Perpetrators in many of these headlines have hurt children now in our care. The words above are from one of those children.
When I see the headlines, I always ask myself, “Where are the children?” One of those children is Maya. When we say “survivor” we mean a lot of things. But one of the things we mean is that some don’t make it out alive. Maya made it out alive. About the man in one of these headlines on the cover, Maya said: “I hope he rots in jail. He will go to the devil. He will never do to other children what he did to us.”
We are intentional about communicating hope, but sometimes I worry we don’t tell you enough about what kids go through for you to fully celebrate with them. The stories we tell of hope and perseverance mean so much more when you know the kinds of trauma children have experienced. I noticed recently that at the root of the word “persevere” is the word “severe.”
Simply put, you can’t truly celebrate perseverance unless you know the severity of what is being overcome.
Know that whether the children in our care are climbing a ladder to our therapy treehouse, or climbing the steps to the courthouse to confront their trafficker; whether they are experiencing struggle or triumph, you, our donors, are walking beside them. Today, Maya is a 5th grader. She struggles sometimes with the impact of what she’s lived through. Still, she loves playing outside and doing ballet. She plays the guitar and dreams of becoming a famous singer. Maya can rock a sweat band and would knock you out in a game of badminton.
Maya came into our care over 6 years ago, and steadfast people like you have been supporting her ever since. Two weeks ago we welcomed another child into our care and she needs you too.
With gratitude,
*Maya’s name & some minor details have been changed for her privacy and protection. The child pictured is a model.
The headlines are real. Here are links to the stories.
“Woman sentenced for trafficking teen tattooed with bar code”
“Connecticut man accused of sex trafficking, allegedly threatening to ‘disappear’ minor”
“Mattresses, undergarments, toys found near dumpster of Vernon ‘sex dungeon’”
“Ex-wife of pastor accused in child sex case pleads guilty”
“Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Sex Trafficking Minors”
“FBI sex trafficking bust recovers 168 kids, some never reported missing“
“ICE works with Philippine law enforcement to capture cybersex operators and rescue child victims”
“Hotel owner paid cop to leave blindfolded foster kid in his ‘sex dungeon,’ CT police say”
“Australian pedophile Scully sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, child rape”
