And so it begins!

 For those of you who know me well, you can attest to the fact that transitions are not typically one of my strong points. That said, I give all glory to God that the adjustment to life in South Asia has been quite smooth thus far!  Thank you for your prayers! I am settling in to my new “flat,” pictured at right.  A short ten minute walk through the neighborhood gets me to my office, so I am happily getting to know the area where vendors are a plenty as are street games of cricket (be sure to particularly mind these unless you want to be pelted with a ball much to the shock and humor of the neighborhood boys…lesson learned).  It will also be of benefit to stay clear of the rickshaws, motorcycles, cabs, and cars coming from, literally, any and every direction.

Right now, there are four of us in the flat, though two of the girls are finishing up their year with IJM within the month and will be headed back to the US. While we are pretty snug in our place, it is certainly a blessing to have others to show us the ropes.  A highlight of our new home: the girls have hired on “Auntie” who cooks amazing national food for us!  If you choose to visit me for no other reason than to experience Auntie’s cooking, I assure you, it will be worth it.

It has been great to be at the IJM office and jump right in… I can hardly believe two weeks have almost passed. The staff are all very warm and welcoming as are the other interns.  The social workers have been particularly gracious in answering my never ending questions, and I am learning so much about what aftercare entails for victims of forced prostitution.

I have been privileged to spend a couple afternoons at one of the group homes for minor girls rescued out of the brothels… a truly amazing experience. The girls showed me jewelry they made, taught me the latest and greatest national dance moves, and even gave me a henna tattoo!  I continue to process my time with these girls… Prior to meeting them, child rape for profit was something I read about in a book, and my heart was broken by the stories.  Now I have faces and names to go with those stories, and I have found this to be an even heavier reality. Yet again, I am reminded of the intense urgency of the work of justice.  

I am thankful that I will be spending a great deal of time at this group home in the coming month as I have been assigned a project there. I will be working with our staff and the staff of this home to develop protocols for standards of care. I am very excited to be a part of this particular project as I see the need for foundationally solid care for these survivors, yet I will admit, I feel somewhat overwhelmed with the task. However, as I prepare for the task at hand, I am encouraged by the promise of Isaiah 42:6, “I the LORD have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.” I’m so thankful for such a beautiful picture of God’s willingness to lead and guide.

Some specific prayer requests…

·      The Protocol Project…that our team would get the information we need and have favor with the group home staff in working together to provide a foundation to the care provided to survivors of forced prostitution

·      The Survivors… holistic healing for these children and women who have experienced incredible trauma at the hands of men

·      Continued health & protection… for me and the rest of the IJM staff

I cannot thank you enough for your partnership with me in this work. It is truly an encouragement to know that I am being prayed for consistently, and I feel so loved by all the kind emails and facebook updates! As always, pass along any prayer needs or awkward moments…surely I can’t be the only one experiencing such a plethora of both these days!

love, ann