Amazing news today from one of the organisations I'm gonna be working with in Mumbai, Oasis India. This update was from their Facebook page: "A team of 10 staffs were on a rescue operation from Monday afternoon to 1 am this morning. 80 girls, boys and women were rescued and 5 accused were caught. The team says so far this has been the best raid with an amazing support from the police and also the case filed against the accused is a strong one." Buzzed to be working with a group doing such life-changing work... Harrowing that in the 21st century there still needs to be 'rescue operations' to free people from slavery.
Check out Oasis' webpage btw. They do amazing work. Poverty's at the root of pretty much every crime committed. Or maybe, greed. When you look at the statistics, it's not difficult to see that it's not just morality that's skewed... This week I've been getting excited, as my friends over at Amor Ministries have just got back from their trip out to India, and have started sending through the details of what our itinerary's going to be once we finally make it out to Mumbai. Needless to say it's, uh... Pretty packed. Here's the Cliff Notes: Stage 1: Mumbai. We're visiting the slums and the red light district, doing everything from running children's projects, to befriending the prostitutes, to teaching basic craft and cooking skills to trafficking survivors. We'll be breaking up into small teams of 3 or 5, the idea being we get up close and personal, getting to know the people to whom trafficking isn't just a concept but a life-destroying reality. Pretty scared of this. My people skills in basic life aren't that great-- don't know how I'll fare under pressure. Prayer please! Make me brave.
Stage 2: Bangalore. Alot of travelling. We're splitting into three groups: one heading off on the overnight train to Tirrupur to meet the women who've been trafficked into the garment industry, learning about the advocacy and rehab groups working among these women; another group is training it to Dharmapuri, one of the poorest and most-trafficked communities in Bangalore, and finding out about the anti-trafficking programs in place there; and the last group will stay in central Bangalore to visit a village where Oasis has been intervening to rescue young girls from the garment trade, and working with state groups like the police and child welfare to see what role they have in preventing trafficking. I'm pretty sure these days will be the hardest. I feel knackered just reading about it. Stage 3: Indo-China border. We're heading up north to the border, to try and understand the epidemic of cross-border trafficking and see some amazing prevention work. Plus point: in this last leg we might have the chance to cross the border into Bhutan, the place with the highest Gross National Happiness score in the world! It looks stunning btw (Yup, that's the photo at the top of the page). So yes, pretty intense. Am kind of re-thinking the amount of days I take off work. So that's me paraphrasing Joshua 1:9. It actually goes like this (in the NLT): "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” It's one of those verses God brings back to me again and again, and when I hear it, I know I'm on the right path-- even if the right path scares the crap out of me. So, I was pretty encouraged when I got this card through the post last week from some of my friends back home: Cheers guys :)
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