How to Prevent Human Trafficking in Your Community and Make a Difference | Ep. 28 with Michael Bartel
"If you can't do everything, you can't do anything" is a fallacy too many of us buy into. Michael Bartel, founder of Free International, shares about the evils of human trafficking and ways you and I can make a difference.
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Transcript
Host
You're listening to the No Grey Areas podcast with Patrick McCalla. Today's guest is Michael Bartel, founder and director of Free International. Michael brings awareness to human trafficking and explains how we can prevent it by collaborating. Let's dove in.
::Patrick McCalla
Michael, welcome to the No Gray Areas podcast. So good to have you here. We actually have a connection. It goes a little ways back in our work lives. It goes back about a decade, I think, but we found out once we met that we go way back before that right?
::Patrick McCalla
We're both Montana.
::Michael Bartel
Bald Montana, Missoula, Montana. Yeah, yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
So for for listeners, Montana is that big, huge state up near Canada that few people have heard of other than they see the Rocky.
::Michael Bartel
Mount, and they like it that way, too. And yes.
::Patrick McCalla
Anybody from Montana is like, don't tell anybody about, but we're not only from the same state, we're from the same little towns.
::Michael Bartel
So yeah, absolutely. And my wife and daughter, if if they could do what we were doing and still live in Montana, that's that's where we'd be. Yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah. And my wife is also from she's from small town ville Montana, which is by Lincoln.
::Michael Bartel
Yep, yep. Yep, yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
So but that was crazy. So the way we met all these years ago is I was working with the anti-human trafficking movement. You actually have an organization. You started anti-human trafficking movement. So we met. We were both doing some things.
::Patrick McCalla
We actually connected, man. I just I immediately am like, Gosh, I love this guy that did Guy. But then it was cool to find out we actually came from the same small town in Montana. But let's dig right into that.
::Patrick McCalla
And so you let, first of all, free international. Tell us quickly what that is.
::Michael Bartel
Well, free is actually an acronym. I'm not an acronym guy, but it.
::Michael Bartel
Worked with what we were doing and it stands for find, restore, embrace and empower.
::Michael Bartel
Okay.
::Michael Bartel
And so we started back in: ::Michael Bartel
Yeah, and.
::Michael Bartel
It was our response to.
::Michael Bartel
Communities. Every time we come.
::Michael Bartel
Back and tell those stories of India where we were primarily based, people are like.
::Michael Bartel
Oh man, what can we do?
::Michael Bartel
What can we put our hand to almost to a person that would come up and talk to us? And so free was our response to that.
::Michael Bartel
How do we build.
::Michael Bartel
Capacity here in the United States to address.
::Michael Bartel
That type of vulnerability.
::Michael Bartel
And exploitation here? And so that's how free was founded?
::Patrick McCalla
And when was that founded: ::Patrick McCalla
I think most people know now that that happens, but early in those days you were having to convince people that that's not just something that's happening over in Asia that's happening in our own backyard, correct?
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, absolutely. And it's something we found through.
::Michael Bartel
The process, too. I mean, our original context to learn about.
::Michael Bartel
What was going on.
::Michael Bartel
In the world was the international context fact, our origin story. My wife and I were working at Purdue University.
::Michael Bartel
And she.
::Michael Bartel
Ran the international center there, which was the cultural hub. We had 142 countries represented. And she also did the friendship program. So any time students were coming in from around the world, she did all their orientations.
::Michael Bartel
She'd try to connect them into families in the community, and we're setting up for an event. one day.
::Michael Bartel
African student struck up a friendship with him in a conversation.
::Michael Bartel
And he began to kind of tell.
::Michael Bartel
Me his dreams when he went back to his country because he had nephews and cousins that had been sold in the labor camps and nieces as young as eight sold into the brothels. I was January of.
::Michael Bartel
1995 when he told me that, and if he gave.
::Michael Bartel
Me a sketch artist, I could still.
::Michael Bartel
Probably game that room out. It just was.
::Michael Bartel
one of those.
::Michael Bartel
Significant moments in our life, and that.
::Patrick McCalla
Really changed the trajectory.
::Michael Bartel
Of changed everything. We didn't get all in until a few years.
::Michael Bartel
Later, but it just never escaped. My wife and I had conversations and we were pastoring, and it was a big part of our our prayer for it with the church and the internationals that were in our church. And so we just we just.
::Michael Bartel
Got to a point as people, you.
::Michael Bartel
Know, raised among farmers and ranchers kind.
::Michael Bartel
Of really, you know, get it done, put the boots on, go to work type people. We just couldn't talk about it anymore.
::Michael Bartel
We had to figure out how to do something about something now.
::Patrick McCalla
So you guys went over to Asia?
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, you went to.
::Patrick McCalla
India there, seeing this India and seeing this firsthand. Yeah, there.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. Red light districts there.
::Michael Bartel
I mean, obviously a.
::Michael Bartel
Different contexts in the states, but we worked with some great nationals from all over.
::Michael Bartel
India. They would take us into incredibly.
::Michael Bartel
Large red light districts where very young girls are being exploited. Was it hard to see there?
::Michael Bartel
But figuring out what to do about it in that.
::Michael Bartel
Context was.
::Michael Bartel
You know, obviously unique to how we would engage it.
::Michael Bartel
Here in the.
::Michael Bartel
States. But you know that that.
::Michael Bartel
Solidified it for us. I mean, we.
::Michael Bartel
Knew it would. But you don't know until you're in the mix, you know, and listening to God.
::Michael Bartel
What direction he wants you to go with what you're seeing.
::Michael Bartel
With what you're engaging with.
::Michael Bartel
And yeah, that's just that's just how it took root in our lives.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, and let me just pause and say this for the audience to hear this too, because I worked with this issue. I mean, there's no there's no other evil that. That is worse than this and and this is I just have huge respect for you and your family, your team that's been involved in this for so long
::Patrick McCalla
. You know, I was deeply entrenched in this and working on the front lines with this is you are for a handful of years and I think I'm still recovering from that. You're hearing the darkest, most horrific stories and it just it wrenches your heart and soul.
::Patrick McCalla
I mean, I just have huge respect. You can see it coming out right now. Thanks still affects me. So I appreciate that you're still in the trenches with it. So just to help, I think I understand you brought a couple of things which are really fascinating.
::Patrick McCalla
When we unpack what you're doing, this right here is something you were just doing a couple of weeks ago, right?
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, that's right. I mean.
::Michael Bartel
The big search actually is one of our main programs that we do.
::Michael Bartel
We do day to.
::Michael Bartel
Day work, all our people around the country do.
::Michael Bartel
But one of the things.
::Michael Bartel
That just has really always tripped my trigger wi.
::Michael Bartel
My entry point.
::Michael Bartel
Into working with a lot of these issues here in the states as far as.
::Michael Bartel
Seeing it at a much larger level was we jumped on with.
::Michael Bartel
Super Bowl outreach, the very first Super Bowl outreach.
::Michael Bartel
When we got back from India.
::Michael Bartel
Brad Dennis, who's now on our team.
::Michael Bartel
Actually.
::Michael Bartel
Was with class.
::Michael Bartel
Kids and he was the one who identified what was going on, not just at the Super Bowl, but anytime.
::Michael Bartel
We brought all this disposable income into an area in a short period of time, just the increase of vulnerability and exploitation. And so he started a Super Bowl outreach.
::Michael Bartel
And.
::Michael Bartel
Managed just trip my trigger to see that first. When we.
::Michael Bartel
Did, we had about.
::Michael Bartel
80 volunteers for three days.
::Michael Bartel
In Miami. The Miami.
::Michael Bartel
Based law enforcement down there working directly with gave us all their missing kids that.
::Michael Bartel
Had been gone least three.
