intensity

Hello folks!

So it's been a while since I last posted a "real blog," so, since I have most of my homework done and I have some free time on my hands, I figured I'd write. : )

Alot has happened in two weeks! Last Friday, our team had the opportunity of "Experiencing Injustice." For those of you who haven't received my support letters, I'll give you a little run-down on human trafficking...

Millions of women and children are being kidnapped and sold into slavery throughout the world and even in the US. This is called human trafficking. People take these women and children and use them in horrible, inhumane ways. Over 27 million women, and even girls as young as eight years old, are used in the sex slave industry and being forced into prostitution. And over 300,000 children are taken from their homes and forced to take up arms and/or be sex slaves for soldiers in Africa. 218 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 work in sweatshops for up to 12 hours a day without pay and often being physically and sexually abused.

Yeah, it's pretty heart-breaking. During our "Experiencing Injustice" session, we were taken from room to room and shown a video or a skit (done by the staff) about the different types of human slaveries. But the last part of the session made the whole experience seem like a glimpse into reality...

(Everything I describe was done by staff members who were acting. No one was actually harmed) We were forced by men to get on our knees and put on blindfolds. Then they shoved us (about 7 of us girls) into a van. When the van parked, the men ordered us to get out, get on our knees in the cold mud and grass (it was about 8 at night and very cold & dark), and take off our blindfolds. Then we noticed there were several girls tied up screaming and crying. Some of the men grabbed another girl kneeling in the grass, forced a gun into her hand, and ordered her to shoot the girl who had been tied up. At this moment, for me, reality hit. As I said above, kids are taken from their homes, given a gun, and brain-washed into killing other people. It just breaks my heart to know that innocent children, as young as five, are forced into these kids of inhumane acts.

A few days after the session, we watched a movie, called "Human Trafficking." If any of you are interested in learning more about human trafficking, I encourage you to watch it. But I strongly recommend it for an older audience (15 and up) as it is very graphic and extremely real.

Then next morning after watching the movie, we had intercession for those affected by human trafficking. But before we started praying, we watched an NBC clip. It showed an American newsman going into a small village in the Philippines. As soon as he entered a young boy and his mother came up to him, offering him young girls at a cheap price. The newsman followed them into a room, where ten or so young girls were gathered. Then he was led to a room with just a bed in it. Then several girls entered the room and started naming off prices, as if it were completely normal; $30 a girl.

At this point of the clip, I was crying my eyes out, and continued to do so through the whole intercession. I think it was God's way of showing me how much it breaks His heart that little kids have to go through that.

This week we studied the countries of southern Africa, and had intercession for the issues plaguing Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, there is a severe cholera epidemic. The streets are flooded with human waste. And people dying from the disease are left in the hospitals to decompose, further breeding the disease.

Over 60,000 will contract cholera in the next month in Zimbabwe alone. Cholera is basically a disease contracted through the unintentional consumption of infected human waste that contaminate food and water. Its symptoms are severe vomiting, explosive diarrhea, and severe dehydration. Without immediate medical treatment, cholera may result in death within four to twelve hours after symptoms begin. Due to a large loss of body fluids, cholera is gruesome in the way that it leaves survivors in their physical appearance, as well as in the biological toll it takes on the body. And cholera is very contagious, but is easily treated with fluids and antibiotics.

All it takes is someone willing to do something. Someone to listen to God's voice, trust, and act in obediance. And change will come.

As I share this information with you, I realize not all of you can drop everything and go to Zimbabwe. But please be praying that God would lay it on people's hearts to act, and to bring hope to these hurting people.

Whew. So yeah, as you can see, it's been a couple of intense weeks.

And on top of everything, I'm sending out all of my support letters this weekend. Pray that people would be willing to give, and bring change into people's lives, through what I'm doing.

I really can't say it enough, but THANK YOU to all of you! For taking the time to read (sorry it was so long!) all that was on my heart. I love you all. : )