Friday, November 18, 2011

Author Kathi Macias--Helping To Deliver God's Cry Against Evil


Have you a passion--a cause--that burns within you so furiously that it shows in your work, whether it is writing, what you volunteer at...what you speak up for or against? Remember the 60s and 70s, with media blitzes of civil rights for all, such as the Billy Jack movies or Hair or what about John Lennon singing Give Peace A Chance? Whether this shaped me as a child or I picked it up elsewhere, the fight against prejudice has shaped my writing, my life. This week's guest on Everyone's Story, Kathi Macias, a multi-award winning author of more than 30 books, rallies as many people as possible to fight against human trafficking, a horrific infliction that has been around since mankind and sadly continues in today's times. Please join Kathi as she explains about this cause.
♡♡Kathi is also offering a book giveaway of her novel DELIVER ME FROM EVIL to one randomly chosen commenter. Please leave your email within the comment for contact purposes only. As always, I'd appreciate any new Followers to this blog.♡♡


Deliver Me From Evil
Deliver Me from Evil introduces readers to Mara, an eighteen-year-old girl who has been enslaved for nearly ten years, having been sold by her parents in Mexico and then smuggled across the border into San Diego where she was forced into sexual slavery. Readers will also meet 18-year-old, Bible-college-bound Jonathan and his 16-year-old sister, Leah, whose paths cross Mara’s and who become involved in her dramatic rescue. 
Interwoven between the stories of Mara, Jonathan, and Leah is the heartbreaking story of another young woman in captivity in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, whose past life mysteriously connects to the young people in San Diego.



 “Let My People Go!” by Kathi Macias
The term “human trafficking” or “trafficking in persons” (TIP) often draws raised eyebrows and skeptical expressions—until statistics are laid out to show that approximately 27 million people are enslaved today, whether for the purposes of slave labor, prostitution, or involuntary organ “donations.” 


The Salvation Army has made the rescue of those enslaved around the world their number-one goal at this time, holding seminars and conferences to educate people and to garner support from various individuals and organizations.

The United Nations describes TIP in this way:
“The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

In a nutshell, human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. It is currently tied with the illegal arms industry for the second largest criminal industry in existence, with the drug industry being the only one to edge it out.

Oh, I know. Most people naively believe that human trafficking happens only in faraway countries—Thailand or Cambodia, perhaps. True, it does occur there at a tragic rate. But it also takes place right here in the United States daily, to such an extent that some states are instituting task forces to try and stop it. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot promises that their new task force “will take an aggressive stand against human traffickers, who have turned Texas into a hub for international and domestic forced labor and prostitution rings.” (www.humantrafficking.org, “News and Updates,” April 5, 2010)

Another myth about human trafficking is that it only involves adults. Millions of children around the world are crying out in pain and terror over the heartbreaking error of that statement. According to Wikepedia, trafficking in children may come about as an “exploitation of the parents’ extreme poverty. Parents may sell children to traffickers in order to pay off debts or gain income, or they may be deceived concerning the prospects of training and a better life for their children. They may sell their children for labor, sex trafficking, or illegal adoptions.”

Can there be anything that grieves the Father’s heart more than the forced enslaving of people made in His own image—by others bearing that same divine imprint? I believe each time anyone becomes aware of such evil and cries out against it, that cry is spurred by the Father’s own pain. If ever the Church needed to be involved in helping to right a human wrong, it’s now. Human trafficking must stop! And each of us who names the Name of Christ must ask the Father what He wants us to do to help make that happen.

In my case, that includes writing about it—every chance I get, including blogs, letters, articles, and a new three book fiction-based-on-real-life series that has just begun releasing with book one, Deliver Me From Evil. Will you pray with me that these books will reach many with the message of the reality of human trafficking and the challenge to get involved to stop it? Please pray too that God will show you what you can do to answer His heart cry of “Let My people go.” Millions of enslaved human beings around the world, including children, are depending on you to respond.

Kathi looks forward to hearing from visitors who'd like to share their thoughts on human trafficking, other causes dear to their hearts, or even a warm hello. And since this is the week before Thanksgiving and this is such a poignant subject, please pass the word around on this special blog segment. ~*~Thank you~*~
Courtesy Google Images




Author Bio:
Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com) is a multi award-winning author of more than thirty books, as well as a popular speaker. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Al, where she is affectionately known as “Easy Writer.”
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathi-Macias/75996188045
Twitter: @alandkathi

16 comments:

  1. Kathi, thanks for being my guest this week on Everyone's Story. I'd like to start the comments with one of my own. I have a difficult time grasping the concept of reading Dystopia fiction for pleasure because much of this fiction, which is centered around controlling societies and which explore society controlling people--often at the level of abuse--takes place on a futuristic time period when actually it is horrifyingly happening now, let alone has always happened. It saddens me that people can enslave others and not think twice about it. Thank you for taking a stand against human trafficking!

