Episode 09: Randy Watson — Uncovering the Injustice Within the Injustice of Human Trafficking

Randy is the Executive Director and Founder of Ally. In his role, he oversees the vision and direction of the charity, focused on empowering national leaders in the countries where Ally works. An accomplished entrepreneur, Randy has founded multiple businesses and projects in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors over the last decade.

Alongside fundraising teams, Randy has raised millions for development projects in Haiti, Iraq, Uganda, Nepal and India. He’s lead over 30 international volunteer teams in 14 countries. Randy has his Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management (PGDPM) and a Red Seal in Carpentry. Randy lives with his wife Jamie and pup Harley in Vancouver.

It was in the Love Does office in San Diego that Randy and I first met, as we put our heads together to build a hospital in Northern Iraq. Listening then to his passion for caring for the vulnerable and the subsequent sacrifices he and his wife were making to follow that selfless ambition, I instantly knew this guy was the real deal. A few years have passed since that first meeting, but Randy still continues to make an incredible impact in the lives of the vulnerable all around the world.

To learn more about the work of Ally visit their website allyblobal.org and follow them on Instagram & Facebook. You can also follow Randy on Instagram @randylwatson.

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Full Transcript

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Randy Watson: and worked with a bunch of different organizations over the next couple of years that are doing really incredible work in the human trafficking sphere. I saw that the overwhelming gap was on the long-term recovery side. There's a lot of organizations that are rescuing and doing incredible prevention work, but I saw that another kind of injustice within the injustice was that the people doing the long-term recovery work were often nationals that didn't have access to resources. It was through seeing that that we really realized hey, those people need an ally. Those people need somebody to come alongside of them and not tell them what to do or how to do it because they understand the culture and context.

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Tim Buxton: You're listening to Justice Matters with Tim Buxton, a podcast inspiring the fight for a world where everyone belongs.

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Hey, thanks for joining me on another episode of the Justice Matters podcast. Today, our guest is Randy Watson. Randy is the Executive Director and founder of Ally Global Foundation. This is a nonprofit that's based out of Canada. It provides funding and programs to support women and children that have been rescued from human trafficking or abusive situations. In this podcast, we talk about a really exciting new project they got coming out.

It's a documentary film called The Twelve Thousand. Again, you'll learn more about that in this episode. As with all the guests that I have on season one of this podcast, Randy has become a really good friend. As we talk and chat about the challenges we both face, in starting foundations and charities, I hope you will learn and be inspired too that you can actually do it. You can make a difference with whatever you've got in your hand, whatever is set for you. Thanks again for joining me.

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Randy Watson, so good to see your face again. It's been a minute and, man, it looks like time has served you well. You're looking fresh and good, and you've been up to a few new adventures since I've last talked with you. I really appreciate you jumping on this podcast today.

Randy: Yes, I'm really grateful to be here.

Tim: Awesome. Well, as with a couple of guests on my podcast, we met for the first time, was it in Iraq? No, we met, thinking back, I thought we met in Iraq, but actually, we met in San Diego at the Love Does office with Bob Goff. We were dreaming up a plan to build a hospital in Iraq where we were living at the time, and that dream of ours became a reality. That's not the first hospital you've built around the world or you've been involved in raising funds to build. Where else did you manage to build?

Randy: Yes, we've had, man, it's such an incredible experience, number one, getting to meet you and to go through that process with the Love Does team but yes, we've been able to, or I've been able to be involved in a bunch of teams building hospitals and schools, all over Uganda, the one in Iraq, India, Haiti, and we're just working on some projects right now in Nepal, Cambodia, and Laos.

Tim: Just a few, man? Oh my goodness. That's awesome. Yes, man, I look back at that time where we got to chat and just get to know you. I remember I don't know if it was breakfast or lunch now, but it was pretty nice. It must have been lunch because it was Mexican. Yes, just chatting through your journey, man, I was inspired. I grew up myself within church and nonprofit work my whole life, but you gave up a pretty lucrative for-profit career.

