Calls to helplines rose more than tenfold since officials imposed restrictions in late March, Reuters reports. Plus, there’s an economic factor. “Open-air markets are not open, where they (Kenyans) typically would go and sell their livestock to get money,” Joy Mueller of Kenya Hope explains.

“By marrying off their girls, the bride price provides [the] funds they need to survive right now.”

To end this exploitation and abuse, Kenya Hope is waging war against contributing factors. Prevention is a critical part of ministry efforts.

Prevention through protection

Typically, education provides Kenyan girls and young women with three layers of protection. Empowerment is the first layer; students gain the tools and skills they need to rise above poverty through education. Then, instructors come alongside as a support network.

(Photo courtesy of Kenya Hope)

“With schools being closed, they (girls) have lost their advocates, which were the female teachers and headmistresses,” Mueller explains.

“Schools in Kenya will not be opening until January, [which] puts a lot of pressure on our communities and the young girls to stay safe, and keep them safe during this extended time off.”

Distance is the third protective factor. Many Kenyan children attend boarding schools, physically separating them from abusive family relationships. Coronavirus lockdowns in March closed these facilities, forcing students to return home.

“Our partners on the ground have noticed quite an increase in the number of young girls that are one, getting pregnant; and, two, being married off at a younger age,” Mueller notes.

As described here, poverty is a major contributing factor to child marriage.

Prevention through relief aid

Kenya Hope operates in rural communities, where most people earn a living by selling livestock or produce at open-air markets. When pandemic restrictions closed those markets, families lost more than an income – they lost a food source.

School closures cut off another supply chain. “Without school in session, our regular feeding program isn’t running. All of the families in our community depended on that feeding program to provide their children with at least one meal a day,” Mueller says.

Circumstances like these present parents with an impossible choice: starve or sell a child and use the money to buy food.

Thanks to Kenya Hope’s food aid program, families don’t have to choose. “We are so grateful; each month, hundreds of families have been helped by this, and we will continue to give as long as He continues to provide,” Mueller says.

(Photo courtesy of Kenya Hope)

A bean crop planted earlier this year supplies added benefit. “God knew way back in January when we planned to plant five acres of beans [how they would help].”

Help save young girls physically and point them to eternal salvation in Christ by giving to Kenya Hope. Your gift provides a two-week supply of food and other essentials. More about that here.

“Whatever you give is a tremendous blessing, and will be used exactly how you intended,” Mueller says.

Header image depicts a young Kenyan girl. Photo courtesy of Kenya Hope.

According to Ed Weaver of Spoken Worldwide, many Kenyan locals are farmers and herdsmen. When markets close, they can’t sell livestock. When they can’t sell livestock, they have to find a different source of income.

So, in the face of starvation, they turn to a practice ingrained in Kenyan culture. They turn to forced marriage. They turn to human trafficking.

In 2016, over 15 million people were victims of forced marriage under the larger umbrella of human trafficking. Sometimes, those victims come out of situations like this: families forced to make unthinkable decisions in the face of devastating poverty and starvation.

Representative photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Kenyan culture normalizes marriages for money, and even families of believers struggle in the face of tradition and poverty. Although some organizations do work to spread awareness and push back, this new wave of forced marriages has largely flown under the radar.

“We’re going to speak up, we’re going to announce this, we’re going to let people know that this is going on,” Weaver says. “But we can’t just talk about it… we’ve got to begin to say, ‘Look, how do we help these cultures move from this as the cultural norm that says this is absolutely okay.”

But what should organizations like Spoken Worldwide tell these families? Weaver suggests three things they need to know.

1. There are other options

These families are selling their daughters out of any kind of vindictiveness; they legitimately see no other way out. That’s where others can step in and provide answers.

“There’s got to be ways to help them see ways to earn additional income.. aside from what their normal income is, ways to think about saving money and to be able to set aside in order to avoid tragedies like this,” Weaver says.

Admittedly, that’s easier said than done – Weaver admits that not every culture has the same money-saving potential as many Western cultures do – but even so, a little education could go a long way. Connecting desperate families with organizations who can help with aid and stewardship could make all the difference.

2. God loves families

God cares about the family unit. Weaver says some people don’t full understand God’s role in designing the family, and because of this, they struggle to understand the implications of selling their own children. God can “accomplish great tasks through the family,” and helping promote unity even during desperation could go a long way in fighting this new strain of human trafficking.

