Basket Case
A street orphan in Donduseu, Moldova ended up in Samara, Russia. His arms and feet didn’t make the journey with him.
It’s yet another example of extreme injustice towards the orphan in the former Soviet Union. And it’s yet another incident that is not unique or unrepeated. It’s another formula that is employed to turn a common resource, orphans and street children, into an income-producing commodity for evil-hearted men and criminal organizations.
This particular boy was kidnapped by gypsies. They then methodically went about removing his limbs so that he could be sold as a wheelchair-bound beggar to a crime syndicate in Russia. He’d be worth much more that way because he’d generate more sympathy, couldn’t escape, and would be entirely dependent on the owners that enslave him.
By some estimates, 50% of the child beggars in Moscow are from Moldova. Whether maimed beforehand or not, many have been trafficked there for the explicit purpose of generating income for crime lords that place them strategically around the city to fill beggar’s baskets for them.
(Image: Girl begging on the streets of Moscow, 2000)
This is what I am struggling with:
Those that do such hidious things (especially to children), how can I find it in my heart to love THEM? It is so bad .. so bad that I and enraged.
As I think on this, all I can come up with is, "only through Jesus, only by his power can ANY love come to those that harm children." Even then....pure evil...does pure evil deserve love?
In the meantime...LORD ... LORD ... in some way, some how, bring hope and healing to these children. Give them a future that is safe somehow. Only in you...
Amen.
Posted by: Patti Foster | June 21, 2007 at 08:20 AM
This story makes me so sad. God bless all those caught in the storm.
Posted by: Leah | October 18, 2008 at 08:58 PM