Today has rushed by. The past 2 weeks back in Peru have rushed by. I have to cherish these moments here more.
Since going home to the states and coming back, my outlook has been distorted, not in the good way. I loved being home. I loved being with my awesome family, my wonderful boyfriend, and my crazy friends, and, of course, my snuggy ruggers. I didn't want to leave all that behind again. I was ready to be home and to stay there. But the LORD has put me back here in Peru for a little while longer...
Last week I was able to go back to Vilcas, and was blessed by seeing my friends there. I love that little village in the middle of nowhere Peru, but that's not what God has put on my heart for now...
You see, as I was homesick, I started looking for and applying for jobs in Nashville. Any job that I qualified for that I could find, I sent in a resume. In the urgency to get home, I forgot to sit and ask God what he wanted from me. He revealed that today.
Today, like every other day in this land, was random. I seem to start out each day with no set plans, but usually have a full day. After my morning walk and nap, running around town a little, and lunch, my friend Corrie called me and wanted to hang out. Corrie's like a little sister that gets up 3 times a week to walk with her mom and I, and we love her for it! We went to McDonalds to get smoothies (cuz they're cheap and delicious!). While sitting in outside McDonalds, some little boys came around selling candy. This isn't unusual. Many kids and adults come around with their sad stories and puppy dog eyes begging for money all over the city. It really frustrates me when they're in the really nice parts of town dragging their babies and using them to exploit money from tourists. Whoever invented the words "propinita and invitame" in the Spanish language should be hit 40 times with a wet noodle! (For you English speakers, they're basically saying "give me a tip" and "buy me something".) Anyways, I usually either get annoyed with this, feel extremely awkward, or give money to the next beggar I see. Today was different though...
There were first two little boys that couldn't be any older than 5 at first. They came in McDonalds and stuck their candy in my face as I shook my head no. Then the guard kicked them out, and another older boy joined them, giving them more candy to sell. Then this man who I'd seen just hanging out in the same spot yesterday came up to them and looked in their bags and talked to them for a while. When they dispersed again, the man just watched the two small boys intensely. Not like a fatherly watch, but a "you better do your job" kind of watch. I hate to assume that this guy was like a pimp to these boys, but that's exactly what it looked like. This is the second time I've seen an a group of begging kids, babies even, report to an adult for instructions. My insides burned and rumbled.
Although I wasn't present, I learned from Passion Conference that there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today. Read that again. 27 MILLION men, women, and children all being used for labor, trade, and sex. Women in hope of a better life being scammed into a living hell. Men sacrificing themselves in order to protect their family from the ones holding them in bondage. Children begging late into the night to buy their food from someone who's using them and robbing them. It is believed that about 15,000 of those are in the USA.
And what are we doing about it? Not enough.
As I sit in my plush apartment, my mind races with ideas of what I can do to stop this injustice, this cruelty. As believers, we are called to do something for those who need help. Christ says in Matthew 25 "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me". I'm not saying we hand out money to everyone that asks for it, but God will us the discernment to know when it's okay that we can feed the hungry, clothe the needy, and visit the oppressed. The people we encounter, we can help them. Not only can we help, but we are called to help. Called to give. Called to love.
But still, giving kids a McDonalds cheeseburger and walking away still leaves them in the same situation tomorrow and the next day. They will still be forced to beg for money for someone else to take it and control them. We, as a group of believers, have to stand up against this and fight it. There are several organizations listed below in which I encourage you to get involved. Give your time, money, and prayers to supporting them and fighting for the lives of so many around the world who aren't able to help themselves. Slavery didn't end in the USA until people stood up and fought for it, and it's crept its way back in again.
I have no clear answers of what to do, but I know that God has called me to pray for these people, love these people, and care for these people. Ask Him what you can do to glorify Him in this as well.
Since going home to the states and coming back, my outlook has been distorted, not in the good way. I loved being home. I loved being with my awesome family, my wonderful boyfriend, and my crazy friends, and, of course, my snuggy ruggers. I didn't want to leave all that behind again. I was ready to be home and to stay there. But the LORD has put me back here in Peru for a little while longer...
Last week I was able to go back to Vilcas, and was blessed by seeing my friends there. I love that little village in the middle of nowhere Peru, but that's not what God has put on my heart for now...
You see, as I was homesick, I started looking for and applying for jobs in Nashville. Any job that I qualified for that I could find, I sent in a resume. In the urgency to get home, I forgot to sit and ask God what he wanted from me. He revealed that today.
Today, like every other day in this land, was random. I seem to start out each day with no set plans, but usually have a full day. After my morning walk and nap, running around town a little, and lunch, my friend Corrie called me and wanted to hang out. Corrie's like a little sister that gets up 3 times a week to walk with her mom and I, and we love her for it! We went to McDonalds to get smoothies (cuz they're cheap and delicious!). While sitting in outside McDonalds, some little boys came around selling candy. This isn't unusual. Many kids and adults come around with their sad stories and puppy dog eyes begging for money all over the city. It really frustrates me when they're in the really nice parts of town dragging their babies and using them to exploit money from tourists. Whoever invented the words "propinita and invitame" in the Spanish language should be hit 40 times with a wet noodle! (For you English speakers, they're basically saying "give me a tip" and "buy me something".) Anyways, I usually either get annoyed with this, feel extremely awkward, or give money to the next beggar I see. Today was different though...
There were first two little boys that couldn't be any older than 5 at first. They came in McDonalds and stuck their candy in my face as I shook my head no. Then the guard kicked them out, and another older boy joined them, giving them more candy to sell. Then this man who I'd seen just hanging out in the same spot yesterday came up to them and looked in their bags and talked to them for a while. When they dispersed again, the man just watched the two small boys intensely. Not like a fatherly watch, but a "you better do your job" kind of watch. I hate to assume that this guy was like a pimp to these boys, but that's exactly what it looked like. This is the second time I've seen an a group of begging kids, babies even, report to an adult for instructions. My insides burned and rumbled.
Although I wasn't present, I learned from Passion Conference that there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today. Read that again. 27 MILLION men, women, and children all being used for labor, trade, and sex. Women in hope of a better life being scammed into a living hell. Men sacrificing themselves in order to protect their family from the ones holding them in bondage. Children begging late into the night to buy their food from someone who's using them and robbing them. It is believed that about 15,000 of those are in the USA.
And what are we doing about it? Not enough.
As I sit in my plush apartment, my mind races with ideas of what I can do to stop this injustice, this cruelty. As believers, we are called to do something for those who need help. Christ says in Matthew 25 "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me". I'm not saying we hand out money to everyone that asks for it, but God will us the discernment to know when it's okay that we can feed the hungry, clothe the needy, and visit the oppressed. The people we encounter, we can help them. Not only can we help, but we are called to help. Called to give. Called to love.
But still, giving kids a McDonalds cheeseburger and walking away still leaves them in the same situation tomorrow and the next day. They will still be forced to beg for money for someone else to take it and control them. We, as a group of believers, have to stand up against this and fight it. There are several organizations listed below in which I encourage you to get involved. Give your time, money, and prayers to supporting them and fighting for the lives of so many around the world who aren't able to help themselves. Slavery didn't end in the USA until people stood up and fought for it, and it's crept its way back in again.
I have no clear answers of what to do, but I know that God has called me to pray for these people, love these people, and care for these people. Ask Him what you can do to glorify Him in this as well.
www.ijm.org
www.tinyhandsinternational.org
www.thea21campaign.org/
