Christian Family Services

Feb 5, 1988 meeting Crista Marie for the 1st time at CFS in St. Louis

Crista and I were invited to share at the fundraiser for Christian Family Services on friday night in St. Louis. Almost twenty-one years ago we adopted Crista through that agency. I opened by sharing the need we have for adoption agencies like CFS that operate with integrity and pure motives. I remember calling several agencies and getting lukewarm feelings about their programs. Immediately when I talked with the caseworker at CFS I knew I found the pathway for our family to grow through adoption.

Working on the speech for friday night stirred up some emotions that possibly have been buried for way too long. Processing all my emotions of gratitude that I feel for Crista's birthmother made me grow a new love for her. Crista's birthmother was a young, unmarried twenty-one year old girl who found herself unequipped to raise a child on her own. I thank this woman from the bottom of my heart for accepting the pain and ultimate sacrifice to do what was best for her daughter.

Crista came up to share after me and spoke from her heart. I was so proud of my daughter and I realize how far she and I have come to appreciate each other. I love her more everyday. Adoption is such a part of God's plan. I wish every child could have a forever family. I wish every orphaned chid could be embraced through adoption. My definition of World Peace is that no child lives on the streets or is dying a slow death through child slavery.

Can the church not start a movement to take in orphaned children? Every family has to take just one child. We will go around the world once and then if there are any children left we start over and everyone takes two. Until there are none. Sounds like GOD THING to me.

Great T-Shirt/Great Man

George Jr stands next to John Arthur who had been sold twice by his family to work as a slave. George is one of those guys you want on your team. Randy spent several day with him out on Lake Volta and he has earned Randy's respect. Thanks to George and his team John Arthur is safe, happy and living at Village of Hope where he has already advanced to the 5th grade.

Emmanuel and Cazarius

Below is a picture of Cazarius working the nets when Randy and the group met him.



George just sent this picture of Emmanuel and Cazarius embracing their new life. Everytime I talk to him on the phone he tells me how the boys are having so much fun playing and becoming good friends. I am so happy thinking about the two of them sleeping together at night and with each new day absorbing the fact that they will never fish again. George said they are eating plenty and love drinking minerals (fanta).

Emmanuel has been rescued!!

George called today to let us know that Emmanuel and one other boy have been rescued and are now safe and sound at his house.

He said that after they finished their first big meal he gave them each a piece of candy. They ate a portion of the candy and then put the rest away to save for later. Soon they will learn that they don't have to worry about their next meal.

He also said that they had made arrangements to rescue Kwasi and Moses (and one other boy), but was calling to see if we would be able to rescue two girls (8 and 10) who are also being kept on this island. We said of course, which means that soon six new kids from the lake will now be living a life they never dreamed existed.

Thanks to all of you who have helped make this possible.

As a reminder, here is Emmanuel's photo. I can't wait to get a new one of him with a big smile on his face.


- Randy

21 Precious Kids

Meet 21 precious children that have been rescued off Lake Volta. I think this picture speaks volumes for freedom and Village of Hope. I want to thank all the supporters for donating to Touch A Life who have made this possible.

Hula Class

I met Chantilly, a college student at Pepperdine, last spring when I spoke at convo. She wanted to volunteer immediately and help with our vision of bringing art and music to the kids at Village of Hope. Chantilly is native Hawaiian and brought her beauty and culture to Ghana. I was paralyzed with joy many afternoons just watching the children having so much fun in her class.




I choose to believe Van is super focused and embracing the moment.

A Whole Lotta Lovin and Paint

Meet just a few of the wonderful volunteers that poured out their hearts to the kids at Village of Hope during the Music/Art Camp.







Today I just want to share pictures of JOY. The group that volunteered to help with the music/art camp were amazing. Everyday fun-filled activities were scheduled for the kids that included paint, dance, music and a whole lotta lovin. What a special group.

Richard is Healing

Richard is one of the original children we refer to as the Magnificent 7. He was rescued with Mark in the first group about 21 months ago. Richard is the child that has always seemed more broken and hardened because of the abuse he endured for so many years. It was painful to look through pictures of him working on the lake because he was always naked. I just cannot imagine the humiliation a child that age faces by not having clothes to wear day after day. My very first meeting with him he would not even make eye contact and when you tried to show him physical affection he would stiffen and turn away. I have always worried more about him than the others because he did not seem to share the same hope the other children embraced.


What a blessing to see him so focused and enjoying his art project. He loves art and reading. He has made such huge strides and with each visit I see him softening and smiling more. He is so proud of his masterpiece and I love how he wrote his name to take such ownership of his butterfly. How appropriate that he painted a butterfly the symbol of freedom. He truly is free to be the special little boy that God created him to be. Patrick was interviewing Richard and his dream is to drive the van for Village of Hope and pick up the children rescued off Lake Volta and bring them to V of H. Priceless.

