Slave Stealers

I am a fan of Tim Ballard's work and his past books. The Lincoln Hypothesis was probably my favorite book I read that year. So when I found out he was coming out with a new book called Slave Stealers, I knew I had to read it as well. This book was intense, gut-wrenching, and inspiring all at once.

Timothy Ballard, in case you don't know, is the founder of O.U.R. (Operation Underground Railroad). He has dedicated his life to freeing modern-day slaves from human and sex trafficking. I got to read a little about his experiences in his other books, but this new book dives even deeper into the material. He talks about how he got started as a CIA agent assigned to a new division to fight human trafficking. It was torment to him. As he had to examine evidence of children the same age as his own children being abused, molested, etc. it made him sick to his stomach to the point where he would be dry heaving into his trash can at work. He had to learn to create an emotional barrier in order to pursue this line of work.

But all that changed when he met Guesno Mardy. Guesno's three-year-old son was kidnapped taken to a false orphanage that was really in the business of human trafficking. Tim Ballard met with Guesno and during their conversation, Guesno asked him, "Could you get in bed and sleep at night, knowing one of your children's beds was empty?" Here was Guesno, asking Tim Ballard to tear down that emotional barrier--to make the mission personal. And to his credit, Ballard did just that.

Unfortunately, the author soon learned that there was no angle he could use to get involved with the case. As a government agent, he could only get involved if an American citizen were involved, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not make a connection. There was only one thing to do: quit his secure job and paycheck, and start his own organization. Thus was born Operation Underground Railroad.

The book continues with gripping accounts of the search for Gardy, Guesno's son, and the rescue of dozens of children as a result of that search. The book exposes some of the darkest and most heinous crimes happening in our day, even at this very minute. These dark and heinous crimes have centuries-old roots in the evil of slavery.

Told along side this story is the true story of Harriet Jacobs, a black slave in Edenton, North Carolina in the 1800's. Much is learned from the courage and sacrifice of Harriet to escape slavery and secure freedom. But her escape and freedom would have been impossible were it not for the many people, even white people, who stood against the evil of slavery and made many sacrifices of their own to help her. Her history is not just an inspirational story; it is a pattern that we need to follow in order to work together to eradicate slavery in our own day.

Tim Ballard will be the first to say that he is not the hero. He will point to others like Guesno Mardy, Harriet Jacobs, and many others. But to me, he is a hero--a real hero! I was privileged to listen to the audio book, read by Tim Ballard. His passion could not be mistaken. His passion has moved me to make a difference as well. I don't need to go into the darkest infernal pits that exist in our society, but I do need to serve. I need to love. I need to set aside petty differences, disagreements, prejudice, and more. This is something everybody can do. And working together in this way is what will change the world.