DAY 12 - GEMS for ages 12 - 24

At church today, we studied 2 Samuel 13 - 18, a story about a dysfunctional family.  A short synopsis of the story is this:  David had 2 sons with 2 different women. Absalom, one of his son's had a sister named Tamar.  Amnon, David's other son, raped Tamar (who was his half sister).  When David found out about the sexual assault, he did nothing. 

What happened to Tamar?
"Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing.  She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went...and Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman."  1 Samuel 13:19 - 20

Let us not follow in David's footsteps.
Everyday, girls are confined to a dark, dirty room, raped over and over again.  Let us not sit back and do nothing.

Girls Educational and Mentoring Services’ (GEMS) is an organization whose "mission is to EMPOWER young women, ages 12–24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential."

Let us fight to ENCOURAGE and EMPOWER young women (and young men) who have been violated by the selfish men and women who enslave them and rape them.  GIRLS ARE NOT FOR SALE.

Read this short poem written by a survivor:

Before I Die
Life is too short
Regrets and mistakes are memories made
Live your life to the fullest
“You’re never gonna make it,” they said
Show them you can
Love yourself
—Selina, age 16

Let us love survivors by encouraing them to love themselves and to seek out the love of their Heavenly Father, One who is Love Himself. 

^"It [Love] does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."  1 Corinthians 13:6 - 7