The great slave master

Thoughout this year, I have been learning about issues of human trafficking and child slavery. An issue that barely registered in my life before. As I share the realities and the hope we are trying to bring with people I come in contact with daily, I find that they too are shocked to know that slavery still exists. Some simply say, "I didn't know about that. I don't think I could do what you are doing." For others the sense of injustice rises. As I was explaining how the children are negotiated for to the nice man who was driving me from the dealership to Enterprise for a rental car, he became quite affected. He said, "I'd do some negotating, all right!!"

Yesterday as I was reading, I saw the bigger picture.

There are millions of children being forced into labor slavery and it breaks my heart.
There are millions of women and children trapped in a sex slavery and it makes me sick.
People are beginning to rise up and fight for these nameless, forgotten and used ones. As we should.

But what about the grandma whose been left with 5 grandchildren and must continue to work long hours each day to get just enough food to keep them all alive another day?

Or the single parent who works 2 jobs to feed and keep the kids in school in hopes of changing their future?

What about the 10 yr old who can't go to school because she must walk miles to fetch water each day and work in the fields with her family?

What about the 12 year old who is now the only caretaker of the younger siblings and now must dig through garbage to eat each day?

Aren't they also slaves? Slaves to poverty.

Poverty is the great global slave master.

It works you to the bone, leaves you with nothing for your efforts, and beats you down continually. Your children are born into the same condition. Escape seems impossible and death often a welcome relief.

While you sit somewhere comfortable, reading this on your computer I am pleading with you to consider that you can make a difference. You might not be able or willing to come face to face with a child trapped on a lake, or a slave master who you know beats that child -but you CAN do SOMETHING somewhere.

Make the choice of sponsoring a child and you might just be preventing another child from being sold as a slave. You never know what that child has the potential to become.

You never know what will change in you.



Thank you to everyone who does their something. Thank you for being a part of this jouney to Ghana with us. As the final weeks wind down, we are a mere $400 away from reaching our goal. This is only the beginning...