The Harvest of the Maidens
Scattered across the steppes of Ukraine, little cottages dot the landscape as farmers try to eke out an existence from the land. With little to protect them, it is an open invitation for the galloping hordes to invade their land. They come, the Tartars, the Mongols, the Vikings and the Ottomans, they even had a name for this annual occurrence, the harvest of the maidens. Thousands of young girls as well as young men were taken as slaves to be sold throughout the then known world. This was the origin of the word “slave.” It comes from the people living in those areas, the Slavs.
After many centuries of this, the practice continues and in fact had a huge explosion after the fall of communism. The ability to travel and work outside their lands after 70 years of isolation, created a whole new market for young slaves. “See the world, work abroad” the brochures proclaimed. Young girls longing to leave their poor villages responded by the droves. Their passports taken away from them, they found themselves as sex slaves throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. So common was this that prostitutes around the world gained a new name, “Natashas.”
With three million refugees, mostly women and children there is fear of a new harvest of maidens. Just this morning there was a special report on the news of the possibility of this heinous crime resurrecting once again along the borders. Already traumatized women and children being exploited by heartless traffickers with no convictions seeing this as a huge financial boom. Can this really happen? Are there really people so heartless to do this? Unfortunately, yes there are.
One former ywamer, who was a policewoman in Holland, got tired of arresting prostitutes every night just to see them released and back on the streets the next night, joined ywam to make a difference. She did! She started a whole ministry in Latvia working with these girls, establishing a street ministry and a half way house ministry. She now works in an anti trafficking government position. She has just produced a pamphlet that is being given out at borders warning ladies of this danger and giving them instructions on prevention and what to do if they find themselves in danger.
Can we join together in prayer for this ugliest of situations.
Pray that this pamphlet born out of a tremendous desire to see women be free, that it will be effective and that it finds it’s way into the hands of those that need it.
Pray that these traffickers will be stopped in their tracks, pray for conviction to fill their hearts. (One of our most effective and powerful ministries in Russia today is led by a former trafficker). It’s not impossible.
Pray that these ladies and their children will be taken into homes across Europe and the world that would care for them out of hearts of compassion and love. Pray against abuse or any kind of unkindness to these refugees.
Purim
This is the beginning of the Feast of Purim, a Jewish holiday celebrating the saving of the Jewish nation from a plot designed to eliminate them. Through a young girl, you might even say she was trafficked as she was taken away from her people and placed in a harem in the palace of an enemy king. Because of the faith and obedience of this girl named Esther, her nation was spared.
As we join the Jewish people around us to remember this wonderful event, can we use this to remind us of what God did to spare a nation and maybe He can do it again?
Pray for Ukraine, pray for Kyiv that is beginning to feel the effects of the siege that is now closing in.
Pray for our drivers and rescuers, some of them are ladies.
Pray for our ywam ladies that are carrying huge loads of responsibilities right now, handling finances, dealing with tons of food and supplies coming in, some of them in leadership positions having to make huge decisions every day. They are true Esthers!
Many Blessings,
Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team