Compass 31—A new ministry born

The trafficking of women and children is reaching epidemic proportions around the world and especially in SE. Asia.  Thailand, aptly named “The Land of Smiles,” hides a sinister market of sexual slavery. Deceived and hopeless, young women are huddled in dirty shacks or chained behind bars while they await being forced to do things they shouldn’t even know about.  Many of those held captive are between the ages of 12-16. They don’t think of the future because they don’t think they are worth it, their only value is what the customer is willing to pay. They don’t know they were created in God’s image, they don’t know you can’t put a value on life, they don’t know they are priceless.

God is passionate about the broken, and because we too have been broken, we are humbled to follow Him to the darkest corners of the world in pursuit of those whom He loves. Over the past two months God has laid it on our hearts to provide a residential program to young mothers and their children who have been living in or rescued from sexually exploitive situations. On June 15th, 3 girls and their 3 babies moved into our hearts and home. As they live in our family we seek to love them in a way that provides protection, restoration and empowerment.

In praying about this project we sought His will as to a name that could sum up the immensity of the work before us. He directed us to the following passage in Jeremiah 31.

“See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth.  Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.  They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back.  I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”  Jeremiah 31:6-8 (emphasis added)

Webster’s dictionary gives the following 2 definitions for “compass”: 

n. An instrument for determining directions upon the earth's surface by means of a magnetized bar or needle turning freely upon a pivot and pointing in a northerly and southerly direction.

v. To stretch round; to extend so as to embrace the whole; hence, to enclose, encircle, grasp or seize; as, to compass within the arms.

It is our desire to embrace those in our care and guide them on a path that will lead to their own personal discovery of the Creator who loves them and the purpose He created them for.  Thus, the name for the new ministry Compass 31 was born. 

For more information about our family’s work with Compass 31 check out http://jennisuejessen.wordpress.com/category/thailand/

Thank you Laura Parker for the great photos.