International Street Kids Blog

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me… He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.” Luke 4:18

These past 90 days have been what seems the most difficult days I have experienced in ministry. I have come to realize once more that progress comes at a high cost.

I have caught myself with a mixture of emotions, including rage and disgust at what I see. The reality of the sex trafficking of young girls here in Cambodia is simply horrifying.

Every day we have faced madams, pimps, corrupt officials, and mafia, aggressively opposing what we are trying to do: free these young girls.

We have experienced the worse humanity has to show. My life and freedom are under threat as these people interpret what we are doing as taking their business away when in reality we, you and I, are trying to rescue these young girls from slavery.

A few days ago, my team and I were informed that there were three orphaned sisters being kept at a farm as slave workers during the day and as sexual objects for the farmer and his sons at night. Three of my staff members and I decided to immediately go and confront the situation.

We went to the isolated farm. There we found the three frightened sisters and the farmers wife. She was not happy to see us, especially when we started asking her questions about the three underage girls. After a very intense conversation, she threatened me: If you are so concerned about them, pay me $200 each, or I will call my police friends and tell them that you are trafficking girls. I informed her of the seriousness of the situation, and that our intentions were to free the girls from slavery, physical and sexual abuse. The woman took the three girls and ran indoors. Two days later, we returned with officials to help us take the three orphaned girls away from their captivity. We found that the girls were gone, most likely moved (sold) on to another location. We left with a broken heart.

Even though this scene has repeated itself constantly, the Lord and Savior, The Rescuer Himself, has allowed us to reach and rescue 22 underage girls from modern day slavery, most involved in the sex trade.

Things have been extremely difficult here and we desperately need your prayers as we are fighting against a very difficult stronghold.

Praise be to God, our Father, for He is greater and His power and love surpasses any adversary. Let us not forget that He is the Father to the fatherless and the Defender of the weak.

His Ambassador to the Orphans,

John Schmidt, ISK President

John, with Jan and her friend- two of thousands of little girls living in Cambodia's streets.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of girls are forced into the sex trade in South East Asia to work for grown men. NBC Dateline 2008

When I was 11 my grandfather took me to the local merchant he often bought things from. He left me there to pay his debt, and I was raped. The merchant took me to Phnom Penh the next day and sold me to a madam where I worked for over two years. She then sold me to a truck driver. One afternoon I was able to run away� said S.M. now 17 yrs old.

According to the Bangkok Post 09, girls are sold to brothels in SE Asias major cities for $70. Then, they are sold off to 5-12 customers each day for $2. Brothel owners will hold the girl as a slave until she is too ill to attract customers.”

1.8 million girls under the age of 14 are enslaved in the sex trade in SE Asia.?

Lekenah, 11 yrs old, and Palm, 12 yrs old, were found walking the streets of a border town in SE Asia talking to grown men, when a pastors wife saw them and took them in, afraid that these two girls were about to become part of that sad statistic.

International Street Kids is aggressively ministering efforts to �each, rescue and make disciples of these enslaved girls. They will be cared and loved by ISK Staff. Young godly ladies.

But more importantly, they will be discipled and equipped so that they can in the future be used by God to have a significant impact in reaching their nation for Christ. ?Reaching, rescuing and making disciples of Orphaned and Abandoned girls rescued from the sex trade?

Please join with us in prayer for the Lord to open the doors for ISK to keep opening homes for these orphaned and abandoned girls that are rescued from the sex trade, and for the transition of these girls into their new life as they are introduced to Jesus Christ.

You are the best Ministry Partners I could ask for. Thank you so much for your vital prayers and support.

His Ambassador to the Orphans,

John Schmidt, ISK President

Paum (12 yrs), John, and Lekeneh (11 yrs)

These are exciting times for us. The Lord is doing great things through you in ” reaching, rescuing, and making disciples of Orphaned and Abandoned children where Christ has little or no access.”

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Our son Thomas has been a vital part of ISK ministry since little. He was born ministering to the Street Kids of Sao Paulo, Brazil and grew up in the ministry with us. He has experienced things very few children much less adults have experienced.

Recently Thomas has approached Naomi and I and asked if he could invest the next two years as a missionary to the orphans before he goes to college. We were delighted.

Thomas has made many trips all over the world to minister to Orphans, including Cuba. He just returned from three weeks in Brazil were the Lord used him in a great way.

Thomas is trusting the Lord to bring in Ministry Partners that will send hum into the harvest for the next two years. He needs to raise $ 1288 per month. This includes cost of living and ministry expenses.

With all his experiences growing up, it is safe to say that Thomas knows Street Children ministry the best. Please pray that the Lord will bring in the needed ministry partners that will stand with him in prayer and finances.

Visit Thomas’ website: http://web.me.com/thomasmschmidt7