3. There is hope in Him

Finally, one of the most important lessons anyone can learn is God’s role as Provider and Protector.

“God in His grace and mercy can actually cover this and can give people the insight and the wisdom as to how to avoid this and how to hold the family together.”

Help families overcome overwhelming odds and learn more about what Spoken Worldwide does right here.

Representative header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Stemming From a Spiritual Struggle

Dean Vander Mey, Executive Director of Set Free Ministries, says suicidal thoughts and actions often result from spiritual attacks. From the beginning, Vander Mey explains, Satan has desired to destroy God’s creation, humanity.

Image by Ulrike Mai from Pixabay

Characterized as a thief in John 10:10, the Bible says that Satan comes “only to steal and kill and destroy.”

The devil wants to permanently keep people from God. But he is not all powerful. Vander Mey explains that Satan resorts to tricking people into thinking their lives are no longer valuable. Unfortunately, when they hear that lie often enough, people begin to believe it.

Finding the One Who Can Quiet the Storm

As a crisis center, Set Free Ministries usually is called in when Satan’s lies begin to take over and people are losing sight of reality. The lie that their life is not worth living is seeming to block out all truth.

“Sometimes when you’re in your crisis, you’re focused on the storm and you’re not focused on someone who can deliver you out of the storm. And so, when we’re helping people who are suicidal, they’re often overwhelmed with their current circumstances. And so, what you help them see is something beyond their current circumstances and that the Lord is able to get you through the storm and sometimes he can even quiet the storm.”

But seeing Christ as a Helper can be a hard place to reach. For many struggling with suicide, anger, shame and hopelessness keep them from seeing any piece of hope.

A Sudden Hope

Vander Mey recalled one woman he talked to who for years had struggled with the shame and anger of horrific past abuses. She was angry at the perpetrator, at her mom, at God and struggled with her own shame from the experiences. She wanted to end her life to stop struggling with the difficulties piled on her by that time of her life.

But God intervened during their conversations, and with time, her disposition changed.

Image by Godsgirl_madi from Pixabay

“Because she finally knew she could not carry the load anymore that wasn’t hers to carry anyways. And all of a sudden, she had hope, hope for a new future. Now is it done? No, she needs lots of help. But all you know what? That was a reset that day. And all of a sudden she didn’t have to hit the exit button. She had hope for tomorrow. So, truth sets captives free.”

Over time, this woman began to understand God’s ability to heal and redeem her. But like her, people need someone to tell them of God’s love for them.

Binding up the Brokenhearted

Vander Mey says, “The church is the bride of Christ. We’re the hands and feet of Jesus. We’re supposed to be in the business of searching out the lost, bringing back strays and binding up the brokenhearted. That’s Ezekiel 34.”

Vander Mey encourages Christians to seek out those who are hurting. Open your eyes to see the pain of those close by and change your prayers.

“The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords sees all things. And if you start changing your prayers, of Lord I’m available for you to use me to search for the lost and to bind up the brokenhearted. Lord I’m available and I’m willing. Start to pray that prayer and see what happens. You might be shocked.”

Next Steps

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, ask God to intervene in your thoughts and show you truth. Contact Set Free Ministries today to learn about the ultimate healer and comforter.

If you aren’t sure how to help those who are struggling with depression and suicide, ask God to show you those who are struggling this month. Ask Him for wisdom as you seek out the hurting.

Header Photo Courtesy of Лечение Наркомании from Pixabay.

Dr. Yona Kapere with Compassion International says no Ugandan children sponsored by the ministry have contracted Ebola. However, at least one child sponsored in the country has had a relative die from the disease.

In Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified at least 112 people who possibly came into contact with Ebola. By quarantining and immunizing these individuals, Uganda is trying to prevent its own outbreak. The country has also set up crossing points at the DR Congo border. Here people coming into Uganda are screened for the disease.

“The Ministry of Health, together with our church partners, they have prepared to respond to Ebola cases in our nation. So far, health education is going on, the victim cases isolated, the contacts are isolated and being followed, the medical team [is] vaccinated and equipped to respond,” Dr. Kapere explains.

Kapere says prevention efforts mean the risk of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda is minimal. People in the country are learning how to prevent the spread of Ebola, recognize the signs of Ebola, and protect themselves from contracting the disease.

