Tears & Hugs

October 28, 2009



During our weekly visit with the Philippine Attache, I asked him if there were any ladies who were so wounded, we didn't even see them down in the activity area. My counselor friend, Amy, had made herself available to us and I suspected there were some deeply wounded girls who may need her individual attention. Joseph immediately hit his buzzer and asked his volunteer to bring down a particular "minor" who should never have been allowed out of her country to work in the first place. Becky & I saw at once that she was incredibly sad and withdrawn, yet she agreed for us to set up a meeting with Amy.



Sunday evening I returned with Amy and they had Fabriya (name changed) waiting for us with another girl who spoke some English and some "Muslim" as they referred to Fabriya's dialect. This precious girl is only 18 years old and had only been in the country a few months when she was raped by her employers relative, raped again when she tried to flee, but was eventually brought to the safety of the Embassy.



Fabriya's brow was laced tightly with fear and her hands just seemed so...empty. Through her interpreter, she haltingly shared bits of her story. As Amy tried to assure her that she was now SAFE, her eyes leaked grief and pain. As I tried to fall asleep that night, I could still see the horror, the lostness, and the anguish in Fabriya's young, soft face. She wanted us to pray for her which we gladly did. I knew we were blanketed in prayer from others who knew of our meeting. With the limitations imposed by the language barrier, our dependence on the Holy Spirit was even more obvious. Amy was so gentle and professional with her, and it seemed her spirit really opened. She agreed to eat even though she had not been hungry, and wanted us to come again. At the end, I responded to a strong urge to just hold her close. I just wanted to bring her home and tuck her in bed, let her be a teenager like my own dear girls. I told her God was her Father and she was precious to him. I told her she was beautiful to God. I stroked her cheek and assured her God had a good plan for her life. It is such an unbelievable privilege to be His lips and hands!