Update: In less than 24 hours, all $10,000 was raised for Violet’s surgery. Praise God. Read update here.

Watch this video and consider helping Violet get the life-changing surgery she needs.

I love Mercy House Kenya and the work they do in these young girls lives.

For more details on donating, or to buy a t-shirt that benefits Violet’s surgery fund, go here.

Photo by Lajla Borg Jensen from sxc.hu

Ever since my novels about international human trafficking and missions came out, I have been privileged to speak about trafficking on radio, at events, and even once on TV. When people hear about trafficking, particularly that it is here in the United States, so much closer than they’d imagined, I’ve noticed they tend to respond in one of two ways. Some want to hide from it, run away, pretend it is not there. Others attack it, determined to snuff out the problem forever. “We must end human trafficking”—a motivating sentiment, yes, but not a realistic one.

The first approach always fails to help the problem, but the second approach can fail as well. We Americans are doers. We see a problem; we fix it. There’s a need? Fill it. These cultural instincts that our society thrives on, however, sometimes lead to a sprinting start that is sure to burn quickly into exhaustion, discouragement, and defeat.

The unwanted truth is that sometimes there is nothing we can do to fix the problem. And unfortunately, it is at that stage that we remember to pray. When we can do nothing and only God can come through.

Shouldn’t we be doing that first?

I was reminded of this when I heard about Sweetie from Women At Risk International (www.warinternational.org). Sweetie is a beautiful toddler who has lived most of her little life tied to a pole in the red-light district in India. Her teenage mother, “owned” by a trafficking Madam, has no choices when it comes to her daughter’s future. The Madam does not want people to touch or hold Sweetie so she will grow up not knowing what love is . . . so she will make a good prostitute when she grows up.

The Indian believers who minister in this district are powerless to help Sweetie. They know of a Christian Indian family who would love to adopt Sweetie and raise her with love, but the Madam refuses to let her go, unbelievably, because she does not want the child raised a Christian.

Everyone who cares about Sweetie is helpless. Nothing can be done to deliver this precious child growing up in the midst of unspeakable evil.

It is hard to accept that. To admit that we cannot come up with a solution that fixes the problem. We cannot make it go away.

Yet when we do, we drop to our knees and plead with the God of the universe for His divine intervention.

And when He comes through (not if, but when), He will get the glory, as all of us who have prayed for her for so long see His beautiful deliverance.

I imagine it is these very situations that God uses to remind us of what we should be doing first instead of last—praying. Asking God to intervene even before we do. Then as we do. And after we do. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). With Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37).

So will you pray with me for Sweetie? For the others trapped in darkness? For those with no hope of deliverance? God cares, even more than we do. And He is never helpless, never powerless, never without resources.

Let’s pray for Sweetie, and the others, and watch in awe as God works.

Kimberly Rae lived in several countries overseas as a missionary before health problems brought her back to the US, where she now writes and speaks on human trafficking. See her Amazon bestselling novels on human trafficking at www.stolenwoman.org, or follow Kimberly’s blog at www.stolenwoman.blogspot.com.

In March of this year we brought home our youngest son from Ethiopia.  I’m a huge supporter of adoption.  I earnestly wish more people would adopt. But lately, I’ve been reading about other potential solutions to the orphan crisis, particularly in Africa because that’s where we adopted.  It has me thinking about my view on orphan care in general.

I read an article about a community model that focuses on keeping children in their families of origin.  This model may have a grandmother, an aunt, or even an older sibling as the head of the household, with local resources in place to support them.  Families would be encouraged not to place the children up for adoption after the death of the birth parents, but to step up and raise the children themselves.

“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, had denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:8

Then I read about a ministry group that was introduced to children living at the edge of a slum.  The orphanage had a leaky roof and raw sewage running through the yard, and the children had lost all hope of a better future.  With the help of American sponsors, the ministry was able to build them a beautiful new compound outside of town in record time.  Instead of wading through filth to get to a broken swing set and sleeping four to a bed on stained mattresses, the children are growing their own vegetables, attending school, and sleeping on soft beds in fresh pajamas.

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.”  Psalm 113:7

Another organization (several, actually) are training widows in income-producing trades so that they can feed and educate their children.  Another family is providing day care in one of the poorest areas of the capital in Ethiopia so that mothers can go to work and know that their children are safe.  Families are staying together and working for a better future.

“The Lord destroys the house of the proud, but He protects the widow’s territory.”  Proverbs 15:25

Organizations are doing great work all over Ethiopia to place orphaned children into permanent families.  These children may or may not have living family members, but they were given up for any one of a million reasons.  The decision was made and these children are alone.  Now, like our son, they will know the love of a mom and dad.  They will have a future of birthday parties and bedtime stories.

“God places the lonely in families…”  Psalm 68:6

Many children are not up for adoption, but still need tangible help with living and education costs.  Ministries all over Africa are lining up sponsors so that these children can get the help they need, thereby providing for not only them, but their future families as well.

“Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”  Proverbs 28:27

I am convinced that there is no one way to care for widows and orphans.  We serve a creative God, and as such there are as many ways to care for widows and orphans as there are people willing to do it.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”  1 John 3:18

So…..

Should we adopt a child or sponsor a child?

Yes!

Should we support a program that rescues children or one that keeps families together?

Yes!

Should an organization provide vocational training or meet immediate needs?

Yes!

Orphan care is not either/or.  It’s all of the above.

The need is great, but there are many of us, and that’s more than enough for God to work with!

I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. ~ Edward Everett Hale

Tiffany is mom of five (four homegrown and one from Ethiopia) trying to live for Christ every day while homeschooling her crew. She blogs at www.stuffandthingsblog.com

Have you ever realized how many super-heroes are orphans? Batman, Superman, Spiderman.

There’s something about a person who can overcome the tragedy of being orphaned and perform good that makes it a recurring storyline in books and movies.

Last weekend Mark and I saw “The Amazing Spiderman” on date night. Of all the Spiderman films I think this one does the best job of capturing the hurt and anger that Peter Parker felt when first his parents, and then his uncle, were killed.

Andrew Garfield, the star of the new film, has joined forces with Dr. Jane Aronson and the Worldwide Orphans Foundation to make a difference in the lives of children through sports.

Read more in Dr. Aronson’s article “Spider-Man and the Amazing Superhero Inside Every Orphan” in the Huffington Post.

Why do you think writers and Hollywood use the orphan story line so frequently?