Imagine being on a rickshaw, that is supposed to seat two people comfortably, with four people and their backpacks heading towards the downtown in Southern India. Weaving in and out of traffic and the occasional cows, we made it to the city!
After walking around some name-brand shops and drinking delicious coffee for the first time in over a month, my team and I decided to head to the open market to buy souvenirs for our friends and family back home. Not knowing where the market was, a rickshaw driver told us he would take us there for 10 rupees for me and my two teammates, the equivalent of $0.16 in America. We got excited about the amazing deal!
Rather than going to an open market though, this driver took us to a high-end jewelry, scarf, perfume store. We didn’t see anything and so my friends and I decided to ask if he would take us back out of the city close to where we are staying for the month. Rather than doing that, he proceeded to take us to another shop similar to the first one. Then we told him we wanted to go home or we’d take another driver if he couldn’t do that. He said it is cheaper if he continues to make stops along the way as he can get gas credits. He took us to one more store.
Things started to click that the whole experience was not normal. He offered us an insanely cheap price for the drive. He kept taking us to high-end stores with only males. He wouldn’t take us home on a straight ride. We thought the worst that he was trying to set us up for trafficking or something along the lines. Scared, we were praying in the backseat.
I kept praying Lord, I trust you. Please protect us. As I looked up, there was a bumper sticker saying, “I’ll always care for you.” He is always so quick to respond!
Praise the Lord we were safe. A squad mate of ours had been to this part of India before and told us how this is a common scam and can end up being dangerous.
Others are not so lucky with their safety. My stomach was nauseous thinking how many women think they are getting a good deal to go somewhere, to sadly find out they are just being taken advantage of and are drugged, beaten, raped, and sold into sex trafficking.
This month, Lord willing, we will be working with a home that does raids to get women out of trafficking, counsels them, tries to reconnect them with their families, and teaches them job skills. I am so excited to be able to work with such an incredible organization that sacrifices their safety daily to help restore the lives of so many women.
Please pray for people who are being trafficked not only in India but all over the world. So many people are forced into it and sadly never are able to return to their normal lives. Please pray that the traffickers feel convicted of what they are doing and come to know Jesus Christ. Please pray that more and more people are aware of trafficking and work to put an end to it.
