Before I started the World Race I wrote you this:
My promise to you:
I am going to give my everything to this mission in October. I am going to pray harder and more intensely than I ever have before, I am going to study His word, I am going to pray with you, I am going share the Word, I am going write to you about my experiences, I will send you websites where you can donate directly to a cause, and I will bring you along on this journey.
Hearing the stories is when I see the impact of what home like Khoadee does for children in Thailand. So I'm going to share a few stories that brought me to tears, stories that belong to the children we lived with for the last month…
Meetee
She is 7 years old, both of her parents passed away when she was 3 years old from HIV. She went to live with her aunt and uncle but, they did not want to keep her. The Pastor at Khoadee heard her story a few years ago and took her in right away. She is precious, outgoing, always smiling and she whooped my butt in Phase 10. Her life with out a home like this would most likely belong to a handler (owner who sells women and children) who we got to see last week first hand in Chiang Mai.
Sasithon
She is 8 years old and has been at Khoadee for almost two years. She lived with her mom, who is state less and lives in extreme poverty. Her father left them when she was born. Her mom told Pastor Siemon she was going to sell her daughter because she thought she had no other choice, that was before finding Khoadee.
Endu
She is the youngest girl at Khoadee, she is 5 years old. She came to Khoadee at the age of 2 after being rescued from the police. Her dad was in jail for dealing drugs and her mom got arrested a few months later for dealing drugs out of their home. Both parents have been diagnosed with HIV.
This little girl is so precious, she smiles at everything and has a joy that can only come from God.
Sombut
He is 11 years old, and has been at Khoadee for 6 years. He was rescued from his home 6 years ago when his dad passed away and his mom had left him and his two older brothers to fend for themselves in a small hut, she went to work in prostitution in the city. His mom recently passed away with HIV.
Kittisak
He is 12 years old and has been here since he was 6. His dad passed away from HIV and his mom was also in the sex industry, she was diagnosed with HIV and recently remarried. She doesn't come to family days or keep in contact with him at all. This boy is a flirt! He is 12 and smiles and hugs all of us girls. In a month, I have never seen him without a smile.
Coming to a Children's Home like Khoadee and seeing what an amazing impact this place is for children who were born into families who were going to sell them into the human trafficking business because of the severe poverty they are living in, or who have passed away from AIDS, or who walk away and leave them to fend for themselves makes me realize what a complete gift from God these Children's Homes are in Thailand.
This is Stacey.
Stacey, one of my squad leaders has been on the World Race and is now leading our squad before she heads to Spain to a leadership school to learn how to grow her non profit organization that the Lord called her to start to help places just like Khoadee. In fact, after visiting us for a week at Khoadee and hearing the stories of the kids living here she has decided that this is one of the ministries she wants to raise awareness and support.
This is Stacey's dream.
She is passionate about ending human trafficking. She is committed to that cause. She is ready to fight for the orphans, the abused and the abandoned, who are all at risk to be trafficked and sold into slavery.
God gave Stacey a dream to start non-profit that would raise money to support the fight against human trafficking. Stacey is going after that dream, and started a non-profit based in the state of Texas called The 27 Project. The 27 Project, among other things, will host running events to raise money to support orphanages that protect at-risk youth from the threats all around them. One great way to help end human trafficking is to get kids off the streets and into safe homes where they will be fed, sheltered and protected. Stacey's dream is to support such ministries all over the world, by hosting more running events in the future.
This is how you can help.
Today in Bangkok, Thailand [one of the capitals of the sex trade industry, which fuels human trafficking], the 27 Project will be hosting a race through the Red Light District. Me and my entire squad will be will be running in it. All donations that come in through this event will be going to:
Khoadee Childrens Home. They are in dire need of food. They can provide meals to 100 children for an entire month for $1,000! I've met the kids and they are simply amazing! The way they pray is incredible. They know the heart of the Father!
And a pastor in Laos [closed country], who is struggling to provide food and housing for street children that keep showing up on his doorstep. The pastor currently has 15 children living in a 2 bedroom shack. (This is Dave's teams contact, that I sent the prayer requests for)
Support the fight against human trafficking in one of the following ways:
1) -Pray Pray Pray! Pray for this event, for support to come in, and for the ministries that support this cause.
2) -Support finacially! Support our race, as we run in the streets of Thailand! If we raise $1,000, it will provide enough to support those 100 kids at the orphanage in Thailand with food for a month. Go to http://speaktothehope.blogspot.com/ to GIVE.
3) -Run! This Monday, support the cause by running with us! Wherever you are in the world, run a 10k in support of this fight! Or join in by doing a prayer walk on this day, praying for Thailand, and praying for the end of human trafficking.
