Teddy Bears, Peacocks and Elephants ... Oh My!

Operation Underground Railroad: ourrescue.org

It started as therapy, Judith’s paintings that is. She paints Panda Bears, Peacocks and Elephants; anything happy really. And she’s donated over 20 of them to the orphanages that Operation Underground Railroad places rescued children in.

Artists Judith Ray

"Sexual abuse has affected my family tremendously so when I heard Tim Ballard speaking on the Glenn Beck show about the children he's rescuing, I knew I had to do something, said Judith. It just tore me us and my husband said to me, 'your art needs to go there.'"

Judith Raye is a survivor of domestic violence and some of her family members have been personally affected by sexual abuse.  In the midst of the abuse, she watched helplessly as family members struggle through it. She knew what to expect, yet she hoped and prayed for a different outcome.  Years later her prayers were answered.  The family members have not only survived, but are thriving. 

As far as the paintings go, Judith is self-taught though her mother was a very gifted artist and it's obviously rubbed off.  "It's a work in progress.  There are different kinds of art: happy, peaceful, etc. I call them dreamscapes for children and they are a celebration of overcoming abuse and restoring a sense of innocence that was lost."

Judith Raye's Teddy Bear Painting

Judith knew she wanted to help the rescued children that O.U.R. saves, but thing were tight. "We're not wealthy people. I mean I had to wait ten years to replace my fridge. We were really hurting but my husband said we need to help, so we did."

Today her paintings hang in two orphanages in Haiti creating a bright and cheerful environment for those who have only known darkness. "I wanted to make sure my paintings were happy ones," Judith said. "Basically, I wanted to give back and share my art with people that can't afford it and sell it to people who can."

Judith Raye's Peacock Painting

With all her struggles Judith has not only donated to O.U.R. but other charities as well who help children.  Her paintings now hang in sever places including Oregon, Guatemala and now Haiti.  And she's not through yet. "if they need more I'll get more."

To learn more or view Judith Raye’s art visit her web site at http://www.judithraye.com/

Operation Underground Railroad: ourrescue.org

Feasting for Funds

Operation Underground Railroad: ourrescue.org

Phil Lamb has three very precious daughters.  The thought of one of them being taken, well, he can’t really even put it into words.  “It makes me think of all those that are not as fortunate as my family,” he says. “All I could see in my mind’s eye, after hearing about you [O.U.R.], was that these [trafficked] children could be one of mine.” So, Phil decided to do something about it and he recruited others to help as well.

Phil Lamb

The people at Phil’s work are a great bunch. “I work with a wonderful group of people that work for a major airline. We are very unique,” Phil says. With friends Dale Hauser and Steve Fitzsharris, Phil has been raising money for worthy causes for years.  “We would choose a worthy recipient and spend two to three months getting things ready. With the blessing of our company, we would run an all day food fest and collect money.”

“The other day, when I brought out the sausage, peppers and meatballs, I thought, ‘Why not put out a jar and some information and see what happens?’” What happened was that Phil raised $170 for O.U.R. He then doubled that by matching the donation for an odd total of $340. “I planned on making a yearly donation, so I thought doing a match would be a good incentive for people to give,” Phil says.

The little “feast” was so successful Phil plans on hosting another one soon, but not too soon.  “They love to eat, but you have to make sure you do not wear out your welcome.”

Feasting for Funds

When asked what advice he’d give others who would like to try something like this he says:

Start planning things about two to three months ahead. Great companies like WalMart, Sams Club, etc., have an allowance for giving to events like this.  Always, if done at work, make sure you get approval from management to do this in advance.  Also, if they are ok with it, you can get a basic letter on company stationary, that you can supply as proof you are running a charity event and the company is ok with it. With my little event of cooking, I just show up with the food and they eat!

Phil admits to no special training as far as cooking is concerned although he enjoys watching good cooks and believes he has been blessed with a special gift. But perhaps his greatest influence is his mother who is a great example in both cooking and giving. “Because of my mother’s great giving in her life, I try to find the best ways to do the most good,” says Phil.

You done good Phil. Mama would be proud.

For more information on Operation Underground Railroad and the children we rescue please visit us at  OURRESCUE.org

The Abolitionists - Making the Movie

Operation Underground Railroad is

Rescuing Children from Sex Trafficking

OURRESCUE.org

Filming at San Pedro Cathedral

Imagine being right there with the "Jump Team" when they rescue the guarded children who are being used as pawns in a sick game of sex.

Imagine seeing the startled faces of the depraved men as they are being arrested for prostituting them.  Or perhaps you'd like to go undercover and play the "bad guy" who is buying the innocents?

