Pride of Aslan

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I remember the night and that human trafficking I want. Now it all in one on my way in and team, and now I'm on my way run away lantern risk ministry program to bring light into the darkness of human trafficking. It's time to light the way to freedom. This is lantern rest. We tell the stories we talk about rest, we empower you to do something about it and said that it not be said I was silent when the so I'm so excited myself to always hear what goes on with lantern, rescue this week. We have a new member of the team working to get a chance to get be introduced to and hear his heart in these stories are just almost mind blowing out. God calls these people into this ministry. Today we are blessed to have John with us so John share a little bit of know-how you find yourself in this place grabbed me though about 15 years ago, the idea and really, passion, or trafficking, trafficking and did make we started when counting my blessings and among them freedom to be the single blessing that I value and realizing that there are people who don't have freedom, not freedom, but mental, emotional, physical freedom and and wanting to be able to contribute to that but I didn't have the background that I needed at the time the do it.

I thought it be necessary to bring freedom ultimately to people who were enslaved thought that outgoing federal government and get some experience make some connections, etc. and ultimately applied for a job as a diplomat with United States estate and also simultaneously join the Army and I went there for the Army well and then after about 10 years. I had enough experience enough connections and it was time to start mount organization elderly. I wanted to contact the problems that from a different angle right now is about awareness campaigns, you're probably familiar with it. Also, rescue organizations, but one piece that is not as often address the gap actual trappers and cells worked out that I met Mark and we started started apartment grounds that, together, looking at another who can do the rescue the men who can do the counter trafficking. How can we tackle this problem together openly. What we like to do is bring freedom not not because we can provide anything more than just physical freedom probably want to be a pointer to freedom that Jesus gives us an eternity and would like to reach not only just rescued slaves would also like to reach trappers in prison so we hope that once we wrap up trappers. They they're imprisoned there no longer able to traffic, they would have a change of heart they would hear the gospel that they would return to their former neighborhood and formalize and preach a new gospel that was lost, but none found in that they would contribute to counter trafficking as well.

So is there one particular story in that work that you are doing with the Army air in the diplomatic corps how that worked. That said, oh yeah this this is where I really feel like God is calling me started before that my interest in the topic began prior thought the best way to forget eyes on the problems that and see how different governments work locally were working by with through government and were helping them to tackle the problem so were not doing it ourselves.

We can't get ourselves. We need the local indigenous population to really be tapping the problem so there were necessarily particular things that happened within my careers, but I was fortunate to have a good good clear in both both the Army and our mistakes and a lot of really good people letter our trying to tackle a problem in the areas as well. Wow so since you've gotten together with Mark, has there been a particular story that really said okay this is the organization that I really want to know, my self to you. So when Mark and I met Ruben is an immediate connection. We will have a lot of similar background experiences value and he he wanted to start lantern and then I wanted to start my organization which had investment and get the new my organization's pride of Atlanta acted to with their crimes for yet. We met and it was clear that we would probably do something together in the long-term unit unit in a different capacity but a different organization. We both were contributed at organization but, saying that there is probably more similar passion and interest.

If we work together so Mark can you give me, your side of that story you know if our listener for the last show I commented on how when we go through the door to get in. It's God calling you open that door yelling without the door be everything that you need resources individual people you know and in this business. I guess when a collator ministry.

It is critical that you have the right people you know in the right places and no John originally for my sake that we had the outcome or value.

The passion and you know we've done operations together and is organization, we caught POA is been critical in training it in involved in operations yet raid and rescue in his experience, just like the other team members is expensive and man it you know I can't ever take credit for anybody. I think that put together on this. This joint Effort is just a guy thing and John is been definitely that, and I respected so much of heart and its outlook for God and then his willingness to serve in the capacity so you know, I know that which there was certainly confidential to a great extent, but I'm wondering if there was actual story where you guys were working on something in your Lycoming coming this. This is really an effective way to go about doing this. I often get the pit back and look at the people that God is surrounded me with and watch them work in different environments and different things and there would honestly a couple of times with John. One in particular was we were in a new environment, new country, new relationship and making it try to build a critical relationship. In particular, got country in order to be able to get out work and operate and I remember sitting at that table and listening to him build rapport and generally care about individual at the right questions not exposed anything that he should about himself or for anything, you know that would come back around on it later in the fantastic job and a member sitting there looking at now is like this is great that this is a body to calm cool and collected, and can handle himself clearly in that back that background where you are likely to be a diplomat in the training date that what you did such a good job in then back in introduction to John over the quote we were we were in a country where were going to have to do raid literally today from point of entry, and that is what were going into awful environment. The rescue of victim looking at a foreign unit you had 02 little training, and John stepped up and said okay we have to note training out. We knew that the preparation of it, but because of the open that up to Canada came at a quicker than we ever would always like, but John was able to roll with the punches didn't do a fantastic job. You know that structure in the military. Much of his life and he did a fantastic job without God you know when I watch Mike my team or my friends at all in the environment.