Church Responds to Ebola

Compassion is supporting church partners who are also responding to the threat. Some churches are airing information on Ebola to raise awareness through the radio. Others are limiting the number of staff or sponsors moving into areas where they could come into contact with Ebola.

Ebola response team in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of CDC Global via Flicker)

“The Gospel continues to be preached, however, even [at] the church services…the church partners use those opportunities to share and raise awareness about Ebola…One of the things that we are doing in Uganda is pray[ing] that this epidemic will come to an end,” Kapere says.

Pray for Uganda to avoid an Ebola outbreak. Pray for the protection of the children and families registered with Compassion. Ask God to bring the Ebola epidemic in DR Congo to an end. Pray for those who have lost family members and loved ones to this disease. And please, pray for the healing of those who have come into contact with Ebola.

Want to sponsor a child with Compassion? Learn more here.

Header image courtesy of NIAID via Flickr.

“We were approached by them several years ago,” Williams says. “They were just starting evangelism, and they wanted to reach as many people as they could in their country.”

Thanks to World Missionary Press and their Scripture booklets, they had the tools to do it. They’ve been partners ever since, but recently their contact admitted he was initially hesitant about the idea of “literature evangelism.”

This isn’t a new concern for Williams. Whenever there are groups or individuals who are unsure about using booklets for ministry, “Our experience is that once they get out there and share the Scripture booklets and see the response and the hunger for the Word and that the booklets are read rather than just thrown away, they see that it’s a sustaining thing.”

That was also true of this contact.

“One day he met a businessman who told him his story,” Williams says. “He had lost his home and his business due to infidelity and was contemplating suicide.”

The man checked into a hotel room with no intention of checking out. Before he could act, however, he noticed a booklet resting on the bedside dresser.

“He picked it up and he read it,” Williams says. “He went on his knees and he asked Jesus for forgiveness and for a second chance. Today, all is well with his soul, his home, and his business.”

Photo and header photo courtesy of World Missionary Press

Stories like these are why Williams says it’s so important to get resources to contacts around the world.

“This is power. This is Scripture infused by the Spirit, and we have no idea where each booklet is going to land or how the Lord is going to use it. Our job is to produce it and to get it out into people’s hands, and from there God directs it to a soul that is prepared and in need.”

To send their literature out, World Missionary Press is going to need resources. Williams says she has orders on her desk for more than 100 million new booklets, including shipments to Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and South Africa. You can help provide those resources by clicking right here.

But most of all, they need prayer.

“One of the things we pray for around here is that whoever around the world receives a World Missionary Press scripture booklet would receive good fruit and that it would bring forth a good harvest in the family.”

Today is World Malaria Day which is dedicated to finding solutions, together, to fight malaria. This year’s theme is “Ready to Beat Malaria.”

While most malaria cases take place on the African continent, we can’t ignore that it’s also a very real issue in India, as well. WHO noted earlier this year that India has made great strides to fight malaria in the last 18 years, but that the state of Odisha, for instance, was still struggling. In other words, the fight against malaria is not over in India. This is particularly true in rural areas where poverty also is prevalent.

Donna Glass of India Partners says, “The greatest problems exist in rural villages because the people cannot afford to have what’s called a long-lasting insecticide net.”

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are a recommended form of malaria prevention. And, as the name suggests, these nets are treated with insecticide and can last for many years. They are extremely effective at protecting people from mosquito bites while they sleep.

But just because it’s a simple, long-term solution does not mean it’s attainable for everyone.

“When you’re living on less than $2 a day and you’ve got a family, [these] nets that are about $10 becomes out of your range of what you can afford for your family,” Glass explains.

In urban areas, the government steps in to help with controlling mosquito populations. Glass says during the monsoon season when water begins to pool in parts of the city, the government will spray or bomb insecticide throughout the cities.

“That helps to reduce the incidences of malaria within the cities. But, when you live out in a rural village, you don’t have that option, it’s not available to you.”

Malaria is well known to be a treatable and preventable disease, and many decades ago, it was almost eradicated from India. But there’s a reason that impoverished people are at greater risk of getting seriously ill. First of all, they typically cannot afford prevention tools. And when they do get sick, they can’t afford medical care. Furthermore, when adults are sick, it means they aren’t earning a wage, restricting their ability to get health care for the next ailment.

