Transformation

I recently had the surreal experience of hitting my 9 month mark on May 20^th.  As I start to see the end approaching, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my time here and the HUGE ways God has been moving and transforming me and the world around me.  The theme of this post is the hope of transformation.  I’ve experienced this in my own life but also in the work around me and what God is doing here in South Asia.

As a member of the communications team, I get to be a part of the advocacy and structural transformation departments.  Structural Transformation is an IJM word so let me give a quick description of what it actually means.  The public justice system is broken; the law is not enforced, the cases don’t move in court, the labourers are not rescued.  It is not that there are not laws or systems in place to make justice a reality, but the system is broken.  Structural transformation means fixing the public justice system so that it will work to protect the vulnerable and oppressed.  It is a big task. The advocacy department, which I am a part of, works through trainings, media, and community events to create awareness and public and political will to fix the system and end bonded labour.  We have seen two big, transformational successes recently that I would like to share. 

In a city in the south, a government official who had attended and IJM training conducted a rescue operation on his own.  He rescued 42 labourers from slavery in a brick kiln and called IJM to ask for guidance on how to properly conduct the rescue and initiate the rehabilitation of the victims.  He used the Best Practices Manual that IJM had out together on how to enforce the law on bonded labour.  This is a huge success to see that as a result of our trainings, government officials are learning how to enforce the law and are actually doing it!  Check out the full story here: http://web.ijm.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=19202.0&dlv_id=20243

Recognizing the media as a crucial tool for raising awareness and public and political will to take action on bonded labour, we work closely with them pitching stories and inviting them to our events.  Recently, one of the big newspapers here attended our Freedom Training and wrote an incredible article!  If you haven’t heard me mention it before, Freedom Training is a three day event that occurs shortly after rescue as the initiation of their two year rehabilitation program.  The labourers receive trainings on a variety of topics such as their fundamental rights, vocational opportunities, budgeting, and other basic life skills.  It is an incredible experience to witness these people who have been enslaved for years and sometimes generations realizing for the first time what it means to be free.  At this event, as they start to learn what it means to walk in their freedom, I am reminded of how God has freed us from our sin and calling us to walk in our freedom as well.  I don’t think I can express how beautiful this comparison is better than my roommate Rachel.  She described what she wants to tell the victims and compared it to what God wants to say to us.  She wrote:

This is what I long to share with our clients.  I want to say, “Please don’t fear anymore!  You are redeemed, you are the chosen ones.  We have summoned you out of slavery…by name.  We knew your names before we met you, we longed for your freedom and prayed for your freedom before we even saw you.” 

What a beautiful comparison.

The journalist captured the beauty of redemption after a life of bondage in his article.  This is a significant article because it is a direct result from our advocacy efforts as a member of the media saw the importance of the issue and was moved to write about it.  Here is a link to the article: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Exploited-labourers-tell-tales-of-torture/articleshow/13370544.cms

This month I had my first and probably only visitor.  My dad was able to make a trip over here and experience the craziness of South Asia!  He could not get over how insane the traffic was or how close vehicles got to me when I walked on the side of the road but most of all, how much honking there was.  It was funny because all of these things have become so normal to me now.  While he did have one day where his stomach could not handle the food, the rest of the trip was jam packed with fun and travels.  We did everything from touring ancient forts and seeing snake charmers to riding elephants and drinking tender coconuts on the side of the road.  But one of the best parts of our travels was seeing other NGO’s around the country working for justice in their own ways.  We visited 3 amazing NGO’s, Freeset, Destiny, and LCA (I can’t say the full name) who are all working towards rehabilitating girls coming out of sex trafficking through vocational training and experience.  Freeset started in early 2000 and has grown to now employ over 160 women!  Check out Freeset’s website: http://freesetglobal.com/  We got to hear incredible stories of girls who were given a second chance at life and a job that made them feel valued and independent.  Most women in the sex trade find it difficult to get other jobs even if they want to because of the stigma society places on them.  Here, they are taught how to make bags, journals, wallets and other handicrafts that are then sold in south Asia and around the globe! These organizations give them real, sustainable jobs and show them that they are valued members of society.  They are given a new sense of hope as their lives are literally transformed with a respectable job and people around them who care.  For those of you who live in Jacksonville, check out this store where you can actually purchase products from the NGO’s I visited as well as get involved in the cause of transformation though your purchases:  http://www.rethreaded.com/about-rethreaded

