Episode 39: Breaking the Cycle of Sexual Exploitation
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I confess, I’ve never had an interest in missionary work. Sure, my church would do a fundraising campaign and I’d give but I never had a desire to go to another country to serve. I’d think, “there are plenty of needy people right in my own backyard. Also, why would they need me to go in person? Wouldn’t they be better off with the money I would have spent on an airplane ticket?”
This past March, I got a text message from a coworker across the country who said a colleague on her team, Mario, had found my podcast and wanted my phone number. Within the hour, Mario texted me the links to two documentaries on Amazon Prime and asked me to watch them as soon as I could. I didn’t even know this person and he was asking me to watch not just one, but two documentaries. With no context. No backstory.
Thinking it was more than a little unusual and already planning the words I would use when I would tell Mario I just couldn’t find the time, Joe and I decided to just start the first one and see how far we would get.
Within minutes, we were captivated by the story of three young men who traveled the world living off $1.25 a day to experience poverty firsthand.
When the end credits rolled, we quickly moved on to the second documentary. When the Saints chronicles the story of one of the young men from “What Matters?”, David Peterka, going on to establish a safe house in Malawi for girls rescued from sexual exploitation.
I was moved to tears by the story and the next day, I couldn’t wait to connect with Mario to understand why he’d sent these videos to me. Turns out, Mario knew David and said he felt led by God to connect the two of us.
“Do you know what for?” I asked. Mario wasn’t sure and said he just needed to make the connection and was I willing.
David Peterka and his wife Essy
Of course I said yes but inside I felt trepidation. What on earth would I say to this person who fasted for 21 days, heard directly from God, and gave up all worldly comforts to start a safe home in Africa? How do you show up to a meeting that seems to have been divinely arranged?
Awkward and unsure, I met with David and offered him a bit of my background, as a disciple of Jesus, a corporate sales coach, and operations leader, wondering inside where I might fit into the needs of this first and only trauma safe home in Malawi for girls under age sixteen.
When I asked about their organizational challenges, I learned that during COVID their monthly donations dropped below their expenses. David didn’t seem worried, but I felt a sudden need to help him close that gap.
I’ve been meeting with David monthly ever since to pray and study what the bible says about giving and fundraising. We discuss strategy and mindset and I help him set his monthly fundraising goals.
God has really blessed our time together. Their monthly donations have picked up and God has put an even larger vision on David’s heart to expand the safe home’s capacity from forty-four to seventy-two girls.
I’m excited to share that I’m going to Malawi to meet David and the girls in real life, later this year. I’ll be sure to share that visit with all of you.
Listen to this episode to meet David. Hear him share how God broke the cycle of porn addiction and the objectification of women in his life and how this led to the gift of rehabilitation, not just for the girls impacted by sexual exploitation, but for their oppressors as well.
You will be moved by David’s broken but hopeful heart as he describes how he unwittingly oppressed women by his seemingly private choice to watch pornography. But how his awareness around this issue freed him to help free others. Talk about a cycle breaker! See the links below to support the good work of When the Saints including the November 6th Virtual Fundraiser.
SUPPORT the When the Saints Virtual Fundraiser - to raise $75,000 to expand the safe’s home capacity to accept up to 72 girls!