When I heard your story of the convictions that led to that, yes, man, I was truly just humbled just hearing that story. We'd love to chat a bit about what that journey's been a bit like for you. One of the things I love to ask my guests when I first start the podcast is really getting you to think back to maybe where it all began for you. Can you think of a moment in time where this issue of justice or this idea of fighting for the oppressed and orienting your life towards serving those that are vulnerable and needy around us, where did that all begin for you? Can you think of a moment, a time?

Randy: Yes, I think there's a couple of moments for me. I grew up on the far west coast of Canada on Vancouver Island, in a small city, I'm a small-town kid, and spent a lot of my childhood under the poverty line. I was exposed to a lot growing up, situations of abuse and neglect, but for me, something really clicked. I was 15 and it was the first time I'd ever traveled outside of my country and actually went to LA to an inner-city area to help with a feeding program with a group from the church that I had just started attending.

It was my first time really seeing a vulnerable community and people that had been passed by or experienced different hardship. There was this man who-- I just remember him, this massive, Jack dude. He's sitting on the side of this fountain and he says, "Hey, son, come over here." I sat down beside him, and he went on to just explain how he had had this really incredible career as a boxer and had lost everything and just succumbed to different addiction.

He just said, "Whatever you do, please see people like me." I've been thinking of that now, it's been like a guttural shift for me since I was a teenager, and it took me some years to mature into that I think and to ask the right questions. That was a really pivotal point for me in starting to just have my eyes open to the people around me that I needed to see. Even growing up in the circumstance I did, I don't think I was aware necessarily of the people that I should have been aware of.

Tim: What does it mean to see people like him, whatever you do? I could imagine hearing that statement, "Whatever you do in your life, make sure you see people like me." Even in that statement, what is that? Can you elaborate on really how that impacted you? What did that really make you want to do?

Randy: Yes, it changed my posture, for sure, in wanting to see people that were marginalized in society that shouldn't be, for some reason, we marginalize them as society. It made me more aware. As I started to become aware of different issues of injustice, it made me lean into those and try to understand more. I'm very much still in the process of trying to understand a lot of things. Along that journey, I was introduced or heard about the issue of human trafficking and the exploitation of people. That was something that I've really ended up digging. It's hooked in my heart and really has shifted my life over the last 15 years.

Tim: Obviously, now you're the founder of Ally Global Foundation, which focuses on human trafficking. This isn't just a new initiative for you, this stems back quite some time. What was your first introduction then into human trafficking and what's become really the whole focus of your work and life now?

Randy: Yes, I was first introduced through, actually, another organization that many people are familiar with, IJM. I heard somebody speaking about the issue, and that was my introduction to it. [crosstalk]

Tim: That's International Justice Mission, right?

Randy: That's correct, yes. I started looking at other organizations that were doing work and figuring out how I could be involved, where I could volunteer but ultimately, trying to learn and understand the complexities. I ended up going into for-profit, into construction, land development, and building a company. Part of the mission of that company was to always cede profits into works of justice. If I'm honest, I think I initially tried to go the easy route of just figuring out how I could fund and support things and volunteer a little bit but not fully commit to the things that I think were really weighing on my heart. I did that for a decade. I was involved in projects at arm's length, funding, growing a business that was successful but never really sunk my teeth into the work that I truly felt that I should be doing.

There was an earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015. I received a call from a dear friend and mentor that said, "Hey, you need to come out here and help out and bring some guys and money and help with rebuilding." I did that. We ended up being hosted by a safe home that helps kids that have come out of trafficking recover, which if you can imagine coming out of the airport, I got a team of 15 trades guys with me, gruff guys. We get billeted in this home that's taking care of girls from the ages of 4 to 20.

Host: No way. Oh, man.

Randy: We arrived at this house at midnight, and all of these girls had waited up for us to greet us. They had moved out of their bedroom to give us a place to stay. I had had different exposures to people that had gone through trauma, but this was really up close. For me, it was the first time that I saw this incredible hope and redemption. These kids were joyful, and it didn't make sense after what they had gone through. That was the turning point for me, for everything. I realized that I needed to commit fully to that work. That would mean some really significant shifts over the next couple of years in order to posture my life that way and to actually seek out justice and actually understand those injustices better.

Host: Wow, man. How did that make you feel, walking in and they've given up their bedroom for you? Oh, that would be humbling, man.