God’s transformative power blows me away. As I’ve noted, South Asia is experiencing this in so many ways, through the media, government initiated rescues and trainings, and vocational trainings and opportunities as alternatives to sex trafficking and bonded labour.  As I reflect on this past year, I’ve also seen his transformative power in my own life.  We have a biblestudy every Tuesday night and we are focusing right now on how we learn more about God when we learn more about ourselves.  This year, I’ve learned a lot about myself, my weaknesses and my strengths, what makes me tick and motivates me, and so much more.  Through each of these realization bout myself, I’ve learned even more about how God relates to me and who he truly is.  One of the biggest things I have learned is that God is my redeemer.  I’ve always known that in my head but through my experiences, I’ve come to really understand that he has and continues to redeem me.  Whether it be broken relationships that I could not see any way of mending or situations that looked impossible for me to get though successfully, he has shown up in powerful ways every time, accomplishing the seemingly impossible.  I feel like in some ways, being here for the last 9 months has fast tracked my spiritual growth because I’ve been thrown into something so completely different than anything I’ve ever known.  He’s stripped away familiarity and things that I thought I knew so that I could see him and myself more clearly. 

My dad visited our office and had the chance to share with the staff.  He spoke about how broken this world is and how no matter what we do to advance his kingdom, it just looks like another drop in the bucket.  The task of ending bonded labour is daunting to say the least.  We have rescued about 4,000 victims of slavery but there are about 4 million still trapped in slavery.  Yes, it seems impossible.  But this is God’s work.  Nothing is impossible for him.  Through him, the world is constantly being redeemed to himself and we are called to share in that mission.  Seeing the successes that I mentioned earlier with the government initiated rescue and the media writing that compelling article are small signs that transformation is happening in the public justice system.  What a hope I have as I witness his transformational power in my own life and in the world around me.

More Than Bunnies and Egg Hunts

The only thing I didn’t miss about Easter this year was peeps.  Typically, my sisters and I put on our new bright Easter dresses and go to church as a family.  This year, I tried to squeeze into churidar pants that didn’t quite fit my calves while my body was already sweating just 5 minutes after showering, and went to church alone.  Of course I had friends at church that I met up with but it wasn’t the same.  Every Easter my sisters and I practice a few traditions that I’m sure we are far too old for such as an egg hunt and finding Easter baskets around the house, cleverly hidden by my dad.   Even the traditional flower, the Easter lily, was nowhere to be found this year.  Despite all that seemed to be missing as I celebrated Easter, I actually found so much more depth and meaning to this Holy weekend.  Since all of my usual traditions were stripped away, I was able to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord with a new rawness.  Christmas hadn’t felt at all like Christmas because I celebrated it on the beach in Thailand, not even attending church because there were none nearby.  I decided I wanted to intentionally celebrate Easter in a different way.  I actually never thought of Easter as that big of a deal.  Since I enjoy the celebration of Christmas so much more, I would debate with my dad about which holiday was more important, Easter or Christmas.  I would argue that without Christmas, Jesus would not have been alive to make Easter possible.  I remember he would claim that the resurrection was the pivotal point of our faith because without it, none of Christ’s life would matter.  Even though I knew he was right, I’ve never really taken the time to dwell on the importance of this holiday in my life as a believer.   This year, with all of the distractions and traditions stripped away, I finally took the chance to experience the true meaning of Easter.

I’m not going to go in depth about what Easter means because you can get that information from apologetics books and your own pastors.  But I want to share an experience God used to reveal the power of the crucifixion and resurrection in my own life.  One of the other interns, Stephen, has an incredible ability to make friends absolutely everywhere he goes, on the train, in the ocean, and in this instance, at an Indian wedding.  He randomly met a guy on a cruise before he moved here who happened to live in the same city where we work now.  He invited Stephen to a wedding where he met the cousin of the brother of the groom, Paul, who is a strong believer.  Why did I just give you all that random background? Because I think this story is a perfect example of divine connections.  So Paul works in a tire company.  Everyday, he prays before he goes into work, “Lord, help me share the gospel with someone today.” He has faithfully shared the gospel with his Hindu coworkers for months.  A few have already accepted Christ and others have shown an interest in Jesus.  Paul asked Stephen to join him in his efforts to share the gospel with his friends.  He had planned a small get together on Good Friday where he had invited his Hindu coworkers who were interested in learning about Jesus and asked Stephen if he could bring a few friends to share their testimonies.  He said, “What better time to share the gospel than on Good Friday?” So Stephen, our friend Ravi who is a Christian with a Hindu background, Bobbie, and myself went to his house on Friday.  I didn’t really know what to expect or what I was going to share but God met us there in a powerful way.  Paul shared the gospel and some clips from the passion of the Christ.  As I was watching the clips that I had seen before, I was struck once again with the incredible love of Christ.  I found myself brought to tears thinking of how Christ, the most innocent, pure, kindhearted, loving man of ALL time was ridiculed, mocked, falsely accused, and given the death of a murderer, all because he loved me.  And this was the Hollywood version of what he endured, not even close to the horrific reality.  As the Pharisee mocked Jesus saying, “He could save others but not himself” I thought of how painful those words would be.  It would make Jesus look like his whole life had been fraudulent because he wasn’t really capable of saving anyone, even himself.  And yet he never defended himself because he knew he had to die for the world.  I thought of all the ways I had sinned or shown disobedience and how incredibly undeserving he was to take the blame for my stupid mistakes.  As I thought of what I was going to share in my testimony, I was overwhelmed with the love and the perfection of the Jesus that saved me and continues to redeem me everyday.  Through sharing my testimony and hearing the testimonies of my friends, the meaning behind Jesus’ death became so real.  His death and resurrection has brought transformation to my own life and the lives of my friends who shared.  Recalling the specific ways that Christ had saved each of us and raised us to new life made the story of his death so much more powerful. 