::Michael Bartel
Months and were.
::Michael Bartel
Likely.
::Michael Bartel
Or they knew for certain were being.
::Michael Bartel
Exploited traffic. And so those 80 people.
::Michael Bartel
Over those three days and they weren't 80 people every day, it was just spread out. Over those three days, we were able to clear three precincts worth of missing kids off the books. eight traffic victims were recovered. I think three pimps.
::Michael Bartel
All got nabbed and went to.
::Michael Bartel
Went to prison over that.
::Michael Bartel
And and.
::Michael Bartel
They're just energized me so.
::Michael Bartel
Much.
::Michael Bartel
Obviously the success.
::Michael Bartel
Of it.
::Michael Bartel
But to see.
::Michael Bartel
When different.
::Michael Bartel
Groups and.
::Michael Bartel
Faith.
::Michael Bartel
Partners and everything worked together.
::Michael Bartel
And have the right faces.
::Michael Bartel
In front of them to search for as well, right? We weren't just giving red flags. We were showing real faces of people.
::Patrick McCalla
Who were literally looking for individuals with names fit.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. And people go, Man, how did you find so many kids? And this one we we had.
::Michael Bartel
45 kids were able to find over about six weeks.
::Michael Bartel
The community.
::Michael Bartel
Piece to it.
::Michael Bartel
Was.
::Patrick McCalla
three days and.
::Michael Bartel
45 kids. Yeah, yeah. And people go, how do you find so many kids? And that ultimately.
::Michael Bartel
It's it's because we were.
::Michael Bartel
Looking for. Yeah, right. I mean, you can't find what you're not looking for.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. And so to create an environment.
::Michael Bartel
Especially within a community like Phenix.
::Michael Bartel
We did the Super Bowl.
::Michael Bartel
Here. We did it, you know, in.
::Michael Bartel
Partnership with you out of your church. And just to see the success of those who are being recovered. But more.
::Michael Bartel
Than that, see the light bulbs go on and people's eyes on how.
::Michael Bartel
When we work together.
::Michael Bartel
And when.
::Michael Bartel
We're on the same page with a common task and.
::Michael Bartel
Communicating.
::Michael Bartel
How successful things can be. And so we just.
::Michael Bartel
Kept going with.
::Michael Bartel
The big searches and.
::Michael Bartel
We're I don't.
::Michael Bartel
Know, we're like 30 big searches now. We have ten lined up over the next year that we're going to do. That was our first one this year.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, and that's one of the things I've known, you know, for over ten years, like I said in your organization is so good at partnering. I think that's one of the reasons you've had such great success as you recognize the value of collaboration.
::Patrick McCalla
You and I have both seen. The messiness of that is really messy, but you collaborate really well. You try to partner, you try to work well together. When you go into a city, you're trying to work with the people that are in that city, whether it be the vice squad, the FBI, the local churches and communities.
::Patrick McCalla
u know, missing since October: ::Patrick McCalla
It gives the name, gives her picture here and there's pages of it.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. And and you.
::Michael Bartel
Know, we were pretty.
::Michael Bartel
We're always strategic with the kids that we end up looking for. I mean, all kids.
::Michael Bartel
Are worth being searched for and found right. But especially in Vegas, we have, I mean, just countless missing kids.
::Michael Bartel
You can't put.
::Michael Bartel
All those faces in front of people pragmatically.
::Michael Bartel
And have.
::Michael Bartel
Any of it stick in people's.
::Michael Bartel
Minds.
::Michael Bartel
And so so we work with the social workers in Vegas.
::Michael Bartel
We have.
::Michael Bartel
A specialized crew of social workers in Las Vegas called areas, which is is a.
::Michael Bartel
Whole crew of them that.
::Michael Bartel
Just focus on the seats that kids are commercially sexually exploited, children in.
::Michael Bartel
Our community.
::Michael Bartel
And so, so the kids.
::Michael Bartel
We look for, we kind of know their intake. We know.
::Michael Bartel
The different stories.
::Michael Bartel
Behind whether.
::Michael Bartel
They're being trafficked or at least.
::Michael Bartel
The level of.
::Michael Bartel
Risk, you know, they are considering their backgrounds.
::Michael Bartel
And so, so, you know, to do that.
::Michael Bartel
Strategic intake allows us to kind of understand, you know, the nature of what we're looking for. Not all of them are trafficked.
::Michael Bartel
And when we go into a community, this is.
::Michael Bartel
one of those things that we're able. To really draw a lot of attention to where on the news, where you know, we're doing all this stuff because a community is searching for its kids, right? And then people come forward and.
::Michael Bartel
Go, Well, yeah, aren't they.
::Michael Bartel
Just runaways, you know, aren't they? And that creates a great.
::Michael Bartel
Educational moment because.
::Michael Bartel
Awareness, you.
::Michael Bartel
Know, that we've talked about is so key. But but the context to which.
::Michael Bartel
This exploitation happens or this vulnerability is created is important. Sorry.
::Michael Bartel
All right. Let's talk about that. So why would they go missing again?
::Patrick McCalla
I mean, there's probably a lot that are listening right now that would think that they're like, Well, all these kids are just runaways, so. So help educate them or help them be aware on how exploitive these kids are.
::Patrick McCalla
Well.
::Michael Bartel
Brad Dennis, who started this, he always has a statement.
::Michael Bartel
He goes, Hey, kids are running away for.
::Michael Bartel
one of two reasons. They're running away for some from something, or they're running to something.
::Michael Bartel
And actually.
::Michael Bartel
The predators that.
::Michael Bartel
Would, you know, want to take advantage of that all they've got to figure that all they have to do to exploit.
::Michael Bartel
The situation is figure out what that is.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, what is it there? Why are they leaving?
::Michael Bartel
Is it because there is abuse in the home?
::Michael Bartel
Is it because, you know.
::Michael Bartel
Whatever's going.
::Michael Bartel
On there, then he can fill that role of, you know.
::Michael Bartel
Protector, yeah, provider or whatever it might be if they just, you know, have wanderlust and.
::Michael Bartel
Just want to get out there.
::Michael Bartel
Then you just, you.
::Michael Bartel
Know, paint them, paint the big picture.
::Michael Bartel
Of parties and everything else you can be a part of. And.
::Michael Bartel
And so that the nature of why kids run away and there's some kids out there, they're just, you know, got annoyed because they got disciplined and are couch surfing. We don't put.
::Michael Bartel
Those in our.
::Michael Bartel
Book, right? I mean.
::Michael Bartel
Those situations need to be addressed, obviously, but that's not the point of the big search.
::Michael Bartel
But yeah, that education that goes beyond.
::Michael Bartel
Awareness, it's like.
::Michael Bartel
OK, good question. Why are they running away?
::Michael Bartel
And and that lets us draw the curtain even back further. So even once we.
::Michael Bartel
Find them, how do those who are wanting to get involved more and more engage.
::Michael Bartel
Upstream from where this exploitation happens in the first place, right? How do we implant our churches in our.
::Michael Bartel
Community.
::Michael Bartel
Not for profits in the areas where that vulnerability.
::Michael Bartel
That that engagement will.
::Michael Bartel
Make the most good and prevent this from.
::Michael Bartel
Happening?
::Patrick McCalla
And when you're talking about the predators feeding into that, what it finding, finding whatever that is that need that they're masters at that again, someone who maybe has not worked in this area has no idea how evil and how masterful they are at manipulating people, manipulate manipulating young girls or young boys.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah. And like you said, whether they need, Hey, I can protect you or you want to have the fun life, I can provide the fun life painting this dream for them. But I mean, someone who hasn't worked that they have no idea.
