Hope for India

From June to August I will be traveling to India to work with victims of sex trafficking through an organization named Rahab's Rope. This verse from Isaiah is my hope and vision as I encounter these rescued women. The Lord promises to bind up the broken hearted, to comfort them and restore them. I am already praying for all the women I will encounter in India and I pray that the Lord will touch them and restore them with His Hope.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." Isaiah 61:1-4

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

And so it begins

Today marks the first day of my adventure towards india, at least officially. Over the past few years the Lord has laid India so heavily on my heart, even when I had no desire to do missions internationally, the thought of India was still there. Last summer I began communicating with an organization called Rahab’s Rope, located in Gainesville, GA. The mission of Rahab’s Rope is to give hope and opportunity to women and girls that have been forced into the commercial sex trade of India by providing a safe and loving environment that will enable them to grow and develop both physically and spiritually. Rahab’s Rope does this by providing for the women rescued from human trafficking both physically and emotionally through food, shelter, and community. Furthermore, Rahab’s Rope seeks to provide training in vocational skills and education so they may re-enter their communities in a positive and contributing way.

The Lord really opened my heart to the possibility of going to India this summer with Rahab’s Rope and solidified that a few weeks ago when Rahab’s Rope contacted me and offered them a spot on their team traveling to India. From June to August I will be traveling to Mumbai and then onto Gao to volunteer in Rahab’s Rope’s women’s shelter and to do home visits to women who no longer live at the shelter. Today my parents agreed to let me go with RR to Goa and my heart is so full of many different emotions. I am excited about the plans that the Lord has for me in India, I have no doubt that this will be a challenging and growing experience. I am so confident that this is where the Lord is directing me to go, which is a wonderful feeling full of peace, one that I have not felt in a long time.

This also marks the beginning of my fundraising period, I have to raise $4,000 in order to travel and live in India. This is a daunting task but I know the Lord will provide fully and Im excited to rely fully on him to take care of me.

The verse at the heading of this blog, Isaiah 61, is my vision for this trip to Goa. The Lord promises to bind up the broken hearted, to comfort them and restore them. I am already praying for all the women I will encounter in India and I pray that the Lord will touch them and restore them with His hope. abhilaashe means hope in Konkani, the official language of Goa. My prayer is the the Lord will continue to bring hope and freedom to the women in India and to me.
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