Pursuing Purpose In Everyday Occurrences

Meet the Rory family,

Miles, Mac, Hayes, Tate, Sam, and Grahm. When husband and wife, Mac and Sam, heard about South Asia’s slavery crisis, they decided they didn’t want to sit on the sidelines. They chose to jump right in by partnering with us, praying, and connecting us with their friends. 

As 13-year-old Tate watched his parents make a difference, he was inspired. It bothered him that children were living through such horrible abuse, so he began thinking of ways to help. While Tate didn’t have a lot of money to donate, he still knew what he could give - his birthday. Like most kids, Tate always enjoyed getting presents from his friends and family each year, but he decided the rescued children needed his help more than he needed gifts.

So, a few weeks before his 14th birthday, Tate went to each of his friends and family and asked them not to buy him presents. Instead, he invited them to give that money to help care for the rescued children. By the time his big day rolled around, Tate had raised enough to buy the kids 150 meals. 

“It’s fun to get gifts on your birthday,” Tate told us. “But I think the best gift is just helping others.”

After using his 14th and 15th birthday to make a difference in the rescued children’s lives, Tate has brought in enough funding to buy over 350 meals. Now, at 16, he’s doing his best to make the world a better place and inspire others to do the same. 

As a boy, Sahil spent his days digging through reeking mountains of trash, hunting for treasures in the dump near his village. He knew it wasn’t much, but every time he found something he could fix or build with, a surge of pride welled up in this throat. His eyes would light up, a broad smile would creep over his face, and he’d be running home, black hair streaming behind him in the gust of wind he created.  

Every day was the same until it wasn’t.

Until he was sprinting towards his hut, prize of the day in hand and a stranger ducked out the doorway. Sahil skidded to a halt, his big chocolate eyes widening in shock as he realized that his parent’s desperation had finally peaked. For one last moment, he took in his home, the tiny hut he was born in. A heartbeat later, he was being dragged away, knowing he’d never see it again.

Sahil’s parents were so afraid he would starve in their own home that they sold him as a rock quarry slave when he was only 8. By the time a team of pastors rescued him, he didn’t even know he had just turned 13. Although he knew he was finally safe, the trauma he’d endured in the quarry still haunted him. Sahil sat day after day watching the others play and laugh and learn, but he didn’t join them. His love of life had vanished. His parents were nowhere to be found. Nothing excited him anymore. Nothing until he overheard some of the older boys talking about their apprenticeships at a local mechanic shop.

A tiny spark burst to life inside him that day, and now, five years later, Sahil is thriving in his new role as a mechanic. The journey hasn’t been easy for him, but he’s found pride and purpose through his work.

“What’s your purpose in life?” is a huge question - one that most of us have trouble answering. But, the rescued children’s stories inspire us to dig deep and discover where we can find purpose in today - not just the future.