Planting Seeds in India
Get an inside look at what it’s like to travel with Freedom 4/24. Olivia Dunn was a member of our trip to India this past April. Read Olivia's reflection after leading and spending time with trafficking survivors at a wilderness camp alongside our partner Freedom Firm.
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I chose to go on Freedom 4/24’s trip to India to work with their partner Freedom Firm because I wanted to be involved in the fight to end sex trafficking and make a difference. I have heard and read so much about the issue of sex trafficking, and would often get overwhelmed and discouraged about how I could even begin to make a difference for those who have become victims of this abuse. I heard about Freedom 424’s trips from a friend at work and, after getting more information, I immediately felt at peace that God was leading me to India. This trip was an amazing opportunity where I could follow exactly where God was calling me and, not only find hope in the midst of such suffering, but also impact the lives of these girls.
My favorite thing about the week was the relationships we built with the girls, even with the language barrier. Two girls specifically loved teaching me the hardest words they could think of in Bengali and laughed at me when I would try to repeat it back to them.
God taught me so much on this trip; the first lesson being, pure and genuine joy. These girls have been through so much hardship and suffering throughout their life, but you would have never known as you interacted with them. These girls were content and happy just being with us, playing games together, and making up for the childhood they missed out on. What a blessing it was to be a part of such an experience.
God also taught me a lot about the power of prayer, and how nothing is too small or too big to bring to Him. I prayed a lot for energy and strength throughout the week, but the hardest thing was leaving the girls, and understanding that I would likely never see or hear from them again. I learned that the power of prayer is no small thing. Praying for these girls after leaving India has given me so much peace, to know that I did my part and God will protect them. I learned how merciful and gracious God is, and how we must remember to not only pray for these girls He loves so much, but also for the traffickers and families involved.
I am so thankful that I got to be a part of these girls’ lives and would encourage those thinking about going to India to really pray about where God is leading you. One thing I learned while deciding whether or not to go on this trip was to trust where God was leading me and run with it. The least I could do for these girls was to get out of my comfort zone and love on them to show them the love of Christ.
-Olivia
If you feel strongly led to go to India or on another trip to work with the women Freedom 4/24 exists to rescue, you can sign up today. There is still time to sign up for next year’s trip to India in February of 2019! Applications are due August 3rd: https://www.freedom424.org/trips