It’s been rainy for the past two days, and the forecast is calling for more of the same for the rest of the week. Check out this thunderstorm that came rolling over the mountains yesterday afternoon.
The storm approaches.
The storm recedes.
I love a good rain (as long as I don’t have to be out in it)! What’s your favorite type of weather?
Last week, I was given the opportunity to attend a small conference about human trafficking in Virginia. (Thank you to the ladies of my church who made it possible for me to attend!) The training was sponsored by the 24th Judicial District Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. Speakers included a Virginia Assistant Attorney General, a survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking, a special agent from the Department of Homeland Security, and a special agent from the FBI.
This training conference was different than others in which I’ve participated in that many of those in attendance already had a basic knowledge of human trafficking, what it is, and how it happens. This meant we were free to discuss more in-depth topics, such as laws related to prosecution of those involved in trafficking in persons and the strategies being used by law enforcement to find victims and their traffickers. I found that much of the human trafficking taking place in Virginia is not sex trafficking, but labor trafficking related to agriculture; that the sex trafficking that is prevalent in this area is mostly hotel-based escort services; and that there are NO rehabilitative homes for victims of human trafficking in the entire Commonwealth.
I was also privileged to hear trafficking survivor Holly Austin Smith read from her forthcoming book and speak about her experience. This was important in helping me remember that, although many survivors’ stories have similar elements to those of other victims, each story belongs to an individual and has its own details that make it unique. It’s important to remember that, although we may speak about victims and survivors as a group of people, it will not do to forget to focus on the individual. Each girl or boy, young lady or young man has something special about him or her that no one else has, a characteristic that is not quite like the “typical” characteristics of those with whom we may group him or her. When the numbers become overwhelming and the estimated 27 million people seems like it’s just too much, I must remember the one and focus on making a difference for her.
What have you done to help one person this week?
While I’m certainly an extravert (an ESFP, for those of you who are familiar with the MBTI), I often describe my personality as that of a shy extravert. I definitely gain my energy from being around other people, but I’m not very outgoing and don’t like being the center of attention. I much prefer to be on the edges or in a small group, looking on as others take the spotlight. I have a great appreciation for quiet moments and one-on-one conversations, and there are times when I’d rather just sit alone, taking it all in.
Mornings are one time, in particular, when I like to keep to myself a bit, easing into the day slowly and calmly whenever possible. I find that I am most content in the mornings (and, therefore, most enthusiastic and optimistic about the rest of the day) when I can spend some time savoring a cup of hot tea (my favorite is a chai latte). During those “introvert moments,” I also enjoy writing in my journal (I’m currently using a beautiful peacock-themed one that was a gift from my Mama) and/or reading a good book that makes me think and gives me a new perspective on things (This week’s pick is Jen Hatmaker‘s 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess).
What do you do to relax or when you need some time to yourself?
Fact: I have the world’s cutest god-daughter AND the world’s cutest boyfriend. Just sayin’.
Here’s the proof.
This past weekend, my best friend/college roommate/”sister” came to visit and brought her baby girl. This little cutie decided the reason I brought my sweet boyfriend along must have been so that he could follow her around the playground all afternoon. He happily obliged. Cue my melting heart. For real, this is the sweetest thing ever.
What melted your heart a little during the past few days, friends?
Besides seeing the film Not Today when my boyfriend and I visited Washington, DC, this past weekend, we also got the opportunity to check an item off my bucket list. The opening weekend of the movie just so happened to be the last weekend of this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival! So, when we left the dark theater, we stepped into the sunshine, hopped on the Metro, and headed into DC proper. When we emerged from the Metro station, we could see the Capitol building. We joined the throngs of people along the sidewalks and headed for the Tidal Basin.
metro ticket
the Capitol building
I had a lot of fun during our 10-minute walk observing all the different nationalities and cultures of those around us. Of course, since I lived in India for a few years, I especially took note of the many people of South Asian descent and enjoyed admiring the ladies’ saris and salwar kameez suits.
While fall is definitely my favorite season, I do enjoy spring quite a lot, as well. There’s something about the pleasantly cool mornings and warm, sunshine-y days that I find very refreshing. The warmth of the sun on my skin after weeks and months of cold winter, the sudden colorfulness and pleasant aromas of nature, the blue skies and birdsong–these are all reasons springtime makes me smile. I love being reminded every year of God’s creation and of the way he is constantly making all things new. While I’m not an environmental guru or a very outdoors-y person (i.e., outdoor sports hold almost no appeal for me), I do enjoy sitting in nature and sort of soaking it up. I like to see it and hear it and smell it and just BE in it. So, for several years, I have wanted to visit Washington, DC, during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, not necessarily to DO any of the festival activities (parades, performances, etc.), but just to see the beauty of the blooming trees for myself. And while the heat felt more like summer than spring and the crowds were bigger and more difficult to maneuver than we anticipated, being able to stand in front of those cherry trees and see the others all around the Tidal Basin was definitely worth the little inconveniences. What a beautiful way to welcome the new season!
Enough commentary….I’ll let the pictures do the talking…..
My accomplice: I put him in charge of navigation because I’m so hopelessly directionally challenged!
Look at that blue sky!
So excited to be checking an item off my bucket list!
Beautiful!
Although most of the buds had already bloomed, a few were just beginning to open.
Gorgeous!
Yay, cherry blossoms!
Lovely
While we were in the area, we also took a peek at the Jefferson Memorial.
A big “Thank You!” to this guy, who made my dream happen!
Hello, Spring!