You know were hot and demote the plate we work. Unfortunately they're not 70° in San Diego. They are hundred 10°. It is high it is there. You know that a restaurant and fight there's not a building with air-conditioned your year.

Hoping you can buy water somewhere and it's difficult though, especially if you're kitted up doing is training to do it.

If the third and the body of the guilt that I'm going with Univac something I would feel that of John or Alan or Kesey ran all the quote they can go and do that, you know the training part of it and they will make tremendous amount of money okay any contractors out there listening godmother. You know you can make good money going to receive. But they did it for free.

Now the heart of hey we want to help the country will help the law enforcement team we want 54. Put away want the kids rescued info and admiration of that with others, including John. So John your side of that story. So your barrier with Mark but what did you observe the following: different operate and we landed and it happened very quickly. Probably clicking on any of us expected to know what to expect either you know the where we were going and what wilderness even got there. Always great to have that team together that was there because it happened. It just happened to work so well that everybody feels that an background complement each other and I would say probably the two most impactful are rescues that we were on one of the country are far away and like Mark mentioned probably ought and I were out in a pretty distant location, and there were countless children probably over 20 and weak we can take all of them ultimately we didn't have accountability of all them either.

We know we need is a certain subset for sure that were slated so those are the ones that we are able to get accountability about what kind of slaves were John where they might calculate like making bricks or what were they. But within slated to do their work. So the boys and the girls were bold, making breakfast, but the worst of those were the girls whose and fingers were painted not because they knew that to make breakfast but because of what their slave owners would have them do at night after they were done for the day so having opportunity to meet those kids and offer them a way out was regulated when it was an honor to be there underneath those kids and now I know it is difficult for, or all the team members but certainly that the focus is none other team members the Thomas kids and that was probably the first time and experience were I got the mark work is clear, levelheaded, think quickly on his feet and love the kids and I think that was a unit one thing we get wrapped up in an operation you're thinking about the operational details and any and not focusing on much else. And when there's that moment for you because you look over the somebody holding acute hand and running with them and playing with them. Once there any kids are scared and want their being rescued near the vehicle and were trying to get them to a safe location.

I think for me that was probably the most impactful thing knowing the market in an opt in an operational sense, but he actually cares yes you love the kid that was sufficiently impactful for me that I knew that we needed to move forward. How absolutely well I give you a sense of John and so we come back here a bit more of what's transpired since they became. It is more associated with come back on rescue lantern rescue is a faith-based organization that conducts international rescue operations for people suffering from human trafficking lantern specializes in sending former US special operations law enforcement and intelligence personnel department with host nations and assist them in reading specialized units combat ongoing security problem is genocide, terrorism, and track is a nonprofit charity. They offer services free of charge to trafficking is thrown into the second largest collective in the world reaching an estimated $50 billion in annual activity lantern rescue was developed rapidly to combat track and operates through a train international network in order to rescue women and children, sex and labor slavery and facilitates ballistic aftercare service gearing up for operations right now and you can go to lantern rescue.org see how you can support welcome back to lantern rescue.

Today's episode getting introduced to it. A new team member God. It's amazing how we provide specialized people with specialized training again for such a time as this. Yeah, you're right on Michael usually hydrated team movement and you may remember that comment you made me remember the time we were on a rescue operation went very, very large ability were apt to move toward the back in the back of the building had about yelling it and want to think that you know I want to praise him for it in that moment there was a word in that country. That means gone and there's a word in a country that meets friend and they felt very very similar and very loud environment.

You cannot year. You know very well at all and I totally missed over the comp what was called out and thinking instead that we needed to push forward what occurred if an individual is hiding and he was armed and literally had a gun to you about this from a short rooftop me a honestly the worst protection you get it because it shot the first two team members easily, but at that moment in confusion.

I remember looking back, without, being able to place my eye on John, who at that time you run the product team.

I think I look back at Johnny and he makes the comment to pull that team together in their environment to link up to confirm our our team movement together so that we can stop right we can finish rescue a girl and that was the night of I think we rescued a total of 13 girl and you know it was just one operation.

After that other through many hours of the night and I catch I still remember realizing that many times that he and times of when you can understand at times when your life right you got a guy would often look back at go. Okay, lay eyes on me about the painting will make sure work were working to building the right way.

I John you know that you are letting you as you can imagine when you're entering a building or facility get spread out pretty quickly. And as soon as somebody identifies that you're in a vulnerable position in somebody as a weapon and it potentially trained on the not sure chaos and into pretty quick so the key thing there is to keep everybody calm and stay organized and keeping team together and we ended up getting stretched a little thin over trying to lock down the entire location ultimately find the kid that we're looking for one particular and then stay safe.

