I’d like to encourage you to follow my brother’s journey up to Lake Volta. The plight of child-slaves in Ghana was spotlighted last year when my sister-in-law, Pam Cope, appeared on Oprah.
But the tragedy continues. And their passion is fueled by kingdom concerns. As the rule of God breaks in, child-slaves should be released.
You can follow his words here. I’m including below his first entry:
While in Ghana this last week, I was able to break off from the art and music camp for a few days and go up north to see firsthand how the children are being trafficked out onto the lake, to talk at length with our rescue partners, and to see the progress of the new rehabilitation center that will be used for the kids that we rescue. Over the next couple of days I hope to take you on a journey. My prayer is that somehow I can convey to you a part of what I saw.
While there is a wide range of estimates about how many children there are actually on the lake, I can just tell you this - they are everywhere. At one point I looked around me and counted 25 canoes. As we went from boat to boat I realized that there were at least two trafficked children in each canoe. While that is just 50 children, you have to understand that Lake Volta is the largest man made lake in the world. The little section we could see represents less than 1% of the total of the whole lake. I feel the number could easily be in the thousands.
Please come back over the next few days and I will take you on a journey that the whole world needs to see.
- Randy
Our son was privileged to travel with your brother to document on film what is happening on Lake Volta, & then at the Village of Hope. He is profoundly grateful for the experience, & his heart is full to overflowing to help these children. Even though we haven’t heard his stories yet (we will this weekend), we can tell he’s been deeply affected by what he saw on that lake.
Annie -
So glad he got to go. Randy and Pam really wanted me to go, and I wish I could have. It’ll have to be a future trip . . . .
Seeing this one photograph and hearing the little that I have learned about this trip so far is profoundly moving. I am grateful to Randy and Pam and to Patrick and everyone who went for not only telling the rest of us about the situation there, but for joining God in the spreading of His kingdom.
I too am thankful for people like Randy and Pam who have been willing to step our of their comfort zones and help these children who are worlds away-but could be at our front door. What great examples of God’s love and mercy they are to outstretch their hands of hope and rescue these children from a life of slavery. I am glad that we can see this through their eyes, and hope we can be inspired to do more through their example. Thanks for sharing~