Perlita

3 year old *Perlita’s eyes sparkled as I spotted her in the busy mall. Her tiny hands were clinging to a department store bag. As soon as the coveted hugs and kisses were given, she was allowed to open the bag, pull out and slip on the princess dress she had chosen for herself. This was the selection she and all of the other little girls under the age of 5 from the safe home had made. They had also chosen ballet outfits for their dance classes, and had found shoes, dresses and hair accessories. All their own. Just for them.

We caught up with the older girls who were giggling and running back and forth from the dressing rooms with their “shopping buddies”, exchanging sizes and perfecting their individuality through that one outfit that would be their final purchase. They had each been given a gift card to spend, and budgeting was an essential part of this day.

Lunch was at least 22 happy meals. Maybe more. Then the girls went ahead of us on a secret mission we were not to question. We arrived across the street a little while later and were ushered into an auditorium and told to sit on the first 2 rows as guests of honor.

The littlest ones had all changed into their matching ballet outfits and began to dance for us. They had been practicing their performance for weeks. They were so sweet.

Then the older girls took their places on the stage. The song started and it was nearly impossible not to let their personal stories roll through your mind.

Orphaned. Abandoned. Exploited. Abused. Suffering.

But as each girl began to share their gratitude and thanks through the one medium they all felt they could express themselves adequately through, their joy became more and more apparent. The song they had chosen was a message of believing. Of leaving the past behind and throwing themselves into the hope and the future they know belongs to them. And the result brought the kinds of tears that I hope everyone gets to experience at some point in his or her life. Tears of wonder and appreciation and hope. The kind of empathy that not only walks in the shoes of suffering, but as a result, gets to share in the joys.

This is the work you graciously support… you are empathizers.

*Perlita’s mother, a victim of forced prostitution and trafficking, abandoned her and her older sister. They live at the safe home full time, where they receive an education, quality care, love and understanding without measure. Names are changed for protection.

Written by Julie Riley
(re-post from IEmpathixe.org/blog)

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SUMMER EXPEDITION

The iE Staff and Interns relocated from Boulder to Mexico City for the summer. Joining us to collaborate with local advocates and our partners were 39 US child advocates whose ages ranged from 17-70. The diverse group included psychologists, students concentrating on research and case studies for degrees, PHD’s, lawyers focusing on anti-trafficking, various practitioners, and volunteers from all walks of life who are deeply committed to protecting and restoring vulnerable and victimized children. Our work included further strategizing with our partners, serving victims and at-risk kids, and influencing influencers in politics, including policy makers whose efforts directly impact this work.

Safe-home
Teams reorganized storage rooms, restocked the pantries and supplies, purchased the girls’ swim gear for their biweekly swim lessons, and they received gift cards to a department store so they could shop and practice budgeting. The girls also enjoyed two trips to the Aztec ruins and shared common meals at the cultural center.

Street Outreach
iE continues to maintain strong relationships with street outreaches to the vulnerable children populations in Mexico City. This summer, we began the delicate process of getting teen parents and their 5 month old baby off the streets. Other efforts included, visiting residential centers, serving and encouraging the kids and staff, cooking meals, playing soccer with the kids at both the Hovde and Alianza outreach centers. We remodeled, painted, and re-carpeted 2 bedrooms which house over 20 kids.

Your support makes these things possible and brings powerful changes to the lives of vulnerable and victimized children. IEmpathize is an organization that I believe is worth my money and time. I've seen them make a legitimate difference for real kids! If you have not taken the time to watch this short video, do it! its worth the 4 minutes of your life. It features some of the stories of the actual girls I met in Mexico City.

Mexico City: The Way Home (English 4min) from iEmpathize on Vimeo.

Wrecked ... Mexico City

As my plane is banking into its finale approach into Denver, my stomach had been sour the whole flight; Not because of my finale street-vender-taco count of 26, not cause of air sick (I don't get that). It had been that way all day. Nothing in me wanted to step foot off that plane. Yesterday I got to hang with the most amazing group of girls!!! Each one is a story of beauty from the heaviest ashes. My head and my heart are going to be unpacking this for months, perhaps years. But so you can see a shadow of what I mean...

...see me at dinner, a nice mexican restaurant (not unlike many I've been too in the States) My table is packed, 9 people in fact... and less that half of us even speak the same language, but conversation was never a problem. I'm sitting next to the most adorable 4 year old this world has ever seen. She stole my heart and held my hand most of the day, and ended our evening asleep in my arms. You'd never know her past by her sweet deposition... never know that she was the child of a slave, who's uncle sold her for sex as a teenager. Who's father falls on the indistinguishable line of possibility between her mothers pimp or a number of "John's." ... And I got to dance with her! As a mariachi band comes into our dinning room an impromptu dance party was like fire that spread through the room. before the first song was over she dawning an oversized sombrero on her tiny lil head. I don't think there was a step of our dance where she wasn't in spirit with her 4 year-old contagious gut-laugh. And although the two of us stole the show (at least in my head) the dance was annotated not by us but by a 12 year old who was rescued from a brothel house only a year ago by the Mexican Police. She also had so much life in her eyes... especially when she tried to throw me into a pool and even legitimately beat me in a water fight (after we had both climbed to the top of the fountain that is)

I could go on and on and on but I just wanted to paint a picture of the woman these girls have chosen to be. Many of whom ware bracelets that tell their story, not of their past... but of why they have so much life now after having so much stolen from them. The bracelets tell the story of the man who loved them the best. The Christ who showed them freedom and love. These girls knowing better than any, what slavery is. Having now showed me what freedom looks like. They walk in it, chasing the shadows and choosing to hope, learning to dream again, every smile showing a vibrant life that cant be fabricated, cannot be forced or painted on. I may tell a small part of their story, but I didn't write it.

