A Surprise Reaction

Today part of our team did a retreat for ladies who work with those rescued from trafficking. Their job is stressful and full of emotional turmoil. They deal with trauma and spiritual warfare on a daily basis. As our team prepared for this trip the Lord impressed upon us to take up the theme Be Still from Psalm 46:10. In order to carry the weight of the burdens of these girls we wanted to encourage the aftercare workers as they seek God in a very busy, noisy and harsh environment.

The aftercare workers began arriving and were told to just have a seat and that breakfast would be served to them. This was a very hard concept for them. As Americans we are used to being served. These ladies remarked time and time again how special they felt just by us serving breakfast to them. Next on the agenda was a treatment called Satin Hands. By the time some of the ladies reached us to begin a simple hand treatment they were in tears saying they felt so unworthy of this attention. As we applied lotion and massaged their hands we thanked them for being the hands and feet of Christ to troubled girls. We prayed for them individually that God would strengthen their hands as they continued their work. The tears just poured…from them and of course from us as we realized the impact this was making.

We spent the morning with testimonies and sessions on clinging to the vine of Jesus and drawing our strength from Him. The ladies in the groups shared and prayed with each other.

We shared American treats with them from brownies to fudge to Texas Trash. They were giddy with excitement. And in typical American fashion we fed them lunch not long after that. We served food until they just could not hold any more. By the end of the morning their tummies were as full as their hearts.

Tomorrow we will do round two of the retreat. God’s hand in this plan is so evident. We hoped and prayed that it would minister to those who give so much but had no idea the power that simply serving them would have. What a privilege to be a part of their lives, if only for a few days.

The second half of our team spent the morning at New Hope slum school. They taught the story of Daniel and used the children as actors. Three of the team were able to visit in the homes and pray with village residents. We’ll have more from the school in the next blog.

The afternoon was spent at the aftercare home that Kingsland helps support. 150 girls and 19 of us. It was a fun, blessed day filled with smiles and laughter. But we also hear a lot of girls share their need just to talk to someone about their feelings. We used some activities that spurred discussion, something we’ve never really done before….and they were ready to talk. We will return to spend the afternoon with them again tomorrow.

Our team is at “the wall.” This is what I call the third day of a trip to India. We have worked since we hit the ground and it will not let up at all until Thursday for a couple of hours. But I have not heard complaints from anyone. Every team member is pushing beyond their own comfort zones and giving until they are spent. God has truly given us a special team.