Esther....

Queen Esther was an orphan.

Did you know that?

Yes, the same Esther who defied the king's orders by seeking an audience with him- though it could have meant her death. The same Esther who, by her actions, saved the Jewish people from annihilation.

She was an orphan.

Esther 2:7 (NLT)

This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.

I wonder what would have happened if Esther, after her own parents died, had been placed in an orphanage?

I don't think they had such things at the time, but stay with me....

Different translations say that Esther was beautiful and lovely, she had a nice figure, she was beautiful in body and face, she was beautiful and fair. You get the idea.
I don't know what the current slang for it would be, but she was like..... a supermodel.

Do you know what happens to girls- gorgeous or not- in Eastern European orphanages?

The International Organization for Migration and the NGO 'La Strada' reports that:

• 40 per cent of children trafficked to CIS, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia-Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania come from abusive, single-parent families or have been in boarding institutions.
• More than a half are orphans, or have lost the contact with their parents.

According to the U.S. State Dept 'Trafficking in Persons' Report (June 2004):

• Ukraine is both a source and transit country for women and girls trafficked to Europe and the Middle East for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and for men trafficked to Europe and North America for forced labor.
• Ukraine has seen an increase in the trafficking of children, especially orphans, during the last year.

Orphans are easy prey for slave and sex traffickers.
According to Amnesty International, young women and girls, often vulnerable because of economic deprivation, or for already having been physically abused, are easy targets. They dream of a better life, which traffickers promise when they offer them 'work' in the west. Instead of getting a proper job, the girls find themselves trapped, enslaved and forced into the sex industry.

To escape their devastating life, suicide is unfortunately the only option some of these children feel is available to them.

I read somewhere that female prostitutes in Eastern Europe are generally between the ages of 11-16.

11?

11 years old?! SERIOUSLY?!  Not that 16 is any better, but 11?!!

But how can hosting help?

They're only here for 5 weeks, right?

You can tell them- and show them that they are loved.

You can tell them- and show them that they have worth... that they're special.

You can tell them- and show them that Jesus loves them. That they're so important- he DIED for them.

You can tell them- and show them that they have a father in heaven who will NEVER leave them, NEVER abandon them, NEVER write them off.

You can tell them- and show them that they're wanted.

You can hug them and show an interest in their abilities and thoughts and opinions.

You can show them they have potential.

You can show them there IS another way.

Is hosting going to single-handedly resolve the orphan crisis in Eastern Europe.
Absolutely not.

Will hosting "one of the least of these" guarantee they won't turn to prostitution in the future?

Of course not.

But what if their experience during their 5 weeks in the US made them feel better about themselves and gave them a little self worth?
What if the thought of a "mom" and a "dad" in America caused them to think twice about the choices they make?
What if their "summer family" changed their idea of what is acceptable and what isn't?

Statistically speaking 50-60% of the girls on the New Horizons photo listing will spend time as a prostitute, either by force, or as a last resort.

The question is- what are YOU going to do about it?

www.NewHorizonsForChildren.org

*Recommended reading on the subject of human trafficking: Priceless, by Tom Davis.