Life as I know it...

What I really need is my sister here to show me how to post pictures properly, but since she has five kids and a husband at home, I don't think she'll be flying to Asia anytime soon. That said, please bear with me as I try to give you a glimpse into everyday life as I currently know it...

Life in South Asia might very well begin with traffic. Thankfully, I live within walking distance to pretty much everything I need- work, market, gym. But, when I do venture out of my neighborhood, I typically find myself in some form of traffic. As you might guess from the picture, the road is pretty much fair game for whatever you've got. Rickshaws, big trucks, little tempos, cabs, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and various livestock are all expected to share the road, but not necessarily abide by any traffic rules. Fender benders are pretty much a given, and no one seems to mind all that much if you bump whatever is in front of you a little.

Work is only a ten-fifteen minute walk from my apartment, depending on if you want to go the long way or the short way. However, leaving late means you will be walking by a pretty pungent dumpster and a public toilet, so, in my book, it pays to leave a few minutes early. Our office is opposite a mutton shop; Friday afternoons are particularly traumatizing. In five months, I have managed not to ever look directly into the shop in fear of seeing a goat being butchered- hearing them is sad enough.

Each morning at work our entire office meets for 30 minutes of fellowship and prayer, and then we have another 30 minutes of stillness... reminders that we do nothing out of our own strength. In Aftercare, we have a brief daily team meeting and off we go to our various tasks... Above is me at my desk, super busy, of course, and getting some help from Ashley, the admin intern, as I am hopeless at computers. Casual Fridays are a hit everywhere in the world, I would say. I will write more about work projects soon.

After work, it's anyone's guess... I'm blessed to have some great roommates, Steph and Katie, who I can debrief with and have ice cream delivered in the case of a particularly rough day (seriously, you can get nearly anything delivered here, it's fantastic). Auntie comes in around 7:30 and cooks us dinner. She has become like family, and she spoils us. Lately, I have been spending many nights with some friends perfecting my game of carrom, which is a mix of pool and table shuffleboard. My goal is to get really good, bring home a couple boards, and impress everyone with my amazing flicking techniques...or at least be able to beat my brothers. We'll see.

Weekends are a toss up between laying low and enjoying rest and exploring the city. Every other Saturday or so some of us from the office meet at a coffee shop on the beach... a time to get to know each other and someone usually brings a crossword, so it's a good time all around. Below is a picture of some exploring we did one weekend... the day involved a ferry ride, old caves with magnificent carvings, and incredibly pushy monkeys. It was so nice to get out of the city.

So, this is just a glimpse into my day-to-day life here. I have a bit of trouble summing it all up... Amazingly, many things that maybe shocked me initially feel pretty normal by now. Yet, the poverty and need of the city still go noticed. I want to thank you for your prayers and the words of encouragement I received after my last post… learning to walk by faith continues to be a challenge, yet I have been inspired by your insights and encouraged to see God show up in the midst of my doubt.

Shortly after my last post, our office had a half-day prayer retreat where our director spoke about joy. He quoted IJM's president, Gary Haugen, who has likened joy to the oxygen of the candle of justice… that it’s simply necessary for the work. He alleged that though our work will be hard, there will be joy. In all honesty, I got a little lost in my own thoughts at this point, wondering how to have joy in the face of what often feels like a losing battle. Then he read Psalm 126.

“When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

Whenever we rescue one girl, I feel a little like someone who dreams big dreams- the kind of dreams that are impossible without the hand of God intervening. Essentially, it was someone’s dream to rescue that girl; to go out and find her in a brothel, to rescue her from bondage, and to bring her perpetrators to justice. It was first Gary Haugen’s dream, and today, in our field office alone, 134 girls’ lives are forever changed because he (and then many others who came alongside) took hold of a vision God gave. That's joy.

It occurred to me that I have been hesitant to be joyful because it somehow felt disloyal to the plight of those who have not yet been rescued- those who are still experiencing cruelty and injustice and those who will forever live with the scars of others' sin. But what I read in this passage is that the joy experienced from acknowledging the great things God has done does not take away from the brokenness I feel for those who are still waiting, rather it gives hope to continue the work…

These days I am trying to be more mindful of the moments where we reap with songs of joy- not only after successful rescues, but in smaller instances such as when a rescued girl indicates that she wants to pursue her education or when bail is denied for a perpetrator- the small things that spark the courage to continue in pursuit of justice, even in the face of a losing battle.

With that, I want to say thank you, once again- first, for hanging in there if you made it to the end of this post! Secondly, for your continued prayers both for me and for the work being done here. I feel so privileged to be here, and I am so grateful for your partnership with me in this work and your support in my personal journey of learning to walk by faith.

