News of the World

Here's another round-up of news stories from the countries where Compassion works!

• Kenya- Last week I mentioned the unrest in Kenya that started after a teenage girl was brutally beaten and raped- the perpetrators were required to mow the grass at the police station, then released. The story has gained a lot of media attention in the last week, and it can be found on the home pages for a lot of news outlets (CNN, HuffPo, NBC, etc.) Continue praying for girls around the world, that they will be protected from these stupid and sad acts of violence. And as the case gains international attention- and no action is taken by local law enforcement- pray that no one gets hurt as Kenyans protest this gross miscarriage of justice. Pray that calm attitudes and cool heads prevail, and that justice will be served. 
• Honduras- Countries around the world suffer from the corruption of law enforcement. It even happens in the United States sometimes. Here is a pretty scary story out of Honduras. This police chief, who is active in the war on drugs (which we like) but has a pretty bloody and questionable past (so we keep him at arm's length), is greatly feared by almost everyone who lives in his jurisdiction. He and his officers have been accused of basically killing people to prevent more crime. It's scary stuff. I had no idea Honduras was so violent, but the article describes nights filled with gunfire, and residents waking to find bodies in the streets- left there by the "bad guys" (drug lords and gangs) AND the "good guys"- law enforcement. In the United States, we're not used to this kind of free-for-all law enforcement. We're used to warrants and Miranda rights and trials. The citizens of Honduras- guilty or not- run a really high risk of not having those privileges if they mess up. And we all know that a lot of these problems- gangs and drugs- arise because of extreme poverty. It's all so sad. Pray for the people of Honduras, that they'll stay safe. Pray for wise decision-making by political leaders and law enforcement. Pray for justice to be served. I feel like I'm saying that a lot lately, but justice is something I feel like our world is severely lacking. 
• Indonesia- This one breaks my heart. I mean, they all do, but I haven't heart of many sex trafficking stories out of Indonesia, and this one's particularly sad. Sometimes we hear of kids being sold into prostitution by older family members because they need the money. Well, in Indonesia, a growing problem is children being sold into prostitution by other children. Fifteen year olds are running escort services and are making more money than their other family members put together. And what is their incentive to stop? They've grown up poor. They want a different life. They see this as a way out. A life-changer. Children being exploited by children. Pray for the kids who are being abused. Pray for the kids who are arranging these events, that they will be afforded other opportunities (like education and careers that don't involve taking advantage of others.) Pray for the morality of this nation, and all others, because we all know that Indonesia is not the only country where there are people who want to take advantage of kids in this way. Pray for organizations like Compassion who are working to protect these kids and lift families out of poverty. How do you even deal with that? What if you had to see this kind of thing every day? How does it not just crush your entire worldview, your faith in humanity? I'm sure it's hard to deal with. It's all just so heartbreaking.