Read:Deuteronomy 10:12-18 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.

In Brazil, the age of consent is 14. Authorities usually consider sexual relations involving a child of 14 or older to be consensual, even when that child is an unwilling partner. With such a low age of consent, there is little protection for children, and exploitation is rampant. Young girls come to Hope Unlimited from the streets and slums, where most are consistently abused and sexually exploited. While the safe haven Hope Unlimited provides is so important to these girls, we also need a transformation of national attitudes about child sexuality to protect our children.