Modern Slavery
I have no words to add, only tears.
I love college football! But…
“You have not lived today successfully unless you’ve done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan
I am an avid college football fan! More specifically, I’m a University of Alabama football fan! The electricity that fills the stadium on game day is exhilarating! After living overseas for ten years, my wife’s cousin gave us tickets to an Alabama game and asked us to join him and his wife. Not only was it an Alabama football game, it was the Iron Bowl…THE Alabama football game! Holy Mackerel! I have not been to a game in 16 years. What a blessing! What an opportunity!
Although the Crimson Tide fell short by one point it was a wonderful day with friends and family. Yet while sitting in a stadium that seats 101,000 attendees, I was awe struck and convicted as I considered the money spent and earned by the university. For example, the university charges $65 for a general admission ticket. With a sold-out stadium they gross over $6.5 million. Wow! That’s just revenue from ticket sales. I cannot begin to estimate the millions of dollars earned from souvenir and concession sales.
In that moment, I could not help myself from thinking of how $6.5 million from one college football game could change the lives of the 27 million enslaved around the world. We could buy some out of slavery, give them food, clothing, and a home while providing vocational or university education. Better yet we could prevent children from ever entering the slave-trade by supporting the families that chose this option because they cannot provide. We could build and staff 100 orphanages in Thailand for 18 years.
That day at the game was unforgettable. However, that’s it: it’s now just a fond memory. Yet when I give generously of my time and talents and treasure, the impact last long after I’m gone. Who know? It may outlast me both now and in eternity!
Every second matters
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. – Ephesians 5:15-17 (ESV)
This week my pastor echoed the passage above by declaring every second counts. He used the following illustration to emphasize his point. The University of North Carolina quarterback spiked the football with one second left in the game. That one second allowed a Carolina field goal, tying the game and sending it into overtime. In double over-time the North Carolina Tarheels were victorious. The difference in the game was one second.
One second is huge in a persons life. I recently celebrated being 1,342,656,000 seconds old. That represents 1,342,656,000 opportunities to join God in His work. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes that God wants us to make the best use of time. How do you spend your time? Do you pursue God’s work or your desires? Do you bring glory to God or yourself?
According to the Polaris Project, one person is human trafficked every 90 seconds. Nearly every 30 seconds a child is exploited by the global commercial sex trade.
I challenge you to pursue wisdom, make the best use of time, and to understand what the will of the Lord is.
http://www.dreamcenter.org/new/images/outreach/RescueProject/stats.pdf
Hope Hemp?
The very first day that I thought about Stop Slavery (my original name for the project was Dream27 thankfully my student leaders came up with Stop Slavery) I thought about funding it with a business. I even registered a domain for the business that I still own. Shortly after that as the idea began to grow and more people got involved I thought we should just go with the traditional non profit route of praying, telling others about our needs and fundraising.
Since we have been back in the states a number of influential people in my life have asked about using a business to fund Stop Slavery. As I began to think and pray about it I was convinced that I would like to go down that route but also just as strongly convinced that there was no way I had the time to start a business in addition to running Stop Slavery and the Discipleship Training School we are starting in July 2011.
One of my former students, who had done an internship for me in the past, called up and said that he was interested in starting a company with the profits going to Stop Slavery. It was neat how God had moved my heart back in that direction at the same time that he was preparing someone else to take that over.
At this point I am not sure where it will go or what it will look like. Another neat aspect of the project is that when we were talking about opening an orphanage in Siem Reap many single mothers wanted us to take their children since they couldn’t properly provide for them. We were not willing to take the children but I told them that we would try within the next year to figure out a way to help them provide for their families.
The business idea is to create hemp products in Cambodia, hence the name Hope Hemp, (though that is just an idea at this point as well) made by single mothers who have already demonstrated a willingness to part with their kids and whose kids are at risk to be sold into slavery, and sell those products here in U.S. on different college campuses, youth ministries, botique shops etc.
If you have any thoughts on the matter please feel free to pass them on. We’ll have more information in February.
Please pray for Ravy
Please pray for Ravy’s recovery. Here is a picture of him teaching at the orphanage before he was attacked. I have included his email below.
Hello ! How are you? Thanks for your email. Sorry for didn’t connect to you a week ago because I have a big problem and I rested in hospital.
Somebody hit me with stick, bamboo stick I heard. They hit me behind of neck and head so I don’t know myself and I know myself at hospital. While I know myself I vomitted out very much. They hit and then steal my computer and my wallet in my pocket.so now I don’t have everything with me. All my photos and everything that I keep in computer lost.
Thanks Pastor, Today that I send mail to you I start better but it still headach and my neck still hurt and difficult to turn around. Please pray for my head because it is not good now.
I pray for you and your trip to every where that you go. I thanks God again and again that I still alive and meet all orphans again.
Bye see you next email,
God bless you and your family,
Ravy
Dec 15 Update
Ravy has healed and is back to normal. Thanks so much for praying for him!
Orphanage Soon to Open
Hello,
Well we have found a building that is perfect for the Orphanage and Paul and his wife and Ravy have completed their internship under Pastor Sokunthea. All we need now is you. We are looking to open the orphanage in 10 days but we need people to help us make that a reality.
Here is our current pledge and needed amount. Please think about pray about being part of the Stop Slavery team. Right now we need another $723 a month to open the Orphanage.
Donate to Help End Slavery
Some people have asked about donating monthly to Stop Slavery in amounts other than the $27 a month that we had originally put up on our Donate Page. Now you can donate in different denominations ranging from $10 to $250 a month. If you would like to donate a different amount please let us know and we will work with you to get that exact amount.
At this point PayPal is still the most cost effective means for us to accept donations because of our volume of giving so until we go with a different processor we will have operate that way.
You can also donate to help with Stop Slavery projects using this form below.
Happy 1st Birthday Stop Slavery!
By Darwin Bell
October 5th, 2009 is the day that Stop Slavery was officially incorporated so that make today it’s 1 year birthday. Hopefully Stop Slavery won’t be needed before it turns 25! Thanks to everyone who has been a part of this first year.
Orphanage to Open In Siem Reap, Cambodia
October 25, 2010 is fast approaching and it is the date we would like to open our first Orphange in Siem Reap, Cambodia. If you would like to be a part of it please go to do our donate page and select an amount for a monthly donation. It’s amazing the wealth that we have been blessed with in the Western world and it is so easy to take it for granted and not use a portion of what we have been given to bless others.
David Platt, author of the book Radical, wonders if 150 years from now Christians will look back at poverty and wonder how people could live in such opulence without doing much of anything to help those in need just as 150 years ago many people who claimed the name of Christ were fine with upholding slavery and racism.
Some have wondered why we would open an orphanage as a project for Stop Slavery. Mainly because that is the direction that God led us as we were praying about how to get started. Also it fits in line with our 3 original thrusts of Stop Slavery for Prevention, Justice and Healing. In a 2005 study it was estimated that 1 in 40 girls in Cambodia would end up as in the sex slavery industry. While I am not aware of a study done specifically for orphans I have to believe that it would be much higher.
Also I think the way that Slavery will best be brought to end is for Cambodian girls and boys to grow up knowing the love of Jesus Christ and being discipled in him. Chamrong, who will be running the orphanage along with his wife, grew up in an orphanage and was discipled by the pastor who ran it. It is because of the love of Christ that he was shown that he in turn wants to be there to love other boys and girls who are growing up without parents.