::Patrick McCalla
In fact, that leads to this next thing. Yeah, that's on the table here. You brought this. You were just explaining this to me. So again, if someone's listening or not watching, it's a it's a piece of paper that's folded several times.
::Patrick McCalla
It's written completely on front and back. Yeah. And just tell us top to bottom.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah. Corner to corner, top to bottom. Tell us where you got this and what this is.
::Michael Bartel
Well, because of what I do, I get invited.
::Michael Bartel
Into some interesting areas to have these conversations, and.
::Michael Bartel
I was brought in monthly to high.
::Michael Bartel
Security prison somewhere in this country.
::Michael Bartel
And and there was about 50 guys, all basically in for life that really hated human trafficking. Right. And many of it.
::Michael Bartel
Because it touched them personally as soon as they were removed from their situation, their daughters were trafficked or whatever. I mean, there was a real.
::Michael Bartel
Emotional attachment to what this is and and I was given this it's handwritten. The sheets handwritten. And one of the pimps that had been put in.
::Michael Bartel
Prison for the.
::Michael Bartel
Long haul had.
::Michael Bartel
This on his person when he went to the prison. So they took it from him and.
::Michael Bartel
They gave it to me. And it's his rules on how he controlled.
::Michael Bartel
His girls, his women.
::Michael Bartel
That.
::Michael Bartel
He was working as prostitutes. And it's like you said, it's just pure evil. I mean, it's purely manipulative.
::Michael Bartel
And and really, that's that's the key.
::Michael Bartel
For a lot of this. Education has gone.
::Michael Bartel
As you know, over the years to is, you know, hey, why didn't these.
::Michael Bartel
Girls just went away?
::Michael Bartel
They weren't chained to the bed, right? They're not physically detained. And then when you realize, you know, from the background of.
::Michael Bartel
This girl's.
::Michael Bartel
Life.
::Michael Bartel
How this person.
::Michael Bartel
Manipulated.
::Michael Bartel
Them, those chains are all tied up in their head, which are really the strongest chains.
::Michael Bartel
You know they have anyway.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, a phrase that I often heard and you know, you've heard for years, too, it's easy to get the girl out of the brothel, but not the brothel out of her head, where the trafficking victim. I mean, again, they've been so brainwashed, and there's no idea this right here if they could read like, I'm looking over this
::Patrick McCalla
. It's disgusting. It's evil. I can't even I couldn't even read it out loud because of what it says here. We'd have to beep, beep, beep out all kinds of stuff, but this is literally from every corner of the page, front and back, a guy writing about how to manipulate and keep a victim trafficked.
::Michael Bartel
And a lot of it's tied to identity, right? If you can get them to.
::Michael Bartel
Just buy into, this is who I am. This is what my.
::Michael Bartel
Law in life.
::Michael Bartel
Is. It's so hard. To pray, you know, somebody away from from that whole scenario, and so that identity piece oftentimes is built in. Long before that pump ever got into the picture right, they were molested.
::Michael Bartel
At home or, you know.
::Michael Bartel
Whatever the situation.
::Michael Bartel
Might be. And so, yeah, I mean, those chains.
::Michael Bartel
Are so difficult to break.
::Michael Bartel
So oftentimes, you know, the find of our name.
::Michael Bartel
Oftentimes is the easiest part.
::Michael Bartel
I mean, it's not easy, but.
::Michael Bartel
Once you start looking, you're going.
::Michael Bartel
To, you.
::Michael Bartel
Know, you got to learn how to find.
::Michael Bartel
What you're looking for. It's that whole back end.
::Michael Bartel
Piece that takes so long.
::Michael Bartel
To to really see a little recovery. Yeah. So this baby.
::Michael Bartel
Steps in the right direction to to attain.
::Michael Bartel
A new identity and attain value in who you.
::Michael Bartel
Are especially created in this.
::Patrick McCalla
Image. Yeah. Why would someone not that we want to get inside the mind of a pimp, but why? Why would someone do this? Like, why would they get into this? Like, let's say someone's going in the criminal world?
::Patrick McCalla
Why not sell drugs? Or so it's like, why would someone going into selling human beings?
::Michael Bartel
Well, there's a there's a.
::Michael Bartel
Financial piece to it. Right?
::Patrick McCalla
Huge financial.
::Michael Bartel
Pieces. Yeah. I mean, when you when you're dealing drugs.
::Michael Bartel
You can only deal drugs. You can only sell that drug once you know. Right. But you can sell.
::Michael Bartel
That girl, that boy, that.
::Michael Bartel
Transgender youth over and over and over and over.
::Michael Bartel
Again. Right?
::Michael Bartel
It's like a reusable product, so to speak. Also, it's easier.
::Michael Bartel
In the.
::Michael Bartel
Legal system to explain away.
::Michael Bartel
Right? I mean, you find a kilo.
::Michael Bartel
In somebody's trunk.
::Michael Bartel
You you know, it is.
::Michael Bartel
What it is. Yeah, you got a 14.
::Michael Bartel
Year old girl on your.
::Michael Bartel
Back seat.
::Michael Bartel
Especially with, you know, our.
::Michael Bartel
Law enforcement are better and better equipped to understand what this is.
::Michael Bartel
But there's still a whole lot of.
::Michael Bartel
Layers of of things that have to you have to go through and we have fewer and fewer hours in the day. Our law enforcement have to deal with this. It's just a lot easier to skirt the law.
::Michael Bartel
You know, in the middle of it. And so in fact, a lot of the adult women or adult meaning.
::Michael Bartel
Over.
::Michael Bartel
18 that we work with don't want to, you know, when they say they want help. A lot of times that legal.
::Michael Bartel
Piece, they just want to leave behind. They just want to start a new life.
::Michael Bartel
They don't even want to engage with the.
::Michael Bartel
Court system, don't want to because.
::Patrick McCalla
It's so messy.
::Michael Bartel
I guess.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah. Triggering all kinds of things.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, and all.
::Michael Bartel
That's part of the reason it's so easy to.
::Michael Bartel
You know, control. And that's why you see so many young.
::Michael Bartel
Ladies that are wrapped up in this, too.
::Michael Bartel
It's not that I hear a lot of people thinking we got we got way more pedophiles and then we.
::Michael Bartel
Realize in this country and in the world. But but the pimps aren't really.
::Michael Bartel
Looking for children.
::Michael Bartel
To prostitute to pedophiles that are looking for young.
::Michael Bartel
People that keep manipulated and have them oftentimes look.
::Michael Bartel
Like they're of age, right? Because a lot of these johns aren't showing up looking for children, they're looking for young.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, but they're not looking for children. And so if you can shade that line enough, you know, it's.
::Michael Bartel
A lot easier to control a 16 year old girl than it is a.
::Michael Bartel
You know, a woman unless she's been in it all the time. Right? Yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
And we've heard the horror stories about that. And what's interesting for me and you've been doing this a lot longer, but I know when I back up and think through all those stories on the many, many, many women that I sat down and heard their stories when you backed up to, I never heard one that didn't go
::Patrick McCalla
back to some kind of abuse in their past, which is, you know, I mean, that's just unveiling a whole nother evil that, you know, every and I'm sure you probably there's probably some exceptions that you've run into, but I never ran into a single exception that it didn't back up to some kind of abuse that they had
::Patrick McCalla
in their life or neglect.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, right. Because, you know, really one of the biggest, if not the biggest.
::Michael Bartel
Vulnerability for those who end up being trafficked is is just self-esteem, right?
::Michael Bartel
And self-esteem is built up.
::Patrick McCalla
Pimps feed on. Oh, don't.
::Michael Bartel
Absolutely. I mean, that's why, you know, and I don't say this to, you know me, I don't go casting.
::Michael Bartel
Fear.
::Michael Bartel
Anywhere, but we got to be mindful. You know.
