I wonder, oh, I wonder where the little faces go…                                                                     … that come and smile and stay awhile and pass like flakes of snow.

This is not one of my normal blog posts; thank you for granting me this privilege to share this massive issue in our communities. Yea, even in the world.

We lost our second child a few short hours after his birth; he was a preemie and oh, so tiny. He was our only child born with an abundance of black hair; I can see him still.

One of the cards we received during those days was imprinted with the words above; I have never forgotten them. But I wasn’t quite sure why I awoke this morning with these words softly stirring my heart.

Then I remembered… my last thoughts last night, even my last words to Tom… “Can you believe 276 million of India’s children are sexually abused?” Over 69 percent of the child population in that country!  Evidently, I went to sleep with my heart shattered for the children of India. (Statistics change yearly, and though this is reported from 2016, I doubt there is much decrease in the numbers.)

India has the dubious distinction of having the world’s largest number of sexually abused children with a child below 16 years raped every 155^th  minute, a child below 10 every 13^th hour and one in every 10 children sexually abused at any point of time.  https://journal.rostrumlegal.com/child-sexual-abuse-in-india-a-dark-reality/

And I read an article later informing me that most of these children never— that’s never, get over what was done to them.  Does anyone?

Some of you know I have been writing, working, interviewing victims on the subject of child sexual abuse for months now, telling my story and theirs. Is it possible we can stop this global crime against our children? If the 42 to 60 million survivors in the United States(now adults) living today can begin to speak out… then maybe we can bring attention to this issue and, in turn, cause a revolution.

Media currently present testimonies of former victims, now adults, speaking truth. Faces of hopeful Olympian gymnasts, wet with tears, recently revealed their loss of dreams as they relived the horrors of abuse at the hands of their once respected coach/doctor. We hear stories daily of childhood sexual abuse in the largest religious organizations (i.e. Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist and others) around the world. Or in the smallest offices. Cover-ups are being uncovered. Parents, family members, politicians, professionals, celebrities, scout leaders… and church leaders are realizing secrets are not secrets… any longer.

Because we are telling.

(The above paragraph is found in the introduction of this book on sexually abused children)… A Journey from Scared and Scarred to Sacred.

My heart broke over the loss of my little one’s face, yes. But it breaks over all little faces… the scared children that become scarred adults.  It is suggested 400,000 babies, male and female, born this year, 2022, and the next year, and the next year, and the next… will be abused sexually before their eighteenth birthday.

Each piece of research, each site I read… no matter the date or decade… all point to the same staggering numbers… one in three girls and one in six boys (some report it is one in five boys) have been sexually abused as children.

So today I am seeing little faces, living in fear of those they know and trust. Did you know less than 10 percent of abuse is from “stranger danger?” Children are crushed by family members and friends of family.

I wonder oh, I wonder what will happen to the thousands of  the faces of little children… abused, afraid and alone in their pain.

The book, available soon, with its facts and its stories, brings awareness to the ugliness, but most importantly offers hope to those who are living today, still carrying the shame and guilt in silence.

As I prepare my launch team, would you be willing to join? It would require a bit of time… not too much. It does require heart and passion.

“Jesus took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:16