Our God Of The Impossible

Welp have to apologize !! I didn't realize I hadn't touched this blog for 3 months. In all fairness I have had a full plate, from getting my TESOL Credentials on the weekend , working full time during the week, trying to balance healthy relationships with friends and family and trying to use all the spare time I can find to work on packing for a move to Africa. The house has been a whirlwind of a mess with suitcases and piles of stuff in what seems like every corner of each room . It's all part of the process ,things have to get worse, more cluttered before they can be organized and put in there place. As we are just about 3 weeks out from departure I can confidently say I'm feeling more organized and and calm .


The devil has been relentless in his attacks on my body , mind and spirit . As time gets closer to leaving and plans become more concrete the road has become more challenging to walk . I have been tested in multiple areas. High stress and anxiety have manifested themselves in various forms . Besides this I have been blessed in not getting seriously sick this year. The Lord is daily preparing my heart and mind for the future . I will be thrown into a world of unknowns , far out side my comfort zone. My way of life , including simple daily tasks will require me to adapt and cope in whole new and unfamiliar way . Yes it will be exciting , yes it will be new , yes it will be challenging , yes I will be homesick , yes I might cry more then normal , yes I will have rewarding days , and yes through it ALL God will carry me through.

I have meet many people through my blog and social media who have started to follow along as I begin this new adventure . I receive comments daily about how cool i am and how amazing it is that I get to do this . There's this over romanticized view about missions and life on the field .The call of God to serve Him overseas in lesser developed parts of the world is not for every one or nobody would be left to live in the states . If it was an easy , non sacrificial decision then I wouldn't have fought it for 24 years . It's scary ! There is risk involved! Challenges to overcome! But much joy , freedom, and reward to be had for the servant of God who follows Him wherever He may lead. It is a blessing and honor to be called to such a life don't get me wrong , but also a huge cost to count . The Father never promised our happiness but He has promised our holiness . If we will surrender and obey , He will bless , sanctify , and glorify these mortals bodies to mirror His perfect holinesss. The fact that God would save those who once rejected Him , and use as instruments to further His kingdom and accomplish work on this earth continues to blow my mind. The Lord doesn't need us but chooses to use us for His glory and our good.

****These song lyrics are taken from Isaiah and have been my strength and song in recent weeks**** (Meredith Andrews Soar)

You say You won't relent , won't forget , won't let go .
As I wait on You , i am going to run and not grow weary.
I am going to walk and not grow faint.
Rise up on wings like eagles and soar.
I know in everything You are with me .
I know Your working as I wait .
Creator, Keeper , my life Breather.
Sustainer, Savior and Stronghold Breaker .

Soo thankful for the promises that God gives me to hold onto to . Regardless of how I feel or what I believe in the moments of defeat , confusion and dispare I'm humbled by the knowledge that God never lets go , never naps on us, is ever present and consistently faithful .

The Beat Behind My Heart

I have been home from Uganda for almost 11 months now. It is so hard to believe it has almost been a year since the Lord shook my world and turned my world right side up. This time last year I was packing and organizing for a trip that little did i know would completely change the course of the rest of my life. This weekend we celebrate Mothers Day. I have been thinking a lot about woman and especially mothers all over the world. Mothers definitely have one of the hardest jobs in the entire world. Particularly in third world countries, mothers are the end all be all. They have such hard lives , filled with so much responsibility upon their shoulders. Mothers do the cooking , cleaning , child raising , and much of the providing for the family. All in all they rarely complain or show signs of weakness, giving up is not an option for them. All they have and all they are is poured into their family.

During my time teaching preschool and loving on the babies at Amani Baby Cottage I was forced to ask the hard questions. The Lord really began to work in my heart and place a specific burden on me. With 147 Million orphans in Uganda alone I began asking questions and seeking answers. In Uganda there is not a shortage of orphanages and homes that house children  in need. Where are these children's mothers? Why so many deaths during childbirth for both the mothers and babies? Why do the mothers feel their only option is to leave their 2 day old baby at orphanage gates or in the bush? What can I do to help ? What are the dire needs of these moms? All these questions and more burned in my heart , causing me to lose countless nights of sleep. Loving on needy babies is the "easy" part, but I knew the Lord was calling me to go to the root of this problem. My heart breaks thinking of these mothers who are so hopeless , enduring hardships we cannot even imagine , and having no option but giving up their own children. It isn't like this is what they want their life to look like they are just that desperate. This is a picture of ultimate humility and sacrifice as they place their children's needs above their own desires.

Every year 5,840 woman die in childbirth. Every year 76 babies out of 1,000 will die before their first birthday. Uganda alone ( one country in Africa) contains 147 Million orphans. If a mother shows up to a clinic or hospital to give birth and do not bring a Birthing Kit, they are turned away and rejected service. A Birthing Kit cost a little under 7 dollars which contains soap , gloves, razor blades, umbilical chord ties, etc. Just knowing these few facts, it is plain to see that the need is overwhelmingly large. There are small things that  we can do to help reduce these numbers and provide hope to these families. It is my joy and honor to be able to come alongside others with the same God given passion and serve. When you recognize that a birth kit as cheap as a fast food meal in America can save a life, you realize there is so much you can do to make an impact. As we serve these woman physically we have the joy of seeing these womans lives changed for eternity. As they experience love and hope in a tangible way here on earth , we get the opportunity to share the Gospel with them and their babies.

This is the beat behind my heart . I sit back and I think how blessed am I that the Lord would give me His passions , and allow me the opportunity to serve Him as His hands and feet to this world. In James Christ tells us exactly what pure religion looks like in His eyes. Of all the things Christ teaches us through His Word , He could have  easily picked anything as the most important . LOVE!!!! He says LOVE Me and LOVE others. Super simple and straight forward right. Pure Religion?? He gives that command to us in black and white. Care for the Orphans and Widows in the  word!! This isn't something to do if your bored or have nothing better to do. Noo out of our love and obedience for Christ this is our calling, and purpose in life. May we not just have the head knowledge and talk the talk but may we love the Lord well through out actions. Stepping out in faith, being His hands and feet and obeying the commands He has given us. What you find out is that you will be more blessed in serving then those to whom you are pouring ourself out to. May we be quick to loose our lives for the sake of His glory and fame.

When God Calls Us Out

"YES we will fail , but God  will prove his enough-ness to us. He will show us time and time again that all we need is found in him. All that we lack finds an abundance in his grace." 

Love this encouraging article by John Piper. Read it and listen to the song. Let your heart be encouraged and your spirit set free. 

