audrey caroline

the second time

We visited the Rescue Foundation for the first time in early September with the two-week mission team.  I think I’ve mentioned it in some earlier blogs, but it’s a very large home in Pune where the government places minor girls who have been rescued from forced prostitution.  Before our September visit, James had just rescued two girls a few weeks prior. We were able to meet those girls who had just been in the home a short 3 weeks. The girls were extremely unsure seeming. They were very shy and stand-offish in the presence of the six Americans that had come to meet and talk with them. The Rescue Foundation informed us that their facility had never had visitors before because of safety reasons, but that we had received special permission because of our connection with James. One of the girls we met in particular, Mary, seemed very uncertain about us being there. She honestly seemed unsure about herself being there… I mean she had only been in this new setting for 3 weeks. She still lied to us about her age like she would have a short month ago telling us she was 24 when she is really only 17. After we had a few minutes of small talk with the two girls, we said our goodbyes and continued our day in Pune.

Katie Beth, who was unable to go the first time, and I got the opportunity this past week on our way to Sri Lanka to stop in Pune again and visit the Rescue Foundation. In the two months in between our first visit, James had rescued another two girls who had only been there a couple of weeks. We got to meet and talk with them. Even though they too were very shy, the conversations with them seemed to be going slightly better than our first visit. One being there were no males present, and also it being only me and KB helped them feel a little more comfortable. As we were talking to them, Shiney the director, brought down the two girls we had met two months ago. As I was still talking to the other two girls, I see someone quickly bop around the corner and say my name. It was Mary. I exclaimed, “You remember me???” She excitedly came over to me and extended her hand to me, and began quickly talking in Hindi. Shiney, says laughing, “Mary is so excited that you came back. She said it means so much to her that you would come back to visit.” I was completely taken aback. This was so unexpected for me. I didn’t anticipate for her to even remember me, and especially for it to mean so much to her. As we were talking, she again told me how much it meant to her that I came back.  

Such a small, unimportant action to me meant so much to her. I unintentionally communicated worth into her life by coming a second time. It wasn’t until the second visit did my presence communicate worth into her life. I’m not trying to toot my own horn at all. I was so shocked by this encounter and it made me think a lot afterwards about the difference between me and Mary. Her whole life, no one ever communicated worth. Never. People only continually communicated to her that she was an object to be used. A lot of times it’s hard for us to grasp the depth of this. I have to force myself to pause for a second and put myself in her shoes. During the most pivotal years of her life—adolescence through her late teens—she was continually told and acted upon, not to empower or encourage, but to degrade. Now for about three months she has been living in the 3 story building hidden in the big city of Pune, unable to leave at all because of safety reasons. In September, several Americans showed up out of the blue to “visit.” I wonder what she thought of us the first time we came. The first time didn’t communicate much except our own personal interest in the subject. I really felt that when we were there… But only am I realizing now how the second time communicated worth. Such a tiny little glimmer of light can easily be seen and felt when shown in the endless past expanse of darkness. Seeing her joyful, smiling face a week ago in comparison to the hesitant, insecure one two months ago has made me all the more excited for girls just like her to come live here at Ashraya. I hope the love and the light here are completely overwhelming to them.