And, Glass says, “Children, if they get sick, they can’t go to school. So, the lack of education—that cycle just continues to spiral down when you’re affected with malaria, or any kind of illness. So, it definitely contributes to the poverty issues.”

In places like the United States, $10 is a relatively low cost to be able to save lives, especially when you consider that these LLINs are not only preventing malaria, but they’re also preventing people from sinking deeper into poverty.

India Partners works with several indigenous Indian agencies who are operating in high-risk villages. When you come alongside India Partners in this project, you’re allowing these agencies to purchase nets within India and distribute them where they are needed.

“Sometimes several members of a family will sleep in the same bed in India. And, so, several people are being protected with one net because the mosquitos are most active at nighttime. And, when we give folks a net… they are taught how to… use it properly over their beds,” Glass says.

So, what about you? Do you want to make an impact for World Malaria Day? Would you consider helping India Partners realize their vision of an India rich in hope, justice, and compassion? Consider walking alongside India Partners to provide a net or two for people in India. You can give, here.

“With the summertime coming, and some of the monsoons will be coming up, this is really a time, a preventative time to get the nets in place before we have these incidences of standing water and… greater numbers of these mosquitos being active at night.”

Most people can say being a teenager is hard. There are a lot of questions and not a whole lot of answers. And sometimes, churches just simply aren’t equipped or they’re not sure how to engage with the questions and answer them. Reach4Life was born as a solution this.

Reach4Life

Biblica’s Southern Africa Regional Director Marius Brand shares:

“We worked with experts to develop a program and then also a New Testament Bible, which gave young people the resources first of all to be informed about sex and sexuality, and HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, but also to give them the resources, the spiritual resources to deal with the kinds of choices and pressures that young people face.”

In the 12 years since Reach4Life was first created, it has grown and expanded across the globe. Today, it’s a full curriculum being used in schools in 24 countries and has been translated into 11 languages. In fact, Reach4Life recently started its first program in the United States.

“The Reach4Life Bible is a little New Testament Bible…packed with lots of extra resources in addition to the text of the New International Readers Version of the Bible,” Brand explains.

“We have four kinds of resources. The primary one is 40 lessons, so in other words, it is a whole year with the Bible teaching, based on four different journeys. The journeys are ‘Believe’, ‘Grow’, ‘Live’, and ‘Change’.”

The “Believe” journey provides the Gospel message with 10 lessons. The “Grow” journey details how users can grow in faith and mature spiritually. The “Live” journey gives guidance in how to practically deal with the challenges teens face. And finally, the “Change” journey gives 10 lessons in how to create world change for God’s kingdom.

As one can see, Reach4Life doesn’t just teach kids about the dangers of HIV/AIDS, but it also provides a type of life roadmap for living a healthy life both physically and spiritually in Christ. The Reach4Life Bibles also include inserts which answer questions teens may have on sexually related issues including pornography, pregnancy, STIs, sexting, and more.

“So it’s all the kinds of things that young people really grapple with but don’t always know who to ask. And then of course, all of this [is] from a Biblical perspective,” Brand explains.

Growing, Expanding, Revamping

Two years ago the program was revamped and is essentially what Brand calls Reach4Life 2.0 version. The revamp came after Biblica decided to expand the program to include other issues that teenagers and young people face.

“In our second version or second edition, we also pay a lot of attention to things like addiction. You know, how to deal with drugs and alcohol. Friends, peer pressure, school work, money, emotional pain, you know, self-image, those kinds of things,” Brand explains. “So all of that has really helped to expand the reach of Reach4Life.”

(Photo Courtesy Biblica via Facebook)

Over 1 million young people have gone through the Reach4Life program since it began. And in this time, Brand says there has been a lot of positive feedback about the program.

“One of the keys to the way we run the program is that almost all the teaching and the discipleship is done by what is called peer educators,” Brand shares.

Young persons are trained in how to use the Reach4Life resources and are then able to go into their schools, youth groups, churches, and even prisons and drug rehab centers with the Gospel message and Biblical guidance to living life.

Impact for Life

One example Brand has is of a girl called Caroline. Caroline is a peer educator and works in the Johannesburg, South Africa program. Here’s the catch that makes Caroline’s story unique—she’s HIV positive. She’s been positive since birth, when she first contracted the disease from her mother.

