Six Kids are FREE - Eight more maybe!

Pam just called from a boat on Lake Volta, using George's cell phone to tell me that they have just rescued six kids!! The six range in age from 5 years old to 12. Their names are Ezekiel, Ebenezer, Israel, Regina, Kobe and TeTe.

She passed the phone around and each one of them told me hello. She had five-year-old Kobe sitting on her lap.

Even though it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon there they were headed to one more location to try and rescue eight more kids today.

After they finish, they have plans to take them all back to a little restaurant and have a big celebration meal.

- Lord, may you bless these kids - heal their bodies, bring light to their world, and give them beautiful and exciting dreams of a life filled with endless possibilities. May your ways become their ways, may they find joy in helping others - and Lord, years from now, when they cross over the river to eternal life with You, may their faith be such that their crossing is but a step over a gentle stream.

"Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever." (Rev 7:12)

Wow, I feel like I need to pass out cigars!!

- Randy

Rescue Mission

(This post is written by Pam's friend)

We are filled with thanks and peace to be able to share that we've heard from Pam. As much as we proclaim our faith in knowing that God is in charge, and as sure as we are that Pam is equipped to move mountains—still we feel our concerns rising when days go by without a single word! Especially when the last word was “We’re getting in a boat and heading up the river”!

We get a lesson on African geography during this entry (thus the map) in case you'd like to track where they are.

The team headed up the east side of Lake Volta for their eleven or twelve-hour journey with George and Paul (who had met them in Accra). Tuesday they set out upon the lake to negotiate with fishermen about the rescue of fourteen children.

A home has been rented to be the safe haven for the children during the construction of the orphanage.

Today they will regroup as they prepare themselves for tomorrow's rescue mission.

We ask that you would take time today to meditate and pray for all involved. we cannot fathom what is going on inside the minds and spirits of these precious few who will be delivered out of bondage. We try to grasp the magnitude of child slavery and how God is willing to create roadways through the wilderness for us (you!) to give life and hope to those who live in such darkness.

We believe that tomorrow’s rescue mission is the first of many. There should not be six-year-old children with over-developed muscles working on a dark lake every night of their childhood years. It’s our responsibility to do something about it. We are continually thankful that a way has been miraculously provided for us to be a part in this endeavor for God's kids. We will be held accountable if we set back and allow it to happen.

Tomorrow there will be fourteen children who will have enough to eat for the first day in their lives. Tomorrow there will be fourteen children who will go to bed and be able to sleep through the night without having to rise up at twelve a.m. for a twelve-hour shift of hard labor. Tomorrow there will be fourteen children who will feel and experience a mother’s love as Pam embraces each of them as if they were children from her own womb. This is Pam Cope. These children will be drawn into a new life of freedom as God's love is administered to them through George, Paul, David, Pam and Aimee.

As beautiful as that may be, there is a sad side to the story. There will be eyes watching. Wounded, hollow eyes that belong to the many children who are not being rescued. Eyes that are wondering...hoping…wishing……that it could have been them. Those children will return to their hard work while fourteen slaves are set free.

For every eye that watches the rescue--pray with us that their day will come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday our Touch A Life team will head back to Accra. This time they will travel down the west side of the lake. They’ll be able to experience Mole National Park where we hope David will capture African wildlife on film!
What an adventure!

Randy (Pam’s husband) said that we should not hear word from them again until Saturday or Sunday since cell phones and email (and electricity for that matter) is not available most of the time.

We’ll give word as we have it.

Many Blessings.

Small Update

March 27th Email:

An email was just received from Rhonda Lettow. Her husband, David, is the photographer who is traveling with Pam and Aimee. He called her at 1:45 our time to let her know that they were getting ready to get onto a boat to venture out on the river.

She added that he was blown away yesterday by what they viewed during their 12-hour trip across the African terrain. He said that it was hard to describe the villages.

Hopefully, we’ll soon have a picture or two to add to the blog.

This isn't much of an update, except to inform everyone that they made their trip safely. We'll send more a.s.a.p.

~Touch A Life

March 26th: Traveling North

We are venturing north to the Lake Volta region and will be unable to email for at least a couple of days. Please keep us in your prayers as much will be transpiring.

