Alright, here it is...such pain. I cannot even handle it or take it in. For one thing, as we recently found out...I'm a 7 on the Enneagram--a liver of LIFE--and an avoider of pain. (Now, I don't really avoid pain, but feel it extremely deeply for others who are in deep places of pain. It moves me DEEPLY and, thankfully, I understand a lot more about human suffering and joy now than I did back in the day!)
Let's talk about when my Grandma was diagnosed with advanced Leukemia--my Grandma whom I love and who loves me dearly. Let's remember when I went with her to the hospital and stayed for several days. I took notes from the doctors, kept her in good spirits, prayed with her. Then lets talk about several weeks later when she was in the hospital again having suffered a heart attack from the medicine. She was in so much pain, I stayed for an hour and LITERALLY FELT MY ADRENALS SHUT DOWN. I left sobbing silently and checked myself into a hotel for the rest of the night while she slept.
When there is intense suffering involved and a vulnerable person (I mean one that even the Lord in Scripture would generally regard as weak or in need of protection or love) I am inclined to feel an extraordinary amount of their pain. When, it is someone who I consider stronger or more understanding or equipped, I still feel it, but I do not shut down b/c of it! I still love deeply, but I can more naturally manage the pain.
Perhaps this is what led the Lord to prophesy over me so many, many times about being in the healing professions--maybe not so much in the literal sense, but for all He is desiring to heal--to nurture them and bind up their wounds and to teach them to find the same joy in the Lord that I have found--a joy that is not dependent on circumstances, but on the God who made us. :-)
In the last 2 years I have come across something that I had never come across before. This is the issue of Human Trafficking. I simply cannot handle the subject, but by the grace of God. I've been raising awareness for over a year--formerly helping Faceless International as a volunteer and more actively through Zenia Clothing Company which was started over a year ago to help raise awareness and bring in resources to help women and children who are involved in this horrible thing.
For those of you who don't know...Human Trafficking is a form of slave labor most often involving women and especially children who have been sold, stolen, or kidnapped and then sold again into the sex trade industries in various countries including our own.
Many people think that slavery is an old issue and doesn't exist in the world today. You are wrong. It is a horrible injustice. Having worked with women who have chosen to be involved in the sex trade industries for various reasons and the impact it has had on them (Red Light District, Amsterdam-- even in our very own Grand Rapids, MI) was hard enough. Imagine the millions of children who are taken as early as 2,3, and 4 to be trained as sex slaves to locals and foreignors throughout the world. It is WRONG.
This last year, I have been partnering in prayer with a friend and mentor, Dr. Bob Hagerty (formerly Vice President of Cornerstone University and President and Superintendant of several other schools). He is the great nephew of George Mueller, who many of you know rescued THOUSANDS of street orphans in England in the 1800's. Dr. Hagerty has been working with locals in Myanmar for the last year and half--well before the Cyclone hit--and has helped the locals there in establishing orphanages that they had in their heart to begin. He has been working here in the States praying and raising support and awareness of the needs there--especially after the CYCLONE destroyed the orphanages--though every single orphan and staff member was saved! He has also been going back and forth to help and see firsthand the work that is being done in the face of such great need.
One of the greatest dangers for children in Myanmar (formerly Burma) right now is that many have been orphaned or separated from their parents because of the CYCLONE and are at great risk for being kidnapped into the sex trade industries of Thailand. The government is working (amazingly) to try to set up refuge camps for the children, but there is a great need for orphanages to be built and for people to come and staff them.
I have been invited to go in 2009 and will definately be seeking the Lord as to how long I will be able to take on this adventure. These children have already been breaking my heart. The country is in a devestated position still in the aftermath of the cyclone.
Many of you know that I just recently returned from a really nice trip to Asia--Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea--helping my friend Jaeson and his ministry team at some conferences and trainings for young Asian students who are committed to making a difference in the world through church planting and spending two years in unevangelized areas of Asia and the Middle East.
While in Taiwan, I got a serious invitation to go with Dr. Hagerty to Myanmar. In Hong Kong, the Holy Spirit hit me with a serious burden and weeping intercession for these children. I got seven more confirmations before I had even come home. Since I have arrived in Kansas City, the Lord continually is talking with me about these children!!! I have had many more connections and confirmations since arriving here less than 3 weeks ago!