Randy: I can recall a lot of emotion. At first, I felt uncomfortable because I didn't even know where I was. I just walked into this room, and there's stacks of little girls' clothes and stuffed animals. I didn't realize the context of this house, what it was at first. "Hey, you're getting billeted in this house" was all I knew. Then the pieces started to click, and I was overwhelmingly grateful and humbled. The hospitality that these people were willing to give forever changed my posture, I think. Honestly, I've been learning from them since. I've become much more involved there, and that's what I do every day is work with that same group.

Host: Really? I've followed the journey of Ally a little bit, which is the nonprofit that you've started, what, a year or so ago now. I see your Insta-stories of Nepal, and you're working on some other projects. It would be great to get into about that, but the fact that it's that same community, it's pretty special. Let's talk a bit about Ally now. Obviously, 2015, you've got this moment where it's like, "No, this is more clarity into what I need to do and where I need to go and focus my energies on." How did that all come about? Maybe you could give us the elevator pitch or the summary of really what Ally Global does. I know that people can learn more about from your website, but let's hear a bit more about how that got off the ground.

Randy: When 2015 happened and I was exposed to things, it pushed me further into wanting to understand the issue more. I then worked with a bunch of different organizations over the next couple of years that are doing really incredible work in the human trafficking sphere. I saw that the overwhelming gap was on the long-term recovery side. There's a lot of organizations that are rescuing and doing incredible prevention work, but I saw that another kind of injustice within the injustice was that the people doing the long-term recovery work were often nationals that didn't have access to resources.

It was through seeing that that we really realized hey, those people need an ally. Those people need somebody to come alongside of them and not tell them what to do or how to do it because they understand the culture and context, but they need support, and they need to have their capacity increased. That's how Ally was really birthed from that level. That's what we do. We exist to provide long-term education and safe homes and vocational training so that we can see kids through their recovery journey. There's all sorts of things that come out of that that are peripheral, but that's really the core elements that we focus on.

Host: I love that. You've found your niche, your focus. I've interviewed a good friend of mine who started at wanting to address the whole issue of human trafficking. He started a social enterprise to provide income and jobs and support for those that could because he realized hey, the reason they get into it, in the first place, is, a lot of the time, because they're in vulnerable, poverty situations.

If he can provide for them, the way that they can find that future out is through jobs and through being out to become independent and support themselves. He went that route. I love that. Then there's other organizations that might focus more on prevention and awareness, but I love that you've narrowed down what you're about. How does a guy like you, though, start something like that? Most people that might be listening are always like, "Well, I'd love to just start an NGO. That would be great." Is there any secret sauce to getting out there and starting something? What does it actually really take? What did it take for you to get to where you've got now?

Randy: I wish there was a secret sauce that I could share because we need more people in that place.

Host: Everyone needs the secret sauce. Yes, that's true.

Randy: Faith is a big thing for me. I think my faith is really simple. I'm just a firm believer in compassion and seek after justice. I've tried to posture my life after those things, but I realized that I hadn't fully leaned into that, I think. It got to the point where I had built these relationships and I saw the need, and I was trying to find somebody else to execute on it. I was trying to be like, "Okay, what other organization can do this? Who else could help here?"

It got to the point where I realized, "Oh, there's actually nobody within my sphere or specifically, in Canada, that's tackling this." Charity in Canada is obviously it's-- In any country, that looks a little different, how you set things, stuff, but for us, I realized that, hey, there's a significant gap here. I can keep talking about it or keep looking for somebody else to step in, but ultimately, I realized that I needed to.

What that looked like was stepping down from my job and committing the time first. I know this might not be the practical way for everybody, but for me and for my wife, it was like, "Hey, let's go all in." We didn't have salaries, we didn't have some capital funder, we didn't have all of these systems in place, but I realized that I had been trying to do too many different things off the side of my desk with business or being 50-50 in different categories now.

I wanted to be 100% in. That's what we did. That was just over a year ago. To think what's happened since then is really miraculous. We've worked really hard, but I'd say that there's been people that have gotten behind the vision. There's been clarity of vision and ultimately, we've seen God open doors that I don't know how else would have opened. I spent the first three or four months just setting up structures and systems and dealing with the framework to get the charity running. Then I was approached by a friend that said, "Hey, this is ridiculous. You can't work this hard for nothing. We're going to add you to our payroll."