It may not be possible for you to do any of these things but a film crew is following the people who do it all and is turning it into a documentary called The Abolitionists. Once completed, you will have a front row seat to all these experiences “up close and personal.”

FletChet Entertainment owners Darrin Fletcher and Chet Thomas are working with Operation Underground Railroad documenting Tim Ballard’s every move as he finds the children, works with officials, and has the bad guys arrested.

“Our goal was to make it as cinematic as possible. We wanted this to feel like you are part of the team. You’re literally going to see the guns. It’s gritty and it’s real and sad and heroic,” said Fletch.

Safety is always a concern for the Jump Team as well as the camera crew.  “It doesn’t feel dangerous when you’re out there but when you’re back it looks a lot more dangerous,” observed Fletch.

That security dictates what the film crew can and can not do. They use about 20 small go-pro type cameras that are attached to guns, helmets, hats, and hidden in rooms.  It’s not infrequent to go to places where they get patted down so they also use Pocket Cinema Cameras that work well in low light and blend in, making the film crew look more like tourists than documentarians.  So far they’ve used the cameras in Colombia, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and California with great success.

Film Crew in Nicaragua 

The “star” of the show is Tim Ballard, owner and founder of Operation Underground Railroad. It’s pretty much his journey of saving kids. Fletch says he is the perfect host and could make it in Hollywood if he wanted to.  Fortunately for all, he’d rather be helping children.

According to Fletch, if there were a second star of the film it would be “batman.” No. Not that batman. It’s a code name for a very unassuming man who helps O.U.R. find traffickers. Fletch describes him as one who is very comfortable everywhere he goes.

I don’t know how he does it. He goes into these places and I can’t look. I look at the ground. Then I think I have to start looking because I’m drawing attention to myself. I look up and he’s right at home. Just at ease working undercover arranging buying little girls.

There are moments of the film that will haunt you for weeks. Batman tells a story that is so disturbing that I cut my camera. Chet cut his camera, but fortunately one camera was still rolling. It is in the film but we haven’t even talked about it. It will be what reporters will talk about when they review the film.

It’s the most difficult thing to watch in the film and you don’t see anything. It’s just this guy on a balcony smoking a cigar, talking. You don’t see any graphic images. It’s all very clean, except for your mind’s eye in this one moment. I fought very hard for this to be in the film. It’s a cancer.

Batman, however, does a lot more than arrange for the buying of little girls. He also helps with their rehabilitation both spiritually and physically. He’ll tell you that,  “…if Jesus is not in the home there is no rehabilitation. That’s a line from the film,” said Fletch.

In Cartagena the film crew stumbles upon a beautiful cathedral and sends in Chet with his “silver tong” to find out what it’s all about and see if they can film inside.  He comes back with a 93-year-old priest who gives them a tour of San Pedro Cathedral.

Inside is a glass coffin of San Pedro. It is the perfect backdrop for filming the meeting between the priest and Tim Ballard.  The priest says Cartagena was the corner pin for bringing slaves to America and that San Pedro would see the slaves arrive and go and smile at them so they would at least see one friendly face. “It’s a great story.  There are really great stories about heroes who, in their own right, should be abolitionists,” said Fletch. The irony of the former slaves and today’s trafficked children is not lost on the crew.

To ensure the quality of the film Chet and Fletch enlisted Academy Award winner Jerry Molen as Executive Director, someone Chet’s worked with for many years.  Molen may be best known for working with Stephen Spielberg on Shindler’s List, Jurassic Park and The Minority Report.

Fletch says that although Jerry comes from an executive level, he is very much involved in the making of the film. “Once we have a cut that we’re happy with Jerry will watch it and give us some notes and we implement those. He’s also very well connected so his name still calls down a lot of power.”

Academy Award Winner - Jerry Molen

And they’re all hoping that power and quality of work will win the film some attention and notoriety, not for them so much as to shine a light on the issue of child trafficking which will hopefully create more awareness and fund more rescues.  

To accomplish that feat FletChet Entertainment plans to submit The Abolitionists documentary to as many film festivals as they can, including the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, The Cannes Film Festival in France, and festivals all over the world. It will eventually be released in movie theaters probably early next year. The date isn’t set yet.

In making the film Fletch has discovered a disturbing truth. “I’ve learned people will do anything for money and there are good people and bad people everywhere. In our film we make a very strong attempt to ensure that the countries we’re in don’t look bad. We make very sure that there’s also a good story in the places where we are.”

Yes, happy endings are best, especially when it’s about saving an enslaved child.

For more information on Operation Underground Railroad and the children they rescue please visit OURRESCUE.org