Sacrifice

 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, 

                                                      but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

Sacrifice -

Yesterday, we went to the brothels.  We buy time with the girls and then use it to get to know them.  We ask about their their dreams, their interests and talents and if they will allow us to, we pray for them. This seems like such a trivial thing but nobody is asking about who they are.  They are viewed as nothing more than a  commodity by their owners and it is easy to see how life in the brothels quickly strips them bare of any personal identity or value.

During our visit, I met two young sisters.  They could not have been more than thirteen and had just arrived at the brothel.  I noticed that they never let go of each other as we talked.  You could see the comfort they found in one another, as they clung to each others hand.  Their sisterhood provided a  validation of their identity.  There is someone who knows me, who knows my life and history, who knows who I really am.    They told us that they were here in the hopes of making money to send back to their parents and  siblings.  They believed that as soon as things got better back home, they would be able to return. Right now, they were the only hope for their family.

We also got to  share our testimonies with them.  Many of us have similar histories of abuse, violence, drug addiction and much more.   You could see hope rise in their hearts as they heard the truth about how God's love sought us out and His sacrifice set us free.  Though many of them have a difficult time receiving the truth of God's love for them, they certainly understand sacrifice. 

Like the young sisters, many of these girls have willingly put themselves in this position to help support others back home.  They all believe this to be to be their only option.   They consider their lives expendable but truly their lives are a living sacrifice motivated by love.

These visits are very important because the girls begin to see that their lives have value and their dreams are more than just a place they go to escape from the pain of their everyday lives.  Their dreams are a roadmap for their future.  Through many other visits like these women are finding the strength and courage to escape life in the brothels and when they are ready, there are some great organizations willing to step in and assist them as they take their first steps to freedom.

I pray that these girls would hold tightly to their dreams and that they would come to understand that in the Kingdom of Heaven, the greatest sacrifice motivated by love was made for them.  They are so worth it!

Love from the road,

Julie