It's been that story times 100 over the last year, of people seeing the need and seeing the efforts and the work of now a team of people and wanting to get on board with that. I guess the secret sauce, I'd say, is working hard at something that you're truly passionate about. I'm not naturally somebody that likes to fundraise or go out and-- It's the last thing that I enjoy doing. I'm realizing the importance of an invitation, the importance of creating an environment, and explaining a problem that people can be part of the solution.

There's a lot of people, even close friends that were interested, but until they were invited, they never took that step to engage. I think that's something that I've learned, in some ways, in some situations and maybe the hard way but yes, just the importance of inviting people into something that's bigger than all of us because just like them, I'm still learning.

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Tim: Justice Matters is brought to you by youBelong. If you'd like to learn more about their work, empowering refugees to integrate and thrive in Australia, head on over to youbelong.org.au. There, you'll find ways to get involved, volunteer, and financially get behind the several initiatives they've got going on. There's also a stack of articles and blogs that you'll find there that are really informative and engaging.

Now, did you know this podcast is actually a video podcast featured on YouTube? Just search Justice Matters TV on YouTube and watch each episode right there. While you're there, hit subscribe and get notified each time a new video drops. Man, as you're talking, I'm trying to find these notes I took. I'm studying philanthropy and nonprofit studies at Uni now that I have come back to Australia and that's my way to hey, how to--

I started a charity a few years ago, [chuckles] and it's hard work. I thought you were going to give me the secret to your success so that I could just somehow apply that to what I'm trying to build here with our work amongst refugees that are settling here in Australia. I found this quote from my studies, what is fundraising? What is this ability, which is a big part of, obviously, what you're doing, is creating the resources, making those available and putting them into places that serve those in great need?

It says fundraising is the process of enabling people to act on their values, kind of what you were saying. People want to make a difference. There's a lot of people that if were presented with the horrific examples and stories of injustice going on in our world, whether it be through human trafficking, or whether it be through racism and injustice, or whether it be through homelessness, or education disparities, or disabilities, whatever the injustice is, people want to be out to make those things right.

They want to be able to act on that and our ability to be like, "You know what, I'm going to devote myself to creating these opportunities that enable people to actually do something." Whenever I'm like, "Ah, do I have to put the ask out? Do I have to create another opportunity so that we can just keep operating?" As a charity, I'm reminded by that that that's what I'm doing, and it's really challenging. There is no easy way to do the work, I find, of nonprofit, the organizational side of things, but it sounds like you got a great team. You've got some really strong relationships on the ground and the places where you work, which is huge. Is there any other thoughts made on that that come to mind?

Randy: Yes. Well, I can share a bit of the struggle or a bit of the difficulty.

Tim: Yes, please do.

Randy: It's something that I'm learning. I got on the last flight out of Nepal in March. I found out a couple of weeks ago that had I not got on that flight, I would have [crosstalk]

Tim: Because of coronavirus, right? They would shut up, oh my gosh. Okay.

Randy: Yes, the airport is still closed. Anyways, I got home from that and we had planned out our whole year. We had over 40 events planned. We had people signed up for things. A lot of our strategy for the year was large group gathering, 200-plus people. We had a lot of momentum, I could say that in March, then came home, quarantined for a couple of weeks. When I was allowed out of my house, I was thinking, "What are we going to do? We've launched this charity and now everything has changed. All of our plans up to that point, all of this strategy, all the ideas that we thought were so good had to stop."

Then I got a phone call from a project that we were supposed to start supporting next year, saying, "Hey, our funding has been cut, we're going to have to start moving kids out of our homes, can you help?" I said yes and I didn't think about it. It was an emotional response. I went home and I said to my wife, "I don't know what we're going to do. I don't know if we're going to survive this month, let alone be able to help more people." April was our-- Sorry, that happened at the beginning of April. April ended up being our largest giving month that we've had.

Tim: Are you kidding? Wow.