“To see the impact she has on other young people when she tells them, ‘Hey, I’m HIV positive, but I’m still reaching for life and living positively,’” Brand says. “That is so precious to see that and it really does have an impact on other young people.”

And you can have an impact too. Ways to get involved include becoming a peer educator, financially giving to the program, and, of course, praying.

Pray the hearts of these young people in the Reach4Life programs. Ask that their hearts would be open to the Gospel and that they’d grab hold of the wisdom and virtue of living a life for God by His will.

Get more information about Reach4Life and Biblica’s ministry here!

To give, click here.

(Image courtesy of Safe Families For Children/National Child Abuse Prevention Month)

Safe Families For Children’s (SFFC) National Director Tim Nolan says they’re trying to get in front of a problem before it becomes a problem.  Specifically, “Safe Families helps prevent child abuse by supporting the parent through a temporary crisis and providing supportive care for their children.”

For example, he says, high stressors with little-to-no support play a significant role in abuse and neglect. “Perhaps a loss of job, and a loss of housing, but not having anybody help you to navigate through that, having no family members in the area who can help you care for your kids during that process.”

Sometimes, a stressed parent has no idea how to ask or to whom they can go for help.  Nolan says, “There are a number of organizations in the community — there are child welfare agencies, social service organizations, but also hospitals, police stations, fire stations, those are all organizations [that help].  Anybody who has contact with a person in need will introduce them to Safe Families, and they can utilize the services of the Safe Families program.”

The next part of the puzzle is how to best help a family in crisis.  This is an opportunity for building community, building hope, and keeping a family together.  Bethany Christian Services is inviting families who have room in their hearts and homes to consider joining Safe Families for Children, is a national movement of compassion and hospitality.  Nolan describes it this way:  “It is not foster care, and it’s not adoption.  The families retain full custody of their children throughout the process.  We often refer to it as not ‘substitute parenting’, but ‘co-parenting’.”

(Photo courtesy of Bethany Christian Services)

Safe Families for Children (SFFC) is a network of volunteers from local churches who can provide host families to help parents who need temporary care for their children as they work through unmanageable or critical circumstances.  The average length of stay for a child within Safe Families is around 30 days, he explains, “So it’s a short amount of time.  It’s not a long-term, multi-year commitment, but it is an opportunity to show compassion, on average for 30 days, so that a parent can get stabilized and strengthened, together, with their family.”

Parents are actively involved in their children’s lives and develop a relationship with the host family.  Bethany staff works with the parents during this transition to identify steps to regain stability and to be reunited with their children quickly and safely.  To see this succeed, it takes local believers who are willing to step out of their comfort zones.

“Pray that churches would recognize the need to step out and reach into the community, and be that compassionate arm for families in need.  Families may not come to the church asking for help, but the church can reach out and ask if they need help.”

(Photo courtesy of Bethany Christian Services)

Nolan says the success of SFFC depends on relationships.  “When we are able to demonstrate how hospitality and compassion was first shown to us, we are able to demonstrate and show that same compassion and hospitality to families in crisis by sharing the hope we have in Christ, by providing that safe and stable environment.  We provide an opportunity to share the Gospel while working with the parent and those kids.”

Since its inception in 2002, over 4,600 families have hosted children with the Safe Families program.  During this time frame, over 28,000 children have been matched with a volunteer host family.  “It’s a ministry of local churches, first and foremost, that wraps around families in need in their communities.”  The initiative takes place in 108 U.S. cities, the U.K., Canada, and Kenya.  The worldwide program is motivated by compassion and dedicated to keeping children safe and out of foster care.

(Photo courtesy of Bethany)

International (MNN) — 159 pimps were arrested and 105 kids rescued from trafficking by the United States FBI’s three-day sting operation last month.

Bill Blacquiere, President of Bethany Christian Services, says this was a wake-up call. “These recent arrests by the FBI I think have brought to people’s attention [that] child trafficking goes on here in the United States, and the reality is that this goes on in all 50 states.”

Bethany cares for vulnerable orphans in 20 countries including the United States. Ministries cover foster care, adoption services, and reaching kids who are at-risk of trafficking.

“Here in the United States, many of the children who are trafficked are children who have been physically abused, sexually abused, neglected by their parents, they become homeless, and…are victims of being trafficked,” says Blacquiere.