::Michael Bartel
When parents come to me, they're scared to death about their daughter being trafficked.
::Michael Bartel
And I, I have a daughter.
::Michael Bartel
I 100% understand that.
::Michael Bartel
But it's almost it's almost impossible.
::Michael Bartel
To have your daughter trafficked.
::Michael Bartel
In an intact family where you know, the dad.
::Michael Bartel
Loves on their daughter and is present in.
::Michael Bartel
Her life.
::Michael Bartel
Almost impossible right there, Teflon.
::Michael Bartel
It's just that that has no appeal. That lie has.
::Michael Bartel
No place to land because they're already.
::Michael Bartel
Got that safety. They got that protection. They got that love. And so do abductions happen? Do all that happened?
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, it's very, very rare. It happens. You got to be mindful. You also got to be involved in your kid's lives as far as where they're at on social media.
::Michael Bartel
And, you know, because.
::Michael Bartel
If our kids have access to the world, which is awesome, the world also has access to them. So to put the right boundaries is good parenting.
::Michael Bartel
It's not.
::Michael Bartel
Overprotective, it's it's wisdom because that's where these guys.
::Michael Bartel
Will will look.
::Michael Bartel
Because if you're complaining about dad on social media.
::Michael Bartel
Then I'm going to come.
::Michael Bartel
In and say, I can be your dad, I can be your daddy and play that role. Yeah, so be very present in your kids lives, for sure.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, this isn't anything new either. Again, holding a book in my hand that you brought that you were just talking to me about, it's very interesting. It's a it's got a newer cover on it, but that's because you put it on there.
::Patrick McCalla
Someone gave this to you. So again, sometimes if someone went, if someone thought like, Well, this is something new that's happening in our world or social media is causing this or it isn't, it's an evil that's been around for a while, in fact, explained this book a little bit.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, I had a friend of.
::Michael Bartel
Mine who's a historian.
::Michael Bartel
Actually, and he sent me a text out of the blue one day and said, Hey, do you want this book? And I looked.
::Michael Bartel
At the cover and it was an.
::Michael Bartel
Old looking cover, and the the exact.
::Michael Bartel
Title of this book is.
::Michael Bartel
How.
::Michael Bartel
To prevent the traffic in girls.
::Michael Bartel
And it blew my mind.
::Michael Bartel
Because just that word traffic or the trafficking word was new to me.
::Michael Bartel
I mean, we understand slavery.
::Michael Bartel
We've heard that word for years, but trafficking is a term.
::Michael Bartel
And then I saw this.
::Michael Bartel
Book was.
::Michael Bartel
Printed in: ::Patrick McCalla
So in: ::Michael Bartel
And the book actually is an outgrowth of a.
::Michael Bartel
Conference, a symposium that rescue mission workers and social workers were having because they were seeing the growth of.
::Michael Bartel
Trafficking. And so they got together. I mean, human.
::Michael Bartel
Trafficking conference in.
::Michael Bartel
The mid: ::Michael Bartel
With this very issue and the vulnerabilities in our own country in the growth of that. And this is less than 40 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, right?
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. And this book just staggered me, not because.
::Michael Bartel
It surprised me. I mean, it didn't surprise me.
::Michael Bartel
I mean, I know.
::Michael Bartel
Throughout history.
::Michael Bartel
God always.
::Michael Bartel
Sets apart a people, you know, to be present for the issues, you know, that are at hand. So I would Salvation Army, right? The Salvation Army as a as an organization, started as basically.
::Michael Bartel
An anti-human trafficking that most.
::Patrick McCalla
People don't know that. Yeah, I think most people think, you know, they're ringing the bells and raising money for for hungry people. But it started as an anti-human trafficking organization.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, yeah. And I don't know if they knew it was anti-trafficking then, but it was an.
::Michael Bartel
Outreach to prostituted women on the streets.
::Michael Bartel
Of London.
::Michael Bartel
That's how it started, right?
::Michael Bartel
And over the years.
::Michael Bartel
The Salvation Army has.
::Michael Bartel
Been engaged with.
::Michael Bartel
Matters of this here and there, and there are certain certain ones of them around the world.
::Michael Bartel
That that.
::Michael Bartel
Focus on these issues of trafficking.
::Michael Bartel
But yeah.
::Michael Bartel
Was just staggered by.
::Michael Bartel
By. If you read this book and I'll.
::Michael Bartel
Try to get it to you, the focus of the predators is so similar to today, like when we're doing trainings or whatever on that.
::Michael Bartel
It's it's.
::Michael Bartel
Worded a little different, but.
::Michael Bartel
The exact same M.O..
::Michael Bartel
Focusing on the vulnerability.
::Michael Bartel
And then using maybe not language like you.
::Michael Bartel
Read on this paper, but a similar approach to rap.
::Michael Bartel
That kit up and in in their head and be able to.
::Michael Bartel
Take advantage of their situation. And so.
::Michael Bartel
So their thing was, look, if we can't get ahead of this, if we can't fish.
::Michael Bartel
Upstream.
::Michael Bartel
On this, and they'll say that.
::Michael Bartel
Almost verbatim in this book because.
::Michael Bartel
All these people.
::Michael Bartel
Do outreach to victims when this book was read, in fact, they use the term rescue rescues term.
::Michael Bartel
That the trafficking movement doesn't like to.
::Michael Bartel
Use. Survivors do not like that term. So we speak that I understand that, but they would use the term rescue.
::Michael Bartel
They go.
::Michael Bartel
Everybody wants to hear the stories of the rescue.
::Michael Bartel
Right? And we do that.
::Michael Bartel
So they weren't saying, that's bad. They're saying that's an aspect of.
::Michael Bartel
What we do.
::Michael Bartel
But 100 hundred years from now, we're going to have a bigger problem with this if we can't get upstream of it. That's the whole conference. And here we are.
::Patrick McCalla
And we've been. That's what we were talking about. I mean, you still are. But when I was working with the issue, we were always saying that we're like forever. And again, I know this isn't the term that that the survivors like to use.
::Patrick McCalla
or: ::Michael Bartel
Well, we got a school.
::Michael Bartel
Assembly program at. It's fascinating to me. We started that.
::Michael Bartel
About a decade ago now we've been in.
::Michael Bartel
Front of over half a million students and right before.
::Michael Bartel
COVID shut down. Right before COVID shut down the two months.
::Michael Bartel
Of school assemblies we.
::Michael Bartel
Did leading into COVID, there was actually 19.
::Michael Bartel
Cases of trafficking that were identified out of those schools in those two months. And there was 100 and.
::Michael Bartel
6160.
::Michael Bartel
Plus cases of mandatory report situations molestation, rape, abuse.
::Michael Bartel
That came out of a willingness.
::Michael Bartel
To be able to talk about these difficult issues and vulnerabilities at the right age, in the right setting that created a safe environment for them to come forward. In fact, the school assemblies are out there right now. They went all last week, first one since COVID.
::Michael Bartel
Shut everything down and today.
::Michael Bartel
And tomorrow. But but the schools are such an important place for us to empower conversations that are going to.
::Michael Bartel
You know, reveal.
::Michael Bartel
Vulnerabilities in a way to help.
::Michael Bartel
Preventing.
::Patrick McCalla
Any event happening. That meant a girl who might have been susceptible to this or that boy that might have been susceptible to this or hearing some things. And now maybe and you know, only eternity where we know how many kids were truly prevented.
::Patrick McCalla
I mean, that's that's the other difficult thing about that is it's hard to measure the success of that. It can possibly. You'll never really know. So tell us a little bit. What are some of the things that you do?
::Patrick McCalla
Free international? So you've mentioned a couple of you do the school assemblies, you do the, you know, you do the huge mobile units, the rescues, you do some some stuff or you're going into strip clubs and brothels, right?
