Today was a great day for 2 reasons. One, I got to play with the kids in the Compassion project. Two: I learned something I never new about Katie Rose.
Today was truly a blessing and a curse. We got to see people at their finest when we visited a Compassion project that cares for kids late into the night so parents have someone to watch their kids while they work. The Mom of this little girl gave God thanks for this program because she said now she could go to work and not worry about her daughter’s safety. That is something we will touch on in a minute with the worst part of the day, but for now back to the goodness. This mom asked us to pray that her kids will be safe, their family will be happy, and her kids will be able to make a better lives for themselves.
Strange how you could mistake this mom’s pray for her children with your prayer for your own kids. The difference is unless we step in and lend a helping hand the dreams she has for her children will most likely remain just that; dreams.
We got to do one of my favorite things today and that is just play with the kids. I did not know that Katie Rose had a hidden talent for making balloon animals…what else has she hidden from me? These kids are so polite and appreciate of every little thing they get. We might be giving them stuff, but what they give in return in the form of sheer joy is far more valuable.
Now for the dark side of the day. When we were told we were going to a hot spot for child and human trafficking I pictured the seedy underbelly of our society covertly conducting
their business in dark alley’s, but that was not the case at all. We 
went to a crowded market and you could not go 10 feet without someone handing you a menu. Not a menu for a restaurant, but rather a menu for prostitution. This is an area of the world that does not try to hide it’s activity. That is what shocked me most. It was not the hundred strip clubs that are fronts for prostitution and child exploitation, but rather the fact that it is all so
out in the open. It looks like a tourist attraction complete with neon and families. That is one of the things that struck Katie, Zach and I. Women are on the streets as live adds for what they do and people brought their kids here. The other odd thing was the number of older couples you could hear negotiating with these women. It truly is a place no child should ever be forced to be a part of. 
Compassion believes it is far better to identify kids that are at risk of being drawn into this world and preventing that from every happening in the first place. This stuff IS happening and just think if it was your daughter, I think you would want someone to help protect her innocence if you were not able to.