Randy: It was in that moment, at the end of the month when I'm looking through things and realizing we're able to meet all the commitments we have for the kids in our care that I realized that… I think for me, it's like, sure, there's difficulty. The fight against injustice is it's like the odds are stacked against you. It seems so off. I think there's a much more optimistic side too to see that God's in control, that people are incredible at collaborating and working together.

Like what you said about appealing to the morality of people, people want to do good, they really do. That's what we were able to see. It's just a snapshot into some things that have happened, but people really band together for something that's greater than all of us. We've been on a rollercoaster of difficulty and then triumph, sometimes in the same day, but that's really been the story of our year. I'm super grateful to be able to walk through that journey and know that ultimately, we're able to be an ally and do what we said we wanted to do, just to resource these incredible people that are on the front lines providing here for kids.

Tim: Man, if only people saw-- It's the same with our personal Instagrams or whatever social media. It always looks good on the outside but the struggle, the fight, what goes on behind the scenes, man, is real, it's hard. Man, it reminds me of another friend of mine who was launching his whole fundraising campaign the week before everything shut down with coronavirus. On this particular platform, believe it or not, people were telling him, "Quit it. Just launch it another time. Now is just, obviously, not the time. There's so much uncertainty." On this particular fundraising share investment platform, their project was the fastest to reach their goal than any other project that has existed previously. They raised, I think, double what their goal was. In a time when you think there's no way people are going to give, there's no way people are going to get behind this, but the truth of the matter is, I think that we do want to fight for what is true, what is good, what is right in this world.

I think we do people a disservice when we write people off and say, "You're not going to want to get behind and support this. You're not going to want to make a difference." I have to tell myself, "No, you believe in what you're doing, you're making a difference. You're doing all that you can to make a difference. There's a heck of a lot of people that want to make a difference too and they're grateful that you're in there in the gap, so to speak, making those opportunities available."

It does require a lot of soul-searching, man. Our largest for youBelong Australia, our big key event is a huge welcome picnic every time refugees come into this country. We have couples of 300, 400 people at these events. Not only have the refugee stopped coming in because of all the flights and everything that's happened, which is gut-wrenching that we are not able to bring these families that are just now waiting in limbo again because of what's going on in the world and families stay separated but the main welcoming hospitable key event that we have has suddenly had to come to a screeching halt.

We've been grateful that we have an amazing team that was able to adjust and get more personal and do house visits a lot more regularly. People responded, people just-- I think we've had more impact and more one-on personal touch with a lot of these families than we would have done had we just kept things going the way we maybe were.

Randy: That's really incredible. I think that's the heart. The little I know of you, that's the heart behind what you do is to create those personal connections and really genuine relationships. That's really beautiful.

Tim: Yes, man, I tell you what, I have just a phenomenal team. We're getting away for our retreat in a week. This time, they're coming down, and we're going to be getting together and reiterating the importance of just what we do on a one-on-one basis, the relationships that we form, and looking forward to that. You've been working on a documentary. There's an opportunity that people can actually even host a screening of it and watch it and get more informed and understand what's going on. Can you tell me a bit more about this project?

Randy: Yes, absolutely. Yes, it's another miraculous story. We had one of the young ladies from our homes that's come through recovery. She was trafficked at 12 and rescued at 16 and she's 26 now. She's working on her degree in social work, and she came up to me and said, "Can you share my story? I want to help. We need to increase our capacity and get some more homes running, and I want to help do that."

I came back to Canada after talking with her, and I was talking with a bunch of friends. Somebody believed in her and said, "I'll cede the money to start that film." We had 100 of her peers reenact her story of being trafficked, and it's quite powerful.

Tim: Oh my goodness.

Randy: There's no professional actors, but it's a short film. We had been screening that in film festivals and all over in live events, and that's all canceled out because of COVID, but we're relaunching it digitally in September. It'll be available for people to see online, to sign up. There's no cost or anything to watch it. It's really about raising awareness of what this process looks like. It's educational. It's not sensationalistic.