When God Calls Us Out

The Real Valentine

In lieu of Valentine's Day there have been countless articles produced all over social media. Articles full of ideas, opinions , expectations and standards that people have in regards to a day where they want to be shown love and show love in return. Soo many people who place so much pressure on themselves and the ones they love the most. Don't get me wrong I am not opposed to this day in any form . Ever since I was little my parents and significant others over the years have done amazing things to make me feel special and loved. While those special people have gone almost as quickly as they have gone it has me thinking.

As I sit in a gorgeous beach house in Rosarito , overlooking the ocean with good food and good company I am reminded of what this day should really be about. Feelings, possesions,  and even relationships come and go. There is only one love one person who feels the same way about us and is constant in His companionship day in and day out for eternity. For this I am grateful, because of this I can remain unmoved when the world tries to rock me. This year has brought many new loves into my life and I am soo excited for the chance to see God's true love manifested through each relationship. The verse from John 4:19 has been in the fore front of my mind this past week.

We love because He first loved us!!

How incredible is this verse. I mean stop and think about its significance. Read it again and try to grasp what it's really saying to us. Our desire and ability to love stems directly from Gods love for us and in us. How incredible that even on days when we don't feel like loving someone we are still able to. Not because of who that person is or what they have or have not done for us but because of who Christ is and how He chose to love us first. Even now while we are still a hot mess on most days , as a child of God we have full confidence in the righteousness and holiness of our God and Father. 

Gods love for us is not something that can be measured or tallied. Gods love holds nothing back , He gave up everything even to the point of sacrificing His only Son. Giving up what was His greatest possesion. Gods love for us had been perfect, set , complete from the beginning of time. Like human relationships where we strive to add love and brownie points to eachother based on what we do. Gods love does not grow or diminish,  it is unconditional and unquantifiable.

Because of the Spirit that resides within us , and that Christ has done for us He has called us to love deeply and with no condition. Like Christ we are called to love without expecting anything in return , giving sacrificially in  our understanding that all we have is from the Lord. I love the way John Piper put it...............

 "This Valentine’s Day, as the world keeps a tally of love, may we never forget that God’s love for us is greater than anything we can imagine. It is greater than googolplex and more than the stars in the sky. It is immeasurable, steadfast, and permanent. And that same amazing love has been given to us to extend it to others. May we give that love, without keeping score, knowing that God’s love for us keeps no record, because in Jesus, our debts have been marked: “paid in full.”

Happy Valentines Day !!!!!

Trying to Survive Without Prayer

I am currently reading Tim Kellers book on Prayer ( Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God ). I highly recommend the book. Tim does such a great job of writing from his personal experience and study , providing his readers with relatable, practical material backed up with solid scripture references. Countless hero's of our faith , even Christ Himself survived on prayer. It was a part of their lives that was disciplined , committed and highly active. The depth of our prayer life as Christians is related to the success of our lives in all other areas. Prayer is our life line , and direct communication line to our heavenly Father. I know for my self and many friends we can understand what is feels like when we know the person we love cannot be reached. Even if you could pick.up the phone and dial their number or shoot them an email. That feeling knowing they won't receive it for days, for weeks , maybe months !! Those who have been in a long distance relationship , when your friend goes on a long trip , or your loved one gets deployed to a foreign country. That feeling of distance , disconnection , and anticipation can be excruciating at times. I help but think that is how the Lord feels in His dealing with me sometimes. Frustrated that I don't pick up my phone , answer my text , or reply to His email more often then not. So many things He wants to tell me , things my heart longs to hear , information that would be so helpful and yet I don't have the time to connect for minimal times a day. I ask myself WHY ???

I am constantly convicted by the Spirit in regards to my prayer life. It is an area that constantly needs work. Quality prayer is directly linked to our view and knowledge of the scriptures and the Father Himself. Prayer is an extended conversation with the Lord and stems from the Bible , God's personal love letter to His children. May we strive to love and know the Word inside and out so that we can know directly the One we are conversing with in prayer. We long to speak to you often and hear from you Jesus even more.

Here is another great article on Prayer that the Lord brought to my attention this week. It ministered to me hope it does the same for you.

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/8-lessons-from-the-school-of-prayer

Embracing the Good Over Evil

So I am currently at work and let me tell you. There is nothing worst then writing a whole blog post on your phone like a text. But alas making the most of my down time while the baby takes his nap.

So it's confession time. I HATE social media. The junk , gossip , and dirt that can be found there is disturbing to say the least. Social media is ruining kids , families, and marriages. There have been multiple times where I am scrolling through Facebook and wonder what the heck I'm doing. Wasting time , and filling my mind with unwholesome  content. I have contemplated many times just shutting down the whole account and forgetting about. For some reason iv never actually followed through. In the process the Lord has prodded me to flood  social media with Godly articles , worship music , encouraging quotes , and uplifting content.

On the other hand of hate the Lord has also shown me what a blessing social media can be. Over the past year I have been able to meet people all around the world who have similar passions and interests. Being able to network and make new friends in Africa even before I get there has been amazing. Social media can be used for good.
For example:

 Just the other day I received a message from a good friend and fellow missionary over in Uganda. A friend and Ugandan woman they have been ministering to was serverly burned when she fell onto hot coals after being demon possed. In Uganda if you are disabled or don't look normal to the public they shun you. The way this woman is being shunned is through un-employment. In order to provide for her kids we know she needs work. In a few short minutes we were able to contact multiple ministries,  friends , and hospitals in seach of reconstructive surgery for this precious daughter of God. 

Let's chose daily to use social media to be a light in a dark world. People are watching you whether you feel like it or not . Use your stage to the glory of God. Lets use it meet likeminded people , raise awareness , promote Godly living, and fight against the injustices in the world. 

All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 

So, whether you eat or drink, orwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just asI try to please everyone in everything I do,not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 10

Big Life Changes for the New Year

The blog has been extra quiet over the holidays!! I was really really sick the entire week before Christmas, which landed me in the hospital dehydrated and suffering from bronchitis. The Lord always works it out with my schedule , as just the time i got sick i had a clear calendar with no pressing responsibilities. I was able to sleep and catch up on much needed rest just in time for Christmas morning. I spent Christmas Eve in bed but was able to muster enough strength to join my entire family Christmas morning and the following day.

Saturday my car was packed and I was off to explore the California Coast, San Francisco, and spend a few days camping in the Sequioa National Forrest. We drove many miles exploring the beautiful state we live in with some very good friends from college. We rung in the New Year around a fire, eating Ramen, drinking wine, and trying to stay alive in 0 degree weather. There is no place I would have rather been then basking in God's creation, looking back on all the year had brought my way and looking forward on all God has in store for 2015. ( We will talk more about that in a little bit, SOOOO EXCITING!!!!) Its such a blessing to still be so closely involved in the lives of sweet friends lives that I met in college and be able to still adventure and share life together. Even though i was not feeling the greatest , still recovering from being so sick it was an awesome week.

