Joy in the Ashes

Some of you have asked how things are going with the girls' program that I help with. Sometimes I find it hard to summarize (and emotionally draining) to process all that goes on with this ministry, but I will try my best to fill you in...

Back in the beginning of January, our team joined with about 15 others here in Quito for a wonderful long weekend of training on how to work with girls who are survivors of sex trafficking. What an amazing experience to be together in a room of about 20 people who are being used by God to bring healing, care, love, and help to those who've experienced such atrocities. Though it was a super heavy three days, discussing in detail what these precious women go through, what they lose, what they face in terms of recovery, I was so thankful that it was balanced with the hope of the gospel! Our God is greater and more powerful than any of these atrocities. His love, truth, healing can bring hope where there has never been any before. He is a God of justice (Isaiah 61:8), He gives dignity to all human life (Gen. 1:27), He offers hope of new life for every woman, man, girl, and boy (2 Cor. 5:17), and He cares about the poor, the marginalized (Luke 4:18). We worked with a great curriculum called  Hands that Heal. I definitely recommend it.

As for the actual foundation and our work with the girls...

• They continue to love singing worship songs together and getting their own Bibles
• There are constantly girls coming and going from the foundation. This is hard since there are times when we don't get to say goodbye. I also find it sobering each time a new girl comes because it reminds me that there are thousands more like her that still need to be rescued. A couple of weeks ago a new girl came and I will never forget her face that day. I've never seen someone whose face, eyes, and body language depicted such brokenness. She is only 13 years old. 
• I got to go recently with two of my teammates on a day trip to visit one of the girls who recently went back to live with her family. She lives about 2.5 hours away by bus, so we made a day of it and went to see her. We didn't have a means of letting her know we were coming, but we trusted that God would bless our trip either way. We had gotten the go ahead from the social worker at the foundation, but all we were given in terms of instructions on how to find her was..."Go to (such and such a building in ___ town). In that neighborhood you should ask for _____ (the girls father). He is well known in the town and someone should be able to explain to you where they live." So we ventured off (taking 3 different buses), asked around the town, and eventually a lady was able to tell us where the girl lived. Yay! We did find her and her family and were able to visit for a couple hours. She was super excited to see us. We got to see lots of family albums, meet her parents and two younger sisters, pray with her, listen to and sing some worship songs together, and share some verses. Please continue to pray for her as she transitions back into family life and continues to heal. 
• One day recently, we taught the girls a choreographed dance to a Christian song. They love to dance and it was powerful to see them use their bodies to express feelings and truth.
• Yesterday, we had fun playing water balloon volleyball. It's always so wonderful to see them smile and simply enjoy life. We also had a short devotional on God's power to perform miracles. One of the girls shared that she considers it a miracle that she was rescued and brought to the foundation. She says that through therapy and visits from her family, she has been able to see that they do love her and she has been able to show that she loves them as well. Pray that God would work a miracle in her heart and that she would come to know him as her Savior and Redeemer!

I always wish I could share pictures with you of the girls! I love photography and feel as though a picture communicates more powerfully than words at times. Due to obvious privacy and protection issues, I cannot take or share any pictures. But know that each of these girls have names and families (some even have children of their own). They are beautiful and precious. They are no longer statistics in my mind or facts about an issue that is beyond comprehension... they are friends.