If she had not been there .

Over the last few months , many bodies have been found in the woods and rivers surrounding Tokmok..  Many of these bodies are reported t o be  missing vital organs.  A couple weeks ago a young boy was found, dumped behind a store , still alive, but stitched up and missing a kidney.  If life for teenagers was not dangerous enough with bride napping , sex trade and slavery  now they are targeted for body parts.  
   We know the statistics are incredibly high for the orphans that simply don't make it .. and the ones that do its because someone stepped up and became a significant adult figure in their lives.  Yesterday , Emma was that significant adult figure for 2 of our girls.
   Jildiz and her friend Acel are orphans who are two old now for the orphanage.  They are trying desperately to find their way on their own.   They had no home and no job, and no family to help them.  We have known Jildiz for about 6 or 7 years now, and have a good relationship with them .  That is what has brought them to us.  Emma has been working with them on a plan for their lives.  We have three girls here in similar situations all hoping and praying for a sponsor to help them get a start to their lives.   The plan is that they find jobs, and we will help them for the first month or two until they start getting regular pay.  with three together in a one room apartment , they will be able to cover their expenses, and have money left for food.
   Emma has been going with them around town to try to find jobs , we found one job for one of them, it is from 8 am until 11:00 pm and pays $5 for the day .    so late a shift is dangerous, so they are looking for one that is a litle shorter, then they found an add in the paper and called .. $4.50 a day for a 9 to 4 job.. this is perfect .  they call and were hired over the phone.. it was making pasta for a restaurant
   Yesterday morning they eagerly went off to work.. Something about it was not sitting right with Emma so she went along with them to see were it was and check it out.  When they got to were the restaurant was, there was nothing there,  they called and were given directions down a back street... they walked to the end and still no restaurant. so they called again.. this time someone drove to meet them and said get in and I will drive you.   The two girls hoped in right away.. Emma said "wait,  What is the address of where you are going "  she was told that they will find out,  she insisted that she be told where they were going and things got a little heated until the driver realized that Emma was a foreign aid worker, and that these girls had someone caring for them... then all of a sudden he wanted nothing to do with them.  By this time Emma had them back out of the car, and he took off , but did stop a little ways down the road and talked another young girl into his car.  The girls came right home, and we contacted the police with the information along with the newspaper add and the licence number of the car...
   What would have been the out come if Emma had not been there to stand up for these girls.  What would have been the outcome if sponsors like you were not there to help support Emma in what she does,   and what would have been the outcome if we were not here with the resources to be that safe place for these kids?
    We have a lot on the go, and with lots of things that we are working on, but we must never forget that these are real kids with real worldly dangers , struggling to live on their own.. and we must never become so busy with stuff , that we neglect the very children that we came here  to help....
    I think back to times gone by when we built the bonds that we have with these girls,  Today we are more then just friends for them,  we are their family.