Tag Archives: Annie Dieselberg
When Justice Is Out of Reach
It’s rare to find a victim who will testify against her trafficker. The risks are high and the process too often re-traumatizes them. So recently when our partner investigative team found two African women and the women wanted to file charges, I was cautious but hopeful. We accompanied the two women to a special investigative […]
Love Pushes Back the Darkness
“Nkwagala Nyo.” The women’s faces lit up as they heard “I love you!” in their native tongue. One of them grabbed my hand. She said something back in Luganda but “nkwagala nyo” was the extent of Luganda I could speak and after a few laughs, we switched immediately back to English. My team and I […]
Fairytale Endings or Messy Beginnings?
This isn’t one of those “feel good” posts that will be written up in a Sunday bulletin for mission moment of the month. This post is an honest reflection and struggle with the tension between our culture’s need for “happily ever after” and the reality of the pain and brokenness that needs to be addressed. […]
When Death Pays a Visit
When death pays a visit, fear is tangible. Tonight I saw photos of the African woman’s body after she was murdered last week. Two women came to meet us for an interview and to ask for assistance. We had scheduled to meet with one but she brought her friend as well. The friend was mostly […]
Enough is Enough
An African trafficked woman died this week. Last night we went out on the streets to talk with the women we’ve been assisting and encountering. Everyone wanted to talk about the woman who died. A spirit of heaviness loomed when they whispered the words. It was as though saying it too loudly would bring the […]
A “High Return on Investment”
I didn’t actually expect to enjoy a conference on business. I recently attended a BAM (Business as Missions) conference where 530 people from 41 nations came together to listen, ask questions, and learn about the potential and impact of BAM businesses (business as mission) in transforming society. The attendees were from a broad spectrum of professionals […]
What If?
I’ve been catching news clips and posts about the Boston bombings. It’s horrific and tragic on so many levels. I can only imagine what it would feel like to have my legs blown off, or to be the parents or fiance of someone killed so tragically. My heart goes out with prayers to all those […]
My Scandalous Confession
I have a scandalous confession: I have a favorite trafficker. You might ask, how someone who passionately fights to rescue victims of human trafficking could like a trafficker let alone have a favorite? Trafficking is a complex situation that employs, exploits, profits, and destroys millions of people – humans, with emotions, people with families, people […]
Ayumi
Ayumi came by today in a cute white and black dress, a shiny necklace and a girlish hairband with a bow. He wore no shoes though, and that was upsetting to him. Yes, he. Ayumi is not a little girl but a teenage boy who struggles with gender identity and actually Ayumi isn’t even his […]
This Awkward Day
It’s the day after Good Friday; Saturday, the day before Easter. The day after Jesus died I seriously doubt anyone was referring to it as “Good” Friday. What could they possibly have seen as good about it? We call it “good” because we know the purpose and the outcome. Without that revelation, there is nothing […]
Annie Dieselberg 