Got the gun fortunately fled.

We are ultimately Satan when we left the facility with the girl and we are able to. Fortunately, by the grace of God, offer a new wife but I did get a little air there for a minute and I was grateful to have Mark and some other teammates are really solid there as well. While I'm enough for those of us who've never been anything like that.

It's like oh my goodness some artwork. What happened next would have a negative when we finish out that particular night. We are probably wrapping things up around 3 AM, in which case we now have in our possession, about 13 victims and you know were administering care than a medical you know care to them right there in transit back to the station that was a cultivation though the Longhorn station at country we go back to that life and been you know what it always fascinating is that the rescue dog. There there is there to fear in some of the heart the girl to the digit they are not there so afraid of what it occurred and what happening now they have it out there like that the transition in the next couple of day, but what you get to the you know in the next couple of days is, finally take the time and that to correct upright not happy today. I will never forget the girl remember the two girl in the one boy you hear that, John. The two in the one they were still together, the three with not placing them yet aftercare or you begin the reunification process and so little extra time with them and talk about a 13-year-old girl who looked like Miley from ear to ear man.

I mean you had joy like noise never looked before archiving active site every night. I could date with Becky because it cannot, Pamela loved it and so I know I came around and fell. John just spending time with them as well and we always get to do that right immediately, and we got to be that I remember it hard for the heart of the night watching him interplay with the victim. I've been in there buddy and I married yet.

You know he and the love in your heart today and I appreciate that what we partner with them. I like John in. That's why you kind of a joint Effort with with lantern, because he has his own organization and I want to talk about that.

If it is further stated, but I wanted to hear a little bit about your little more about POA, but what they do is why we partner with him in a joint Effort, while John is so we are in the early stages of the organization. Eric's over and over, recruiting and were were fundraising were doing all the things that you need to do for nonprofit were establishing partnerships doing lanterns going to be our strongest argument and maybe only partner window growing kind of the same rate but you lanterns focused on on rescues and networks perfectly because were focused on the traffickers themselves so that we want to remove them for being able to continue enslaving children so that an in glove and we we ultimately remove the traffickers and lantern is there to take the rescues and like Mark mentioned not fortunate enough to go spend a lot of time with the rescue because we want to get them to aftercare as soon as possible, but that last operation was a joy and invective part of Aslan we are looking for what every position is that were trying to fill in administrative, financial, legal team and a little pain we are looking for some operations folks as well and fundraising staff buys the audit, volunteer work, but hopefully at some point will have have enough means to be able to provide salaries and so were an early stages were helping to grow right now three operators of the first three years ago, folks in one country were doing surveys right now. After three years, then we can double in size will to second country and for the repeat that model solar should be a sustainable growth model but were also trying to work ourselves out of a job so we can get local buy-in train them up enough that that we don't need to be there anymore. Maybe support them financially if they needed or vocational training, but but ultimately will work ourselves out of position that Lanark POA we ultimately are working to disable traffickers in an screenplay children places without hope so. The State Department started look that human trafficking, and like a three tier system so first here's countries that are willing, able to tackle a problem. Here's countries that are actually willing, but maybe not able another tear is unwilling or unable to work in the second and third tier countries and were working through the local trusted sources. What it whatever that might be an engine. Some case that can be law enforcement. Another case that might be tribal leaders and their going to be trusted sources and we work through that exist in intelligence collection with them and then we we try to further indigenous ownership of the mission for them their own investment in their own community and ultimately in establishment of a self-sustaining system so we have an email address. We'd love to hear from anybody you love to contribute to the mission here is have a passion for counter trafficking and have the skill set background and that type of work is proud of aslan@protonmail.com nine ER IDE OS AF LIN at proton may be our OTO and and AIL.com.

Thank you, thank you so much John and also clearly we now have somebody else we can pray for Natalie John himself that obviously vote the organization upon advancement and is there a website as well or just the email address email address. We are your current probably to stay off the web and not understand given, the nature of the work and only do we we do have a fundraising link but that's provided through the email address. I've also chosen an email post that is encrypted email. So if anybody is not sure how much they can discuss they feel comfortable emailing at that address. Wonderful, wonderful, give it one more time.

It is pride of Aslan at proton. Man oh.com proton man.com to market when an awesome thing.

God is provided for you if you got some additional thoughts for the listeners here last few seconds. Everything every week.

You know were so thankful for the opportunity to share on radio Truth Network and mineral partners were so thankful for our listeners that the prayer work. I mean it. It is going encouragingly to email someone with nonprice you guys every day and yet we need because we have to have God blessing the way yeah the microwave for a week like the way to freedom, brothers, some beautiful.

Thank you so much Mark. Thank you John a rather appreciate you pleasure next time around. This is the Truth Network