Justice

Community Food Co-Op Up and Running!

Free the Girls, Justice, Kids at Risk, Prayer, The Lighthouse Project, Urban Ministry -

In recent weeks, all of us on staff at MTES have been discussing the importance of restoring dignity to those that have lost so much. The men, women, and children served by our programs have many things to grieve. Men who live on the streets have often lost their homes and families, women who have been exploited have lost their innocence, and children without a consistent living situation have lost their security. These losses are emotional, physical, and spiritual. Our hearts are moved, and the temptation comes to give hand-outs to those still reeling from such heavy losses. But is there a better way to restore dignity and respect? There are places where “hand-outs” and emergency relief are appropriate, but there are also places where these things can add to […]

At Risk

Gangs, Human Trafficking, Immigration, Justice, Kids at Risk, Prayer, The Lighthouse Project, Urban Ministry -

Risk. It’s a word that we hear thrown around in conversation. “Don’t risk it.” “Take a risk.” “At your own risk.” Sometimes the thought of a risk seems thrilling, exciting, on the edge. Other times it seems foolish and like something best avoided. We do a lot of things to take the risk factor right out of our lives. We live in homes with doors that lock, and drive cars with airbags and seat belts. We make choices about our health, our bodies, and what we put into them. We wear sunblock, and floss our teeth to lower our risks, to extend our lives, and to avoid sickness and pain. But what if you were born “at risk?” What if you stepped out of a warm, safe place and in […]

The Fight Against Poverty

Justice, Kids at Risk, Prayer, Thinking About God, Urban Ministry -

October 17th has been declared the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The day was first recognized back in 1987 with the purpose of focusing the world’s attention on issues related to poverty. In El Salvador, poverty is a root cause of many issues that face our friends. Things like human trafficking, homelessness, and the potential to be victimized by violent crime are all perpetuated by poverty. A child born into poverty has a higher chance of being victimized or exploited, and ultimately of ending up living a life on the streets or in unsafe conditions. This is the case for millions of people around the world who struggle to get through each day, and have to work their hardest simply to survive. It is a tragedy that so […]

A Third Too Many

Free the Girls, Human Trafficking, Immigration, Justice, Kids at Risk -

This weekend our newspaper reported a sobering and disturbing statistic about girls in El Salvador. At latest count, thirty percent of all pregnancies in El Salvador are to girls under the age of 15. That is roughly 1 out of every 3. The text under the headline reported that many of the cases are rapes. You can read the report in Spanish here. This is terrible news for girls. The reality is that girls in El Salvador are in crisis. They are vulnerable to rape, abuse, and trafficking. These girls leave school and enter a cycle of poverty that is virtually impossible to break.  A third of all pregnancies to girls under 15 is a third too many. Unfortunately the news isn’t much better for boys. Tori had to do […]

Something to Celebrate

Free the Girls, Human Trafficking, Justice, Kids at Risk -

Yesterday we had a beautiful celebration for our three Quinceañeras (15 year old girls). In this culture, turning 15 is a big deal and communities and churches join together to celebrate the life of the girl turning 15. In many cases, whole communities pitch in to sponsor different parts of the fiesta…a friend may sponsor some of the food, a family member may pay for balloons, a neighbor might provide plates and silverware. When we heard that three of the young survivors we work with would be 15 all in the same timeframe, we knew that we had to celebrate! It was an amazing thing for us to see our donors both in the U.S. and in El Salvador surround these girls with love and form a community of support for them […]

The Face of Human Trafficking in El Salvador

Free the Girls, Human Trafficking, Justice, Kids at Risk, Prayer -

On Saturday morning I opened the newspaper and began to read the local stories…immigration, crime, the economy. As I flipped through the paper, it fell open onto a story about the recent arrest of 7 people accused of trafficking underage girls for sex.  Five of them are women, and two of them are men. All of them are young, not much older than their victims. This is the face of human trafficking in El Salvador. These are real traffickers who were selling girls in malls around San Salvador, and on their Facebook pages. A news website reported that one of the men had an album titled “My New Girls” advertising young virgins for sale. The article also reported the disgusting fact that the victims were forced to fake their virginity […]

Sunday Is Coming

Holidays, Justice, Thinking About God, Urban Ministry -

It all began with a triumphal procession, shouts of joy and praise. As the week wore on, expressions would darken and the cries of “Save us!” would turn to rants of “Kill him!” For His closest followers the week would be an emotional roller coaster unlike anything they had, or ever would again, experience. They were part of a chosen group, come to claim power at last for their people. By week’s end they were denying their Christ, and hiding their faces in the shadows. They saw God die. With their own eyes. And then they buried Him, along with all their hopes. Nothing made sense for His closest chosen. Betrayal and fear hung thick in the air. What questions did they whisper to God in the dark? What looks […]

A Generation Lost

Gangs, Justice, Kids at Risk, Prayer -

New statistics have been released regarding homicide rates around the globe. I am saddened to see that El Salvador lands in the top five along with other Central American countries. As a whole Latin America is more violent than any other region on earth, and while the rates of femicide are high, the majority of the victims are males. That means that more people lose their sons, fathers, brothers, nephews, uncles, cousins, boyfriends, and friends to homicide than in any other region. What is more tragic, is that they lose them young. This report shows that the homicide rate among 15-29 year old males is more than four times the global rate. Four times the death, the pain, the loss, and the suffering. Four times the mothers that have to […]

Love

Free the Girls, Human Trafficking, Justice, Kids at Risk, Thinking About God -

I spend a few hours each week with women and girls that have survived the horror of being sold, and of being exploited for someone else’s gain. I’m not a psychologist, and I’m not a trauma counselor. Those are not my roles in the lives of these women and girls.  I simply try my best to be a truth-speaker, a supporter, and a friend. Every Thursday I have a small group discussion with some of them on a topic related to God. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, so this week, love seemed like the natural thing to discuss. Love. How on earth could I begin to talk to these girls about love? They’ve lived through trauma and pain that I couldn’t find in my darkest nightmares. Life has not brought much […]

Human Trafficking Awareness in El Salvador

Free the Girls, Human Trafficking, Immigration, Justice, Kids at Risk -

Yesterday as I was driving around the city the word “La Trata” jumped out at me. This is the Spanish word that refers to human trafficking…the buying and selling of people. Within an hour I saw two billboards and one bus explaining that “La Trata” is a crime and urging women and girls not to be deceived. This is huge. The truth is that despite the hotness of the topic of human trafficking in the States, many in El Salvador are unaware of the problem. Girls disappear, and women are sold into horrific situations of forced prostitution and domestic servitude. Hopefully that will begin to change. The new campaign, led by the First Lady of El Salvador, includes television commercials aimed at preventing child trafficking, and signs around El Salvador. […]

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