Stopping the Secret
(Warning: This is a long one but there’s a give away at the end so keep reading :)
I was adopted from an orphanage in Saigon a week before South Vietnam fell to the communist regime. I’ve written about my adoption story here and here. And I have written about my birth mom here. In 1975 only 3,000 of the thousands of Vietnamese children living in orphanages were flown out. The rest remained in that war torn region destined to age out of the orphanage system, often into a life of crime, servitude, or the sex trade.
And today, many Moldovan girls are in a similar situation. In fact, Moldova has one of the highest rates of sex trafficking in the entire world. If you read Anne Jackson’s (Sex Cafe) or Tom Davis’s (Sex Traffickers and the Craziest Day Ever) posts from their recent trip to Moldova, you get an idea of just how awful this situation is.
On my birthday, I shared that Tom Davis’s organization, Children’s HopeChest, is my favorite orphan care ministry. I love what they do to care for orphans around the world. I am especially thrilled about the work that they are now doing in Moldova.
When Tom returned from Moldova he told me about a safe house where five girls that have been rescued from the trade are living. They’ve been rescued from a life where having sex for money was a daily obligation. A life where having sex while pregnant satisfied a fetish and commanded a higher rate. And now, thanks to Children’s HopeChest and their ministry partner Home for Hope, these girls are receiving housing, food, education, and pastoral care. These five girls are being given hope.
These five girls and their children.
So, here is where you come in… today I’m celebrating the 35th anniversary of my adoption. And today, in honor of my adoption anniversary, I’m giving back. I’m giving out of gratitude for what I have been given. I’m giving to honor those that were left behind. And I’m hoping that you will consider giving back with me.
Here’s the need: Children’s HopeChest and Home for Hope provide counseling services for girls rescued from the trade. These services are currently being limited due to physical building needs.
$1,000 will finish renovation on the group counseling area.
$14,500 will provide an addition onto the building that will serve as an individual counseling area.
Will you help stop the secret?
Donations can be given directly to this project here or by using the link below.
Thank you so much for helping this amazing organization. As a special thank you I will be giving away a signed copy of Tom’s book, Fields of the Fatherless, and a gift from Sephora to two winners.
Enter to win by giving a gift in any amount (even $1.00 will do) and leaving a comment below. You can enter a second time by tweeting a link to this post and leaving a comment letting me know that you did. You can enter a third time by adding this post to your Facebook wall and leaving a comment for that too. Two winners will be drawn from the comments on May 25th.
Gave, tweeted, FB'd, Blogged…..Loving the opportunity to help. Will pray the goals are surpassed!
facebooked-Tweeted-Podcasted-Blogged@Crucialencounter-Blogged@CaffeinatedFaith
Will give when I get to work. Holla!!!
Thanks Andy! And your post is fantastic!
Thanks T!!! I appreciate it!
I gave Nicole!! I'm going to Tweet and Facebook, as well! I admire you for bring attention to topics that others are afraid to talk about!
Yo, thanks for showing me new avanues to participate in God's redemptive mission. Peace
Nicole, thank you so much for this post. Definitely sharing.
and Gave. Payday, I'll have more to give. (15th)
Love your heart and story Nicole!
Nicole – I am proud to know you and I look forward to working with you to stop the secret. You are an amazing women.
You can dig this post here: http://digg.com/world_news/Stopping_the_Secret_...
Such a wonderful thing – thank you for this opportunity. I hope that this continues to bring justice and mercy to the many, many invisible victims of sex trafficking.
Honored to be able to help.
Did 2 of the 3. Tweeted {with a little prompting :)} and “shared” on FB. And said a prayer. It makes my heart ache to think how backwards so much of the world really is. These are someone's babies. Having babies. They are all so lost.
Don't really need to be entered, just reposting because I think it's a good message :)
Awesome idea and thanks for letting us take part. It has inspired me to do my part not only in giving, but I am looking for more ways to help.
I just facebooked the link too!
Nicole, this is incredible. Thanks for your heart, and thanks for doing something tangible that makes a difference in the lives of formerly trafficked women. Can't wait to take you to Moldova!
Thank you, friend. That means so much coming from you… you've no idea.
Thank you for loving others as much as you do. And you using the word “Yo”. :)
Thanks! I appreciate it!
You are so awesome. I love you guy guys so much.
Thanks Hannah! I hope we get to meet sometime soon…
Thanks Vince. I love what you guys do. I'm sure we'll be traveling together sometime soon :)
Awesome! Thank you so much for doing that! You rock!
Amen! Honored that you helped me today.
Honored that you did. I love your heart. Seriously.
Girl, you are to silly! Thank you for helping get the word out. It's appreciated.
Thanks Heather!
Thank you so much! So glad we've been able to connect via Facebook today :)
I love you, friend. Like a lot. Glad I can help in such a small way. Seriously though, I'm totally shocked that I didn't lose all of my followers today with all of those tweets! Yikes! A bunch of other people much love the work that you do too. Although, the night is still young ;)
Helping girls caught in sex trafficking is something I want to be involved in somehow – graduating this Sunday with my master's in professional counseling and want to use that training to help these girls in some way. I tweeted and put a link on facebook hoping to raise awareness.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!!!
This is one of the most worthwhile causes that I have seen in a long time, and I applaud the work that Tom and Anne have been doing on Moldova! Thanks for bringing awareness to this Nicole! Count me in for helping raise awareness for what you're doing here!
Thank you so much! I'm hoping we bump into each other at Idea Camp in September. You're going, right?
Yup! I'm definitely planning on being there! Can't wait!
Hey – I thought I was taking you to Moldova :-) This is a girls trip, Tom. You can come though – we may just need you boys for protection!!! That and you're our fearless leader!
Nicole – SO proud and thankful and amazed!!!!!
Counseling is one of my passions and I believe strongly in making awareness for human trafficking. PLUS this is a Christian ministry; I couldn't help but give.
I also RTd this on my twitter.
I posted on facebook. God bless this cause!
Mine too. I love that HopeChest is doing. Thank you for joining us today and for helping to spread the word. I appreciate it so much!
Amen!
Wow! I am humbled and just full of joy to read your story and the work you are doing. Vietnam holds a very special place in our hearts as our older daughter, now thirteen, is Vietnamese and we brought her home from the north when she was five months old. I just wrote a personal opinion piece for Timbrel, the magazine of Mennonite Women USA that is devoting an entire issue to this topic.
I have donated in honor of what you are doing.
hi Nicole. thanks for sharing this cause and sharing your heart!
contributed
tweeted
facebooked
:)
Thank you for sharing this. You have no idea how much it blesses me. Truly. And thank you for giving in my honor. I'm humbled and truly grateful. Thank you…
The three of us? That would be some trip! ;)
Thank you so much Kim! I really appreciate it!
dear Nicole, Im really into donating for this cause, but I dont have a creditcard. Ive donated before through paypal, can you help me out and see if there's a way for me to donate? Thanks!
Btw, my son is going with his teenchurchgroup to Moldova in 2 months. I will mention this blog and cause to the other parents and staff of the trip. Although they'll receive a schedule from http://www.om.org, maybe there's some time and space to help in some way at your friends org.
tweeted&facebooked
Thank you so much! I'm so glad we were able to make it work with Paypal!!