Eyes Wide Open

Heather on her first mission trip at Lebanese Evangelical School in Ain Zhalta, Lebanon. (April 2011)

Blog post by Heather, Team Iraq 2012

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with many children. God gave me a love for them from an early age and has opened many doors of opportunity for serving with children in different capacities. It gives me great joy to work with children and each one I’ve met has been a blessing to me. Over the past couple of years, the Lord has opened my eyes to the abuse and neglect of children around the world and also the teachings of His word in regards to the orphan. I was able to read stories of children in bonded slavery and those trapped within child brothels. I had opportunities to hear missionaries speak in our church about how they uprooted their lives and families to follow the commands of Isaiah 1:17 and defend the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the widow. I served alongside my parents who are missionaries in Lebanon, where we visited a girl’s home and I was able to befriend a young girl who experienced the neglect and abandonment of her family. All of this has placed a burden on my heart for the children of this world. I look forward to the Lord working in me and through me on this trip to accomplish His purposes in fulfilling His word – to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

Heather resides in Ontario, Canada and will be serving with Journey 117 in June on the Iraq team.

 

2 Week Mission Trip….A Waste of Time and Money?

Blog post by Cathleen B., Team Iraq 2012

Why would someone go on a trip across the world to meet orphans and then leave after two weeks?

Growing up in middle class America, we read Oliver Twist and Tom Sawyer and have a romanticized view of orphans.  Both characters display a life of independence and adventure that we crave as children.  The books are fun, but they deceive us into thinking that orphan life is the essence of greatness and fun and there are no authority figures to submit to.  We don’t imagine life without parents who shelter, love, protect and teach us.  Then as we grow up we forget about orphans altogether and focus on the needs of ourselves and others in our immediate approximate.

Only until recently have I come back to thinking about the orphan again; this time, in a more sobering light.  As I read about the orphan again, I read about the child who is shunned by society, not exempt from any country in the world, not offered loved and often exposed to crime.  I imagine what life would be like to be despised by society just because I was born.  These innocent children are often exposed to sex trafficking and even forced labor.  Orphans are many times never offered love in their entire lives and as a result end up in prison or have life without hope.  So what is 2 weeks going to do in the impact of a child’s life?  It is an opportunity to love.  In going on this trip, I believe that even if it was for one day, it is priceless and could give the child a chance for the future, hope, and most importantly an opportunity of life of eternity with Christ.

So, why do I want to go on a trip?  It may seem like a waste of time for many. I mean… two weeks with orphan kids and then you come home.  Isn’t that a waste? Well, the truth is… wouldn’t it be worth it for you if you were the orphan? The answer is unequivocally, yes. If we are to love God and the things He loves, why would we not go and love the orphan. People came to talk and play with you, share Christ, and help you see that not only are you valuable and important, but a child of God with purpose and a future. The most important thing about going for me is because I see how vulnerable these little blessings are. They are surrounded by hurting people who have suffered war, they are limited in their resources of love and opportunities in life. Often children who are in orphanages are exposed to different kinds of trafficking and are taught they are not valuable in life and will not ever be in their society. Not because of anything they have done, but because of who society says they are. James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Cathleen will be serving on the Iraq Journey 117 Team leaving in June 2012. Cathleen resides in Fort Worth, Texas.

Child Trafficking and Its Various Forms

Blog post by Trista H., Team Uganda 2011

Many people believe that we have made great strides in our fair treatment of human lives.  In many parts of the world, however, this is far from true.  While slavery is not legal in most places, it continues as a common practice in most countries.  Poor, uneducated, and marginalized people are often drawn into false promises of better lives.  Among these people are women and children who are commonly forced or tricked into various forms of slavery. 

Child Trafficking

Blog post by Mike S., Team Moldova 2011

Slavery is forcing someone to work under the threat of violence without pay and no way to get out. As Europe’s leader in human trafficking, Moldova is the center of the slave trade. The main forms of slavery are sexual exploitation, forced begging, and forced physical labor.  Thousands of Moldovan young people, many underage, are sold into slavery each year. 

Human Trafficking Issues

Blog post by Sarah Z., Team Uganda 2011

Human trafficking, or slavery, is the world’s second largest criminal enterprise (after drugs), and it is estimated that before the year 2011 is complete, human trafficking will rise to be the leading illegal business in the world. There are an estimated 27 million slaves in the world today – more than any other time in history. That’s more than the population of any given state in the U.S. except California. Over 2 million children are trafficked every year. Many of these are orphans.

Child Labor/Children’s Rights in Moldova

 Blog post by Kara H., Team Moldova 2011

Similar to the United States, the government of Moldova has established labor laws to protect the well being of their citizens and industries.  Under law, employers are not permitted to hire any child under the age of 15 and must abide to several rules when hiring adolescents.  First, employers are only allowed to hire 15-year-olds if they have received consent from the child’s guardians. 

Education and the Orphan

Blog post by Michelle K., Team Moldova 2011 

As someone who is aspiring to be an educator, I am constantly exposed to children who are careless about school. So often a student asks the question, “What does this have to do with my life?” Unfortunately, they fail to see that just the pure fact they are receiving an education has everything to do with their life. As Jo Becker, the advocacy director of Children’s Rights Division, states: “Education empowers children to be full participants in society, enabling them to exercise their rights and engage in civil and political life.” If education is absent in a child’s life, the results are detrimental.