Our huge priority as an organization is to make sure everything, the dignity of the individual is of most priority. It's really informative. You'll be able to see that on our website, on our social channels that will be launching that in September. I'd encourage you to watch it, to share it with people that are passionate about this issue or maybe are looking to understand the process more because it walks through how she was recruited and into her being trafficked and then rescued. It's done as an informative piece for maybe Western audiences, but it's also used mostly now as a prevention tool. We've just translated it into 11 other languages and are showing it in rural communities throughout Asia primarily.

Tim: Wow, man, that sounds incredible. One of the other things I really wanted to get into talking to you about was this event that happened to you, personally, on one of your trips. I think you know which one I'm talking about because I remember when we first met and you were telling me, I could not believe it. Do you mind sharing that story for our audience today?

Randy: I'm assuming you're talking about my hospital trip.

Tim: In India, right?

Randy: It was in Greece.

Tim: No, in Greece. Okay.

Randy: Yes, it was in Greece. It was with a group of people helping amidst the beginning of the refugee crisis that was happening [crosstalk] in Greece, yes, being flooded. I was there for a few weeks in a refugee camp. Man, what an incredible and heartbreaking experience? I won't get into all of those details. I've never been into a hospital in my life, really don't get sick. I started feeling a little bit uncomfortable at the end of my trip, and we were flying home, back to Canada, back to Vancouver on the west coast.

We left Greece, we were flying through Frankfurt, Germany. I got on the plane, and I was a little bit out of it. I had a nurse traveling with me. I had a bunch of different friends with me and everyone's like, "Oh, you'll be fine. Just let's get you home. Healthcare is free in Canada, let's get there." When we landed in Frankfurt, I was totally incoherent. I just had motor function. I ended up walking out of the airport.

The rest of the group that was with me went on to the gate. They were like, "Oh, we think he must have--" I don't know what they were thinking. [chuckles] I walked out of that airport thinking I was in Vancouver and I was in Frankfurt. I got on a city bus, passed out on the city bus, woke up somewhere. It was early on a Saturday morning. All I remember, I don't have all the memories, but I was walking around trying to find help.

The first store, the first doors that I went up to that were open was this little hair salon. I walked in and there was these three German ladies. I didn't speak German, they didn't speak English, but I looked scary. My whole face was bloated and red and purple, and I didn't notice until I saw photos after. They just pushed a chair towards me and said "Sit down" and then paramedics came and took me. I ended up being in the hospital for seven days in quarantine in intensive care. The doctor said to me had I made that connecting flight, I would have died about three hours into the flight because my temperature was 107.5 Fahrenheit.

Tim: Oh my gosh, can you even get that high and still be alive?

Randy: I don't know how I made it. They have their report from the paramedics. I'm lucky to be here and I think it was--

Tim: Oh my gosh. What was it?

Randy: It was Stevens-Johnson syndrome, they think. They're not sure. They didn't want to give me a firm diagnosis because the camp that I was staying in had about 50 different countries represented in it.

Tim: You just, obviously, picked something up there.

Randy: Something from anywhere, yes.

Tim: Goodness me.

Randy: A wild experience for sure.

Tim: Man, you are a lucky man. In a sense, it does highlight if you want to put yourselves in situations that you're trying to make a difference, it's not always going to be the most safe, sanitized life. People always used to wonder the same thing about our family. "What do you think you're doing, putting your family at risk living in this country and doing what you're doing?" Hey, but I don't about you, I don't think I've ever done anything that has felt meaningful or impactful in my life unless I've taken a risk and put myself in a situation where there is potential for things not to go perfectly.

Man, I cannot believe every time I hear that story, that's crazy. Man, it's been great chatting. I'd love you to give me, I'm learning a bit more about what Ally's got going. I know you've got a few events with I think a bike ride or a Move for Freedom event coming up. Is there anything exciting on the horizon for what you're doing that that we could talk about as we round up the interview today?

Randy: Yes, we're always trying to come up with new ideas just to get people involved in their own community and what they're doing. We always point people, obviously, to look at organizations like us that are close to them and get involved with them. We've got an event called Move for Freedom coming up, which just encourages people to get out and do something with their friends and talk about this as an issue. We've got people taking pledges and doing crazy things. I'm going to bike 160 kilometers. I haven't been on a bike for a long time.