"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds." (Ezekiel 13:20)

"Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." (ps 142:7)

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free" (Ps 119:32)

So Far So Good...

Summer update...

Where to begin; even only sitting in early June it seams that so much has gone on this summer that I'm way behind on blogging. I just got back to Colorado from North Platte, Nebraska. I was doing the music for the week for a early middle school camp. And I just have to say... those kids are CrAzY!*%!! The first set, the first night and they were far from the deer in the headlights look I'm used to getting as the music guy. they were interactive, LOUD, and bouncing all over the place. I love Middle Schoolers, they will tell you when their wanting to be there or wanting to be somewhere else. There is no guessing with them and thats why I like them so much more than adults. All in all the week went well. Most camp weeks you see the end of chapel recommittals; and such. And I have no real authority to decipher what is genuine and what is hype. But especially as the music guy, I commonly get used as the emotional driver to fake or flimsy committals to God. And this week didn't really do that. Although there was opportunity for kids to do that, they seamed to be driven more to interaction. The stage time instead was joyous and fun, and I like that.

Moving on, I leave for Mexico City this saturday. I'm an odd form of excited, considering what the trip is. For those of you that don't know I'm with a group called IEmpathize going to advocate against sex and human trafficking in Mexico City. I'll be meeting with members of the Mexican Congress and touring different brothels that the Mexican Police have busted recently. CNN published a report this week about sex trafficking in Mexico City; with an estimated 10,000 sex slaves in the city alone, there were only 12 arrests last year. Anyone with a sense of justice should be shattered by these figures. and this is only one issue in one city on the Globe. The problem presents society with a mountainous traverse that no individual has the ability to climb solo. thats why the awareness of the issue is so important. But like always "its not the education we get but the empowerment we give that makes a difference to others." (-John C Maxwell) I think that best surmises the journey I get to take next week. Personally its more out of my comfort zone that I had to raise the money to go than the nature of the trip itself. The Business side of ministry is still something of work in process to me. Below I've put the shortened video from Iempathize about the work in Mexico City, I'm trying to keep this post more of a cleft note's type of update, so I'm gonna just leave you with the video and keep coming back to this site next week as I'm in Mexico City, I'll be updating here about the trip as I get opportunity too each day.


iEmpathize Mexico City Short: The Way Home (English Version) from Simon Scionka on Vimeo.

If you would still like to support the trip, were still short on funding, and you can do so on the link below. Then Click the "support me" link on the right.

Support Mexico City Expedition

Other than all of these happenings, I'm getting behind on school already, I don't know how a thing like that could happen taking 15 credits over a summer with all of this also happening. It just blows my mind.

And I've been presented with a familiar crossroads, to operate in my nature. turning down the opportunity to put down roots and do what society sees as the normal or wiser plan for the next few years. OR... in line with all my life decisions and flighty nature. To choose instead to operate even more as a drifter than I am now? Hmm perplexing choices. Roots creep me out honestly. So I'm at an impasse with wanting to be responsible but also being who I've always been and wanted to be; Active, extreme, and living a life like few have tasted seeing both the world being involved with people all over instead of an isolated few...we shall see ;)
The prospect went with an interesting conversation, one that I have with myself often, but none the less was a feature our dialogue. It was about the nature of this itinerant life style. This conversation was with a man that knows me well, and he observed how uncomfortable I am with settling in. weather that be with a normal job, a house, a girl... "its like your so used to change that your afraid to commit to anything that will keep you from the ability to be where you feel you need to be from moment to moment." I couldn't agree with him more... that is me (hence the tittle of the blog in case you were wondering)! And I mean that as a very good thing. I like writing my address in pencil (I've lived in the same place for a year and a month now... that's a record in a nine year time frame) I enjoy that I get to live a life outside of a 9-5 prison cell, looking back 10 years later and realizing you've only existed well and not actually lived. I get to experience life that few do... and what affords me this right. I pathetic gross income every year and zero stability. I can deal with that. So I guess the only thing on that list to figure out is the Girl part.... yeah... I haven't figured that one out yet obviously. (How emphatic can you make one "!" ?) Perhaps i'll post a blog when I get back from mexico with a girlfriend application section. Except I think the "need not apply" section would be depressingly limiting :/    ... Well 2/3 figured out is nice I suppose, story of my life!  (lol)