NATCHEZ — When Calley Reed looks at her adopted daughter, Camila, sometimes the thought crosses Reed’s mind that others aren’t so fortunate.

Reed and her husband, Danny, adopted Camila from Iquitos, Peru, after a lengthy process last year, a process that is chronicled in Reed’s recently published book, “Take This Child.”

The Reeds’ story of enduring faith through a frustrating adoption procedure is meant to act as an inspiration to readers of the book.

But the money collected from the book sales won’t go to the Reed family. Instead, they will help keep other young girls like Camila out of a devastating lifestyle.

The Reeds visited Iquitos for five weeks during the adoption process, and at the time, discovered that young girls in Iquitos can be sold into prostitution as early as 4 years of age.

“There are a lot of terrible things that go on,” Calley Reed said.

While in Iquitos, the Reeds connected with several missionaries, one of whom was a man named Trent Rolfzen. He is building a home to shelter girls and young women who come from that lifestyle.

“Currently, they’re just taking these girls (into their home), and they’re not turning them away,” Calley Reed said.

And she admits that, if not for her family adopting Camila from a Iquitosvian orphanage, it’s possible she may have one day shared that same fate.

“In the worldwide system, after a certain age, you’d be turned out on the streets, so that would have been a possibility,” Calley Reed said. “The thought of that, I can’t bear. When I see Camila before me, I see a lot of other kids with no hope. If we can do anything to help, we want to.”

Danny Reed said at least 12,000 copies would have to be sold to help pay for the women’s home, and he’s glad he and his wife can help with such an important cause.

“(The book) started as an idea to pay off the bills, but after we went over there, we decided our house can wait,” Danny Reed said. “There are a lot of other people who need a home.”

The family’s strong Christian faith played not only a major role in adopting Camila, but also in having a heart to see the girls and women of Iquitos rescued from having no hope.

“Scripture says that true religion is to look after the orphans and widows in distress,” Calley Reed said. “God is a defender of the fatherless, and he tells us to defend the fatherless. I believe every person is supposed to play some sort of role.”

Danny Reed said it breaks his heart knowing other girls are not being adopted and rescued from a lifestyle of prostitution, and he said his faith in God helps fan the flames in his desire to help.

“It’s rescue — it’s the heart of God,” Danny Reed said. “You can’t save everyone, but you can say there’s one less orphan.”

“Take This Child” can be purchased off Amazon, or on takethischild.com, and any proceeds that aren’t recouped by Amazon go toward helping to build the women’s home in Iquitos. The Reeds are also pursuing the possibility of local bookstores also carrying the book.