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  2. And thank you, Elaine, for helping me spread the word. How I pray that many will join us in the fight for abolition! So many are depending on us, praying that God will send someone to rescue them. We are that "someone"!

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  3. Kathi, I'm connected to several people who are entrenched in the topic of getting "slaves" out of this horrific industry. I've also blogged about it. It is a cause that needs more trumpeters like you! May the Lord bless you for your efforts!

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  4. In this modern world where we have come so far in our technological advances it is a tremendous, horrible tragedy that we have regressed in our treatment of other human beings. What unbelievable heroes all those are that help these people that are caught in this awful, sick, perverted criminal activity. May God help the victims and the rescuers, and may God open the eyes of the abusers that they may turn from their wicked ways.

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  5. What a horrific topic, true though it may be. I pray for those caught in this, and I pray for the rescuers, those who seek to enlighten, as well as those who physically seek to save those caught in it. God bless you all! It is so hard to even imagine the horror they face, or the evil that sustains it. I pray for God's hand to rest heavy on those who harm, especially children!

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  6. Human trafficking has been a cause of mine for a long time--I, too, was enraged by prejudice in the 60s when I was too young to do anything. I know this awful problem exists and my second novel, Dark Chocolate, deals with child slavery and labor in the cacao sector.

    Wherever I can, I buy Fair Trade and have been published on the Transfair blog.

    Sex slaves, domestic slaves, laborers...slavery knows no gender and is not bounded by country.

    Along with literal slaves, we have economic slaves where people, paid and willingly employed, work in sweat shops for little pay so that we can have cheap goods.

    We may not be able to go into the field and free people, but we need to change our own consumerism and wake up America.

    If you can't tell, I am VERY passionate about this.
    carolmcclain@gmail.com
    http://carol-mcclain.blogspot.com

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  7. This is a topic that sits too close to any of our homes unfortunately. I look forward to reading your book.
    I am an abolitionist and restorer to those afflicted through my non profit Dandelion Wishes, Inc.
    A friend shared this post with me and am so glad she did.
    Thank you for bringing awareness and advocacy to the issue.
    dndlnwishes@gmail.com

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  8. Elaine, thank you for sharing about Kathi's story! Kathi, thank you for writing what you did. From my early twenties I have been working in various capacities to raise awareness about this issue and help those who are bringing solutions. I'm releasing a YA book on Dec. 2 about this same issue. I'd love to connect with everyone who is just as passionate to see the end of slavery and human trafficking. May God bless you in your work!

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  9. Kathi, I want to read this book, but my imagination is so vivid and my heart so tender, I'm not sure I can make it through to the end!

    My debut novel, Stealing Jake, deals with human trafficking in street kids during the late 1800s, and it breaks my heart to know that this cancer is as bad...if not worse...than it was one hundred, two hundred, and even two thousand years ago!

    God have mercy on the human race.

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  10. Kathi and I both belong to Orange County Christian Writers Fellowship in CA, although I now live in another state. It was during a OCCWF conference where I first heard her speak. What a wonderful interview about a horrible problem. Thanks for making us aware of TIP.
    Bonnie Engstrom

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  11. Kathhi, thank you for bringing this horrific problem to our attention. My next issue of Starsongs (magazine for kids by kids) is going to have some pieces in it that relate to slavery. If you happen to know of a young person involved in the cause of eradicating slavery of any kind, please contact me at starsongs(dot)mag(at)gmail(dot)com.

    I also would love to read your book.

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  12. Carol, you're so right. Maybe we all can't change the world but we can do whatever we can to end this awful blight against mankind--by the hand of mankind, even if it means being a better consumer.

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  13. Lesley, I'd like to put in a plug for your organization by sharing the Dandelion Wishes website:

    http://www.dandelion-wishes.org/main-page.html

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  14. Thank you everyone for posting a comment. The winner of a copy of DELIVER ME FROM EVIL is Bonnie. Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly with directions.

    I especially thank everyone for your passion on this truly sad subject of human trafficking. Just today I read in the newspaper about another group of people in the United States who were caught forcing a 12 & a 13 year old to be prostitutes. Praise God they were stopped

    Warm regards,

    Elaine

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  15. Kathi, heartfelt thanks for being my guest this past week on Everyone's Story. This is a difficult subject that many need to be made aware of... and from the comments, the number of hits, and the countries that viewed you (such as new ones to this blog like Argentina & Pakistan) you succeeded in reaching many.

    I hope you consider being a guest again.

    ♥ Elaine

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  16. And thank you, Elaine, for hosting. I'd be honored to return in the future. Blessings!

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