Ride Against Traffick 2017 – Family and Rest

Sky and I recently participated in our fourth Ride Against Traffick. From October 6th – 9th, 47 people started from Busan and headed up to Seoul (about 550km), with 28 of them biking and 19 people serving as support crew. It was a blessed time and I’ve made a photo blog below to show what the four days looked like.

The main purpose of Ride Against Traffick is to raise awareness about sex trafficking in Korea. During the ride we gathered every night to worship and pray together for justice in Korea and during the day the riders prayed as they made their way across the beautiful country. The riders and support crew also raised support that went to Hope Be Restored (helps provide rehabilitation for former sex workers) and Oak Tree Project (scholarship/mentoring program for orphans that helps protect them from falling into the traps of sex trafficking). God spoke to all of us in different ways and we had a sweet time of sharing during our last night together. We’ll hopefully get some of these testimonies posted on our website (www.ratk.org) soon. Before the photo blog I want to share about two of the things God was speaking to me about during the four days…

With each year there seems to be more and more families participating in the ride. Out of the 47 people this year we had a father and daughter (he pulled her in a cart as he biked across Korea), a father and son, two brothers, a mom and daughter, four married couples and a baby. Our Oak Tree Project alum, Young Seok, also participated this year and he is like family to Sky and me. I really believe that one of the main ways God is going to break the chains of sex trafficking/injustice in this nation is through family. Many trafficked victims who have escaped tend to return to the trade, despite the abuse and evils that they face. These victims (including orphans and NK defectors) often receive great counseling and are given new jobs/pay so they don’t have to return, but despite these things they still quit their new jobs and go back. I believe it is because of spiritual strongholds and their yearning for connection (no matter how dark it is) that cause them to return. But for those who do stay out, usually the key isn’t counseling or money or new jobs (though those things definitely help), the key is family. Acceptance, identity, and safety (no fear in love) are what the victims are yearning for deeply. It isn’t in businesses or counseling or other places that those can all be found. Rather it’s in family. Family is so powerful! Did you know for children in foster care in America that 66% of them will either end up homeless, in jail, or die within a year of leaving the foster care system at age 18? That is horrible! There are no such statistics though for kids who were adopted. Kids who are adopted have found acceptance that isn’t temporary, have received identity in a new, permanent name, and feel safe no matter what their future may bring (if their family is truly loving). Family is meant to be the glue that keeps society together. Family is what makes justice permanent.

Another thing God was speaking to me about was the importance of serving from a place of rest. During the first two days of the ride I was running around a lot and I didn’t feel at rest at all. I was stressed and busy and wasn’t able to be that relational. I missed out on connecting with people. There was a lot of spiritual warfare those first couple days (at least for me and a few other people). Thankfully we made it through and on day 3, despite getting little sleep the night before, I felt my body starting to relax as we kept praying and looking to the Lord. As I began to feel rest, I was able to stop focusing on doing things or stressing and instead connect with the people around me. Two different people I spoke to that day weren’t feeling well at all and I was able to calmly pray for them. Both experienced healing very quickly (other riders and support team also experienced healing in powerful ways through the prayer of teammates). Because I was at a place of rest I was able to enjoy the day, connect with people, pray effectively, and lead well. Family is great, but if the family members aren’t at rest then there will be crankiness and a lack of focus on each other. I need to make sure I am at rest even when ministry gets extra busy. It’s also worth accomplishing a little less if I can be at rest and be more loving. Works without love are empty.

Here is a photo blog of our four days…

A picture of all of us on the first day. It was raining a little throughout the morning, so the first day was a bit tougher than usual.

Despite the rain our support crew lined up and cheered on our riders and they started out.

Here was part of the lunch the support crew had prepared for the riders under a bridge at the halfway point on day 1.

Thankfully after lunch the rain stopped (we were praying!) and we didn’t have any bad injuries despite the more dangerous conditions. Spirits were high!

Here is Team Guardians starting off from a checkpoint…

Day 2 was long (155km) but beautiful. Here are some pictures of the biking teams and the countryside…

The rice fields were gorgeous!

Here is Team Victory

Each day we had three checkpoints before the end with the second checkpoint being where we served lunch.

Rider Yoomin had a bad fall just before reaching the lunch checkpoint on day 2. Thankfully, after a short rest that day, she was able to get back on her bike and finish the ride well.

Here is one of our five teams of riders: Team Chain Breakers

Peter and his daughter Charlotte were a part of this team. This was the second year in a row that Peter pulled his daughter.

Our student Young Seok had fun connecting with Charlotte. She loved playing and joking with him.

At night we stayed at “love motels.” There are motels all over Korea where prostitution is rampant. All of these motels have night rates and 3 hour rates, with the majority of customers coming for the 3 hour rate. We prayed a lot at each of these motels. On day 2 we had burgers and hot dogs on the roof of our motel. This picture was taken while we were starting to set up…

Day 3 was another long ride (145km) with a number of mountains, including one mountain that is a constant incline for 5 straight kilometers. While the incline isn’t as steep as some of the other mountains, the 5km of constant climbing is a great test of endurance. This was our first year where all our riders made it to the top without getting off. I was so proud of them! A couple of them had powerful moments with the Lord as they were making the tough climb. It’s often in our greatest struggles that God speaks to us the strongest.

Here is Sky and me with Young Seok after he reached the top…

Here is another group shot of us all at the top of the mountain…

At night on day 3 our support crew prepared Korean BBQ (samgyupsal) and Sky’s mom made chili for everyone. Our riders devoured the food. Working on support crew is just as difficult as doing the four day ride (I’ve done both twice now).

Every night we took time to worship God and I would usually share and lead different prayer topics. On the last night I had us get into small groups and each share what God was speaking to us during the ride. There were a number of powerful and sweet testimonies that were shared! Here is a picture of us worshipping together that night…

Here is the support crew serving breakfast for everyone in the morning. The first few days we had the riders leave at around 6:30am. On the last day (this picture) we were able to start a little later.

Here is support member Jee working hard to prepare bibimbap for our last lunch on day 4…

On the last day the teams made their way into Seoul and were welcomed by friends at the end point.

It was a great way to end the ride!

Marcus (one of our Oak Tree Project mentors and leader of Team Guardians) with my wife Sky

Happily greeting and congratulating our different riders

Team Justice was very proud of their thighs after the ride. For me after each time I biked across Korea some of my pants and shorts wouldn’t fit because of how much my thighs swelled up.

Here is everyone after finishing the ride

The dates aren’t confirmed yet, but it’s looking like our next ride will be September 22-25, 2018.

If you would like to help support the cause, we are still receiving donations here: https://give.ratk.org/en/ratk2017.