Jazz under the overpass

Sitting low on the ground. Feet parading by. Cars. Echo. Lights flash. Invisible? Notice the crevasses- the water trickles down. The flower man sells his roses.
Smooth jazz fills the air as note after note floats in and through the echos of the overpass. A trumpet played in the lonely corner of the metro stop. Calling after some lost memory. Dreaming of an unknown possibility. A world where music swirls in the dark places. Light shines and the confusion has a voice. Harmoney and melody dance out of the din and noise- rise up, sink down. Where are we going? Feet parading by? Cold stone. Still. Wait and listen. Do you hear the theme emerging? It turns a corner, rises high and floats into the rain on the leaves falling orange and red to the street. Do you hear them? The dreams spoken to these cold stones on frozen nights long past.

A lonely man sat and waited. Not knowing what for. Who did he have in life now? His coat torn and dirty he sunk to the cold stone slope under the overpass and wept. What happened to my life!? Oh if only...Feet parade by- hurry to catch a train, or get picked up in the parking lot. A siren blares past and he hardly hears. Cars circle through. No one comes for him. No one is coming. The rain has stopped and softly the notes of jazz sing into the night, echoing under the overpass.

A girl shuffles along and sinks down with a sigh. Bikes lined up in a row- orderly yet scattered- speak to journeys and adventures had. The little one insider her kicks. Why is she so alone? she looks up at the faces hurrying past and they glance away. Young and old, business men and athletes, shoppers, mothers, dog lovers. They walk by not noticing her pain. Will he come to get her? He Hasn't picked up his phone in two days. But she had to try. The air is biting. She shivers and tries to dream of what could be. Her thoughts are caught up and swirled around by the notes of jazz. Head back. Listen. The echoes speak of hope as she waits under the overpass.

(written while waiting at the east falls church metro stop last night)

http://pitx.deviantart.com/art/Trommpetista-02-335329545

Peace, be still

"Peace, be still!!" called and echoed through the streets and neighborhood of Vilia Victoria tonight, as I marched along with bout 50 other residents, and friends and family of Alex, a youth shot and killed here on september 3rd. "It is time to bring light into the darkness!" the prayers of a pastor from Lion of Judah church proclaimed. We took the hand of those next to us and said, "i choose light!" and then we walked, carrying candles high.

"Blanko was the nickname of Alex Sierra, 18, a Villa Victoria resident who was shot to death on Saturday, Sept. 3, in front of barber shop El Barbaritos at 652 Tremont St. Police arrested the alleged shooter, Ricardo Arias, 17, on Tuesday, Sept. 6. According to Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis, Arias and a 16-year-old, who has also been arrested, were seen in the area of the barbershop on Sept. 3, asking passersby if they lived in the Villa Victoria. Sierra was the only one to answer yes, and Arias allegedly fired three shots into him. Galatis said that investigators believe that the incident stemmed from a longstanding rivalry between Mission Hill and Villa Victoria-affiliated gangs."
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=124625

why?! Why did this happen?! Enough! "peace, be still"
 Alex's sister sobbed as we watched a slideshow some of the youth put together. Two young people got up and sang songs for him.
There was food, and it was beautiful to see the community come together - share life and food together - mourning, yet there was laughter and a sense of carrying on. sticking together. living. little babies, kids, teens, through to the elderly. I was sitting next to two older women from the villia, i think one was his grandmother. They both had a deep saddness - they would often shake their heads and sigh. oh this life, that was so young, was just snatched away!
One of the girls who helped organize the march, passionately told the group "I don't want to be gathering like this, for this reason again, EVER! Its time to make a change!"
Im glad to be in this neighborhood, and i want to connect even more with these kids, and this community. People are seeking for answers, they are scared - I hope i, and others at SENCE and our house here, can love them with Christ's love, and be community together. 

rouge abolitionists

The city is rushing around this lovely fall morning... and im sitting here in starbucks pondering some amazing conversations i had with folks in the abolitionist movement and the fight for justice this week! Its exciting to be part of a team with so many incredible people! its a common bond of wanting to end slavery - its not an official network, or "membership" but rather, a group of friends. many of them don't know each other yet... but im hoping to fix that soon! :)
One of the themes we all were agreeing with yesterday was that we need to be more connected, and that it is about the movement, not any one organization or official title! When we start to loose sight of the bigger picture, we render ourselves ineffective! And, we can actually cause more harm.