Now for the next bit of news. I came home from my road to meet my future brother in law (so weird to even being saying such things). My sister and her fiancé are visiting from Chicago. It has kinda been a mad house as they try to plan a wedding in what seems like a week, before they have to go back to school for the last semester before they get married. Its all new and exciting and i am happy for them. Everyone deserves to find their own great love and coming from the baby sister who swore she would NEVER EVER get married it just goes to show that everything can change when you find the right one. I never ever in my wildest dreams would ever plan for my younger sister to get married before I did , BUT I am couldn't be more content in Gods provision in my own life. The fact that He has taught me to be able to rest and trust in His perfect timing couldn't be more comforting. I LOVE the fact that the Lord is the author of my life story, because I know that He is orchestrating a plan that is so unique and perfect for who I am and what I need. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or anyone else. The wedding is August 1st and will be here before we know it. 

Soon now we can talk about the best news last!!!!! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! I have kept it on the down low for the past 4 months or so as I have been praying, talking and working through some details and plans. As most of you know I was given the incredible opportunity of teaching preschool and ministering in Africa this last summer for 6 weeks. I knew it would rock my socks off but I had no idea all that God would have planned for me because of that trip. God shook my world upside down and around in a few circles and placed a burden on my heart so strong that it denied me the ability to return to "normal" life as I have known it to be. In September of 2015 I will be packing up and moving my life entirely to Africa. The Lord has opened many doors for work and ministry full time there. I never would have seen this as something I would do with my life, but through the work of the Holy Spirit I can't see my life being any other way now. While it is all new and exciting and I can't wait to get back to a country and people that I have fallen in love with, I also realize the struggle that will come with leaving my family, friends , and hometown behind. It will be quite the transition but I am confidant that the Lord is slowly preparing me for all the adventures and new things I will encounter. Everyday life in a 3rd word country is not a walk in the park but I have so much support from family and friends who have been following hard after the Lord, outside their comfort zone for many many years. 

To help me settle and get situated my mom will be joining me for 3-4 months and my dad will also join us for a few weeks in the beginning. As far as the specific work I will be doing their is still in the process of being sorted , I have various avenues of opportunity that I will be pursuing. I have been given the opportunity to use my training in cosmetology to teach business and skill classes to widows. I will also be working with young woman who already have skills in hairdressing but want to open their own salon business. Teaching english as a second language will also be on the agenda as well as working in local slums ministering to young teenagers as they work through unwanted pregnancy and becoming a mother. I am beyond grateful for all the open doors and relationships that have already been established. The Lord has been so gracious in making the way clear as He has called me to this life on the mission field. The support and encouragement from family and friends only makes me more excited. There is still a lot of work to do before we actually get on the plane to fly out and I would so humbly welcome all prayers. All posts and updates will be posted on this site so stay on the look out. As it gets closer I will have more details and specific prayer requests to share. 

As I spend the last several months in the states I am trying to adventure as much as I can and spend as much time as I can with dear friends and family. While the days are long and hard and everything in me wants to jump on a plane tomorrow I know that I will never get this time back so I am not taking it for granted.  2015 has already proven to be an amazing year and I know it will only get better from here. My prayer for this year is that we would be more bold in giving our "Yes" to God. That we would be challenged to draw closer to the Lord more then ever before. That we would not bask in all that we are not but rather on all that Christ is for us. 

O Lord,
Length of days does not profit me
except the days are passed in Thy presence,
in Thy service, to Thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from Thee,
but may rely on Thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth Thy praise,
testify Thy love,
advance Thy kingdom.

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with Thee, O Father as my harbor,
Thee, O Son, at my helm,
Thee O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to Thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.

Give me Thy grace to sanctify me,
Thy comforts to cheer,
Thy wisdom to teach,
Thy right hand to guide,
Thy counsel to instruct,
Thy law to judge,
Thy presence to stabilize.
May Thy fear by my awe,
Thy triumphs my joy.

Katie Davis Interview

Katie Davis is a young lady who inspired and ignited the fire in my heart for Africa when I was first introduced to her in my early college years. Katie came to speak and share about her ministry and book at SDCC where I was attending at the time. I remember sitting there blown away and dumbfounded as my heart was burned by all I was seeing and hearing. I was overwhelmed knowing I would one day visit and serve the Lord for a period of my life in Africa I just didn't know when. The Lord was present that day and little did I know that several years later the Lord would call me to serve in the same town and the same orphanage that Katie and her mom first visited on their trip to Uganda. That place of hope and love where so many volunteers hearts have been captured and where God has wrecked lives for His glory.

Katie is amazing to say the least and a great testimony to complete faith and trust in Jesus, as she gave her full yes and followed where she saw Him lead. On her last trip to the states she was able to do a 3 part interview with Family Life Today Radio Station. I would be lying if I wasn't sitting at work listening to it. I could relate to so much of what she was explaining and sharing , bawling multiple times. My heart beat is AFRICA , all my heart strings are so sensitive to this people, culture , color and country!! I have fallen head over heels in love ........take a listen for yourself , I am sure you will be blessed.


Katie Davis Interview

The Heart Of God and Missions

Here are a couple articles I came across this week that spoke to my heart and we're an encouragment to me. I hope you get the same from them. I have not posted in awhile as work has been soo busy and i am trying to juggle so much change and preparation for more change at one time. God continues to show Himself so faithful in this process and different needs arise , He is right there providing , leading and guiding. He continues to amaze me. Just when I think I can't give anymore , He makes my heart aware of His presence , and through blessings He constantly is pouring out.
Will try to write an actual post in the next week or so as I will have some nice down time before I start a new job after new years.

Gods Changing Hearts Through Adoption:
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-god-changes-hearts-through-open-adoption



Not All Short Term Missions Are Bad:
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/your-short-term-mission-trip-may-not-be-worth-it

There Are No Shortuts

Grest article I came across. So often as new missionaries with new dreams and visions and a clear calling from God we jump in head first. What keeps missionaries like my aunt and uncle on the field for 17 plus years? What keeps someone from not wanting to throw in the towel after a fwe years of service? We do not want to start with fire and end in smoke , we need to start with smoke so that we can end in a big blazing fire to the glory of God. In all we do we must lean soley on the pressence and power of Jesus Christ, setting aside methods , programs and techniques as the main event. Gods desire is to make it so evident in our lives that our vitality is nothing short of His life in us. We must surrender to the pain , trials, and denial of self so that above all else God's glory is made known. It is His grace that will sustain , we are His instruments !! 