A New Prayer

It’s been a while since my last post; I can’t believe how fast time is going by! I continue to really enjoy being immersed into the culture of South Asia, and I plan to post some pictures of “life as I know it” soon. But for now, I wanted to update you on what has been filling my days and thoughts lately…

As for my days, my time at work has been spent on various projects this past month- everything from beginning to define and map out our aftercare workflow process to preparing budgets. I can’t say it enough- I feel like I am constantly learning. By far, my favorite part of my role right now is being part of the “Monitoring Team” for one of our partner aftercare homes. We are currently in the process of implementing the protocols of standards of care that I assisted in writing in July- a process that will likely take a couple years. I love my weekly appointments at the home, interacting with the staff and the residents and drinking their famous chai tea. It has been some much needed encouragement to already see small changes- life skills education and soft skills training have already begun along with computer and English classes, and I am excited about the opportunities such education will give the girls. Our hope is that this home that will one day be a “model aftercare home” for girls rescued from commercial sexual exploitation. I appreciate your prayers in this ongoing effort.

As for my thoughts, they continue to be somewhat consumed with learning how to relate to God in the face of such harsh injustice. I know- not the most encouraging thing I have written to date, yet I desire to be transparent with you- my supporters, friends, and prayer partners. So, if you will bear with me, I’ll do my best to explain…

In Mark 9, Jesus has an interaction with a man who asks Jesus to heal his son from the demon that has plagued the boy since childhood. In what seems to me a request made in utter desperation, the father says to Jesus, “…But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." To me, the father appears to be at the end of his rope, frustrated and doubtful that anything can actually save his son yet still willing to try anything. I absolutely relate to this man, and I have prayed similar prayers many times, especially over the past four months.

What I am a bit taken aback by in this story is what happens next. Jesus does heal the boy, but not before He calls the father out on his doubt: " 'If you can'?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’” Leave it to Jesus to keep it real, right?

Now, while the story of Jesus’ compassion on this father and the ultimate healing of the boy is one of encouragement, I share this story because the father’s response very simply captures how I have been feeling lately: “Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”

This is where I’m at right now. In my heart, I do believe. I believe that God is good and sovereign and just. I see stories of victory and small changes, like the ones happening at the aftercare home I mentioned above. I believe that God loves these girls more than I do…more than I ever could, in fact. But the more disappointments I experience in our work, and there are quite a few of them, the more I am aware of my own unbelief.

I listen to the story of a fourteen year old girl who was rescued before being sold into a brothel and, while I rejoice in her freedom, I anguish over the fact that she had been sexually assaulted long before she was ever trafficked into the trade. I wonder if rape will ever stop being the reality for so many girls growing up in rural villages in South Asia? I come to know that two of the aftercare homes for rescued girls are chronically functioning over capacity with substandard living conditions; I wonder how we can expect holistic healing if we can’t offer them a life that is much better than the one they had in the brothel? I meet a beautiful, smart young woman who is living with HIV, a result of sex that was forced upon her; I wonder why she is left to suffer the consequence of someone else’s sin?

In the face of these facts, I doubt. I doubt God’s goodness and His sovereignty and His justice. I feel like the psalmist in Psalm 82:2-4, 8: “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.”

I get so frustrated that it doesn’t seem like we are winning the battle against injustice all the time. I feel angry that it seems like evil is allowed to rule over people- innocent people like the women and girls who are abused over and over again in the brothels. Not unlike the man in Mark 9, I find myself crying out to God to just fix it, to put an end to their suffering and bring justice… all the while in the back of my mind thinking, “…if You can.”

To be honest, I am not really sure what I can do to change my heart’s reaction in the face of such brokenness except to consistently follow up my weak prayers as the father in Mark 9: “I do believe…help me to overcome my unbelief!” If you have any thoughts on this, please feel free to email them my way- I would love your insights. And above all, I ask for your prayer- for our work, for the girls, and for me personally that the Lord would help me to walk by faith.

Shopping at it's best...

Green!

Thank you, young man in pink, for keeping me alive.
 

Amazing.

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

Enter, Month 2!

I am happy to say that I have officially hit, and now passed, the one-month mark here in South Asia, and it’s a great feeling. The monsoon has come and the city has cooled off a bit, which is fantastic. Though I have to say that Phoenix’s “monsoon season” did precious little to prepare me for an actual monsoon season! Thankfully, a kind intern who came before left rain boots at my apartment, which I am eternally grateful for…even if they couldn’t quite protect me from the knee deep water forming a moat around my apartment last week!  So this picture was taken just outside our office… believe me, the water was twice as deep outside my apartment, but I didn’t have the guts to stand there with the water coming INTO my rain boots any longer than I had to!

 I want to thank so many of you for your kind emails and updates on life back home… it really is an encouragement. Many have asked if my time thus far has been what I expected it to be, and to be honest, I am not completely sure how to answer. In a sense, it has been what I expected…there are the anticipated cultural adjustments and “new everything” that is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I love the small victories that come with learning a new culture… like finding a guy who will sell you six perfect bananas for Rs. 10, the local price! Or flagging down a rickshaw and finding your own way home for the first time and not getting (too) lost… or getting caught in the monsoon and actually having an umbrella on hand.  The simplicity of what can make my day here is refreshing to say the least!  A view of my neighborhood from my window...

