Frankly,
it takes a good deal of courage to engage these issues. They are so disturbing,
so evil, so repulsive. It's a great deal easier to focus on providing clean
water or micro loans, seeing smiling faces and proud countenances of those
being helped, not the slumped and somber frames of the fortunate few children
who are rescued, their identities hidden from the camera.
I
encourage would-be contributors to these "Child Protection" issues to
first pray about whether or not they feel called to it, because I believe it
takes a special calling to stay in this battle against insidious evil in some
of the places where it is most firmly entrenched.
Yet
the silent cries of these children is a drumbeat on my own soul lately. I'm
hearing that same divine calling myself, and now Janet and I allocate much of
our own giving to this issue.
A
colleague and good friend just sent out the note below to our co-laborers around the country. I appreciate Steve's deep passion and heart
on this issue—refueled by a riveting trip to Bangladesh and India this year
where he experienced vignettes like these first hand—and feel his note is worth
sharing, without comment. It's a message
for Christmastime that may be worthy of reflection again during the holiday, as
we seek to make it truly a Holy-Day.
Advent
blessings,
Cory
Christmas letter to my fellow reps
about Child Protection
In about two
weeks, we will all largely cease our busy activities regarding the ministry of
World Vision. It will then be a time for families, exchanging gifts, wearing
something new, and of course those delightful Christmas cookies that seem to be
consumed by the half-dozen!
We will also
gather to worship in a variety of settings, whether a simple chapel service or
an ornate candlelight communion somewhere which allows us to reflect on the
significance of Jesus's entrance into a troubled, and less than ornate, world.
I was asked by the Child Protection team to remind us of some of the themes of this sector. How could I do so without immediately noticing the obvious contrast between those we serve and this affluent Christmas culture we call home?
Consider their Christmas morning…
- A child of ten forced into working 12 hour days in a factory with conditions that don't exactly tout coffee breaks nor a leisurely lunch hour, meanwhile netting maybe 50 cents a day.
- A girl of 12 whose value on the street, due to her youth and lack of prior sexual experience, can give her family the most expensive "Christmas gift" they have ever received; their only problem being that there is no address for them to send her a thank you note.
- A young child's only experience of "Silent night!" will be hearing the threatening exhortation from his mother, a sex worker in a brothel, to keep quiet while she goes about earning her living.
- A teenage girl already rescued from the darkness of exploitation, yet still yearning to find joy in singing "Joy to the World"… perhaps next year she can get through the first line without weeping.
I believe that Jesus is the HOPE of the world, that indeed He brings Joy, salvation, comfort and healing. Will you join us in praying for children like these, and for our global Child Protection team as we seek to bring light and hope to these precious children?
God bless us, EVERY ONE!
I was asked by the Child Protection team to remind us of some of the themes of this sector. How could I do so without immediately noticing the obvious contrast between those we serve and this affluent Christmas culture we call home?
Consider their Christmas morning…
- A child of ten forced into working 12 hour days in a factory with conditions that don't exactly tout coffee breaks nor a leisurely lunch hour, meanwhile netting maybe 50 cents a day.
- A girl of 12 whose value on the street, due to her youth and lack of prior sexual experience, can give her family the most expensive "Christmas gift" they have ever received; their only problem being that there is no address for them to send her a thank you note.
- A young child's only experience of "Silent night!" will be hearing the threatening exhortation from his mother, a sex worker in a brothel, to keep quiet while she goes about earning her living.
- A teenage girl already rescued from the darkness of exploitation, yet still yearning to find joy in singing "Joy to the World"… perhaps next year she can get through the first line without weeping.
I believe that Jesus is the HOPE of the world, that indeed He brings Joy, salvation, comfort and healing. Will you join us in praying for children like these, and for our global Child Protection team as we seek to bring light and hope to these precious children?
God bless us, EVERY ONE!
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