What would you say to a budding missionary candidate? I have a close friend who is a veteran pastor, missionary, and now a member care director in the city in which I serve. He says there has been a surge of young adults in recent years who have landed on the field, enthusiastic to redeem the city and bring justice to the oppressed. But they do not stay longer than two years due to exhaustion, dejection, and even loss of faith. The member care workers call this the “radical effect”—young adults, with bleeding hearts, seeking to do something radical for Jesus and the world, who do not follow through with their initial impulse. Often the prospects of formal theological training prior to going to the field seem irrelevant and demotivating.

In light of this challenge and my experience, I recently thought of these two key points of advice that I would give every missionary candidate.  

1. Doctrine Matters

Little did I suspect that some of the greatest battles for biblical truth would not only be with Muslims, atheists, and Buddhists, but with others who claimed to be serving Christ alongside me. In my experience of many years overseas, the battle lines have been drawn on issues such as the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, the extent and the intent of God’s special revelation, the nature and mission of the church, the message and the means of gospel proclamation, the biblical qualifications of elders, the sovereignty of God and the lordship of Christ, and the nature of the unregenerate and regenerate heart. I began to observe an unspoken a-theological ethos in the missions world; indeed, in many cases, theological minimalism reigns. Mobilization efforts of would-be missionaries often focus on the prospects of exciting cultures, idealistic passions, immediate needs, and creative platforms; whole mission teams commonly unite around such emphases. 

The doctrine of choice is often pragmatism: “If it works, then it must be true.” Doctrinal distinctives are usually the least common denominator. In our urgency, there is impatience with the slow work of sowing seed and for the even slower work of training up biblically qualified, indigenous elders. The need-for-speed and result-driven methods commonly shortcut the tiresome labor of training local pastors to be mighty in the Scriptures. Yet our missionary methodology always reveals our theology, or lack thereof. For instance, a deficient view of Scripture leaves the Bible unused and/or misused in evangelism and discipleship. Defective views of depravity and regeneration employ methods of “reaching” people that do not command repentance and submission to Christ’s kingship. Errant ecclesiology leads to teaching hopeful converts that they neither have to leave their native religious structures nor forsake their religious texts.

In his book Paul the Missionary: Realities, Strategies, and Methods(InterVarsity, 2008), Eckhard Schnabel helpfully explains:

Missionaries, evangelists, and teachers who have understood both the scandal of the cross and the irreplaceable and foundational significance of the news of Jesus the crucified and risen Messiah and Savior will not rely on strategies, models, methods, or techniques. They rely on the presence of God when they proclaim Jesus Christ, and on the effective power of the Holy Spirit. This dependence on God rather than on methods liberates them from following every new fad, from using only one particular method, from using always the same techniques, and from copying methods and techniques from others whose ministry is deemed successful.

We must heed the appeal “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). One of the enemy’s oldest tricks is to coax us to let our guard down and assume the gospel.  When the hard edges of gospel doctrine are assumed, they are quickly forgotten; the mission, then, is aborted. 

2. Pain Is Part of the Plan

I grew up with a health disability that would have prevented me from ever going to college, obtaining a job, or living a long, normal life. Before God mercifully delivered me from it, he graciously delivered me through it. Many days and nights I laid in the darkness of my room in much pain and nausea, praying in the silence that God would give me the sustaining grace to preach the gospel to the nations. I started pre-seminary at the age of 5 when God sent me my wisest and most influential teacher: affliction. Through his loving discipline, God taught me about his sovereign goodness and inscrutable wisdom. 

Having grown up facing much affliction, and having learned well the theology of suffering under a sovereign God, I was still naïve to how unrelenting and inexplicable are the trials of the missionary life. If not for the doctrine of God’s wise sovereignty in suffering, I would never have made it. Long-term missions can indeed be a place of excitement and adventure; however, it is also inescapably a place of adversity and barrenness. It is moreover the land of self-emptying and learning to laugh at yourself; learning to think, feel, dream, and reason in a foreign language; learning to enjoy the adopted family of Christ in light of distant relationships back home; learning to keep silent in the face of stiff criticism from those who once supported you; learning to eat the Word of God as your daily food; learning to pray for your wife and children because their lives literally depend upon it; and learning to navigate wisely on the path of self-denial amid a global culture immersed in self-indulgence, self-promotion, and self-preservation.

I would soberly admonish any missionary candidate that the mission field is not all romance and radical adventure; it is also mingled with heartbreak, loss, and self-denial. But therein we discover God’s boundless love and wise providence. C. S. Lewis said in in his poem As the Ruin Falls, “The pains You give me are more precious than all other gains.” Perhaps D. A. Carson says it best in his excellent book on suffering, How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil:

The more the leaders are afflicted with weakness, suffering, perplexity, and persecution, the more it is evident that their vitality is nothing other than the life of Jesus. This has enormously positive spiritual effects on the rest of the church. The leaders’ death means the church’s life. This is why the best Christian leadership cannot simply be appointed. It is forged by God himself in the fires of suffering, taught in the school of tears. There are no shortcuts.

God loves his servants so much that he allows them to suffer, so that his grace will sustain them in order to make his glory known. Our weakness is the God-ordained instrument through which the Holy Spirit fills us with the power of Christ.

Embracing The Change

This Thanksgiving holiday I walked into an empty house , all alone , carrying grocery bags and an overnight bag for the weekend. A house that once was full of Christmas music , joking, laughing , fighting (hahaha) , and the kitchen where we cooked for an army was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Proceeding to prepare my families signature broccoli  rice casserole that we bring every thanksgiving I began thinking emoting. BEWARE , we are talking about the girl who can count the number of times she has cried and rarely shows any signs of extreme emotions or feelings. I begin to tear up. I know what your thinking , what a weirdo to cry over a casserole. I'm with you , seriously  hahaha what's my problem? You this time of year and all the traditions it holds are significantly missing , and or changing right before my very eyes. Working through how to process a change or transition that i am in fact very much so looking forward to but at the same time is the hardest thing to do.

This was going to be the last holiday season that my entire family will be in the same place living out the same traditions as a family that we have created for the past 24 years of my life. While my younger sister has plans to start her own family this summer and my youngest sister moves off to begin college adventures the holidays will never ever be the same. This is a time in history iv only dreamed and imagined but here i am right smack in the middle of a reality. Yet my last Thanksgiving as I know it is being spent  without my family.