One of these friends was told "if you are not a professional in this game, you won't be effective." That is just not true. Yes, we need to be informed and smart, but we don't need to have official titles to our name to dig into the systems, learn and listen and begin to see where the gaps are, and where the systems are broken. It actually can work far better to have someone who is not "officially" part of one particular organization helping to network, because there isn't that inevitable sense of competition over money or resources, or distrust that one group is trying to use another. Sadly, that's what is currently happening in the non-proffit world, and then when you mix law enforcement in, there is just a lot of miscommunication and distrust! Leaders of organizations often begin to lose sight of the larger vision of why their NGO was founded, and get caught up in the goals and objectives and funding to just keep themselves running.
The truth is, with most of these non-profits and social services, if we were actually carrying out our goals in the whole movement, we would be working ourselves out of a job! That should be our end goal, right? That slavery is stamped out, that hardly anyone is homeless anymore, that everyone has access to good food - the goal is that Civil Society and the systems and structures in place will be generating these positive results, and we don't need organizations to "raise awareness and money to "fix these problems" that the systems are creating".
But no one really wants to work themselves out of a job! That's when it gets scary- social services just do what they do, to keep clients coming to them, so they can apply for grants, to get funding, to pay their employees... what about the clients actually moving out of the system and into a healthy place of independence?! What about prevention so people don't even need to become "clients" at all? That would be dumb, they might lose funding! hmm.
So, obviously this world is broken, and there's a very small chance we will fully fix these systems. But perhaps, my point is, that yes, the systems need to be redone, but the bigger vision is- its about PEOPLE = its about building healthy relationships! its about loving people, and loving them to Jesus - to One who IS redeeming and restoring in and through and so far beyond the brokenness! Its about seeing people as beautiful, with dreams and visions of their own and strengths to offer, not just as "Deadweights" sucking up handouts.

So we, here on the ground, dreaming about better options and possibilities - YES! continue to dream, and share ideas, and build relationships with each other. love and support and pray for one another. Love our neighbors, and invest in our communities, and put feet to the ideas we dream about-  even in little ways.

(picture from Clair's fb page. thanks!  :)

If you are working for an organization, be careful not to find your identity in that. Sadly things can happen, people and organization can fail, and you find yourself "on your own"- stand strong! God can use you just as you are. The movement is so much bigger than any one group! You, as a "rouge abolitionist", can change the wold- in community - in just following God's leading one step at a time. You can be amazingly effective as part of an organization as well - just keep the perspective of why we are doing what we do! be open to out-of-the-box thinkers in your networks.

If you find yourself working as a "rouge abolitionist", and you're getting a hard time of it - keep pressing forward! you have the flexibility to think and act "outside the box" - be sure to have a community of friends around you, to keep sharing ideas and resources. And as we plug in our collective crazy dreams in to the systems and networks things will in fact start changing! it already is happening.

Have courage. Stand strong. Dream big.

want to meet up for coffee? Let's talk! I want to hear your thoughts, and get to know you as a person.

(thanks for the conversations this came from, Dave, Viju, Arwyn, PW, Pat, Annery and Erika!) 

interconnectedness of injustice

A map of the interconnectedness of "injustices" we face in our world. Trafficking is just one extreme part - but it is driven by so many other things. The complexity of all of this can be overwhelming, or it can be a reminder that EVERYONE has a part to play in reversing these cycles of poverty - and infusing them with hope and joy and reconciliation! With Love! with Generosity! With good food! with Truth and opportunities for exploring new horizons. 

 

Below is a case the other day - of a "Suspected Brothel" being "shut down" - but it is frustrating to see no mention of services to the women, and referring them to prostitutes. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 13 or 16 year old girls there too. 

We have a long way to go Boston - before we're doing anything systemically effective - actually shutting down the systems that are driving the "success" and growth of trafficking. 

Inspectional Services Department Hearing on 100 Mt. Pleasant Ave, Thursday, Sept. 8, 10 AM, ISD, 1010 Massachusetts Ave., 4th Floor)

Suspected brothel closed

City responds to Roxbury complaints, but no arrests made

September 02, 2011|By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff

Neighbors in this working-class Roxbury neighborhood suspected that the large beige stucco house on Mount Pleasant Avenue was being used for something other than a two-family home: There was a constant flow of male visitors, and scantily clad women were frequently seen rushing out the front door demanding payment from fleeing men.

Two weeks ago, responding to complaints from residents, authorities visited the house and spoke with the owner, Fard Ahmed, who told them that prostitutes visit the 12-room house, according to an official with the city’s Inspectional Services Department. Ahmed said he rented rooms out to satisfy “supply and demand.’’

“If they know prostitutes are coming in and out of my house, why didn’t they arrest them,’’ Ahmed said yesterday afternoon in a phone interview a day after the house was shut down for code violations. “Listen, I rent out a couple of rooms to various people because there is a market, but prostitution can happen anywhere, it can happen at any hotel in the city.’’

Ahmed, 74, was convicted in 2004 in Roxbury District Court of keeping a house of prostitution and was sentenced to a year in jail. In 2009, he was convicted of keeping a noisy or disorderly house and sentenced to three months in jail, according to law enforcement officials.

The house on Mount Pleasant Avenue was full of indications that it was being used as a brothel, authorities said.