All of the men who listened were very receptive of the gospel and our stories.  At t he end, one man stayed behind saying that he didn’t want to leave.  He was so overwhelmed with the gospel that he didn’t want anything else.  I think he is either a new believer or in the process of committing his life to Christ.  He shared a testimony of how he had a problem with his heart that would cause him to always be short of breath.  He was supposed to have surgery but instead, he had Paul pray for him.  Now, he said that his heart is completely healed.  His relatives still want him to have the surgery just in case but he refuses saying, “I know God has healed me.”  At almost every social function, cake and juice or coffee is served.  So naturally, at the end of our meeting, while we watched the final scene of the Passion, cake and juice were served.  One man told Paul the next day that he took the cake with him when he left.  When someone asked him why he was not eating it, he said, “I just saw God beaten and murdered. How can I eat cake?”   I’m not sure if the 7 men will commit their lives to Christ, but I know that they were given an incredible depiction of the gospel that they otherwise might not have ever heard if Paul hadn’t stepped out in faith.

Again on Easter Sunday, the four of us traveled with Paul to a village to share our testimonies, this time not with 7, but 40 Hindus who were interested in Jesus.  Every week, Paul’s friend goes door to door sharing the gospel and inviting the villagers to his church if they want to learn more about the gospel.  They have already had 21 baptisms and the interest is continuing to grow.  It was such a joy again to share my testimony in light of the resurrection of Christ and to hear of his redeeming power in my friends’ lives as well.  When the pastor asked who had been blessed by our stories, almost every hand went up!  I was blown away that God had used my testimony to bless others 2 times in one weekend! 

To sum up this long post, I want to say that my dad was right.  The death and resurrection of Christ is the pivotal point of my faith.  It was a very different Easter than I am used to.  I thought to myself, what is Easter without my family traditions, coloring eggs and Easter bunnies?  Oh did I find what a deeper meaning Easter held than my silly traditions!  I will never again look at Easter the same way.  Christmas may have more festivities but Easter holds a meaning incomparable to anything in this world.  The love of a perfect savior, the victory of his resurrection, and the promise of new life in Him is quite the reason to celebrate.  Happy Easter everyone!

Redemption

This past month has been an eye opening time for me as I’ve seen more and more the oppression in this world.  I’ve seen things that I have only read about in books.  I’ve seen people oppress others with no regard for their humanity.  I’ve seen the effects of extreme poverty and how it can severely damage the future of a child.  I can’t say that I’ve seen it all, but I’ve seen a lot.  But in the midst of it all, God has been faithful to show me that he is not far away and cares deeply for the needs of his children.  I want to share three main experiences that I have has this month where I have seen great need but also God’s great love.

After each rescue operation, our Aftercare team conducts a Freedom Training, a three day event that marks the beginning to their two year rehabilitation program.  While in bondage, these victims are not given the option to make decisions for themselves.  Under the oppressive rule of the owner, they are constantly told what to do in every aspect of their lives including when to work and sleep, when to eat and when to rest.  After being released, the former laborers have the freedom to make decisions on their own but often lack the capacity or knowledge to do so.  Those born into bondage often know nothing of the world outside of the facility where they worked.  They can find the vast number of new options too overwhelming and return to bondage where life seemed easier and more familiar to them.  The Freedom Training program provides interactive educational sessions about how to make the most of their new opportunities and how to lead successful lives in freedom.  There are sessions informing them of their legal rights, of how to petition the government, of employment opportunities and budgeting lessons, as well as other simple life skills such as health, hygiene, and how to maintain healthy relationships within the home.  It is truly an incredible experience to watch these laborers who had been bonded less than a month ago discover the hope that their futures hold.  They begin to understand how their bondage violated their rights and what proper employment options look like.  They are also encouraged by being with other families who are learning the same things and experiencing the same struggles.  