 

And yet, so much of what I have experienced so far has been more than I expected. For example, the dedication of the staff here at IJM is remarkable.  It is amazing to see individuals from such different disciplines- investigators, lawyers, social workers, communication specialists, administrative workers- bringing the gifts and talents God has given them in a unified effort to make a difference in one of the largest problems on the planet: human trafficking. These people face a great deal of frustration in their day-to-day work- seemingly endless court delays, tip-offs prior to operations, gross lack of resources available for survivors- frustrations that appear avoidable, yet they are reality of life here. Each morning we meet together for collective prayer before we begin the day and it’s no wonder why… the work being done is utterly dependent on God.  

Unfortunately, I would also say the immensity of the issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation has also been more than I expected. I recently had the unique experience of visiting a brothel in one of the red light areas; an event I continue to process. As you might guess, it is absolutely a different world, one where poverty is rampant and the value of human life is not highly regarded. Walking the narrow halls in the brothel, I was shocked at the normality of life there: children toddling around, people chatting, washing clothes, cooking. It was as if the selling of someone’s body was as normal as selling vegetables…simply a way of life, a livelihood. And this is when the problem just feels huge...untouchable, even.

And yet, I have gleaned some much-needed tangible hope during my visits to the group home for minored girls who have been rescued out of the brothels. I am convinced that in the end, all it takes is one girl. If we can make a difference in the life of one girl- to hold back the hand of her oppressors and give her an opportunity for healing and a future- then we have certainly touched the problem.

As for a specific work update, the end of July is quickly approaching, and with it, my deadline for the Protocol Project!  Thank you for your prayers… the Sister whom I am working with has been incredibly gracious and we are slowly but surely making our way through standards of care for the group home. I ask for your continued prayer as there is still a significant amount of conversation, brainstorming, and editing to be done in the next ten days or so!

Please also pray for my and my colleagues’ physical health during the monsoon season, which is a particularly difficult time of year to remain well.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any prayer requests, updates, etc. I appreciate your support and prayers so much; I honestly can’t thank you enough.  

love, ann

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

Journey to South Asia...

Hello!  Wow, I can hardly believe how the last few weeks have flown by…it’s been an amazing few weeks of quality time spent with people I love (and already miss!). Thank you so much for your continued prayer support. I have certainly felt a peace that has only one source, and while I have enjoyed this time of connecting, I am really excited for what is ahead…

From May 31-June 6, I attended training week at International Justice Mission Headquarters in Washington, DC, which I thoroughly enjoyed! It was absolutely surreal to meet the staff at IJM and see firsthand not only their great vision but also their genuine humility. They are incredibly focused on the task at hand, and it was great to connect with other interns and fellows as well. I have never felt more convinced of the urgency of the work of justice, and I’m so grateful for the privilege of joining an organization dedicated to giving a voice to the voiceless. Gary Haugen, Founder and President of IJM, reminded us during our first day of training that we serve those suffering injustice out of thankful hearts, full of worship for what Christ has done for us. What a beautiful motivation.

I want to share with you about some other points of praise in this journey thus far…what an encouragement to see God already answering prayers!

·      Housing!  As many of you know, this has been a very specific concern for me having never lived alone here in the States, let alone in a completely new country… I am incredibly excited to report I will be taking over a lease to an apartment of an intern who will be leaving as I come.  Even better, another intern will be arriving at the same time, so God has also provided me with a roommate! Done and done.

·      Support! Between one time gifts and monthly support, I have reached my fundraising goal!  This is an incredible blessing, and I am so very humbled by your investment in the work of justice through both prayer and financial giving. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

·      Preparations! My heart has been encouraged in so many ways the past few weeks. Through answered prayers, quality time with family and friends, and time spent in prayer and reading Scripture, God continues to affirm His call for me to go and learn to do justice. As I’ve read through the book of Isaiah, I have been comforted in seeing God’s heart for justice and reminded that He loves those who are suffering far more than I do. I continue to stand in awe that He has allowed me to be a small part in His plan to bring justice, sent out by and with you.

Points of Prayer…

I depart for South Asia on Monday, June 8^th and arrive in my city on June 10^th, 2009. I would appreciate your prayers for all the traveling (safety, connections, luggage, etc) as well as initial adjustments to new everything!

Also, I ask for prayer for my heart… that God would protect it and make it strong as I say my goodbyes, as I enter a new culture and start a new job, as I encounter evil and seek to somehow be a help to those who have been made victims of it. I feel very aware of my inabilities to seek justice on my own. I continue to cling to the promise that “when I am weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).” I don’t know when I last felt so incredibly weak, so I am looking forward to seeing God move!

I hope to be updating you regularly as I journey on… Please, please always feel free to pass along updates on YOU- prayer requests, general life happenings, awkward and ridiculous stories, etc. I’m really looking forward to keeping in touch!

 

love, ann