Most of you know that I have a traveling companion, Aimee Molloy, along with me during this trip. She is the very skilled writer to whom I’ve been sharing the story of my life with. We have been having an amazing trip as God performs His daily miracles around us. Pray that we will see all that He wants us to see, walk where He wants us to walk and do what He desires for us to do during our African Journey.

Also, through another series of miraculous happenings, we have along with us a talented artist who is using his camera to capture these miracles on film. The three of us appreciate your prayers as we know God is going to use these next few days as an opportunity to plant seeds in the minds of people to birth visions and dreams that will lead to the deliverance of these children who are treated so unjustly.

We know exactly what is going on and it has nothing to do with us and everything to do with justice. Our dream is to find ways to set the children free. Our dream is to share this dream in such mighty ways that child trafficking could be stopped and children could be children again.

We will be working with Paul and George who have the Pecodep Center. You can familiarize yourself with them by visiting their website (the link is on our website, too).

Touch A Life is helping to fund a new orphanage where George and Paul will be in charge. We will able to see the construction of it. The children who will be living there are rescued from the nightmares of being either slaves or orphans (or both).

During the next few days we will take part in a rescue mission and we’ll be able to go out onto the lake and see for ourselves exactly what their lives are like. We ask that you remember us as you know how heartbreaking this will be--yet we know the importance of sharing it with the world to educate and to bring a clear awareness to what crimes are being committed while we reap the benefits of living blessed lives.

We are so privileged to live where we do, but we are learning more and more that our blessings have not been given to us simply so that we can hoard them as we bask in comfort and peace. No, we are to take what we can and do all we’re able to do to prevent things such as world hunger and homelessness, child slavery and the misery of unending poverty.

We will be faithful to send updates as we can.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers--we can feel them.

March 25th Email from Ghana

The kids were so precious today all dressed up for church. Mark looked gorgeous, he had on a citrus orange shirt and khaki pants and I literally gasped when I saw him. It is evident that the children do love it here.

Yesterday Aimee helped Matilda cook “smoked fish/goat soup”. . It had grease floating on the top and it was like nothing we’d ever tasted! Not being used to it, I had to concentrate to keep from gagging. Both Aimee and I had to sip and lap up the soup and proclaim “mmmmmmmm” without gagging.

A funny little story about last night: It was 9:30 and we hanging out with the older kids. Marabelle comes up and says, “Don't sit near the grass--scorpions”. I said, “Oh really”? She answered, “Yes-- bite you hard? Hurt bad--but it not over.” I thought Aimee and I were going to crack up. I guess they are really bad during the rainy season. However, trust me it is not the rainy season though. It is so dry and hot we are melting. There is breeze that blows and helps with relief.

I will purchase “ball boots” for the kids. They are longing for soccer cleats. I will buy some in Accra before I come back to see them after the lake. Tommy tries to bring them from the states because he said the ones here tear up quickly. Also they desperately need gym shorts for soccer purchased in the United States. Tommy said they love those slick shorts.

Aimee and I went to the beach again last night. As we sat there in the darkness, she said, “Look how black it is out there. You and I would be afraid to get in a boat. Think of those kids going out night after night and being so scared.” It was painfully haunting.

The power kept going out last night and Aimee said, “I have never experienced complete blackness like this before.”

I just don't know what it is about Africa and the dark of night. Crista and I experienced the same feeling last trip.

Arrived in Ghana Email

Over the next few days—during my trip to Ghana—I will be sharing bits and pieces with those of you who have joined this “journey to touch and be touched” by joining me on this journey to change the world (one child at a time)!


So…here goes:

March 23, 2007

Yes, I finally made it. We have already had a blast with the kids. Aimee is sold out with black kids. She loves on them as much as me. She is really taken with Richard. She loves the underdog also.

The kids were so happy and fun. They had made me pictures thanking me for giving them a new life. John's picture is priceless. He drew a gigantic egg and it is being held up with two hands. He said, “that is Ma Pam's hand and she is so gentle and she takes care of us”. I thought I was going to die with joy.

The kids are all doing great--actually better than great. Aimee recorded an interview with them last night with Matilda translating. They really shared and opened up. They said they are sad at night when they still think of their friends that are working on the boat. They want their friends to be rescued also. That was a tearjerker. They told how they were cold in the dark and waking up at midnight to go to work. They said the biggest blessing is eating here all the food you want without having to work for your food. Hagar said she loves not having to carry a baby on her back all day and then getting beat my the master if the baby would not stop crying.