As part of the communications team, I have the chance to attend these Freedom Trainings to take photos and write stories about our clients and work.  This past Freedom Training that took place a few weeks ago was for two groups of laborers who had been released from a rice mill and rock quarry.  Even though they had undergone significant physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, they were joyful with hope for their futures.  One little child broke my heart.  Only one year old, this child had a case of incurable polio.  Because he was born into bondage and denied the opportunity to receive vaccinations, his life will be forever marked with this incurable disease.  Even though these clients have had a hard and difficult life in bondage, they gained so much knowledge and hope during the training.  The released laborers started to understand the importance of education and hope to see all of the children enrolled in school by the beginning of the next academic year.  These children, who had been denied the chance of a childhood, were dancing, playing games, making crafts, watching finding Nemo and experiencing what it meant to be a child through the love of the aftercare managers.  Some of the families also took a pledge to keep domestic violence out of their homes.  As I looked at the pictures of these same families on their day of rescue, I compared them to how they appeared during the three days of training.  The transformation was remarkable.  They were so much more healthy and hopeful even just after less than a month of freedom.  How much more can God transform them for the next two years and for the rest of their lives!

A perfect example of the transformation of our clients is a woman named Rajeswari.  As part of my internship, I have the opportunity to write stories about our clients and share them with the world.  I had the chance to meet Rajeswari and write her story, some of which I will share with you.  Rajeswari and her family were bonded laborers in a rice mill released by IJM in 2008. They began their journey in freedom homeless and jobless.  Through the help of Aftercare managers and trainings, they learned the importance of education, how to budget their finances, and start a business.  Today, all three of their children are attending school and they have a successful business of their own making and selling charcoal.  They have employed over 7 other families through their business and helped others in their community lead better lives as well.  Rajeswari was elected by her community to be a leader.  She helps others petition the government for the benefits that they are lacking, has started a self help group where community members help each other save money, and has taught her community the importance of education, ensuring that every family sent their children to school. I met her in her village where she kindly invited me into her home and boldly shared her story.  After spending about an hour and a half with this inspiring woman, she took me out to the field where she gathered a bag of fresh peanuts to give me as a gift, which my roommates and I are excited to roast and enjoy together.  I was so blessed by her kind and generous spirit and her willingness to help others.  Although she has completed her rehabilitation program with IJM, she still attends IJM Freedom Trainings and Leadership Trainings where she shares her story to encourage other released victims.

I have also had the opportunity to do a bit of traveling over the last month.  I visited the beautiful city of Delhi and saw the Taj Mahal with a few other IJM interns.  But my favorite city so far has been Mumbai.  Not only is the city amazing but I was able to learn more about what it means to work in sex trafficking.  I had the chance to visit a store called ISanctuary which is a jewelry shop that employs women who have been victims of sex trafficking and teaches them a new vocational skill.  They also have a store in the states where they ship their products and the website is http://www.isanctuary.org/.  Each piece of jewelry was hand made by a victim of sex trafficking.  I met one of the founders and heard her vision for the rehabilitation of sex trafficking victims and I got the chance to meet a few girls in the store.  I also volunteered in one of the largest slums in Mumbai working with boys who either have bad home situations or no home at all.  We played games with them, danced, and ate snacks.  One of the little boys, no more than 8 years old, was there because his parents were alcoholics and were going to sell him to support their habit.  Luckily, another boy saw this happening and saved him and brought him to this shelter.  I held back my tears as I saw the harsh results of poverty and how it affected each of these boys.  But again my heart was overjoyed to see them smiling and having fun and experiencing the love of Christ through the workers at the shelter.  During snack time, they brought out a tray of fresh fruits and cookies.  Even though they literally have nothing, they were offering me the fruits before eating any themselves.  And they wouldn’t take no for an answer.  Even though I was as stranger who didn’t speak their language, they immediately welcomed me in their group and showed me kindness and generosity.  It was quite a wakeup call for me to see these children who had so little, give so much with joyful hearts.  They were a true example of Christ like love.  They didn’t know me but accepted me as their own and even though they had so little, still gave generously.  How much more should I love those around me without hindrances and giving generously to all? 

