After I saw her, I went back and reread the notes to a speech I made this last October. It was at a banquet, here in Portland, where we raised almost a quarter million dollars....and every single dollar has been directly given to help rescue children that are at risk of being put in the sex trade! The following gives the general idea of what I shared.....
"I held G***'s hand as we walked up to an area by the Mekong River. She was my new friend from the home in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We had come to get a glimpse of what life was like for these girls before Remember Nhu gave them a new home. I knew this was going to be interesting in that I had just spent days with these girls and it was hard to imagine them growing up anywhere else. They were joyful, well-adjusted, and vibrant girls who sang everywhere they went. It was obvious they felt safe in their home, and were loved and cared for deeply.
When we made our way to the riverbank, I was astounded. The smell and sight of the filth and garbage cannot be captured in a mere photo. These people wash, eat, and use the same water as their restroom. I observed my surroundings, as the kids flocked around us, as we handed out oranges and apples. These precious children have so many dangers. First, and obviously, the physical risks of sickness, disease and starvation. Secondly, there is the definite risk of being sold into the sex trade. We only saw very young kids, younger than about 12 years old, because all of the other children had probably been sold by their families, to earn money to supply themselves the bare necessities.
When were were out of fruit, I went around the corner to take more pictures, trying to capture the vision in front of me. While I was snapping shots, a song caught my attention. A Justin Timberlake song that said, “I am bringing sexy back...” started playing loudly and I turned around to see what was going on behind me. There, right in front of me, was a young girl, probably 9 years old, who we had just gave fruit to. She had set down her food and now her leg was seductively up on a picnic table and she danced in front of a group of men. I wanted to vomit. There was part of me who wanted to go snatch the girl up and take her with me. But instead, I nauseously ran back to my group...The image I had just witnessed haunting me as we drove back to the girl's home.
Yet, I was amazed. It could only be the work of God to rescue these children from the depravity, corruption, and poverty that I just witnessed with my own eyes. And it could only be the work of His Spirit to breath the life and joy that radiated out of each of the children of Remember Nhu. As we drove back, G*** clung to my arm. As she did, she starting singing. She was singing a song that I myself had sung as a little girl her age. She sangs the words “I have decided to follow Jesus. I have to decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back. This world behind me, The cross before me. This world behind me, The cross before me. This world behind me, The cross before me. No turning back. No turning back.” That day, G*** was evidence of the impact that Remember Nhu is making, through Carl and Laurie's love and dedication. She didn't have to the go back to the depravity and risks of the world she once lived in. She didn't have to go back to a world full of sin, fear, and risk of the sex trade. Instead, G***, was now provided with the opportunity to live in a home where she would experience a childhood a little more similar to the one I had...a childhood where I had felt love, peace, and safety.
My prayer is that tonight you will no longer have a disconnect between the statistics that seem almost incomprehensible to us here in America. 7 out of 10 girls along the Mekong river are sold into sex slavery. Many people don't like to think about it; many would rather pretend that nothing like this would ever happen to harm helpless little children. But the truth is that it does, and there is no denying it.
These children's faces are etched in my memory forever. Their stories inspire me. Their love gives me a greater vision of what I know of God. And the dream of Remember Nhu gives me a clearer picture of what it looks to love the orphan- and to be the hands of Jesus to rescue those who are afraid, weak, helpless, and in need of saving.
I ask you to think of our own children and recognize it is only by the grace of God Himself that our children are not at risk as these dear ones. As my husband and I dream of the family we want to start, my hope would be that if anything would threaten to steal my own daughter's innocence, childhood, or even life, that you would have the heart to intervene. I would plead with you. So, tonight, I plead with you, on behalf of countless mothers and young children, across the world, whose cry for help is only heard audibly by God Himself. Please bridge the disconnect of those statistics, and be the answer to their prayers."
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| Some of the children along the river |
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| Handing out fruit to the kiddos |
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| Housing along the Mekong River |
There are so many ways you can get involved and help support Remember Nhu. Please watch this video that explains the impact they are making. http://remembernhu.org/media/motion/videos/
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| My dear sister, Nhu, and I....sisters forever! |
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