Ministry on Thursday was easily one of the hardest days so far on the World Race. Kids mihistory? Let’s do it. Music ministry? Bring it on. Teaching English? Literally is my minor from UNCW. But working with women who have been trafficked? Um, what?!?
On Thursday, some of my squadmates and I went to a cabin restaurant. It is at a busy bus stop in Kathmandu, a high- traffic area of the city. A cabin restruant is a “restruant” that includes a girl with the food.
We went inside and sat inside one of the little 3’x4′ cubicles. Three friends and I sat down and ordered a few sodas. There was a couple that seemed to own the restaurant and three young girls who worked there.
As we drank our Cokes, they girls came to sit with us. One that sat down immeidaitely, Susanna, started taking selfies with me. I asked her about her family and she showed me pictures on her phone of her brother, her mom, and her sister. We asked her if she was a Hindu or a Christian, and she said she was a Christian. After talking for a little longer, she disappeared.
As I sat there, looking around, I could have thrown up thinking of all the things that had happened in those booths. There were stains all over the walls and celeing and bugs crawling up the side of the booth, but people don’t come there for the food.
She came back a few minutes later with a worn out Nepali Bible. She told me that it belonged to her brother. I opened it and , Praise the Lord!- it was the red letter edition! This doesn’t seem like a big thing, but it allowed me to find the New Testament and tell her about Matthew 5. I told her that was one of my favorite parts of the Bible because Jesus is teaching the people. And, I showed her the story of Esther. I told her about how Esther was a regular girl who became a Queen. Then God used her to do really important things. I told Susanna that the Lord wanted to use her as well. I’m praying that the conversation sparked some interest in reading the Bible on her own. As we talked and flipped through God’s Word, the sleeve of her jacket pulled back and I saw the scars on her wrist. There is so much brokenness, abuse, and pain here.
Susanna and the two girls that work with her seriously need your prayers. Nepal has one of the highest rates of trafficking in the world- they are not alone. Women here have such a low status. Many families still pay a dowry when the girls are married, so families willingly give their girls to brothels and cabin restraints so they can earn money for the family. Many are sent to India and the Middle East, far away from their homes and villages. Far away from familiarity. Susanna’s village is about 8 hours from the restaurant. She works in this busy, dirty city in one of the most dark industries on Earth. Please pray that the Lord would pursue her in a great and overwhelming way- and that she would be aware of Him! Please pray that she gets a way out. And, please pray that she is accepting of the opportunities to connect with our host ministry to help her. I am going back to see her on Monday morning!
I am so broken for her and these girls. I feel so lost on what to say to them and How to help. I leave feeling so heavy and feeling angry for them. I know that the Lord sees them and has not forgotten them. I do the only thing I know how to do: share Jesus and try to connect them to our host. Please please please pray for them and over our encounter on Monday.
