Famous Christian author, Tony Campolo, once said that on one of his mission trips to Haiti, he was walking the streets, praying for this poverty-stricken country. Three little girls approached him from the street. The oldest one of them was fifteen; the other two much younger.
As they approached him, the oldest one said, "Sir, if you give me ten dollars you can have me for the night." Campolo wondered how many American businessman had come to Haiti and used God's children in that way.
He said, "Really? For ten dollars, I can have you for the night?"
She said, "Yes."
He said, "Well, what about your friend here; can I have her for the whole night for ten dollars also?"
She said, "Yes."
He pointed to the third girl. "How about you; can I have you for ten dollars for the whole night?"
She said, "Yes."
He said, "Fine. Meet me at this hotel at six o'clock tonight." They agreed to be there. He went back to his hotel and rented a VCR and had it brought up to his room. He scoured the city for Disney tapes and bought all of them that he could find. At a quarter to six, he ordered four banana splits (one was for him!). When they came, they stayed up late eating banana splits and watching The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and other movies. The last of them conked out at one in the morning.
For at least one night, those children were given their childhood back because someone cared enough to treat them as Jesus taught us.
Imagine the life a prostitute lives.
Imagine being so poor and so desperate that you'd actually sell your body to complete strangers.
...poor souls with nothing else to turn to.
And then imagine being fifteen or younger and doing this. By entering into such a life, which they had doubtlessly been in for years already, they not only sell their bodies but also their innocence, their childhood, their purity.
It warms me down to my toes to know that someone took the initiative to give back their childhood and their young innocence, even if just for a few hours. It's such a powerful move... and what a perfect way to evangelize. This man didn't walk up to the girls and berate them for giving themselves away time and time again and for making a poor life choice. No, he looked at them and saw children being forced by their social and economic circumstance to behave like adults, and decided to change that for at least one night.
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 NKJV)
~Godspede