Hopeful eyes

I'll have to tell you, it is hard to close out this series on my trip to Lake Volta. In a way it is the same feeling I had that day as we pushed our canoe away from Emmanuel's – like I can't just turn away and go on with my life – not while there are still Emmanuels out there - cold, hurting, and one big wave away from death.

But I'm not turning away. Not only will my days be filled with thoughts of these boys, but my dreams will be also.

It is not just the hollow eyes of the boys on the lake that push us, but also the bright, hopeful eyes of the boys we have rescued that help us see that we really can make a difference.

Please keep coming back to this blog over the next few days as Pam tells the story of the kids at the Village of Hope. It was so amazing to see the 21 kids that were just a year ago themselves out on the lake. I could tell you about each of these kids and how they have healed and grown, but the one that says so much is John Arthur.

John Arthur really started it all. His whole story is haunting, but briefly, one night after being beaten and tied to a tree by his master he escaped and ran to Kete-Krachi. Someone in the community listened to his story and immediately directed him to George Achibra, a man they knew would help him. At two in the morning John Arthur beat on George's front door and when George opened that door, he opened his life and all of ours to a problem that we are now determined to end.

Here is a picture of George and John Arthur that first night:


And now a picture of John Arthur at the Village of Hope two weeks ago. John is a handsome, confident young man, who I feel will someday make a big impact in Ghana.


Finally, I would like to thank my two new friends who joined me on this journey – Patrick Cone, who was videoing the journey for a Touch A Life documentary that fully explains the situations – and Rachael Wise, whose gift of photography will tell the story in a way words can't. If you know Patrick and/or Rachael, please get with them and ask them about Lake Volta. Like I told them on the lake, this is no longer someone else's story - it is your own.


If you would like more information on how you can help, please feel free to call or write Pam or I at prcope@mac.com or 417-673-0616.

Village of Life

By the time we worked our way around the lake it became obvious that the problem was not getting the trafficked kids off the lake - George is building great relationships with the masters and village chiefs and it is obvious that they are ready to release dozens, if not hundreds of young boys and girls over the coming months.

The pressing issue is what to do with all of these hurting little guys!

Long term there are several options, all of which we are exploring. For some of the children, going home is the best option. To do this, however, they need time in a rehabilitation center, getting treated for their physical and emotional issues. At the same time a team will be needed to go to the family, identify if they are a candidate for reunification, then come up with a plan to make sure the children are successfully reunited. A more detailed plan is the topic for another day.

Other children, however, will not be able to be reunited. Either they are true orphans or the family simply is not stable enough to take the child back in their home. For these children we are working on other options.

Whatever the long-term solution, one thing is clear – all of these kids need a place to go the first night the come off the lake.

Because of that Touch A Life has teamed up with George Achibra and his team to build a safe house for these kids. Eventually this center, the Village of Life, could turn into a large complex complete with school and long-term rehabilitation center.

But on this trip I was excited to go visit the 16-acre parcel and see that the first home is nearing completion. In fact yesterday we wired the funds to George to finish the home and get ready for the next round of kids. We also told George that we had support to go rescue 10 kids, including Emmanuel, Moses, Kwasi, and the several other boys we had seen on this trip.

One of the ironic things is that from this peaceful piece of land in Kete-Krachi you can see Lake Volta in the distance.

May this home be filled with healing, joy, and hope for a better life.


Tomorrow – final thoughts on my trip to Lake Volta.

George to the rescue

After stopping to visit a few of the canoes on the lake we pushed on to about three different villages, where we met with the village chiefs.

It was obvious that George had really done a good job of educating these men on why these trafficked kids deserved better. It is a tough call for them because they are struggling to survive and need all the help they can get to bring in enough fish for the village, but I really feel they are seeing that child labor is not the long-term answer.

As part of our child rescue program we really are going to have to help these village chiefs find alternative ways to provide for the families in their village.

Along the way that day we made a visit to Moses and Kwasi's master's small village. Actually, they didn't live in a village as much as a small group of huts off on their own.

After pulling up and walking up to the huts we met a woman, who said the master was not there. George started in and began explaining to her why these kids deserved a better life. About that time an older lady walked up and got in on the conversation. While the younger woman wasn't softened, the older lady heard it and sided with George. That lady, bless her heart, turned things around immediately.

Soon the younger lady went inside the hut and out came a fellow about 30 years old. George started talking to him and the guy denied that he was the master. After about 20 minutes of talking, though, George stopped and looked at us and said, "Praise God, we have found the man we have been looking for." It was the master and George's reasoning had finally worked its way through the master's hard outer shell.

Because of that conversation Moses (the boy with the possible hernia), Kwasi, and four other boys (including Joseph, pictured above, that was outside the master's hut mending nets with two other trafficked boys) will soon be rescued.

As we left this little group of huts we ran back into Moses and Kwasi's boat, the boys we had seen the previous evening. It was still hard to see them, but made easier by knowing that they were just days away from a whole new way of life.


Tomorrow – where do we take the rescued boys?