Center Intern Update: Pamela Dodge

As I return to the U.S. and begin my second year of law school, I want to share a few reflections on the personal transformation that occurred in my life this summer.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about working at International Justice Mission was the culture of the organization. The IJM staff begins every day with two spiritual disciplines: "stillness" and corporate prayer. "Stillness" is a thirty-minute block of time in which the office is quiet, and every staff member spends intentional, individual time with the Lord. At our office, stillness was followed by thirty-minutes of corporate prayer.  Every day, the staff would join together, sing a worship song, and list prayer requests for the day. Then, we would divide into groups to pray over each request.

At first I was surprised about the level of detail to which we prayed. But after the weeks went by, I became accustomed to praying every day over every aspect of our work. Some requests changed from day to day, but some requests we lifted up persistently every single day.  Every rescue, every part of each trial, every victim by name, and every IJM staff member were consistently covered in prayer.  In six short weeks, I spent 15 hours praying together with fellow believers.

In Judges 7, the Lord tells Gideon that his army contained too many men for the Lord to grant him victory. He commanded Gideon to wean down the size of the army until a mere 300 remained. Why? The Lord tells us that Israel would have become boastful and said in their hearts, "My own power has delivered me." The human heart will-whenever possible-attribute credit to itself.

The truth is, fighting human trafficking is often overwhelming and exhausting. One of the mental challenges is that nagging question in the back of my mind, Can we really bring about change when so many things are broken? I am comforted by the knowledge that our Father loves to bring about the impossible through His strength in our weakness. He loves to defeat a mighty nation with a few hundred soldiers, a giant with a shepherd and a slingshot, a fortified city with marching and trumpet sounds. He loves to use seemingly small things to overcome what is seemingly strong.

The spiritual disciplines of stillness and corporate prayer are not implemented to guarantee some human conception of success. Rather, these disciplines remind our forgetful hearts that God is the source of all power to restore and transform; that He is both loving and sovereign; and that without Him, we can do nothing. The tenacity of the IJM staff flows from an understanding of the power of God. I question whether real change can occur because I automatically think in terms of what can reasonably be accomplished, but the culture of the IJM office is to surrender everything to the Lord and to trust Him for the results.

These concepts have influenced me deeply. My prayer life is woefully minimal because I am accustomed to relying on my own strength every day. In my pride, I want to say, my own power has accomplished this. I am challenged by the IJM team who remain fearless in the face of circumstances that appear insurmountable. I am humbled by their faith and convicted of my own self-reliant attitude. I am challenged to turn to the Lord in consistent, daily prayer for every aspect of my life.

Twenty Days of Interns: Pamela Dodge

This summer, 20 Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law interns are spread across four states and ten countries, going not only with the Gospel, but also with legal training and a passion to see the Lord’s justice carried out on a fallen earth.

Pam served as a legal intern this summer with International Justice Mission in South Asia. IJM seeks to protect the poor against violence by partnering with nationals to rescue victims, prosecute perpetrators, restore victims, and ultimately to transform justice systems. Pam worked with the legal team to combat sex trafficking by researching various legal issues--including the use of video conferencing for victim testimony--and writing research briefs for the IJM advocates. Pam described her time with the IJM team in South Asia as inspirational and humbling.

Whether fighting sex trafficking in India and Indonesia, advocating against partial-birth abortion in Europe, advancing the rule of law in Uganda, or securing religious freedom in Bulgaria and South Africa, our interns are making a difference.

See where all of our interns are working here >

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Center Intern Update: Pamela Dodge

Pam serves as a legal intern this summer with International Justice Mission in South Asia. IJM seeks to protect the poor against violence by partnering with nationals to rescue victims, prosecute perpetrators, restore victims, and ultimately to transform justice systems. Pam works with the legal team to combat sex trafficking by researching various legal issues—including the use of video conferencing for victim testimony—and writing research briefs for the IJM advocates.

It is the fourth week of my internship with International Justice Mission in South Asia.

The field office in which I work combats sex trafficking, especially the trafficking of minors, by seeking to rescue and restore victims, prosecute traffickers, and transform the justice system.

The most influential part of my experience has been my interaction with the local staff, especially the advocates on the IJM team. They are—in every sense of the word—heroes. They work tirelessly in the face of both disappointments and victories for which they are never thanked.

Most of the obstacles the team faces come from within the system. When the team had to call off a rescue because the police were unwilling to follow through, when a judge granted bail to a convicted trafficker who will undoubtedly abscond—these moments reveal why the work of IJM is so important. Because the system is failing to provide justice to these girls. The system needs transformation.

I have almost completed my first research project for our legal team—updating a brief on the use of video conferencing for victim testimony. Many young girls are trafficked from nearby countries, and it is essential for them to be able to testify even after they have been repatriated to their home countries. The implementation of the use of video conferencing would also benefit the victims who are willing to testify, but are not willing to face their traffickers in court. The use of video conferencing is a new development in case law, so our advocates are working to implement it strategically.

My day-to-day work involves research and writing, as well as other legal support tasks, and a lot of learning about the inner workings of IJM. I am humbled and honored to play a small role in the work of justice the IJM team is doing in this city.