In the scriptures, it says: “true religion is to help the widow and orphan in their distress and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” I’ve been thinking about how true this statement is. I’ve been thinking specifically about the needs of orphans.
Last month, Wheaton College celebrated Missions into Focus Week. An organization called Orphan Helpers (www.orphanhelpers.org) was present on campus. From Adam, I learned the story of Claudia, one of the orphans being helped by this ministry:
“Claudia’s mother abandoned her when she was only six days old. Her adoptive mother abused her; she would hit her with a wet rope or an electrical cord. Her stepmom burned Claudia school uniforms at all her books when she was six years old and said she didn’t deserve an education.
The next year her stepbrother raped her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. When she was 10, she ran away from the house and asked to stay with her sister. Her sister locked her in a closet for two weeks. When she finally unlocked the door, Claudia ran away again and went to the police. They took her to Mujeres Adolescentes, a center for teenage girls, for her protection.
Claudia moved into the hope house in the fall of 2007. She loves to dance and sing. She stuff on the outside, but when she feels like she can trust you, she opens up beautifully. She connects instantly with the children and the centers, especially the younger ones. Claudia attends a school for older kids who are at an elementary reading level.”
As Claudia’s story so vividly shows, children who have no parents do not have a first line of defense against victimization. They are intensely vulnerable. They need people who will love them and care for them with the love and care of God the Father.
My first JSASSN International mission was to orphans in Moldova, Eastern Europe, where 70% of orphan girls are sold into the sex trafficking industry every year. Moldova is a case study in how vulnerable orphans are to sexual abuse, assault, and trafficking. But it is not just a Moldovan problem. Orphans are at risk in countries all over the world.
Let’s pray for the needs of orphans and help to meet them as the Holy Spirit directs us.
Dr. Jane Beal
JSASSN International
