Swollen Ankles, Swollen Heart

Perhaps it is a sign I'm getting old, or better yet, I think it is probably just a sign I didn't walk around enough on the plane, but I have two very swollen ankles from the overnight flight to Brazil. The way to "fix" my swollen ankles is to elevate them (lift them up) and to keep moving and working the joints to help the fluid move its way out of the area. My ankles do not hurt exactly, it is more of a heavy, uncomfortable feeling.

I am also going to bed tonight with a swollen, heavy heart. We spent the afternoon learning more about human trafficking, its affect on the US, Brazil and our entire world. Trafficking is characterized by three main traits. Trafficking always involves force, coercion and fraud. There are millions of human trafficking victims around our world and this is a problem that is continuing to grow. My heart is swollen, uncomfortably filled with concern for these victims, filled with fear for our communities and filled with panic - something must be done and done NOW!

Interestingly enough, the same remedy for my puffy ankles can also help my heart: elevation - I lift up this issue of human trafficking to our Lord and Savior, and movement - we must keep moving on the path to justice. Any step, even the smallest, is one step further toward ending human trafficking. Our final destination for this journey is three-fold prosecution for the perpetrators, rehabilitation services for survivors and prevention of future trafficking.

As Teka, one of our new Brazilian friends, said this evening "This problem is like a leaky faucet. We must focus on how to fix the faucet, not focus on how to mop the floor."