As human beings we hate , and avoid change with every fiber of our being. We look for every way around, over , or under it. We struggle to know how to funtion and adapt when thrown out  of our comfort zone and thrust into the unknown. We panic , desire to go back , and hold on to anything familiar to us even if it's not healthy for us. So often change is for our good and becomes a new normal after some time. The life of a Christian is one that needs to be marked by frequent change and progression. When Christ  saves us and calls us to Himself we encounter the gratest change in the world. He takes our filthy rags and clothes us in His robs of righteousness. We go from being dead to alive. From being broken to made whole. It dosnt stop there , no our life is continually going through change by the process of sanctification  where the Lord over the course of our life is shaping  us into the glorious image of His Son Jesus.

I am so grateful that my Jesus does not just  leave me in the place He found me but that He calls me to a life marked by constant change. While He Himself never changes or shifts , He leads us to follow Him through trials , triumph and open doors that all lead to making us more like Him as we show those around us the love and beauty of the Savior. Father this year would give us the strength to follow You closely no matter what life holds , may we be found faithful to embrace a life of change as you daily sanctify and refine us. We say all we have for all that You are!!

Missions Mondays Spotlight

Well its Monday AGAIN!! And that means another missions moment where we look at some ministries around the world that are specifically working with children, orphans, and families. This week I decided to shine the spotlight on more then one since I may have missed a monday or two in the beginning of the month. All these ministries hold a special place in my heart and cannot wait to be able to work with each of them further in the future as they continue to labor and harvest for the Kingdom. Check them out below and keep all the staff in prayer as they battle for souls on a daily basis. 

ABIDE MISSION:
Our goal is to reduce the number of children in orphanages in Uganda.  Abide family Center firmly believes that poverty should never be the reason children are separated from their families.  



RAFIKI MISSION:

This is the ministry of my Aunt and Uncle Enis. I love these people so much and so blessed by the faithfulness and dedication of their giving of their lives to serve on the field. They work tirelessly educating and caring for over 100 orphans, raising up Godly men and woman for the kingdom.





ROWAN MISSION:
To love & empower orphans & widows infected or affected by HIV & AIDS in Uganda through education, medical care and treatment, spiritual nourishment and business training, resulting in self-reliance. ROWAN partners with local Christian leaders & development organizations empowering each person to discover their God-given gifts & passions. Together, we assess quality of life, identify physical, spiritual & social needs & implement innovative strategies to meet these needs within the community.

What Does Reaching the "Unreached" Mean??

Great article that I found. Love the way it views the meaning of reaching unreached people groups and what that looks like in reality. It provided tons of clarity as I have been wrestling with this topic in the calling of my own heart to missions. 

Jesus gave the Great Commission to his church almost 2,000 years ago. He clearly instructed us to make disciples in every people group, to baptize them, and to teach them to obey everything he has commanded. After all these years, more than half of the world’s people groups remain unreached, representing more than one-third of the world’s population. The challenge to reach every people group as quickly as possible resonates in our hearts and prayers, and reverberates in missions conferences. We must reach the unreached because no one can be saved without the gospel.

But subsequent questions easily divide and distract us in our efforts to obey the Great Commission. What does it mean to reach the unreached? What does a reached group look like? And does a people group need any more missionaries once they are reached? Should I feel guilty or mistaken if I believe God is calling me to a group that some consider reached? Discussions about such questions often become more emotional than missiological.

The definition that missiologists often use to describe the term “unreached” is something along the lines of those ethnolinguistic people groups whose population is less than 2 percent evangelical, or those groups without a sufficiently strong presence of New Testament churches or numbers of Christians who could carry on the work without outside help. This percentage metric was devised by missiologists simply to have a commonly embraced benchmark to assist them in talking about levels of evangelical Christianity in various missions contexts. However, it was quickly adopted more broadly as a useful way of discerning which groups had the least presence of Christianity and therefore priority targets for missionaries. Indeed, some even used it to decide where missionaries should go to serve, and when others should leave ministries and redeploy elsewhere.

Certainly those groups with populations that are less than 2 percent evangelical must hear the gospel, and we should use all haste to reach them. Carl F. H. Henry said that the gospel is only good news if it gets there in time. Sadly, for about 50,000 people in unreached people groups every day, it does not.

Crucial Questions and Answers

Still, many questions remain unanswered. If a group is more than 2 percent evangelical, that is if it is not unreached, may we call it "reached"? Does reached mean that missionaries should not be there, that the work is considered complete and should be handed off to nationals? What about people groups that have been saturated in animism or some false world religion for centuries that subsequently embrace a gospel presentation? Haiti comes to mind—though the majority claim to be believers, a greater majority still practice voodoo. One thinks of Rwanda that had more than 90 percent baptized Christians when the worst genocide our age has known broke out; almost 1 million were slaughtered by other "reached" Christians. The lifelong task of discipleship should indeed be handed off to the national church, but only after they have been discipled.

Certainly most would agree that faithful obedience to the Great Commission and reaching the unreached is more than a matter of speaking the gospel message and moving on. But how much more? Jesus answered that question. He said to teach them to obey all he has commanded. That statement must not be abbreviated. The task of the Great Commission cannot be compared to running through a large darkened building, flipping on a few switches and announcing that they now have light even though thousands of other rooms leave most people in darkness. If that is all one understands reaching the unreached to mean, then we must agree that the great tragedy of the world today is not that it is unreached, but that it is undiscipled.

We have unintentionally created the erroneous perception that missions equals reaching the unreached. If one’s efforts consist of flipping on light switches and then hurrying to the next darkened room, that is not the Great Commission; it’s only half of what we have been commanded to do. Jesus said we are to teach them to observe all that he has commanded.

What, then, is missions all about? We are to strive to know God and to make him known. We are to reach the unreached and teach the disciples. The role of the Western missionary is often seen to be simply reaching the unreached, flipping on light switches, then leaving the discipling and teaching task to the national church. However, when the national church has not received deep discipleship, theological education, or pastoral training, the teaching cannot be handed off to them. The 1 Timothy 3 admonition that a pastor should be apt to teach does not just mean that he knows how to teach, it also means that he knows what to teach.

Teach Them Sound Doctrine

God has greatly blessed the churches of the West with centuries of Christian reflection on revealed truth. Western theologians and biblical scholars stand on the shoulders of all those who came before them, incorporating the insights revealed and lessons learned from schisms and heresies. All that God has providentially allowed or sent, and the ways that he has sovereignly guided the Western church, has resulted in what we Western believers understand evangelical Christianity to be. Wise stewardship must not treat this heritage lightly but should seek to share it in ways that are biblically faithful and culturally appropriate so that others may know. The core principle of discipleship is that the one who knows teaches the one who does not know (1 Tim. 2:2).

