. Nozomi Project. A Japanese friend introduced me to this beautiful work. Through this project, Japanese women are finding hope and lives restored as they create jewelry from broken pottery left in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami. The jewelry is beautiful and so are the stories.

3. The Exodus Road. Okay, this one is a limited time only. Ends Nov. 30. This anti-trafficking organization is offering gift packs ranging from $17-$25 that include a book about the organization, bumper stickers and a T-shirt or sweatshirt, depending on the donation. The real gift here isn’t what you get. It’s what you give. Purchasing a gift pack enables the funding of investigations into sex trafficking in Southeast Asia and India. Their goal by the end of tomorrow is to fund an entire year of investigations. Your purchase can help.

4. Restyle. I got a set of handmade cards from this company a few years ago, and they are gorgeous! Not only that, but they are eco-friendly and made by women earning a fair wage in India and El Salvador. (Are you sensing a theme here?) But cards are only a small part of their products. They, too, have jewelry made from seeds, wallets and bags made from recycled tire tubes, and ornaments made, in part, from recycled orange peels. I love innovation and creativity, and these products showcase that. And, again, they provide quality employment for women around the world.

5. Catalogs. When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait for the humongous department store catalog to show up at my grandparents’ house. Then my brother and I would flip through it and circle what we wanted for Christmas. That’s a bygone practice for department stores, but there are a ton of organizations that offer giving catalogs this time of year. In them you’ll find opportunities to give money toward gifts like goats and chickens, milk, mosquito nets, clean water and other life-saving necessities we take for granted but are absent in the poorest countries of the world. Check out organizations like Heifer International, Compassion, and Samaritan’s Purse for starters.

This is not in any way an exhaustive list of how you can give and shop with meaning this holiday season. But if you’re looking for a place to start, these are good options. Feel free to add your own ideas and suggestions in the comments.