::Patrick McCalla
And yeah.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
::Michael Bartel
Our outreach pieces are consistent.
::Michael Bartel
And daily, and they.
::Michael Bartel
Look different depending on where our.
::Michael Bartel
People live, right?
::Michael Bartel
So we base free international in Las Vegas. That's pretty much a.
::Michael Bartel
Low hanging fruit there, right? When I when I lived in India, the people of India who had never left India.
::Michael Bartel
Knew of Vegas's reputation.
::Michael Bartel
They go, You're here doing that.
::Michael Bartel
Are you guys doing stuff in Las Vegas back in your country?
::Michael Bartel
And I heard that probably a dozen times when I lived in India.
::Michael Bartel
It was crazy.
::Michael Bartel
And it didn't. It made sense to me.
::Michael Bartel
But the reputation Vegas had.
::Michael Bartel
Had done so our day to day out. I mean, there's not a day you can't walk down a lot.
::Michael Bartel
Of places in Vegas and just do direct targeted outreach, try to build trust and relationships. We have a drop in center in Las Vegas, so we just do a reprieve from the streets, let's say, right? We have just a place to hang out.
::Michael Bartel
Netflix, they can watch whatever we got showers, washer dryer so they can come. And we just.
::Michael Bartel
Have people who can.
::Michael Bartel
Who understand trauma, being able to interact with.
::Michael Bartel
Them in a way that we can build.
::Michael Bartel
Trust to hopefully offer them our.
::Michael Bartel
Mobile units. one of.
::Michael Bartel
The things we learn when we first looking at our name free, when my wife and I first started free and we were considering a.
::Michael Bartel
Name.
::Michael Bartel
We saw it really is a timeline driven. You find them and you work on restoring them and embracing them and empowering them.
::Michael Bartel
But but what we really found and.
::Michael Bartel
Again wasn't surprising.
::Michael Bartel
Is we were identifying people after.
::Michael Bartel
We were working with them to, you know, get them in a better situation.
::Michael Bartel
That's where the mobile units came in.
::Michael Bartel
We were offered by a group called Speed.
::Michael Bartel
The like.
::Michael Bartel
Half million dollars worth of mobile equipment. So we got two originally two large mobile units that we primarily use as a way to collaboratively bring our strongest partners, but.
::Michael Bartel
Put it in the middle of where the need.
::Michael Bartel
Is right, find our most vulnerable neighborhoods.
::Michael Bartel
And then provide.
::Michael Bartel
Services toward the.
::Michael Bartel
People. We want to get help to right down the block, right in their.
::Michael Bartel
You know, parking lot of their, you know, weekly rental place or whatever.
::Michael Bartel
That would be legal, medical, dental. We do tattoo removals, you know.
::Michael Bartel
Because speaking of.
::Michael Bartel
Identity.
::Michael Bartel
And sheet, you know, pimps will brand their girls, you know, and so the faster you.
::Michael Bartel
Can get that off them.
::Michael Bartel
The better space you can be.
::Michael Bartel
And to get them to.
::Michael Bartel
These next steps. And so.
::Patrick McCalla
So literally again, to help the audience know like they'll tattoo a girl so that every time, you know, let's say that tattoos on her, you know her left part of her chest every time she pulls her shirt off looks in the mirror.
::Patrick McCalla
It says property of K Mack or property of whatever.
::Michael Bartel
Or they'll be moneybags here because you're my moneymaker.
::Michael Bartel
They'll tattoo their name straight on again.
::Michael Bartel
Again, a.
::Patrick McCalla
Subtle way for them to continue to align.
::Michael Bartel
You, you or mine. Right?
::Michael Bartel
And in the faster you can.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, you can.
::Michael Bartel
And it's interesting, as we do this day to day outreach because we can offer that service.
::Michael Bartel
That's that's the one thing that will always get.
::Michael Bartel
Double looks on when we say, Hey, we can help with X, Y or Z, whatever you need, we'll get you those next steps.
::Michael Bartel
The one thing that will make them do the double take back at you is in you go. I can take that.
::Michael Bartel
You know, especially if it's a.
::Michael Bartel
You know.
::Michael Bartel
Former pimp or.
::Michael Bartel
Whatever. We can get that off. We can do it right now. And 00.
::Patrick McCalla
Yes, the thing that a.
::Michael Bartel
Huge, you know, we just try to be strategic and all right, we want to build.
::Michael Bartel
Trust and we never want to promise things we can't deliver on.
::Michael Bartel
And usually we.
::Michael Bartel
Just use community partners because to me, that's that's how you do.
::Michael Bartel
It right. You build that.
::Michael Bartel
Collaborative framework where everyone gets to be.
::Michael Bartel
Involved you.
::Michael Bartel
If they're doing a for profit business, they.
::Michael Bartel
Want to be able to help, you want to do it.
::Michael Bartel
But the shorter distance we can make between them saying, Yeah, I'll take you up on that to when we can start the process, the better chance we got it. Staying in their life long.
::Michael Bartel
Enough to hopefully give.
::Michael Bartel
Them other options so that restore peace is really.
::Michael Bartel
A huge.
::Michael Bartel
Part of our mobile unit. So we got mobile medical.
::Michael Bartel
We've got a lot of different.
::Michael Bartel
Things that allow us to be.
::Michael Bartel
Logically.
::Michael Bartel
Plausibly present and neighborhoods a face like mine.
::Michael Bartel
Normally wouldn't, you know, would just stick out in and and, you know, not be.
::Michael Bartel
Able to make a difference. It allows us that access to the community.
::Michael Bartel
Because ultimately we want that.
::Michael Bartel
For for this type of.
::Michael Bartel
Evil to go back to prevention, to change. We need to build healthy community within these broken communities.
::Michael Bartel
And that's where we get the on road churches, you know, church plants.
::Michael Bartel
Building.
::Michael Bartel
Resources around inner city churches that.
::Michael Bartel
Have a great.
::Michael Bartel
Reputation. The pastor and the people at church are trusted, but they that's all they have is their name and their trust.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, we get to.
::Michael Bartel
Come in with our services and add services to that trust and see more people offered it. So the mobile units are huge for us. We got.
::Michael Bartel
About 1,000,000 and a.
::Michael Bartel
Half bucks worth of those and allows us to be very present wherever this need is.
::Michael Bartel
We have we have.
::Michael Bartel
Broader partnerships with Major League Baseball. We're doing strikeout slavery, one.
::Michael Bartel
Of the founding.
::Michael Bartel
Not-for-profits with Albert.
::Michael Bartel
Pujols.
::Michael Bartel
Which has been excellent in creating inroads to more collaborative partnerships in these cities. In fact, long term strikeout slavery wants to have our big search, which is what we were talking about we did in Vegas.
::Michael Bartel
And in each of the.
::Michael Bartel
Major league cities. So every time we do a strikeout slavery, we use it as a.
::Michael Bartel
A way to engage.
::Michael Bartel
Volunteers to come help us in the search for these kids.
::Michael Bartel
That we're looking for. Yeah, we have a shelter we launched.
::Michael Bartel
In fact, that's where you helped us a ton back because, yeah, it's a big part of.
::Michael Bartel
What you were doing.
::Michael Bartel
So we have a shelter in the Midwest for trafficked. We started as a place for trafficked minors.
::Michael Bartel
And then because of COVID.
::Michael Bartel
And the resources that kind of dried up a.
::Michael Bartel
Little bit during COVID.
::Michael Bartel
We went to over.
::Michael Bartel
18 and.
::Michael Bartel
We still have plans to reengage that minors side.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, but we have a.
::Michael Bartel
Shelter there.
::Michael Bartel
And we're getting.