Every people group must have the Bible in a language they can understand. They should have biblically qualified and trained pastors. They should have their own theologians and authors who are well-equipped to reflect on the Scriptures in the context of their people’s worldview and write in their heart language. But this ideal world will not exist until we obey our commission to disciple disciplers, train trainers, and teach teachers. Nationals will one day be the best teachers, theologians, authors, and preachers for their national church—but only after they have been prepared. The background developed through generations of being steeped in pagan worldviews and false religions does not evaporate on praying a prayer of salvation. This is why Christ commanded us to disciple them.

Unchanging Truth in a Changing Culture

My grandfather taught my dad much about life, and my dad embraced this teaching, improved upon some of it, and then adapted it to the new methodologies of his generation before teaching me. Likewise, I learned their values and primary lessons but made adjustments to the world I live in to practice their wisdom faithfully. Many of the missionaries who brought the gospel to Europe had studied the writings of the early church fathers and learned from previous generations, but they made adjustments to embrace new languages and worldviews without changing the gospel. Music and liturgies the missionaries had learned in their past were often ineffective on newer mission fields. The Christianity that came to the New World continued to adapt and morph, but it has remained faithful to the original Word once for all delivered to the saints.

When missionaries share translated books, sermons, and lessons with peoples who have yet to prepare their own, they are not theological imperialists or imposing their particular beliefs on others. They are faithfully sharing truth they have learned with the full knowledge that their hearers will do the same. Reaching the unreached is a lifelong process. The pioneer missionary may begin the process and then change his approach to meet the evolving needs for the rest of his life, or he may plant a church and invite others to come behind him to do the deep discipleship and pastoral training. Teaching those we reach is not an optional component of missions. When Jesus said to teach them all he has commanded, he is saying, “Tell them all that I told you.”

Lost people of the world must hear the gospel to be saved. That is true whether they are in an unreached people group or not. Lost people in reached people groups are still lost, and everyone who dies in a lost condition will go to hell for eternity. Their only hope is to hear the gospel and repent. The task of missions is not simply to reach the unreached, allowing every missionary to define what that means for himself; it is reaching the lost and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded.

David Sills serves as professor of missions and cultural anthropology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and is president of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries. Sills has also served with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in Ecuador as as church planter and general evangelist among the Highland Quichua people in the Andes, and as a seminary professor at the Ecuadorian Baptist Theological Seminary. He also served as rector and professor of the Baptist seminary as a missionary with Global Outreach International.






http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/missions-doesnt-stop-when-group-reached

National Adoption Month

I am in love with the month of November for many different reasons. First of all its the beginning of fall , all things cozy and warm. We can finally pull out the handful of sweaters that us Sandiegans own!! Secondly it holds one of my favorite holidays. Thanksgiving. This is a time spent with family, counting our blessings, sharing laughs, prepping for Christmas and eating some of the most amazing food out their. I seriously could eat "thanksgiving dinner" for every big holiday and special occasion and be completely content. Lastly, and this is a new discovery I made just this year actually which added all the more  to my love of November. November happens to be National Adoption Awareness Month. How incredible that not just a day is dedicated to this but an entire month , 30 whole days.

I decided that on my blog I wanted to start doing a "Missionary Moment" once a week on Mondays. Where I share with you a little bit about a new ministry or missionary that I know personally who is serving the Lord overseas. Then I thought for the month of November I would focus on organizations that are striving for excellence in the department of orphan care, particularly in Africa since this is where my passion , calling, heart, and connections lie. There are so many amazing individuals not only in Africa but all over the world who inspire me with the work and visions that the Lord has given them to pursue. So many of these go unnoticed, as I know until I actually started searching I was unaware of just the amount of amazing things going on in all parts of the world. These disciples of Christ are giving of all their lives and resources to reclaim what the Devil has stollen and to bring hope and love to the most desperate situations around. Teaching widows skills, fighting against abortion , human trafficking, caring for orphans, the sick, the destitute, training young men to be leaders and pastors, and so much more. I am so excited to give you little glimpses into a number of different ministries that i have been blessed to have a small hand in this year. With so many needs on this planet the ministry diversity is just as large, no two are the same.

Jesus loves us and loves the entire world and it blows me away when I consider how blessed i am to have a small part in the vastness of all He is doing. When our utmost desire is His glory and fame to be known throughout the entire world then we open ourselves to be used in amazing ways in the most incredible places. We have not been given passions, abilities and talents for no reason. These are the avenues that the Lord uses as we carry His name wherever we may go. Don't sell short your past, the places God has brought you through and the current path you are on. He has a plan and is working in your life in more ways then you could ever imagine. Give the Lord your YES and see how He will use you. I promise it will blow your very mind, take you places you never thought you would go, and keep you there by His grace.

The first ministry I want to shine a spotlight on is MERCY HOUSE.  This organization was founded by a mom from the states who took a trip to Africa with Compassion to do some blogging for them. Little did she know that once you gave her "YES" to God He was call her to pursue even greater things for the Kingdom. This beautiful family still lives in the States and has trained African leaders to run the organization in Kenya. I love the work they are doing here and have a dream and vision to see a location established in Uganda Lord willing.

Finding Your "City'

This week in church we  finished the last of 3 messages that have been recapping and summarizing the book of Genesis. This weeks topic was all about cities, our roles in the city and the city that is to come that we as Christians look forward to. Their is a very unique universal call that the Lord has placed on us and how we relate to what we know of as a "city". This call to keep , work and populate a city starts way back in the garden of Eden and still stands for us today. We see that this whole idea of a city , dwelling here on earth and contributing to a "city" was all part of Gods plan, but these cities are in fact ever since the fall been corrupted and are full of sinful people. We are on mission in our city to make much of Christ and to build up as many disciples for Gods coming city as we can.

Jeremiah 29:5-7 “5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

I love how this verse points out that yes, as children of God we are exiles and wanderes on this earth. As we long and wait for heaven the eternal city of God our job here on earth is so very important and still part of Gods plan.  You see it is the Lord who determines what city we call home. He is the one who establishes us and orders our steps. God is the one who knows the end from the beginning, His plans are greater then ours. He simply needs our "Yes Lord" and then He has the authority to take us to the deepest , farthest village on the other side of the world, a beach front town , or the middle of the dessert (James 4:13-15). Their are cities , and peoples all over this earth, all of which need to see and experience the love of Chris and hear the Gospel. No matter where you are called to be or where you currently live chose today to be all their. What does this look like you ask? 

We live our mission out by seeking the city of God, the one that is to come, the one that we have citizenship in as the Bible tells us. In this present city we are merely on a journey, working daily to bring as many people with us as we can. First thing we don't do is Despise our city , this only forces us into a christian/church bubble where we do not interact with the lost at all. Second we do not Yield to our city we are called to be in this world but not of it , going along and loving all the city loves. Lastly we are not to Use the city, which means taking it for all its benefits and moving along without making an impact or giving back. This is wrong. 