Even with the trauma and hardships that I have seen around me, God’s love and redemption has been made evident through it all.  I saw redemption in the clients at Freedom Training, through Rajeswari’s story, through my interaction with the girls at ISanctuary, and through the joyful smiles of the boys in the slums.  No trauma or disaster is too much for God’s redeeming love.  I am so thankful that I serve a God who hears our cries and lifts us out of the pit of despair.  Even though my eyes have been opened to so much oppression and violence against the innocent, God’s goodness is not lost.  He is faithfully redeeming the world to himself through people like the slum shelter workers, the founder of Isanctuary, the IJM Aftercare workers, and amazingly, though myself.  I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than right here, bringing true and lasting transformation to those God loves.  Thank you again for all of your support and prayers that have allowed me to sere where I am today!

These are the interns I travled to Delhi and Agra with!  We had so much fun :)

6 Months

I find it hard to believe that I have been here for a little over six months.  It seems like just yesterday I was stepping off the plane in this foreign country surrounded by people who didn’t speak English and wondering what I had gotten myself into.  Now I can communicate in my broken Tamil, the language spoken here, and have learned to conquer the Indian toilet.  It has been such an incredible adventure so far of seeing God work in my own life and in the lives of those around me.  I have seen him setting people free from real literal bondage while also seeing him free me from my own spiritual bondage.  It’s truly amazing how the work that I am doing is the gospel.  I know I haven’t blogged in a month so I want to share some of the incredible things that Ï have experienced.On February 10, we had our first rescue operation of the year.  I could not go on this one because I had other responsibilities in the office but it was an incredible success.  42 people were rescued from the rock quarry and 31 people received release certificates and rehabilitation money from the government!  I was so encouraged to see God’s hand over the whole operations.  The government official who we partnered with to conduct the rescue had never worked with us before and we weren’t sure how cooperative she would be.  As it turns out, she has a huge heart for justice and is distant cousins to our casework director!  She has gone above and beyond to see that justice is served by even trying to get the quarry shut down due to its unfair practices.  God gave us favor with her and the operation went so smoothly.  I looked through pictures from the operation and started crying seeing the transformation that had already begun taking place in each of them.  Most of the time, children are denied education when they are trapped in bondage.  I literally wept as I looked at the face of each child that was freed and realizing that they now have a new chance at life.  I am so glad that even in the midst of the horrors that take place in this world, we serve a God of hope and justice and restoration.  These freed laborers have a hard transition ahead of them but God is not too big to restore each of their lives.  Please keep their rehabilitation and our aftercare workers in your prayers as they begin their two year program. 

I attended my first Indian weddings this month.  One was Hindu and one was Christian.  Both were very different and I can’t really compare it to anything back home.  One thing they do here is that the bride and groom stand on stage for literally hours during the reception and give everyone a chance to come and take a photo with them.  It was so fun to get dressed up with coworkers and friends in beautiful sari’s and share in that special day. 

2 aftercare managers married each other so the whole office was at the wedding!

Here is the link to the story IJM posted on their webpage about the rescue: http://www.ijm.org/news/ijm-chennai-dozens-rescued-slavery-abusive-rock-quarry#.TzzmCU2ZoBk.facebook

Not only have we had favor with the official during rescue operations, but also in the area of their rehabilitation.  I have mentioned before that we collaborated with the local government to conduct a special grievance day where the needs of former bonded laborers are given special attention.  This is the second time we have been able to work with the government to make this day possible.  Released laborers from as far back as 2003 gathered to receive basic government welfare benefits that they had been lacking for years.  Some didn’t even have basic forms of identification.  But the government official showed great concern for them and their needs and fast tracked their petitions so that they would receive these long awaited benefits as quickly as possible.  It is really encouraging to see the government start to pay attention and care about the issue of bonded labor. 

I have been involved in many projects this year but a lot of what I do is related to design work.  We have two quarterly publications here in South Asia that I have been working on this year.  We recently finalized them and are now sending them out to our stakeholders.  Part of our advocacy efforts include helping to raise awareness of the issue of bonded labour and create a sense of urgency to act to both the media and the local government.  I have helped in designing and writing pieces for both publications.  These include stories about our specific clients as well as news of bonded labour throughout South Asia.  I was very excited to head up the design and help with writing on both publications. 

