Liberia and New Identities

With each trip, it is wonderful to see the progress of the children we are helping. They each have incredible hope for the future now that they have been rescued from so much abuse, neglect and over all apathy for their care. Seeing the little ones growing up and becoming preteen kids, it is hard to believe we have been involved with some of these children for more than 5 years now. Having a summer celebration with some of them, it was fun to see the girls who once were close to starvation, now looking and acting like any other preteen girl, wanting pretty hair, colored nails and cute clothes. Their appearance is not the only thing that has changed. They have also learned about a God who loves them incredibly and who desires a personal relationship with them. Through our child development program they are thriving and learning they are loved, valued, and are a one of a kind. No one on this whole earth is the same as them. They are learning that God has an incredible plan for their life. They have come alive as they have begun to understand who they are through Christ’s eyes. It is such a beautiful thing to be apart of. Our field staff with Orphan Relief and Rescue are doing such a wonderful job with all they are entrusted with in the care and rescuing of these precious children in Liberia.

Child Trafficking

“Rebecca, will you please start another safe home in our area?” pleaded the influential judge I was meeting with while in Benin, West Africa. “This last month I arrested a man at the Nigerian border who was trafficking 16 very little children into Nigeria.” “Tell me about this case,” I replied. The judge began to explain that parents in a certain village gave their little children to this man who said he would take them so they would not have an extra mouth to feed. In an area where survival is difficult, they willingly gave their children away without so much as a second thought. This man then took them to the Nigerian border to sell into slavery, only thinking of the profit he would be making. The judge then said, “Rebecca, these villagers are not bad people; this is just a consequence of poverty. I just could not believe how little the children were.” I then asked the tough question. “Tell me, Judge; where did you take those children when you rescued them?” He put his head down, and then answered me. “That’s the worst part of this whole thing, Rebecca. We had nowhere to put the children, so we took them back to the village. My fear is that they will soon be trafficked out again. The parents do not want their children.” During our meeting, the judge thanked me for what Orphan Relief and Rescue is already doing with the current safe home/orphanage we are having such huge success with, which is currently full with 60 children in Benin. He then asked me to not forget the many others who daily come into the system with no place to go.  As I left his office, I said a prayer for these precious little children. Then I breathed another prayer to God to please bring more safe homes into existence and give us a game plan on how we can help on a larger scale and to affect villages for long-term change in this area. In the meantime, we continue to be extremely thankful for the kids we have been able to rescue through your partnership. Through your sacrificial giving you have helped us accomplish the impossible. As the need grows more urgent, your help is needed more than ever. You can go to our organization's Website to help at www.orphanreliefandrescue.org

My book "Inspired to Action" is now published!!!

The big day has finally arrived! My book, "Inspired to Action" is finally ready for the public.
You can order your copy by going to Amazon.com or www.rebeccampratt.com (don't forget the m).

I have started blogging on my website at rebeccampratt.com, so you can also find me blogging there as well.