Many kids exploited for sex and labor in the United States have also been shipped in from other countries. “Many children end up being trafficked because of poverty,” says Blacquiere. “In some of our work that we do in other countries, we provide sponsorship so children can stay with their families and stay in school. Without that, parents sometimes are talked to about releasing their child for what the trafficker would say is to give them job training.”

Bethany does sponsorships in 10 different countries as a major part of their ministry. For example, Bethany facilitates 100-120 adoptions in Ethiopia, but they sponsor over 5,000 children. Sponsorship costs just $30 a month to keep a child in school, in their family, and out of the trafficking ring. Click here to sponsor a child through Bethany.

There’s also Bethany’s trauma and torture counseling center for kids and teens who were rescued from trafficking. Blacquiere explains, “We refer to them as survivors. Through counseling and through having good relationships with mentors and people they can stay with, they can turn around that trauma in their life and become very emotionally and psychologically healthy members of society.”

Teens who age out of the orphanage system are often easy targets for traffickers. To turn 18 without a family means you’re on the street with no job skills or assets. Bethany reaches these teens, providing job training and independent life skills.

But Blacquiere says Bethany would rather see teen orphans placed in families. “Right now we have a lot of children that are waiting for adoptive families. These are children that are older, but they’re on the verge of exiting the orphanage, and they need a family.”

The love and hope of the Gospel is Bethany’s driving force. “We demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, and we do that by word, by telling people what we believe, who we are, telling them about God’s love for them. In addition, we demonstrate that by providing them [with] families, counseling, and showing them what it really means to be loved and cared for,” Blacquiere shares.

He encourages believers to pray “that there would be law enforcement in every country to end child trafficking. They can pray for our members in congress who are enacting legislation and providing funds to prevent child trafficking. And then of course, they can pray for more foster and adoptive families.”

Learn about adoption through Bethany.

Bill Blacquiere, President of Bethany Christian Services, says this was a wake-up call. “These recent arrests by the FBI I think have brought to people’s attention [that] child trafficking goes on here in the United States, and the reality is that this goes on in all 50 states.”

Bethany cares for vulnerable orphans in 20 countries including the United States. Ministries cover foster care, adoption services, and reaching kids who are at-risk of trafficking.

“Here in the United States, many of the children who are trafficked are children who have been physically abused, sexually abused, neglected by their parents, they become homeless, and…are victims of being trafficked,” says Blacquiere.

Many kids exploited for sex and labor in the United States have also been shipped in from other countries. “Many children end up being trafficked because of poverty,” says Blacquiere. “In some of our work that we do in other countries, we provide sponsorship so children can stay with their families and stay in school. Without that, parents sometimes are talked to about releasing their child for what the trafficker would say is to give them job training.”

Bethany does sponsorships in 10 different countries as a major part of their ministry. For example, Bethany facilitates 100-120 adoptions in Ethiopia, but they sponsor over 5,000 children. Sponsorship costs just $30 a month to keep a child in school, in their family, and out of the trafficking ring. Click here to sponsor a child through Bethany.

There’s also Bethany’s trauma and torture counseling center for kids and teens who were rescued from trafficking. Blacquiere explains, “We refer to them as survivors. Through counseling and through having good relationships with mentors and people they can stay with, they can turn around that trauma in their life and become very emotionally and psychologically healthy members of society.”

Teens who age out of the orphanage system are often easy targets for traffickers. To turn 18 without a family means you’re on the street with no job skills or assets. Bethany reaches these teens, providing job training and independent life skills.

But Blacquiere says Bethany would rather see teen orphans placed in families. “Right now we have a lot of children that are waiting for adoptive families. These are children that are older, but they’re on the verge of exiting the orphanage, and they need a family.”

The love and hope of the Gospel is Bethany’s driving force. “We demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, and we do that by word, by telling people what we believe, who we are, telling them about God’s love for them. In addition, we demonstrate that by providing them [with] families, counseling, and showing them what it really means to be loved and cared for,” Blacquiere shares.

He encourages believers to pray “that there would be law enforcement in every country to end child trafficking. They can pray for our members in congress who are enacting legislation and providing funds to prevent child trafficking. And then of course, they can pray for more foster and adoptive families.”

Learn about adoption through Bethany.