Ah! Pray for the pain that they feel to be healed by Jesus. I will never forget in Hong Kong. I have no idea what was preached or what joyful song was played during the music set. I was weeping the whole night for these little ones. I kept saying to the Lord... "Oh Lord, the pain" (because I could feel it and I was literally sobbing). And yet I know I can't fully know it.
Then I would pray, "Oh Lord, you know I literally have nothing to give."
And this is what is painful for me. In Hong Kong, my friend Chris quoted Heidi Baker,"It is dangerous to have love without power or power without love." He went on to explain that love without power is devestating b/c you see the need, but know there is nothing you can do about it. Power without love is dangerous b/c it breeds pride and abuse of power. This made so much sense to me. This is why my adrenal glands shut down when I see people dying in pain and there is nothing I can do about it. I have love, but no power of my own....
So in Hong Kong, I prayed, "Lord, I have nothing to give. Finally, I am empty of self. I KNOW I have NOTHING TO GIVE! Lord, you have to stand behind me and give the children bread. I cannot heal them. I cannot feed them. But I can stand in front of you and pass to them what you give me. I can lay my hands on them and You can heal them. I have nothing in my hands, but You can do it..and you must!" (Matthew 15:25-28)
I have no power, but He literally has ALL power.
So I have changed the way that I pray now. The reasons 7's avoid pain is b/c they know the world is supposed to be joyful and fully restored. And yet an integrated 7 knows that we are the means through which the Lord will start to bring justice and action and help. He will restore THROUGH us. (Isaiah 61). Oh, how I have known this.
And I have been given a grace... to sleep with the rats if necessary. God has given me this willingness and this grace because there is a world out there in need.
I pray for grace to face the pain and to seek the Lord for His healing and kindness to come through me and the many others who will go.
James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
These recent blogs have not been extremely well written and are extremely raw. I really want to sit down and write some articles and other things that will take some time. But for now, this very small amount of information seems enough to say we've "bitten off more than we can chew."
Let's ask God to help us to assimilate the needs of human suffering across the world--while letting Him carry the burden and the pain.
By the way, we need more people to go! Feel free to contact me if you are interested in learning more, praying more specifically, or actually going to see the needs and be part of the solution!
WAYS TO HELP:
1) I know of two very reputable, dynamic ministry organization that are helping with this cause. If you would like to donate to helping the children directly, please contact:
Dr. Bob Hagerty with Mercy For the Children, Myanmar:
Roberth@netpenny.netor Levi Lim at:
http://www.ilovemyanmar.org/2) Also, you can help support Zenia Clothing Company that works to promote awareness and raise funds for these needs:
www.myspace.com/zeniaclothing3) And you can pray for me and the many others who will be working with orphans this year and the issue of stopping human trafficking. If you are interested in supporting a missionary later in the year, I will be going to work with the children myself. I would love to have your prayers and financial backing! Those who can't go...SEND! :-)
Many blessings!
~Sarah Weichhand
Another site with resources and other links:
http://www.facelessinternational.com/I have to add as a post script thought: Helping these children just to help them is a wonderful thing. I have spent the last year observing that many people are trying to help these women and children and end this injustice. We cannot do this on our own. We cannot save, deliver, or heal of ourselves. The best human ideas and actions fall sooooo short of what only God can do. Only God can turn hearts of government officials and raise up workers to go. Only God can bring physical healing to bodies that have been ripped and devestated and physically and sexually abused. Only God can mend a heart. We cannot do this with our best human counseling and attempts at providing other jobs for these children. WE must marry our actions with our prayers to a BIG GOD who can do what ONLY HE CAN DO!!! We can help, but we cannot save, heal, or deliver without Him! Please join with me in prayer for these children.
II Thessalonians 3:1-5
Request for Prayer for the children: 1Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
Prayer for these organizations, young missionaries like myself, and others who will go...
I Thessalonians 1:5 "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake."
Thank you! I also just read on my friend Jaeson's blog that there is a documentary coming out that will start to expose the industry by bringing it out to the public. You can watch that pilot for that film here:
http://www.jaesonma.com/
