Hidden Among Millions

     I've been sharing recently about the worth of the individual.  And I'd like to introduce you to an organization that lives out that value:  International Justice Mission (IJM).
     IJM "is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to secure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to ensure that public justice systems - police, courts and laws - effectively protect the poor."


     "Suhana (name changed for her protection) was only 16 when she was rescued by IJM and local police from a Kolkata (India) brothel. Brought to a secure and loving aftercare home, she began to thrive. After more than a year of healing, Suhana and her counselors decided she was ready to start a job outside of the shelter.
      She made a new friend through this job, but the friendship had terrible consequences. The unthinkable happened: Suhana was trafficked to a faraway city. Tricked and betrayed, Suhana was sold to a pimp and returned to the nightmare she thought she had escaped forever. Night after night, she was raped, abused and exploited.  
      But Suhana was not forgotten. IJM was determined to rescue her - no matter how impossible it seemed."

    Please go to IJM's website, www.ijm.org, and see the video of Suhana's story*.  You will be impacted by the concern and love Suhana's caregivers had for her--that in a city of 18 million people, they would not give up their search.
     This story will remind you of another:  of our loving, faithful Shepherd who, even with His sheepfold full, goes and looks for the one who wandered off.  Upon the Shepherd's return with the sheep slung across his shoulders, "he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep!" (Luke 15:3-7)
     Can you relate?


*To find the video, type "Suhana" in the search option at the top right of the IJM home page.  It will give you a quick link to the video.  Sorry I wasn't able to embed this in the blog.

"He Knows My Name"

               

            A few days ago I wrote about the Ugandan Orphan's Choir that I met this summer.  As I watched these young people, so full of hope and expectation in life, I couldn't help but respond, "Oh, Lord, thank you for rescuing these precious children!"  They ended their concert with this song:

                              

  

 

 I have a Maker, He formed my heart;

                                Before even time began, my life was in His hands.

                                He knows my name, He knows my every thought;

                                He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call.

                                I have a Father, He calls me His own;

                                He'll never leave me, no matter where I go.

                                He knows my name, He knows my every thought;

                                He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call

  Since this concert, whenever I hear the overwhelming statistics about slavery and human trafficking, I 'm also reminded that God knows  intimately each man, woman, and child that lives in bondage. He knows their name; He sees their tears.  And that reminds me not to forget, to continue to care and keep working for the prevention of human trafficking, and the rescue of its victims.

                In my next blog, I will introduce you to young woman who is truly "one in a million".

One of the Keys: Education

Last summer our church was privileged to host a concert by the  Ugandan Orphan's Choir.    What a joy and blessing they were to us!  The Ugandan Orphan's Choir is a ministry of Childcare Worldwide, an organization whose emphasis is on providing educational opportunities to children who live in impoverished areas of the world.  The children in the choir were those who had lost one or both parents to war or AIDS, or had been abandoned.  The good news for these kids is they were  rescued before being kidnapped to work on a coffee or cocoa plantation, forced to join a rebel army, or sold into other forms of slavery. 

                The aim of Childcare Worldwide is, in their own words:  our unique programs not only help feed hungry children and their families, they also help children receive an education that leads to employment. Children are trained to have Christ-like character so they will grow up to be leaders with integrity.  

                 I admire this organization that is committed  not only to educating children , but more importantly following through with them into young adulthood, to have marketable skills.  Education and leadership training is definitely one of the keys to combating slavery.  A young person who is educated, has skills to earn a living, and possesses confidence and purpose, is less vulnerable to the lure of a trafficker.

                In a few days, I will share more of what  I learned from these kids.