I have started a biblestudy with some of the girl interns going through Beth Moore’s Breaking Free.  It has been so nice to have time in the morning to meet together and study with each other.  Breaking Free, for those of you who don’t know, is a study based on Isaiah and studies how God wants to free us from all spiritual bondage so that we can fully enjoy the freedom that he gives.  I am so encouraged to see how God is freeing real people from bondage of slavery and how he can free me from the spiritual bondage I have in my own life.  I am a person that learns by examples and allegories.  I can’t think of a better way for him to show his sovereignty over my “hopeless” bondage than through the literal freedom of people I work for.  My coworker Neesha wrote a blog post about this that talks about this very concept much better than I can explain it.  If you would like to check it out, here is the link: http://southasiainjustice.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/the-imprisoned-mind/

This past month, we got two new interns.  Bobbie is from Texas and is absolutely on fire for God and his work for justice.  She is such an encouragement to our intern group as well as to the office.  Alex is a returning aftercare fellow coming back for a second year.  Yes the work here is absolutely addicting and life changing and she is blessed with the opportunity to come and serve for another year!  But while we have had two great additions, we have also had to say some very sad farewells.  One of my closet friends and colleagues, Sharon, flew back to Canada last week.  She was such a great friend, so full of life and love for everyone around her.  We also said goodbye to two of the most incredible legal interns, Kyle and Erica, who were an incredible example of a marriage centered around the Lord.  We always have insanely big farewells in the office and sometimes outside of the office when someone leaves.  For Sharon, her dream was to be a part of the Chennai Biker Gang.  This is an ongoing joke among us because about half of the interns own scooters and when we travel together somewhere, look like a very weird biker gang.  So we made matching t-shirts with the Harley Davidson logo outline and the words “Chennai Biker Gang India” on the inside.  We all rode to the beach together in our new awesome uniform and got more stares than ever before. 

Sharon will be missed :(

In my six months, I have learned a lot and experienced things I never thought possible.  I can’t wait to see what else God has in store for the next five months!

A Time of Change

Change is rarely easy.  Some times change is exciting.  It holds the promise of a new start as you are given a clean slate.  You feel ready to take on any new adventure that comes your way because frankly, you were bored with your old life.  Or maybe you want to leave something behind and start fresh.  Change can be chance to start over, a chance for redemption, a chance to break away from whatever may have been holding you back.

While it can be exciting, change is hard.  It can be a painful process of leaving things you loved or things that were comfortable or familiar. It can shake you of your sense of self and everything that you thought you knew.  Change brings the unfamiliar as you step into a new world of the unknown.  But when everything seems to be changing, God remains the same.  One of the reasons that I decided to work for IJM overseas was because I felt God calling me to trust him with everything that I am in ways I never had to before.  I was excited for the opportunity to grow in my trust in him as everything that was familiar to me would be stripped away.  But it hasn’t been easy. 

I have now been here six months, which means that I am halfway through my internship here with IJM.  With my recent celebration of new years as well as hitting this six month point, I have had the chance to reflect on God’s faithfulness to me in 2011 and the first half of my internship.  Everyone tends to make resolutions at New Years about how they will live differently in the next year.  Nothing really makes January 1 different from any other day of the year other than that it is declared a holiday.  But the mentality of a fresh starts causes people to revaluate the life choices made up to this point and decide to make changes for the next 365 days.   I am one of those people.  And while I feel I should be evaluating my life every day of the year and making the necessary changes, I am thankful for the feeling of renewal that this time of the year has brought. 

The past six months have been a constant time of refinement.  It has not been easy.  There were many times I just wanted to throw in the towel because I felt that I was incapable of change.  But God wouldn’t let me give up.   Through the friends that he has blessed me with here and back home and through meditating on the scriptures, his gentle voice continued encouraging me to persevere.  On verse in particular has been a real encouragement to me.

“And being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

So while these changes have been hard, I am encouraged to know that it is all for the glory of God, to make me a better example of Christ and a better servant for his kingdom.

As I look into what the new year might hold, I am so excited to see the opportunities God has for me and for the office I am working in.  This year is the start of an advocacy and training project funded by Google.  If you haven’t already heard, Google is joining the fight against human trafficking by giving IJM 8 million dollars, partly to fund our continual plan for structural transformation throughout all of India.  Here is the link to the CNN story:

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/14/us/google-anti-slavery-grant/index.html

What an exciting time to be working in the advocacy department!  I look forward to continuing to work toward structural transformation this upcoming year in coalition with the Google project. 

This year already our office has had some great success.  We have already had two convictions in the first month whereas last year we didn’t have any until December.  As part of the push for structural transformation in the country, my office has recognized the need to start reaching officials at the level of parliament.  As a result of a seminar conducted last year by the legal team, a member of parliament was deeply moved by the issue of bonded labor and wanted to do something about it.  This year, he brought up the Bonded Labour Abolition Act of 1976 in a discussion in parliament.  He spent 20 minutes out of the hour allocated for new discussion talking about the need for amendments to the act and the importance of conducting a survey on the number of bonded laborers in the country.  The significance of this action is that bonded labor is becoming an issue of importance on the national level, partly due to the advocacy efforts of our office.  The hope for real change in the justice system of this country is starting to become a reality.  Please continue to pray for our advocacy efforts this year and that the justice system will be mended to work for the poor.