We LOVE that "city" that God has called us to by planting roots, living there, building a business there, worshiping there , caring about that city , and doing all you can to reach the lost and contributing to making that city the best it can be for the glory of God. When we look at are calling and purpose in this way its makes us realize that every single person in Gods family is in fact a missionary. Christians in San Diego are just as much missionaries as those in Africa, Russia , China, or the Middle East. We all have been given the same Word of God and the same command to make disciples and to bring as many people with us into the kingdom of God. Are we doing this , and are we doing this to the best of our ability? Are we looking for ways daily to share Christ with people, contribute to the good of our city , and to live as missionaries every day of our lives ? 

Ask the Lord to reveal to you where your "city" is and the specific ways He has for you to love and be committed to that city. Until the Lord brings us home to the true and better city may we be found faithful as a family on mission here on earth. 

10 Most Horrifying Examples of Modern-Day Child Slavery

This is an article I came across on a friend of mines Facebook Feed . I know this stuff exists but this article laid it out plain, simple, and unsugar-coated. My heart is broken and torn to shreds . We live a world that is nasty, terrible , just awful. How the Fathers heart but feel when He sees the wicked sinfulness of mankind. Ohhhhh come Lord Jesus , come soon!

Childhood is defined by culturally set boundaries which have changed throughout human history. The acceptable age to work varies depending on the culture, but child slavery is unanimously the worst form of child labor that exists and is unacceptable at any age in any country. There are millions of children trafficked around the world and forced into lives of depravity and despair. Here are 10 of the worst kinds of modern child slavery.

10Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan

In war-torn Afghanistan, an ancient practice called Bacha Bazi has been revived in which young boys are taught to dance and sold to wealthy men. The translation means to be interested in children. Poor boys are exploited and become sexually abused slaves. It was banned by the Taliban and is still illegal under Afghan law. In a place where women are not allowed to dance in public, boys are made to wear women’s clothing and dance for groups of men. After the shows, the boys are often taken to hotels and subjected to sexual abuse.

Impoverished boys who have no fathers or live on the streets are particularly at risk. With no resources family who often need the eldest son’s financial support, the boys are drawn into the disturbing world of Bacha Bazi. The children, many of whom are no older than nine, are groomed by powerful merchants who lure them with the promise of a better life. Some men make their living roaming the streets, hunting for vulnerable children to recruit. The kids they find are given “jobs” as apprentices and the grooming begins. The practice is purely pedophilic—when the boys mature and grow beards, they are cast out. That life is all they know, and when no longer dancing, many become Bacha Bazi pimps themselves.

Bacha Bazi was thought to be a practice that occurred in the north of Afghanistan, but an internal investigation for UNICEF found evidence of it in the south and even in Kabul. Men in positions of power manipulate the system to prevent persecution. Police officers who run programs meant to protect children have been found attending the parties. Western men have been known to come to Afghanistan and take advantage of the boys. The lives of these children are completely ruined, they face violent backlash if they don’t agree to sexual demands, and they’ll likely be murdered if they escape.

9Forced Beggars Of Senegal

Not all children who beg on the streets are homeless. In Senegal, an estimated 50,000 children are being made to hit the streets and beg for money. Parents send their children to Quranic schools called daaras, where they are supposed to get an education guided by the Quran, overseen by a spiritual teacher known as a marabout. For many, this is all that happens, but all too many daaras are exploiting the students. Referred to as talibés, these students are forced to beg on the streets to earn money for their marabouts.

The talibés vary in age from four to 14. They’re sent out on the streets and have a daily quota of money to bring back to the marabouts. If they return shorthanded, the penalties are swift and harsh, from being chained in total isolation to violent beatings. The money ends up in the pockets of the marabouts and is not invested in the schools or the children. The talibés lack shoes and hold tin cans to collect their money as they wander the streets early in the morning to please their keepers. The marabouts hold immense sway, making the government reluctant to crack down. Activists want the Senegalese government to fast-track state-sponsored daaras, where traditional religious teachings can persist but forced child labor cannot.

8Shrine Slavery In West Africa

In West Africa, a form of ritual servitude carries on in traditional religious circles. The practice of Trokosi (which translates to “slave of the gods”) involves taking young, virginal girls into religious shrines to correct the misdeeds committed by their families. The girls are subjected to sexual abuse, forced hard labor, and a lifetime of shame. They are not allowed to keep any money. The girls’ families must provide the girls with food and clothing. Every aspect of their lives is controlled by the priests who run the shrines and the priests have only to answer to the gods and the shrine owners. The owners of the shrines are usually village elders and hold significant political and economic power.

The sexual abuse is no secret—the girls have to have sex with the priests whenever they demand. It is said that when the girl has sex with the priest, she is having sex with the gods who the priest serves. The girls are raped so often that priests can have dozens of offspring. This brings even deeper shame upon slaves because the community doesn’t see these children as legitimate, since the girls are married to gods and not to men.

If the family refuses to give up their daughter, the belief is that terrible things will happen to them. It isn’t restricted to immediate family—a terrible crime could require generations of virgin daughters being sent to the shrines. If a girl dies in servitude, the family is required to send another virgin daughter to replace her. Even if released by the priests, she can be forced to return to the shrine, because for the rest of her life, she is considered a slave to the gods. Even though the practice is illegal in countries like Ghana, it still carries on in secret.

7Domestic Servitude Next Door

One of the most pervasive forms of modern child slavery is domestic servitude. A shocking 10.5 million children—71 percent of whom are girls and many of whom are as young as five years old—are estimated to be domestic workers around the world, and many of these children are held in slavery. They cook, care for children, garden, fetch water, clean, and anything else that needs done in the homes where they are employed.

It happens everywhere, including the United States. There are an estimated 50,000 slaves in the United States and an additional 17,500 are being trafficked into the country every year. That is more people being enslaved annually than during legal slavery in America’s dark history. Persecution is difficult because many cultures where the children live do not have clear cut distinctions between work and family duties, but these children are not treated as part of a family and the work they carry out is not equivalent to ordinary chores. Kept in isolation and subjected to physical and sexual abuse, domestic slaves are hidden from the outside and become dependent on their captors.

Terrifyingly, this kind of slavery can be happening next door to you and it would be hard to ever know. The stories almost always include a vulnerable, trafficked child who was lured into a family, where they became isolated and beaten into submission. The children have often been taken from foreign countries and have little to no knowledge of the native language. Such was the case of one young girl, Shyima, who was enslaved by a wealthy Egyptian couple in California. She knew nothing but the cruel conditions of sleeping in a garage and caring for a family of five—she couldn’t read when rescued years after her servitude began.