There’s so much more to share!

They have all been placed in classrooms according to their levels. It is just so wonderful to look through all their school papers and see how far they’ve come. To tope it off, they are so proud of their work. We had to go through each paper and they would tell us: “Duck” “Airplane”-- so wonderful. They love learning. We helped them with their homework last night. Kojo has perfect penmanship. Hagar is now reading. It’s all just mind-blowing!

We’ve found out some interesting details about some of the children who are living here. Muhammad does have a mom who is a street child. She is going to vocational training provided by Village of Hope. Fred said she has visited Muhammad a couple of times. He does not think she can take care of him. He is planning to ask her if she will consider releasing Muhammad for adoption. Being a street child herself, she actually gave birth to Muhammad on the street. He had Guinea Worms so badly that he was close to death when Fred found him. He took him to the hospital and paid for medical care. He was also infested with mosquito bites

Prince and Princilla were born to a street mom who is labeled as “crazy”. Her mental condition made it impossible for her to care for the twins. She was demon-like when she had the children. She would not allow the neighbors to help with the kids. She would not let anyone come near them. The authorities had to step in and remove them from her care. We will have to get the grandparents to release custody of them. The mother would not qualify. They were nearly starving also. The neighbors would try to throw food to them because the mother would not let them get near.

There is a new little girl living here name is Aquina. She is about 4 years old and she’s beautiful. She was rescued from the Northern area along with four others. They had been totally abandoned and were living on the streets. They have been here two weeks. Aquina is radiant. Fred is going to meet with Romana and see what they can work out to explore possibilities of making it possible for some of these children to be adopted into loving homes. Fred said he gets frustrated because the Ghanaians won't take care of their children but then won't sign over rights either. It is a cultural issue that he wants to change. He said they just are clueless about adoption. They simply don't understand the concept.

I'm Going to Ghana!

Next week I will be returning to Africa and will be able to see the Magnificent Seven first hand! It’s hard to comprehend the changes that must be transpiring within the souls of these precious children who were once living in hopeless bondage but are now experiencing freedom.

During the past few weeks I’ve felt as if I am living in someone else’s body. This someone else leads a very exciting, busy life! I’ve ridden on the wings of various emotions leaving me to feel as if I need motion-sickness medication!

In case you ever wonder--when one is featured in a New York Times article and then is a guest on the Oprah Show--life changes. It was all a divine strategy carefully mapped out by a divine being! A human could not have arranged this miraculous chain of events where orphans from around the world are benefiting from a Missouri mom’s journey. Only God can do a work such as this!

I find myself giggling out loud as I recall the past six years of my groveling and begging for money to help poverty-stricken, disease-ridden widows and orphans in third-world countries. I had known I was to be a voice to cry out for children whose cries were not being heard…yet the frustration that come when most people refuse to listen is too painful to describe. I didn’t understand why God would so clearly give me channels to help those who were going to die if someone didn’t step in if he wasn’t going to guide and direct me to people who were compassionate, willing and generous! Most richly-blessed Americans choose NOT to look away from their blessings long enough to focus on the ugliness of reality.

I see that my choosing to remain persistent in spite of endless irritations and constant disappointment has led me to where I stand today. It’s not me--I am operating in “simple-obedience”. I have committed to remain faithful and open to be used as an instrument -- the feet, hands and voice. God must have been waiting for some reason and now must be the time. A gentle, refreshing shower of blessings from people whom I didn’t even know existed has been washing over me over the past few weeks. I have discovered kindred souls who are filled with compassion and kindness and who are willing to do their fair-share to save the world (one child at a time!).

I will be traveling to Africa with Amee Molloy. Amy is a writer who has been spending much of her life “inside my head” here lately. I carefully guide her along to visit both heartaches and rejoicings as she paints portions of my life into book form. We will visit the lake where Mark and the others were rescued from the darkness of slavery. I expect to feel excruciating pain for those who have not yet been liberated. Yet, I will take hold of the hope that their day of liberation will come. Experiencing the “Mark-Miracle” has confirmed what I had belived all along: for each suffering child there is a person out there who (if that person would only step out in faith) can be delivered out of bondage!

I am sure you will be reading details of my Ghana-journey while we are there as I have someone who will keep this blog updated for me.

Until then…

Quite often the absence of immediate success

is the mark of a genuine call.
~Bruce Larson~