This year holds a lot of promise for the advancement of God’s kingdom, not only in my own life as he continues to make me more like Christ but also in the transformation of the justice system of this country.  I want to thank you for your continual prayers and support. Thank you for being a part of the change in my life and in the fight for justice.

Delayed Christmas Post

Thanksgiving

Typically on Thanksgiving, I sleep in with my sisters and roll out of bed to watch the colorful costumes, floats and dances of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sweet aromas float into the living room as my mom works harder than she probably should to make the perfect meal. We sit together at the beautifully set dining room table and share what we are thankful for this year as we enjoy the delicious holiday meal. It’s a time of relaxation, good food, and fellowship while we all reflect on the many blessings God has given us this past year.

This year, my thanksgiving looked very different.

While I was further away from my family than I had ever been before, I was reminded that God was still as close to me as he had always been. I have so much to be thankful for but I thought I would share a few things with all of you. I am thankful that I serve a God of Justice. On Thanksgiving day, my office had a rescue operation saving 47 people from bondage and attaining 30 release certificates. This year alone, we have had 10 operations recuing a total of 645 people. Since 2001, my office has rescued an incredible total of 3,772 people. His justice has also been shown through other successes that my office has experienced. We recently celebrated the success of 4 convictions, as I shared earlier. We had not had any convictions all year. The legal team had struggled with finding witnesses and pushing cases through the courts. They were extremely discouraged with the lack of convictions. Yet God kept his promise of never leaving nor forsaking us. It was so beautiful to watch the joy that filled our office as we remembered that God is using us to fight for the oppressed and that he is with us every step of the way. Also, one of the heads of a district in our project area, known as the Collector, recently made a special effort to hear the petitions of former laborers who had been rescued in years as far back as 2004. He ensured that each of them received basic government benefits such as a ration card that serves as a form of identification. Many times, freed laborers are unable to receive these benefits due to the extensive process required by the government. But this collector went out of his way to make sure the people in his district had what they needed. I also mentioned earlier that we launched a grassroots awareness campaign to empower the vulnerable communities to become aware and fight bonded labor. Two troupes of actors are going to 50 villages to engage the communities on the issue. It has been incredible to see God’s hand over this campaign. It is monsoon season here and the weather has been a huge concern for these outdoor performances. But every day, the rain either holds off or doesn’t stop people from coming out to witness the performances. The campaign has already been a huge success. In the first 3 weeks of the campaign, we had over 2,000 viewers of the performances.

Here I am with the grassroots campaign theater troupe

I am also thankful for God’s beautiful creation. Not only do I encounter beauty every day through the sweet spirits of the people I work with, but also in the creation around me. Being in the middle of the fourth largest city in the country, it is difficult to escape the pollution and city bustle. But there is a beautiful college campus nearby where a few of my friends and I escaped to enjoy a nice walk. We were surrounded by fresh air, greenery, and to our pleasant surprise, spotted deer and little monkeys! His creation is so diverse and beautiful and I am thankful for every opportunity to enjoy it.

I’ve now been here for a little over three months. Life has hit a point of normalcy and routine. I don’t think I would have ever guessed that this was possible after my first few weeks of constant excitement and sensory overload.  I can walk into the crazy oncoming traffic without fearing for my life.  I can dodge bats that fly on the street or into my apartment. Even though India wears out all of my shoes and I’ve had hard falls in the last month, I can still laugh about it. My roommates and I put up a Christmas tree and decorated our apartment to make it feel like home.  I can I am thankful that God is with me even in the mundane parts of everyday life.

Our tree :)

A few weekends ago, I volunteered at an outreach event through my church in partnership with World Vision that hosted over 80 children from the slums for a day of fun. They got to see the movie Tin Tin in theaters, were provided lunch, and participated in songs and games. While very few of the children spoke any English, we were still able to communicate through gestures and drawings. I just got to love on the kids all day, holding their hands, sitting next to them, and drawing butterflies with them. The children were broken into groups with leaders so that they could participate in games as teams. My friend Samantha, who could speak the language, also volunteered with me. As we encouraged the children and told them we were proud of them one little girl turned to Samantha and said, “No one has ever talked to me like you do.” It broke my heart to think of the love and care these children were lacking. But I was glad that at least for one day, I could help show them the love that they deserved. Even though we had a hard time communicating with our words, I could see that they felt loved just by my being there with them. I wish I could have done so much more. My heart ached that I only had about 4 hours with these precious children and had nothing to offer them but my name, a smile and a hand hold.