Tim: The question is, are you going to wear lycra? That's the question.

Randy: That is the question. I'll get back to you.

Tim: Full bodysuit lycra, not just the top. Biking is huge here. Everyone rides bikes. Ironically, it's usually 40, 50-year-old men with their bikes sipping lattes at 7:00 in the morning after they've done their little social ride. I would love to see you in full bodysuit lycra.

Randy: I'll send you some pictures.

Tim: Please do.

Randy: Other than that, the film is the big thing we got coming up this fall. The film's called The Twelve Thousand,  www.thetwelvethousand.com will get you to wherever that info is. Then for everything else, it's on our website, allyglobal.org try to keep you posted on things that we have going on. Man, I'm just so grateful for you and for this time and for the work that you're doing in Australia. Beyond that, just how you've modeled your life and even influenced me from Iraq or the US and now Australia, I'm super thankful.

Tim: Thanks, Randy. I tell this whole first season of the podcast is catching up with people I consider friends, people who I know aren't just out there talking the talk but are in there doing it and making it. I'm glad that this is a great excuse really just to catch up with you, mate, and even to learn more about what you do when you feel like you can read the websites and follow on Instagram.

Just catching up with you in-person, mate, and hearing about the struggle, I feel like I've got a brother in arms who knows the difficulty of trying to run nonprofits and make this stuff work. It's like little camaraderie group here, man. Keep doing what you're doing. I'm cheering you on from afar. I've got one last question for you, which I ask all my guests. It's so simple, it's, why does justice matter to you?

Randy: I think it's the thing that should be the heartbeat of our culture that we're called to care for other people. If we don't lean into that, I think I'll lose purpose. It matters to me because I think my faith has called me to make it a priority and so I'm learning.

Tim: You mentioned before in a form that I get guests to fill out, there's this verse in the Bible that says pure religion is to care for the widow and care for the orphan, and that's a verse that I know has impacted me deeply, essentially, what is it to have faith? What is it to call yourself a follower of Jesus or truly a Christian or whatever you identify as if it's not centered around caring for the vulnerable and those in need in our community? Thanks, man. Thanks for coming on to share.

Randy: Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

Tim: Alrighty, mate. Enjoy Canada, cheerio.

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I hope you enjoyed meeting my friend, Randy Watson. If you already know who Randy is, you don't need reminding of what an incredible bloke he is. You can learn more about his work and the work of LI Global Foundation by heading to their website, it's liglobal.org. You can learn more about not only the documentary that's being released called The Twelve Thousand, they had an incredible event called the Move for Freedom and it was a massive success.

I think they raised upwards of $300,000 to contribute to their work, fighting human trafficking and providing the incredible care that their partners do on the ground. Now, as always, you can hear the rest of my conversation with Randy by heading over to patreon.com/justicematters. That's where I upload bonus content for those who become patrons of the show. It's really easy to do that.

It costs as little as $1 to do that. For $5 there, you get access to bonus content and interviews that I have with the guests. I've got a special announcement today because we've uploaded merchandise there. You can get your very own youBelong t-shirt, some stickers, just by becoming a patron. Speaking of those who are supporting us, I do want to say a special shoutout today to Ariel Brunkhurst who became a monthly supporter of youBelong.

She did that by going to our website and clicking on the donate button. She came behind us in an incredible way, and I really just wanted to thank you, Arielle, for supporting us. I really appreciate that. Now here we are for the credits. I'd like to kick things off by thanking John Ardt and David Gungor, they're known as The Brilliance. Thanks so much, guys, for the music that is used in this podcast. You can go check them out wherever you like your music.

As always, I like to thank my special friend, Jose Biotto. I appreciate your audiovisual expertise that's employed in using this show, mate, you do a fantastic job. Lastly, why don't you give us a write on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Just hit 5 if you don't mind. That'd be awesome. It goes a long way to just getting the word out and helping us to continue to do this podcast and continue being a resource for people out there to find. You can also share this podcast in many different ways, whether on YouTube or any platform that you're listening in from. That'd be awesome. Guys, thanks for joining me today. Please come again soon for another episode of Justice Matters. I'm your host, Tim Buxton. Thanks for listening.

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