Protocols: Check. Mini-vacation: Check. Pictures: Check.

I apologize that this update is so late in coming…thanks to all who prayed me through the Protocol Project!  The July 31 deadline was met and initial feedback has been positive, so that is very encouraging. One quick testimony to God’s grace in my first project here...the protocols covered a multitude of areas, and I would say that I was most nervous about the medical and psychological care protocols. Towards the end of July, a couple from a partnering church in the US came on a short-term visit to the office. You can imagine how excited I was to find that he was a doctor and she was a counselor! They were able to review the protocols and provide insight prior to me turning them in, which was incredibly helpful. I am amazed by God’s grace in answering a prayer I didn’t even think to pray, and I have been continually encouraged by this tangible reminder of Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

I will admit, I have enjoyed having the protocols out of my hands for a bit, and what better way to celebrate than taking a long weekend out of the city, right?

There is a well circulated statistic among the interns here (qualifier: no one is actually quoting any sources) that in my city, breathing the air is like smoking about 1.5 packs of cigarettes a day. I was told upon arrival that long weekends are a nice way to escape the madness that is this city, and I fully agree based on my most recent experience a bit further south. Last weekend I thoroughly enjoyed a long weekend away where I experienced fresh air, green landscapes, and a part of the ocean that isn’t toxic! It was fantastic.

I went with four other interns to a small beach town where we rented mopeds and darted around to various beaches and an old fort with amazing views. With my driving record, testing my skills out on a moped in South Asia probably wasn’t the smartest choice I have ever made, especially considering in this part of the world you aren’t only dodging other cars but also people, cows, and dogs who all casually meander about the streets, but it was fantastic while it lasted! One of my friends had an accident our first day, though, and after a trip to the hospital (where she checked out fine with no major injuries, praise the Lord!), I rethought my initial choice and hired a guy to drive me the second day… best $4.00 I have ever spent! Having a driver enabled me to better enjoy the views of rice patties, hills, and the beach rather than concentrating on which side of the road I was supposed to be driving on and taking extreme care to avoid the enormous piles of cow dung, which unfortunately my friend learned the hard way are incredibly slippery.

All in all, it was a really refreshing weekend. We got to sleep in hotel rooms that had air conditioning and beds with mattresses and had excellent food the whole trip. The pictures posted here are all from this mini-vacation… I did not actually take any of them, so a big thanks to Karen and Brian who are incredibly talented (and generous) photographers!

I continue to be reliant on your prayers, and thank you so much for your partnership in the work of justice. I will be posting soon about some recent happenings at our office, but until then, if you could join with me in prayers for the following needs, I would greatly appreciate it!

• Wisdom in our quest for justice for the women and girls who are being held and prostituted against their will
•  Holistic healing for the survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation
• Favor with the courts that are hearing our cases against perpetrators
• Good health for me and the others in our office

love, ann