6Cannabis Farms In Scotland

Children from places such as China and Vietnam are being trafficked into Great Britain and being forced to work in indoor cannabis farms throughout the island, many of which are located in Scotland. These farms are usually run by organized gangs inside gutted buildings, whose the windows are blacked out and doors are locked at all times. Children as young as 13 are kept inside 24 hours a day, where they have to tend to thousands of cannabis plants. An estimated 300 children are trafficked into the country every year, and justice system is failing these victims.

These children are not given any access to natural light, only knowing the day by the heat lamps that keep the plants growing, and are exposed to toxic chemicals that are used in the cultivation process. They face intimidation, violence, and extortion on a daily basis, often told by manipulative gang members that they will be freed when they’ve worked off the debts their families owe to overseas money lenders. The debts are sometimes real, but the ability to pay them off is not. One young victim, Min, was told that her captors would kill her grandmother if she tried to escape.

The UK is increasingly cracking down on cannabis farms, but the victimized children are not immediately helped by the raids. Instead, many children are being charged with cannabis cultivation and being sentenced to prison time. Min was one of those children, sentenced to 12 months in prison, and Hai Van Vo was another. Vo is an orphan from Vietnam who was promised restaurant work in Europe when he was trafficked into the UK. His captors said he had to work off the debt from the trip, so they locked him inside and made him become a “gardener.” When the farm was raided, Vo was sentenced to deportation after a 27-month jail term. Those children who don’t go to jail are put into foster care. While in care, the gangs that coerced them into slavery continue to harass them and scare nearly two-thirds of children into returning to the farms.

5Camel Jockeys In The Persian Gulf

When you think of horse jockeys, you probably imagine very small people wrestling a speeding horse between their legs. It’s a similar situation with camel jockeys, only it’s children riding the camels and the children are slaves. An estimated 30 or more boys as young as two are abducted monthly from Pakistan to work as camel jockeys. The slave owners buy the children so young not because two-year-olds are good at riding camels, but because acquiring them at that age means there is more time to deliberately stunt their growth to prevent maturation and weight gain.

The children usually begin racing at the age of 10, even though it is illegal for anyone under the age of 14. If the boys don’t live up to their masters’ expectations, they can be tortured and left for dead. There is so much money in the endeavor that camel owners turn a blind eye to the violent abductions, instead focusing their attentions on disciplining and training their new slaves. The children who escape this nightmare face an uphill struggle, as the abuse they face at sensitive young ages can have lifelong effects, including severe mental and physical disabilities. UNICEF is working to end this phenomenon by encouraging the use of robot jockeys that jostle the camels to race.

4Harvesting Child Organs

Taking advantage of the high demand for organ transplants, organized gangs have taken to trafficking children to sell their organs on the black market. One such young girl was abducted from Somalia and smuggled into the United Kingdom in 2013. Haiti became a hotbed of exploitation in the wake of the devastating 2010 earthquake, which left tens of thousands of children orphaned. Child trafficking was stated to be one of the biggest issues faced by aid workers as they struggled to reunite children with distant relatives and bring others into safe homes.

Even where strict regulations are placed on organ transplants, black markets thrive because people are desperate for transplants they fear may never come through legitimate means. An estimated 70,000 kidneys come annually from the black market worldwide. Reports on the prevalence of children being trafficked for organ harvesting are varied, but experts fear it is much more common than anyone knows. After all, gangs exploit the most vulnerable and invisible among us and supply a desperate demand. Sometimes, the children are never found after they vanish.

3Forced Labor In The Mines

Mining is strenuous work and considered one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Long hours, hard physical labor, and often-cramped conditions can contribute to human errors in an already dangerous environment. If it is dangerous for well-trained adults in regulated mines, imagine how dangerous is it for the estimated one million children in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia that work in unregulated mines.

From the age of three, children are intimidated and forced to work long hours for little to no pay. They toil in shifts of 24 hours at a time, while girls are often forced into prostitution. They are at a higher risk for short- and long-term health effects due to chemicals, dust, and deadly metals. Their growing bodies can become permanently deformed because they strain them carrying heavy loads. Their respiratory systems suffer due to constant dust inhalation, and the toxic chemicals and metals do serious damage to their nervous systems. The children are kept from school and have little or no access to healthcare services. The isolated locations of most mining communities contributes to the lack of police intervention and normal social protocols. Many of the fringe mining communities are rife with drug abuse and deplorable living conditions.

2Child Soldiers In Armed Conflicts

With the advent of light weapons, vulnerable children became the go-to soldiers for disgraceful armies that have nothing to lose. In terrorist cells, civil wars, and private armies around the world, hundreds of thousands of underage soldiers are being forced into bearing arms. They are easy to intimidate and take orders better than adults. Children are less aware of their rights and are usually looking to adults for guidance and care, so they’re less likely to run away. They can be kept in slave conditions because they sometimes know nothing else but that violent world.

These children become so conditioned to war that killing is as routine a part of everyday life as eating, drinking, or sleeping. Their malleable minds are brainwashed and they live in constant danger, killing on command. They come from war-ravaged villages and are often the only survivors after an attack, taken in by the attackers and forced into slavery. Some armies, such as the Burmese military regime, force them to perform slave labor in transport and construction when not on the front lines.

Those who escape, such as those who fled during the Sierra Leone civil war, are simply taken in and enslaved by the opposing side. They are forced to kill other children who try to escape. Sometimes, children who survive even face war tribunals. In Somali, children have been accused of war crimes instead of being liberated from their slavery.

1Chocolate Slavery On The Ivory Coast

Most children light up when given a chocolate treat, but there are children who are slaves to the chocolate industry. They are so controlled and abused that many do not even know what chocolate is or what it tastes like. In places like Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where 60 percent of the world’s cocoa is produced, illegal child labor is carried out on a daily basis. Some children have parents who are cocoa farmers, but others are trafficked and forced into a life tending the fields.

The estimated 500,000 child slaves working in the cocoa fields live in depressing conditions. Often orphaned or homeless, they are smuggled by force or by promises of a better life. The children are so small that many tasks can’t be done without injury, like cutting grass with a machete.

No one is taking full responsibility—the government blames the cocoa industry, while the cocoa industry blames the government. Proposed legislation to guarantee slave-labor-free final products was shot down after intense pressure from industry giants. Horrifyingly, a BBC undercover journalist discovered that even when a chocolate bar is stamped with the Fairtrade seal of approval, there may still be child labor occurring during production.