::Michael Bartel
Ready to launch a national ministry and training center, which is going to allow us. Our hope is to take primarily but not exclusively, the faith.
::Michael Bartel
Community and be able to tighten that net of being able to find.
::Michael Bartel
Those who are being exploited.
::Michael Bartel
And and engage.
::Michael Bartel
A national network of real resources and help through that process to bring in and professionally trained first responders, law enforcement, military people.
::Michael Bartel
And then.
::Michael Bartel
On the quarter to be able to work with or we're going to work with Albert Pujols and.
::Michael Bartel
Launching like a.
::Michael Bartel
Culinary program for survivors. So we're working with a survivor network that that we've worked with for years and years and years where they can take their young ladies who are ready to take those next steps. Give them a real career option.
::Michael Bartel
Be able to skim.
::Patrick McCalla
Some, yeah.
::Michael Bartel
Some real certified.
::Michael Bartel
Training in the field.
::Michael Bartel
And then with our connections in like Vegas and Nashville and some other places, be able to plug them into some, some employment that bring some.
::Michael Bartel
Dignity to their lives. Yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah, man, you guys are just doing amazing work. And again, I love how you guys are doing the collaboration. When we talk about some of this stuff, here's the difficult thing for us as human beings, as you know, as human beings and we start talking about things and we have statistics and numbers, and it's hard for us
::Patrick McCalla
to to wrap our minds around it. So maybe just share a couple of stories that can put a I know you had to change the name, probably, but give us a name and a face that will help us understand these are individuals we're talking about.
::Patrick McCalla
They're not just a number.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. Well, we had one.
::Michael Bartel
Recently in a city.
::Michael Bartel
We did.
::Michael Bartel
one of our big searches and we were.
::Michael Bartel
Talking with.
::Michael Bartel
Her social worker. She was 17. Colored diamond.
::Michael Bartel
And diamond diamonds.
::Michael Bartel
File with her social worker was over an inch thick.
::Michael Bartel
And she.
::Michael Bartel
Went right to Page one and she's like, You know, I just want to make sure basically she's still alive, right? I think she's just want a wellness check on her, if anything else. So her story was she.
::Michael Bartel
At less.
::Michael Bartel
Than two weeks old, her mom tried to sell her at the laundry.
::Michael Bartel
Mat.
::Michael Bartel
And then every page in that binder for the rest of her life until 17 was incest, molestation, prostitution, abuse.
::Michael Bartel
Day in, day out. She she did not have.
::Michael Bartel
A day in her life that she breathe without trauma.
::Michael Bartel
Right? And so, you know, I've done this long time. You know, we go back to.
::Michael Bartel
2003, when we started.
::Michael Bartel
Full time.
::Michael Bartel
I saw similar things in India, which is a whole. Similar but different context, because you're dealing with a generational.
::Michael Bartel
You know.
::Michael Bartel
Caste system and a theological structure that.
::Michael Bartel
You know, kind of enhances that which.
::Michael Bartel
Are huge to break through on. But in her situation, I mean, her brain wasn't even formed in the way the rest of us are.
::Michael Bartel
Right? Yeah. You could always yeah, you could have waived the healthiest and we.
::Michael Bartel
Found her right. We found her.
::Michael Bartel
And she she had ways to when.
::Michael Bartel
She was.
::Michael Bartel
Found, she would go.
::Michael Bartel
Acute or she would, you know, pretend to lose her mind because they knew they would place her in a certain place.
::Michael Bartel
And she.
::Michael Bartel
Knew how to escape it every time.
::Michael Bartel
And when we do.
::Michael Bartel
These big searches, since.
::Michael Bartel
We know the intake and the kind of the background in the parents.
::Michael Bartel
And the or the foster parents or the, you know, whatever the scenario is.
::Michael Bartel
We work in when we do find them, which we intend to, what is that we need to do, you know, on the back end.
::Michael Bartel
So we're not just running around finding people and going, OK, now it's yours to deal with.
::Michael Bartel
How do we how do we engage.
::Michael Bartel
That structure, whatever it's going to look like in every kid's different, you know, every situation's different. And so we got we got her set up and got her in, and she was six months in. This wasn't a program is more detainment, but it got her to those next steps and we were able to see her come.
::Michael Bartel
Out and and, you know.
::Michael Bartel
I won't get into her whole story. It's it's been pretty traumatic with her, but she's one of those people as well.
::Michael Bartel
Going back to the tattoo removal, she went when she got.
::Michael Bartel
Out last time and she shared with a different pimp, he tattooed her on her face. And so she wants to get her tattoo off, right?
::Michael Bartel
I mean, so the simple.
::Michael Bartel
Trust, we've never overpromised anything with her. Yeah, ever. Everything we've promised. We've delivered on and because of that, even though she's been back in this life multiple times, and that's not uncommon. But the first people she'll call when she's in.
::Michael Bartel
A bind.
::Michael Bartel
Is now us.
::Michael Bartel
And our hope with that is that.
::Michael Bartel
We can work her into a much more successful story.
::Michael Bartel
Than than we.
::Michael Bartel
Have so far. To us, the monstrous win is we have access into her life.
::Michael Bartel
Now when she is.
::Michael Bartel
At her lowest rate and she's.
::Michael Bartel
18 now.
::Michael Bartel
So she's.
::Michael Bartel
Not going to end up.
::Michael Bartel
On any missing kid report or anything. But we'll always pursue her, will always pursue her and be present. But that story just opened my eyes, even as somebody who's done this forever.
::Michael Bartel
How young?
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, this exploitation.
::Michael Bartel
Happened.
::Patrick McCalla
Weeks old, you said.
::Michael Bartel
Before the pimp ever enters the scene, right? And so.
::Michael Bartel
How? How much empathy that.
::Michael Bartel
Builds into our approach now because.
::Michael Bartel
You know, we don't expect.
::Michael Bartel
Majority of these girls and not just girls, but a.
::Michael Bartel
Majority of these kids to go, Oh, you came to get me right and hug me.
::Patrick McCalla
You're not running to you with open arms. So much abuse. And in fact.
::Michael Bartel
You're many times you're the enemy that's been built in.
::Michael Bartel
By the predator in the process. But but that's just a very.
::Michael Bartel
Maybe not at the.
::Michael Bartel
Level of her life, but that is a very.
::Michael Bartel
Common reason.
::Michael Bartel
Why more and more people.
::Michael Bartel
Need to be involved.
::Michael Bartel
But understand.
::Michael Bartel
What being involved.
::Michael Bartel
Means.
::Michael Bartel
Because finding, you know.
::Michael Bartel
Like the book says, those.
::Michael Bartel
Quote unquote.
::Michael Bartel
Rescues are awesome. But that is so small a piece to this puzzle that needs engaging.
::Patrick McCalla
And there's so many different layers and elements that we can do that are prevented. If someone doesn't, even someone may be helping with something like literacy or something you don't realize you're actually helping with literacy. You're helping prevent future potential trafficking issues.
::Patrick McCalla
So there's so much that layers are going on.
::Michael Bartel
You build community trust, too.
::Michael Bartel
So just in brief, another story we were consistently.
::Michael Bartel
Will mobilize.
::Michael Bartel
Groups and and churches to.
::Michael Bartel
Do ongoing.
::Michael Bartel
Work in really sensitive areas like one in particular we were at in Las Vegas, had.
::Michael Bartel
The highest violent crime rate in the state.
::Michael Bartel
s on this one property almost: ::Michael Bartel
And so we started.
::Michael Bartel
Showing up with our mobile.
::Michael Bartel
Units and our partners on a weekly basis. Cooking pancakes. Just building trust. And we were going into a big search and we decided to go there for the morning for a couple of hours and we brought food and.
::Michael Bartel
You know.
