Sunday, November 28, 2010

Remember Nhu

Carl and Laurie Ralston of Akron, Ohio, were so moved by the story of a sex-trafficking victim named Nhu Thanh in Cambodia that they have dedicated their lives to fighting the sex trafficking of children.

'I had heard about Miss Nhu from a missionary in Cambodia,' Ralston said in a Plain Dealer article. 'After he told his story about her, God spoke to my heart. My wife and I wanted to help this young lady.'

Before the Ralstons even met Nhu, Carl sold his insurance business to establish Remember Nhu, a nonprofit to help prevent children from entering the sex trade.

The Ralstons then took six trips to Cambodia over a three-year period to find Nhu. They finally found her in 2006 working in a hair salon.

Remember Nhu opened its first home to educate and shelter children at risk of sex trafficking in Phnom Penh in 2007. The charity now has eight homes in five countries.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

It really could be...Satan.

We live in a spiritual battlefield. As we advance Christ's kingdom, Satan takes notice. I have seen it happen before.

For instance, the outstanding leader of my Heart of a Warrior group took delight in being a father. His son eventually developed a brain tumor and died at the age of seven years and seven months.

The leader of my Focus of a Warrior group got laid off from his job. He was unemployed for nine months and somehow had to manage to continue providing for his wife and four children.

I led two groups (Raising a Modern-Day Knight and Sage Series) to encourage fathers of sons to raise their boys in a godly manner, and I got laid off from my job.

It's really easy to be angry with God when these types of things happen. I believe that there is a spiritual element to this -- Satan is trying to derail us and cause us to lose faith in God. The reality is that these are the times to double down on our faith.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

In the midst of being trapped up to her neck

Omayra Sanchez
In 1985, the Nevado Del Ruiz volcano erupted in Armero, Columbia, trapping 13-year-old Omayra Sanchez in debris while she was trying to rescue a sibling.

As noted on Technorati, Sanchez calmly hung in there for three days until she died of exhaustion, gangrene and hypothermia. It was noted that, during those three days, Sanchez calmed people who were overcome with emotion because of her situation, sang and held normal conversations with visitors.

God must have given her courage and tranquility in the midst of a tragedy.
Google