This past weekend, I was able to see the movie Not Today. This is a film that focuses on the oppression of the Dalits (the “Untouchables” caste) in India and on human trafficking.
“None of us are free if one of us is enslaved.”
Because I lived in India for almost two years, and because I’m very interested in the problem of human trafficking and how we can eradicate it, I really wanted to see the movie. It was only showing in selected theaters across the country, and the closest one to my hometown was near Washington, DC. So, my wonderful boyfriend drove me 3 hours one-way to Alexandria so we could watch the film the weekend it opened.
my wonderful boyfriend
The basic storyline is this: Caden–a rich, entitled, American young man–and his friends decide on a whim to travel to India, where they plan to spend time visiting the Taj Mahal, beaches, and exotic girls. Caden’s mother approves the trip, hoping it will open his eyes to the wider world and show him exactly how blessed his materialistic life is. Soon after arriving in the country, Caden is approached by Kiran, an umployed Dalit man, and his daughter Annika. While Caden’s friends are drinking and meeting girls, Caden is busy trying to convince a very hungry Kiran and Annika to leave him alone and find food and help elsewhere. After crossing paths with Kiran and Annika several times, Caden finally promises to help them, then promptly disappears. After Caden experiences a falling-out with his friends, he begins feeling guilty for not returning to help Kiran and his daughter. When he seeks them out, he finds that Kiran has sold Annika, believing a man who said he could find her a better life as a maid to a rich family. Caden is astonished and angry that someone would sell his own child, not understanding Kiran’s motivation to provide his daughter with the opportunity to gain an education and escape the oppression that is often the daily lot of those of the Dalit caste. When Caden discovers that many girls in this situation end up as domestic slaves or in prostitution, he is overwhelmed by the reality of human trafficking and by the thought that such a fate could have been avoided for Annika if he had only given the help he promised. The remainder of the film is spent following Caden and Kiran on a quest across India as they attempt to track down Annika and rescue her from an unthinkable fate, with Caden’s girlfriend and parents checking in every so often to offer encouragement from home.
Based on my experiences, the film was fairly accurate both in its portrayal of poverty in South Asia and of human trafficking. However, it did not contain the emotional aspect I was expecting. Perhaps there was very little “shock factor” for me because I have experienced life in India and because I do already know a good bit about human trafficking. Maybe the very reasons I was so looking forward to the movie were the same reasons that left me feeling more was to be desired. I was expecting–perhaps even hoping for–a pretty big tug on my heartstrings, but it never happened. My eyes didn’t even tear up, and I nearly always cry at movies. Have I become desensitized by the things I’ve already seen and heard that relate to the message of this movie? Do I know too much about the real things to be shocked or saddened or angered or disgusted at what I know to be a fictionalized account? Or was the film really that lacking in emotional content? In my opinion, one of the main reasons for creating a film about human trafficking would be to spur people to action, but I just didn’t feel that this movie made the problem seem all that urgent. Perhaps the reason for that was the fact that this is one of the least graphic films about human trafficking I’ve ever seen. There was no scene that showed (or even heavily hinted at) what atrocities these girls were experiencing; the exploitation wasn’t made very obvious. This could very well be an attempt on the part of the writers and producers to create a film that would be watched by a myriad of people, therefore encouraging a myriad of people to get involved in the fight. However, I didn’t feel that it portrayed exactly how horrendous human trafficking is.
Another thing that bothered me about Not Today was the very forced-feeling Christianity of the movie. I absolutely believe that Jesus calls his followers to reach out to the oppressed and to seek justice and freedom for the captive, but I wasn’t convinced the characters in the film believed that. While Caden struggles with faith, his girlfriend, mother, and step-father all seem almost unwavering in theirs, but I don’t think that’s realistic. His girlfriend, especially, seemed to somehow have all the right answers. When he called to say that he was making his way all over a third-world country in order to recuse one girl out of millions from a hierarchy of underground criminals, she had the perfect religious platitudes to offer from the safety of her own bed in her own culture. If he would just trust God, he would see that he was there “for such a time as this.” While I don’t think this is a wrong thing to say or a wrong idea, I felt that it wasn’t very helpful considering all the circumstances at the time. Her words made it sound like Caden wasn’t trying hard enough, that if he only had faith, Christianity and life would be easy. Anyone who truly strives to follow Jesus knows how untrue that is! I often find myself frustrated by Christian arts because a) they are very often not a good quality of work (that’s a post for another day) and b) they seem to tell the lie that a relationship with Jesus will solve every problem. God doesn’t allow us to bypass life’s problems; he takes our hand and walks through them with us.
Despite those few things that irked me, Not Today does many things well. It brings the issue of human trafficking to a society that desperately needs to pay attention and do something about it. It shows the heartbreaking realities of life for Dalits in India. Although a bit skewed in my opinion, it does bring the message of Christ to a larger audience in a way that may speak to someone who enters a movie theater more often than a church sanctuary. In other words, it brings awareness on a variety of topics which we should be considering. If you don’t know much about human trafficking or about life in India, this film is definitely a great place to start learning. If you’re interested in seeing a movie that focuses on the intersection of life and faith, you would probably enjoy this one. Do I think the film could have been improved? Yes. Do I regret going all that way to see it? Absolutely not. In my mind, the bottom line is this: A movie that brings attention to modern-day slavery and that helps to rescue and rehabilitate those affected by it is definitely a successful endeavor, and Not Today definitely accomplishes those tasks. Watch the trailer and find the closest theaters and showtimes here.
“Your ticket in is their ticket out.”
Flame and Feather 
