Handicapped Boy Brings Blessing

Yesterday I was sorting donations of goods that have come in for our various projects in Africa when one of our missionaries called me from Africa. Social welfare workers in one of the countries where we work were looking for help with a young hydrocephalic boy. He was 8 but looked 4, could only speak a few words, could not stand or care for his own toilet needs. His mother wanted to throw him out to die, but oh yes! only after calling a witch doctor to perform some ritual to absolve her of guilt. The father refused, so the mother left. It was evident that the father really loved his son and was seeking what was best for him, but how could he work and also care for his handicapped son? In discussing the boy's situation, and searching for an answer together, the social welfare worker learned of ECM's intense interest in helping free trafficked children. He knew of children he strongly believed were trafficked into a certain heavy duty type work in his area. What stopped him from investigating and intervening? Only a few dollars of transport money! Our worker wanted to know if ECM could facilitate the investigation. Yes! Lord, please provide the very best answer for this handicapped young boy. You love him just as You do all Your children. And thank you for using him to bring us the opportunity to help in the investigation of other children who are trafficked and abused for selfish ends. Please multiply our ministry and our effectiveness in that area. I offer this prayer in the name of Jesus who welcomed the children and who gave His life that I might be free.

Doctor trafficks girls for private baby factory

Children are a precious treasure from God. I helped choose that as one of the "tags" of our mission organization, Every Child Ministries. So my heart broke with what I read today in my daily updates of child trafficking in Africa. A Beninois doctor, instead of using his healing gifts to bring children safely into loving families, has been arrested for running a baby factory. Trafficking teenage girls to Enugu, Nigeria, from his own home country of Benin, he was deliberately impregnating them, then tearing their newborn children from their arms to sell them for his own benefit. Five girls were found kept by the doctor in various stages of pregnancy. All pointed to the doctor as the one who impregnated them, and he confessed to defilement and selling their children.

How far will our self-centeredness go? Are we really at the point of "anything goes for personal profit"? What more hideous expressions of "Me"ism will our Me-centered world come up with?
Me-centeredness is no longer just a philosophy we talk about. It sees expression every day in human trafficking.

The doctor does damage to the girls, to their families, to the children born into his factory, and to his own soul. He also does damage to every family who wants to adopt a legitimately-born infant and be assured that their act of love is helping solve the problems of the world's children, not adding to them. None of that matters to Dr. Chike Uzomo. His universe revolves around himself.

Thanks to the Nigerian police for their astuteness in pursuing this case. Let's pray that it will not come before officials who are also me-centered. Integrity in law enforcement is a must if child trafficking is ever to be arrested.

There's a solution to this problem. When our lives are centered around Jesus Christ our Creator, Me-ism goes out the window and we are able to relate to others in love and compassion. As for me, I'm praying that more and more will find the ultimate solution.