::Michael Bartel
A lot of ministers there. So we were hearing people's stories, praying for them, telling testimonies. Just very, very awesome morning when across the street to the Starbucks and within five minutes, we're all there, 20 of us, over 20 of us in the Starbucks.
::Michael Bartel
And while we're standing in the Starbucks, in walks, three girls and the two on the outside SA shirts, it said, Search team on it, right? We're very overt.
::Michael Bartel
They pointed to the girl in middle.
::Michael Bartel
And said she's missing. She needs help. OK, so we start to get her story. She's just turned 15, she's pregnant with either her father or her pimp's baby.
::Michael Bartel
She had know.
::Michael Bartel
Which one, right? So you knew home wasn't the place and she wasn't in our book for who we were searching for. We start helping her less. And five minutes later, in walks this couple, they see our shirts and instantly start weeping in a Starbucks while we're still waiting for a coffee.
::Michael Bartel
Straight up happened just like I'm saying.
::Michael Bartel
So we go over. Hey, how can we help? Well, they've been in.
::Michael Bartel
They were from Virginia. They'd been in town all week looking for their daughter.
::Michael Bartel
Who was 19? But bad things were going on. They knew it. They hadn't.
::Michael Bartel
Gotten anywhere. They had guns pulled on whatever, because.
::Michael Bartel
Imagine if my daughter.
::Michael Bartel
Goes.
::Michael Bartel
You can bet I don't care what door. Oh yeah. And I'd be Satan's door himself. You're knocking on my door for your daughter. But they hadn't gotten anywhere. They had to fly.
::Michael Bartel
Out the next day, and.
::Michael Bartel
They.
::Michael Bartel
Literally sat in the parking lot at Starbucks and said, a prayer to God. You got to help us. We got to fly out tomorrow and they walk in the Starbucks.
::Michael Bartel
And they see 25 people.
::Michael Bartel
Are searched shirts on. We ended up finding her daughter. She's doing great.
::Michael Bartel
By the end of that day.
::Michael Bartel
Out of that one, Starbucks.
::Michael Bartel
We had eight recoveries happen, almost all of them tied to the fact that.
::Michael Bartel
People would come forward and go. We heard we could trust you because you guys have been doing stuff in our neighborhood.
::Michael Bartel
Presence is everything in being able.
::Michael Bartel
To get where. I mean, some of these stories we're talking about as far as finding these kids and their situation require some specialized skills and.
::Michael Bartel
People on our team.
::Michael Bartel
But by and large, a majority of it.
::Michael Bartel
If we can be.
::Michael Bartel
Upstream here.
::Michael Bartel
In the middle of the vulnerability, be.
::Michael Bartel
Consistent.
::Michael Bartel
And.
::Michael Bartel
Honest and trustworthy, those stories start to come out.
::Michael Bartel
And not only do we were.
::Michael Bartel
Prevented, but people are like.
::Michael Bartel
That's my life. I need help.
::Michael Bartel
And then they just start coming to you.
::Michael Bartel
And that's what.
::Michael Bartel
Happened at that. Starbucks at.
::Patrick McCalla
eight. Well, and and Michael, I learned firsthand from that distress. I don't know if you remember this, but my wife and I were on a staycation here in Greater Phenix. You remember this guy called me, you called me up and you said, there's there's a girl that you guys had started working with years before.
::Michael Bartel
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
And she she all of a sudden put in a call for you. You had no idea you just done some stuff.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, yeah. I remember now.
::Patrick McCalla
And all sudden she called and she said, I'm in Phenix. I got away from my pimp for hours. I need some help. So you called me and you were like, in any way? Yeah, we.
::Michael Bartel
Were in New Jersey. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah. Well, we we ended up we ended up rescuing this girl, but it was because of some things that your team had done with her that built up enough trust. It took her a while, but it built up enough trust that she got away from her pimp from that moment, made a phone call and we got her
::Patrick McCalla
out of there and in a safe place. So again, that trust is so critical.
::Michael Bartel
Anyone can.
::Michael Bartel
Build trust. Yeah, right?
::Michael Bartel
And to me, that's a big, huge piece of even even.
::Michael Bartel
All these years in what drives me is when that light bulb goes.
::Michael Bartel
On that I don't.
::Michael Bartel
Have to be special forces and kick down doors to go find those who need help. I just need.
::Michael Bartel
To find a logical.
::Michael Bartel
Reason to be in this neighborhood collaboratively. Shouldn't be your yourself.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, but I.
::Michael Bartel
Mean, working with groups to be present in the.
::Michael Bartel
Vulnerability will reveal, you know, those who.
::Michael Bartel
Need help and as they begin to trust you.
::Michael Bartel
You know.
::Michael Bartel
Traffic victims will start telling you their story. Sure.
::Patrick McCalla
So men love what you're doing. And I know that there's some listeners school and I want to know how we can help or support or learn more about this. How do they get a hold of you? How do they contact you or your organization?
::Michael Bartel
We you can get a hold of.
::Michael Bartel
Us on our website, which is free international dot org f our IEEE International dot org. We're on social media under the same.
::Michael Bartel
Name, and we have a lot of ways we.
::Michael Bartel
Work to on road people to work with us.
::Michael Bartel
Although we don't take individual.
::Michael Bartel
Volunteers from around the country, I mean.
::Michael Bartel
That wouldn't be possible. We want people to connect locally with what's going on and where there isn't local. Maybe you can lead and we can help.
::Michael Bartel
You kind of generate some points of contact in these vulnerable neighborhoods.
::Michael Bartel
But we have.
::Michael Bartel
The big search that started as a Super Bowl outreach we're doing.
::Michael Bartel
For.
::Michael Bartel
More of those this year, for next year, maybe more. So we're going to be in Orlando this year in Chicago.
::Michael Bartel
And.
::Michael Bartel
At the World Games this year. And then next year we're going to be in North Jersey and Detroit and Las Vegas.
::Michael Bartel
And so we take teams in all the time we want to come in.
::Michael Bartel
And just for that four or five days around a big search, they'll be educated.
::Michael Bartel
They'll be able to kind.
::Michael Bartel
Of see these things in motion and see how.
::Michael Bartel
It can, you know.
::Michael Bartel
Be a part of what they're doing. And if you're a church or college group or community group, we bring teams all the time into Vegas and.
::Michael Bartel
Give a really good education. But but not an education.
::Michael Bartel
That's disconnected from practice. You're going to.
::Michael Bartel
You're going to really be involved. The ladies will be out.
::Michael Bartel
At the legal brothels trying to minister. Those girls are in the strip clubs with our ladies who do work in the strip clubs. Dudes aren't. That's not for you.
::Michael Bartel
But but there's yeah.
::Michael Bartel
But just connect with us on social media at our website and shoot us a line.
::Patrick McCalla
And again, I saw firsthand. So when you were doing that Super Bowl search and our church was partnering with you and we had mobilized some of our people. I still see when I see your stuff on social media, I see some of the people that were involved liking your stuff.
::Patrick McCalla
I think all these years later, yeah, they're still connected and are still having an impact. It had a major impact. Let me plug this for you because I know it's always uncomfortable for you to do this. But even financially, you guys are doing a lot of really, really good things it takes money for.
::Patrick McCalla
Are some of that stuff, and so I would just want to I would love to encourage the audience, I know you well. I know your organization. I know it's a trusted organization. You have a great reputation. But man, if they're looking for a place to turn to say, Man, I love God has given us a gift here
::Patrick McCalla
and we'd love to support financially somewhere. Free International is a great organization.
::Michael Bartel
I appreciate that. And just a little side note to that.
::Michael Bartel
Our whole team is awesome in.
::Michael Bartel
That.
