There will always be poor people...
"Perhaps one of the greatest emergencies of our generation is the reality that 1.2 million children are being trafficked into the sex trade each year. That’s more than 2 children every minute of every day."
I don't know about you,
but when I read those sentences, my brain shuts off and I start thinking about
other things. I think about anything that distracts me from pausing and taking that
information in.
We do this for a couple
of reasons. The first reason we tend to shut down is as a coping mechanism. If
we allow ourselves to take in all the evil in the world, the reality of the suffering
people are enduring, we will become emotionally exhausted. We know we can't fix
all the world's problems, so in an effort to preserve our emotional stability
and sanity, we shut out what we know we can't do anything about.
The second reason is
something hiding beneath the surface.
We shut down because that is
the tactic of the devil to push us towards apathy and inactivity.
If he can get
us to live our american dream with a couple of kids, a dog, a nice house, and then keep
our focus on those goals, then he has succeeded.
This tactic of his is highly
effective. Justin and I have seen it happen in our own lives. We've gotten so
wrapped up in our retirement goals, having nice things, spending our spare time
with friends and family... basically focusing on the temporary pleasures of this
world that disguise themselves as wisdom and success.
While there is nothing
sinful about the american dream, it often doesn't allow for us to stop and think
about things like child sex slavery (or insert any human suffering that is
going on in the world today).
If we were to stop and
ponder what God might ask us to do about an issue He has brought to our
attention, there are pretty good odds that He would ask us to sacrifice
something, and give until it negatively affects our "american dream".
I have a hunch that if we could talk to Jesus
in person and ask Him what He wants us to do, He probably would quote the
Bible. He might even simply quote James 1:22 where it says:
"Do not merely
listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
We know what the Bible
says about meeting the needs of others; it's written all throughout it. One of the more profound verses about meeting
others' needs is found in the Old Testament. It says in Deuteronomy 15:11 that
"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to
be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your
land."
There will ALWAYS be
human suffering, there will ALWAYS be needs to be met, there will ALWAYS be
people who are less fortunate that us. God doesn't say to shut it out and
ignore it, but rather, He commands us to be openhanded.
People often say that
they wish they knew God's will for their lives. While I understand this frustration of just wanting to know the specific direction He desires for you, I think a
lot of times we don't want to do the things we see spelled out clearly in His
word, such as taking care of the orphans and widows. I wonder if we started doing the basic things we know He has already commanded, if the specifics of our lives fall into place.
I believe if your heart
and mind are open to God speaking to you, He will lead you to give to the right
ministries, the right people. We must be generous, but also wise, in how we
give. Not everyone is who they say they are, and we do not want to give our
money and energy to those who will abuse it. This topic leads me to one of the ministries I trust with my money, time and energy- Remember Nhu.
One of the biggest
tragedies in our world today is that children who do not have a voice are being
trafficked, often sexually, for others' personal gain. This tragedy is huge,
over 1 million children per year. It seems daunting and unrealistic to try and
put an end to this, but I assure you, it is possible to make a difference.
Justin and I believe that the work that Remember Nhu is doing is the most
EFFECTIVE way to do this.
Why do we think they
are accomplishing the most effective work?
Compare these models:
This first one is the
typical method we see in regards to sex trafficking- intervention. While
intervention is necessary and important, you can see why it is not the most
effective in putting an end to trafficking. The trafficker simply replaces
children who leave the system, and the high rate of children who return to the
trade later is discouraging to say the least. The innocence of a child is
stolen away and can never be returned.
Now compare that with
Remember Nhu's method which is prevention. This model allows us to protect the
innocence and future of the child. It shuts down entire villages to sex
trafficking. It actually breaks the generational cycle by giving children an
opportunity for an education and to raise their future children differently. Most
importantly, most of the children in Remember Nhu homes come to know Jesus,
they share Jesus with their families, who in turn share Him with their village.
Through this model, entire villages are coming to know Jesus and have a hope
and a future as their children are being educated and loved.
To read more about how
Remember Nhu is preventing child sex slavery, check out their page:
To give a brief update
on my current involvement with Remember Nhu:
I have been officially a staff member for one month now and have
thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I have been able to help update their
database with new pictures for children that are being sponsored or who still
need a sponsor. I am also communicating with sponsors/potential sponsors about
their children. We've been doing a lot of letter collecting to send the
children for the Christmas season. It's an exciting time of growth for Remember
Nhu in which there is a lot of work to be done, but the work is fruitful and
multiplying. There's nothing else I would rather spend my day doing than being
a part of a team that is preventing children from EVER entering the sex trade.
While I love what I do,
I am actively praying for more people to join me as financial partners as I am
currently lacking in that area. I believe God will provide for all our needs,
and often He does that through other people like you. If you would like to
start supporting me monthly, there is a link in black letters at the top of the blog that says
"Partner with Breanna". If you click on it, it will take you directly
to Remember Nhu's website and my specific staff page where you can easily walk
through the steps to support me. Would you please pray about partnering with me in this way?
If you have any questions or thoughts about
prevention, partnering with me, or anything
else that this post prompts in your heart, please feel free to email me at breanna@remembernhu.org
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