Praying For Vulnerable Children - Human TraffickingShembull

When five things are present, children are better protected from people trying to hurt them. Here’s the first key: 

A Tightknit Community

A tightknit community can keep watch over those who are most vulnerable and speak up when they see injustice. In the verses we read today, God calls us to rescue the weak and the needy and deliver them from the hand of the wicked. He challenges us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and defend the rights of the poor and needy. God has put each of us in a community—maybe an apartment building, a neighborhood, a workplace, etc. Inside that sphere of influence, we are called to speak up and defend those who are being treated unfairly.

Pastor Alcides Valenzuela from Emmanuel Global Evangelical Church in Santa Cruz, Bolivia is great example of how a tightknit community can be relentless in their pursuit of justice. He takes the verses we read today to heart. He rescues the weak and passionately defends their rights.

  

When Daniela, a teen from his church, was kidnapped, Pastor Valenzuela became her biggest advocate! The Yapacani province where they live is considered a red zone for human trafficking and prostitution is one of their strongest industries. 

Daniela shares, “The girls are being forced to do things they don’t want to do. They were planning to take girls to other countries. I never thought they were going to release me.” Thankfully, Daniela attends the Compassion Child Development Center at Pastor Valenzuela’s church. 

“When we found out [Daniela] had been kidnapped, we started to mobilize along with her family. It wasn’t only her kidnapping but there were also threats to the family. And constant threats to other girls who were from the Child Development Center, so we had to act carefully and mobilize the authorities,” says Pastor Alcides. “We reached the Vice Ministers, Ministers, Mayor, city councilors, and congressmen. We had to reach everyone, because if one doesn’t mobilize this way, there is no movement and nothing happens,” says the Pastor.

Still nothing happened. So they sent a letter to a Vice Minister telling him that if in 72 hours Daniela wasn’t returned, the community would start an undefined blockade. It was this final pressure from the whole town that created the right kind of influence for officials to take action.

Almost a month after she was taken, Daniela was returned home.

Reflecting back on her kidnapping Daniela says, “If I hadn’t been part of Compassion, I would probably never have returned home, because they were praying for me. I’m very thankful for all the help they provided my family.” Her community stepped up!

Over a year since living through that nightmare, Daniela is now 19 years old and planning for her future. She plans to study biochemistry and to one day own her own pharmacy.

Pastor Alcides and the church are now recognized by the authorities for all the work they are doing for children and youth — not only for the sponsored ones but for the whole community. 

Are you standing up for those in your community whose voice is too weak to be heard? Ask God to open your eyes to see those who need your help.

Suggested prayer:

Heavenly Father, I know that every day children are taken by those who aim to hurt them, violate their innocence, and traffic them to strangers. I’m thankful for communities like Daniela’s who join together to fight for justice. Open my eyes to see evil intentions within the sphere of influence you’ve given me and open my heart to fight for those most vulnerable. In Jesus’ name, amen.

*Name changed for privacy