Imagine for a second, that you are eleven years old and your mother is locked away in a Colombian prison on drug trafficking charges. Your father has never been in the picture, so you live with grandma. The problem is grandma is an unemployed alcoholic and has trouble making ends meet. You eat in feeding centers and hang out in the park. Grandma loves you and does her best, but the alcohol gets the best of her.

Needless to say, the first eleven years of life has been hard for Emmanuel.  Sadly it has just gotten a little harder. You see, his grandmother was found dead in her home. She drank herself to sleep and never woke up. He is now living with his great grandmother, but this is a not a positive, long term solution.

When I think of Emmanuel and listen to his story, I can't imagine how alone he must feel. Everyone who should be there for him is gone! It's heart wrenching to think about how abandoned he must feel.

He needs a safe and caring environment where he will feel loved. A place that will teach him that he is never alone, because His father in heaven loves him unconditionally and will never leave him. I find it very interesting that his name actually means "God with us". I hope he will learn to truly understand and embrace the meaning of his name.  

Emmanuel and the thousands of children like him are the reason we at 6:8 Ministries feel called to start a children's ranch. We believe that we are called to bring hope to the hopeless, safety to those in danger, and love to the unloved. Please pray for Emmanuel and for the 6:8 Ministries Children Ranch project.