::Michael Bartel
Almost 100% of our whole team is self-funded, meaning they've all raised their own individual support. So they're they're fully.
::Michael Bartel
Paid.
::Michael Bartel
Volunteers for our organization. And so.
::Michael Bartel
Any money.
::Michael Bartel
That ever comes to free literally goes all.
::Michael Bartel
To this. Yeah, the mobile units and, you know, in the school.
::Michael Bartel
Assemblies and all that stuff just become part of where that goes, not to somebody's salary.
::Michael Bartel
Not that they wouldn't be.
::Michael Bartel
Deserving.
::Michael Bartel
Of having.
::Michael Bartel
A salary, but.
::Michael Bartel
They believe in it enough.
::Michael Bartel
That they generated their own, which helped us during COVID because.
::Michael Bartel
You know, we didn't lose any anyone from the.
::Michael Bartel
Team, and we're able to push forward and do even more things during COVID years than we ever thought possible.
::Patrick McCalla
Human trafficking didn't stop.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. No. In fact, we got.
::Michael Bartel
Busier during.
::Michael Bartel
COVID because a lot of that.
::Michael Bartel
Trust factor girls that rejected our help for two and three years. Previous. All of a sudden we're like.
::Michael Bartel
OK, show me what you got? Yeah. And so when we got our shot with them, you know, we came through. I mean, we we can't.
::Michael Bartel
Promise the world if we don't have the world to.
::Michael Bartel
Promise, but we're going to be.
::Michael Bartel
Honest and we're.
::Michael Bartel
Going to we're.
::Michael Bartel
Going to come through with everything we say.
::Patrick McCalla
So let me let me let me land the plane. Let me finish with this. You're one of my heroes because I love how you, your families live this out. The danger for all of us as human beings is, you know, we just we basically just start taking up oxygen on this planet, right?
::Patrick McCalla
It's not what any of us were created. It's not what any of us were put here. All of us were put here to make a difference. What would you say to someone who's listening? It may not even be specifically with this issue of human trafficking, but someone who's maybe been moved by what you said and they start
::Patrick McCalla
going, I want to. I want to. I want to do something. I want to make a difference. What would you say to them?
::Michael Bartel
Yeah, yeah. I mean, the wanting.
::Michael Bartel
To is the first step for sure.
::Michael Bartel
And I think you've got to find reputable.
::Michael Bartel
Things near you to just jump in, right?
::Michael Bartel
I mean.
::Michael Bartel
Collaboration trips might trigger, but there's a.
::Michael Bartel
Real humility.
::Michael Bartel
And collaborating.
::Michael Bartel
Because you can't you can't want to control everything going on. Obviously, you want those.
::Michael Bartel
Who are involved to have an understanding of what they're dealing with, right? And if you're wanting more and more to get involved, especially directly with survivors of trafficking.
::Michael Bartel
You need to, you know, find good education on what.
::Michael Bartel
Trauma does to people, how they respond having gone through their trauma. That's not just a hoop to jump through. That's if you really.
::Michael Bartel
Want to gain.
::Michael Bartel
Trust and.
::Michael Bartel
Connect with people. You need to know how to communicate to them. If I'm a missionary, go to India. I need to learn the language of Indian and know how to engage within that culture and trauma creates its own unique language.
::Michael Bartel
Set that you know you. You would want to know if you really want to.
::Michael Bartel
Gain that trust of.
::Michael Bartel
People and then, you know you just can't.
::Michael Bartel
Take yourself too seriously.
::Michael Bartel
You obviously want to love loving somebody.
::Michael Bartel
Serious business, whether you're married or it's somebody you just met who's been exploited.
::Michael Bartel
You just got to have a humility. You got to be.
::Michael Bartel
A good listener.
::Michael Bartel
And have a.
::Michael Bartel
Good support base, a great church to connect to.
::Michael Bartel
Because I know a lot of the people who ended up.
::Michael Bartel
Working with us even have come out of their.
::Michael Bartel
Own background of.
::Michael Bartel
Abuse or trauma or whatever. And you want to set yourself up for success. When some of those triggers start to flip, you need to have a strong support base.
::Patrick McCalla
Because that's going to be part of their healing journey.
::Michael Bartel
Their own healing, but.
::Patrick McCalla
They need a support base.
::Michael Bartel
And so if if you're part of a church, we will never take individual volunteers in apart from knowing how how well they're connected, especially if they're coming from a church or a church background.
::Michael Bartel
That way, everybody.
::Michael Bartel
Comes out the back end healthier, rejoicing for not.
::Michael Bartel
Only what God.
::Michael Bartel
Is doing in helping us find and restore those being exploited, but in our own lives as we grow healthier and.
::Michael Bartel
You know, put it, one.
::Michael Bartel
Step in front of the other to to follow him with our colleagues.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah, well, man, thanks so much for the time. Thanks for taking the time to come down here. Love what you're doing. I hope there's a way that our audience and we can be involved in what you're doing. one of the things that we do always to finish off our time is the two truths and a lie.
::Patrick McCalla
There's irony in it because we call ourselves no free area, but it's it's maybe this has been this has been a heavy subject we talked about today. So this might be a lighthearted way to to finish up. So let's see if the audience or me can be stoked.
::Michael Bartel
So I had to consult my family. I have I've been.
::Michael Bartel
Married 28 years now.
::Michael Bartel
And I had a 16 year old.
::Michael Bartel
Daughter and a 20 year old son.
::Michael Bartel
I named him Dylan Cash after Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Yeah.
::Michael Bartel
And Veronica Grace is my daughter, and so I had to consult them on these things. So here, here are the three.
::Michael Bartel
We came up with one. I am a descendant of.
::Michael Bartel
The person that the story of Robin Hood is based.
::Michael Bartel
On two, I was bullied as a child.
::Michael Bartel
Because I brought a sock.
::Michael Bartel
Puppet. My mom made to school for show and tell. three. I am one eighth. You have a pie from the Yavapai tribe.
::Patrick McCalla
Oh man. So these might be some of the best ones.
::Michael Bartel
Because I've known you for a while. OK, collaborative thing. I'm going to go with the.
::Patrick McCalla
Because I'm from Montana too. Yes, Native American in me too. So I'm going to guess that that one's true. You probably have some.
::Michael Bartel
one that is actually my life. No, I. I called my friend Paul.
::Michael Bartel
Russell, who's vice president of the Pie Tribe here in town, one of the greatest men I know, one of my best friends, and I said, It's all right.
::Michael Bartel
next he goes, Yeah, but only: ::Michael Bartel
two are true.
::Michael Bartel
I I was bullied because of my mom's sock puppet. Sorry, mom, if you're listening, had.
::Patrick McCalla
Nothing to do with your senior year in high school.
::Michael Bartel
Freshman year in college. Leave my sock puppet and I am a descendant of who. Really? Yeah, yeah. My dad found that out of.
::Michael Bartel
four or five years ago.
::Michael Bartel
Yeah. So the.
::Patrick McCalla
Whole Robin Hood story, that's that's.
::Michael Bartel
Whoever, whoever. I think there's a lot of different Robinhood's depending on what country in Europe you're in. But I'm attached to one of those myths, you know.
::Michael Bartel
Whoever the story was based on.
::Michael Bartel
Yep, I'm a descendant of, that's great.
::Patrick McCalla
And you see, I usually get one. I usually get them right. Yeah, I get one right. Even if I'm wrong, I want you to dump me, right? Nice job. Well, Michael, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Appreciate what you're doing.
::Patrick McCalla
Our prayers are with you. Keep up the fight, my friend.
::Michael Bartel
Thank you, brother. Thank you.
::Host
Thanks for listening to the No Grey Areas podcast to dig deeper into the story. Be sure to subscribe. Follow us on social media and check out no grey areas. Dot com.