As I look at the intense needs of the world around me, whether it be a need for shelter, food, freedom, or love, I am thankful that God is sovereign. I am thankful that not one of the cries of his precious children goes unheard. It’s easy to be overcome by a feeling of helplessness, but God is gently reminding me that while one person cannot change the world, He can. He has called me here and is calling others to join his call of redeeming the world to himself. While I play a small role in this masterpiece he is weaving, I am thankful to know that he is, even now, redeeming the world to himself.

I enjoyed my thanksgiving dinner in Sparky’s Diner with the people I love :)

Festival of Light

Tonight we celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.  On the roof top of my friend’s 11 story building, I stood in awe as fireworks burst all around me.  Some a little too close for comfort.  People lit them off wherever they pleased, giving quite the show wherever we looked.  Some flew so close to our balcony, we thought the apartment would catch fire.  The entire city was lit up with beautiful colors as crackers went off anywhere and everywhere.  The celebration has been going on for a week but tonight was the spectacular magnificent.  The crackers started at 7:30 am and continued late into the night, stopped only at times by the rains from monsoon season.  Tonight as I looked over the beautiful city and stood with my close friends, I couldn’t believe that this is really my life.  I never thought I would be living here in this country, doing life and enjoying the culture here with these people.  I wake up every day thrilled to step outside and see what the new day holds.  It is an incredible feeling knowing that I am right where God wants me.

During Diwali, Hindus celebrate illuminating one’s soul with light, the victory of good over evil within oneself.  My friends and I also celebrated the festival of light but for a slightly different reason.  While we may not have had this in mind while we were lighting our own crackers off the roof, we have been designated the light of the world.  In Matthew 5:14-16, Christ says, “You are the light of the world…In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Not only do we experience hope in Christ overcoming the darkness in our lives but we are also privileged to share His light with the world.  Being here has opened my eyes to the darkness around me.  While I should be serving wherever I am, here I am constantly reminded of the need for light in this world and of my duty to shine for others.  I have become more aware of the needs around me as I ask God every day how I can be a blessing. 

There are two stories that I would like to share.  There is a girl who has come out of bondage and is still a part of IJM’s aftercare program.  Her story is one of constant abandonment and abuse.  While she is now doing well and working to sustain herself, she still has many needs.  Her birthday was coming up and she longed to have a new dress and some jewelry.  One of the aftercare managers knew that I had been working closely with the girl and had bonded with her during one of the trainings.  She said that she could not afford to give the dress and the jewelry and wondered if I would be willing to help.  I jumped at the opportunity to bless this sweet girl on her birthday.  With the money I was able to contribute, we bought her the most beautiful birthday dress and jewelry.  While I couldn’t give it to her personally, she called me when she received the present and expressed her gratitude in the little English that she knew.  She doesn’t have any family and I know that it meant so much to her to receive a birthday present. 

Another opportunity presented itself as my roommate Rachel and my friend Stephen took an auto to the gym one night after work.  Stephen is one of the friendliest guys you could ever meet and immediately made friends with our driver.  He tried to connect with him in broken English as we drove our usual route to the gym.  The driver started talking about his son.  He told us with great pride how his son is a first place lacrosse player.  He pointed out the school where he played as we drove by.  He went on to say that one ball cost 600 rupees, or about $13.  He asked if we would buy him a ball for his son.  We were hesitant at first because we didn’t know if he was asking out of compassion for his son or simply trying to squeeze extra money out of us.  But then he began to cry as he explained that he was just an auto driver and could not afford to buy his son a ball.  His joyful pride in his son’s abilities quickly turned to shameful grief as he could not provide for him.  I looked at Rachel and we were both overwhelmed with compassion.  We gladly gave him 600 rupees and he was so overwhelmed that he stopped driving and started weeping.  He shook all of our hands and insisted that we come over to his house sometime.  Being invited to someone’s home is a great act of respect here.  When we reached the gym, tears were still streaming down his face except now he was smiling. 

These are two small instances that I was able to be used to meet a need of someone else.  Even if it was just a dress or a ball, light was brought into their lives.  They experienced hope and love through the simple act of giving.  Being the light of the world is a daunting task when you realize how much darkness really exists.  How much abuse.  How much despair.  How much need.  I look around me and wonder how I could possibly lighten up the immense darkness I see.  But through Christ all things are possible.  He calls us the light of the world.  And He doesn’t call us to something that we cannot achieve through him.  He has overcome the world.  And that is why we celebrate light.

Happy Diwali everyone.

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5