The first floor contains a waiting room, replete with lounging chairs, a coffee table, and stacks of magazines. Two poster boards are affixed to the wall with handwritten “five-hour house rules’’ and “two-hour house rules.’’ The five-hour room-rental rules permit one reentry into the house, but the two-hour rules stipulate that upon exiting, “all remaining time ends.’’ Five hours costs $50 rent, and two hours costs $25.

The rooms are small and sparsely decorated with mattresses, night stands, and a few pictures cut from women’s fashion magazines such as Elle and Cosmopolitan.

Ahmed has not been criminally charged in his latest run-in with authorities, but Inspectional Services shut down the house Wednesday, placing plywood over the doors and windows and citing him for numerous code violations, including exposed wiring and unsafe porches. Ahmed has been ordered to appear before the department Thursday to specify how he intends to use the house - as a two-family dwelling, as it was permitted, or a rooming house.

“Clearly, he was not using it as a two-family,’’ said Darryl Smith, Inspectional Services assistant commissioner, standing in front of the house yesterday.

Well-maintained two-story houses dot the street, as do several red-brick apartment buildings. The St. Patrick Elementary School is also on the street, about a half-block away.

Leanora Whitted, 67, whose living room windows face the front of Ahmed’s property, said she plans to attend the public meeting along with other concerned residents. She said questionable activity at the house has been going on for years and she has repeatedly complained in community meetings.

“It really gets terrible over there, she said, sitting in her living room and pointing toward the windows. “All times at night, you have men honking on their horns, going inside, or parking on the street and talking to women who aren’t wearing much of anything. I have a grandson here, and there are other children on this street.’’

Smith said that often when residents seek a remedy to nuisances on their street, they don’t lodge their complaints with the proper authority. “We started hearing about this particular address weeks ago,’’ he said.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino added, “We just got the information recently about it… . I think sometimes the neighbors don’t call us, tell us what’s going on in the neighborhood. Once we found out, our team went out there, our response team, and shut it down immediately.’’

Smith is the chairman of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Response Team, which targets problem residences, abandoned vehicles on the streets, and other quality-of-life issues.

The team focuses on Mattapan and Dorchester and the Blue Hill Avenue corridor, but Smith said that as the team sweeps out prostitution through code enforcement, “there is some migration. We shut them down and they move,’’ he said.

http://articles.boston.com/2011-09-02/news/30106816_1_house-rules-prostitutes-12-room-house

Trafficking case in Atlanta. thoughts

My Grandma forwarded this along to me, from her Church's group against slavery in TN. Everyone has a part to play in ending slavery! 

notice- the guy is only 18 who is doing this. What's his story i wonder? What sort of broken relationships and failed systems is he coming from? I wonder who his dad was, or if he had one. What happened when he was 3 or 4 years old? sadly the perpetrators are also broken people and yes, they must face the consequences of their actions, but how do we stem the tide of our little boys growing up to buy and sell girls?! how do we interrupt and reverse those broken cycles, and infuse them with LOVE and JUSTICE and reconciliation and beauty?! that's my question. Those are the questions im trying to get to with the Abolitionist Network. How do we create the space where "experts" people on the ground in all this, can step back and look at the bigger picture, and figure out what will really start making a difference?! Because in Atlanta, and in Boston, law enforcement randomly selecting an add or two, and hoping to get at the pimps is not going to cut it. This guy is one of hundreds in the atlanta area. these women are just a few of the thousands of women, girls and boys who are trapped. 

So, lets start asking these questions, and start looking for answers - together! 

Man charged with forcing 4 Atlanta

women to engage in prostitution

Specialized Investigations

Division detectives have jailed a

they're kids, learning about life, and love and searching for identity...

Conyers, Ga., man on charges

that he forced four women to

travel with him to Nashville

from Atlanta to engage in prostitution.

Prontiss Houseworth, 18, is

facing four counts of trafficking

for sexual servitude, one

count of promoting prostitution

and one count of carrying

a prohibited weapon (brass

knuckles).

The investigation of

Houseworth began last Friday

when an undercover officer

responded to an ad posted on

the Backpage.com website.

The officer was told to come

to the Knights Inn on Spring

Street, where a deal was made

with two women to perform sex

Often the girls get arrested. Thankfully in the Houseworth case
they were seen as victims. 

acts for a total price of $200.

When the officer and his

team identified themselves as

law enforcement, the women

reported that they and two others

were forced by Houseworth

to come to Nashville, saying he

threatened to kill them and

their families if they did not do

what he said.

One woman said that

Houseworth struck her for disobeying

him and went so far as

to duct tape her hands and

mouth.

Houseworth was taken into

custody while in a car outside

the motel.

The four women, two 18-year-olds,

one 23-year-old and one 24-

year-old, were deemed to be victims

and were not charged.

The FBI is assisting in the

human trafficking aspect of

this case.

Houseworth is being held in

lieu of $150,000 bond.

- Green Hill News August 31, 2011

Extreme Make-over: Systems addition

So, there are some things in this world that seriously need a systemic make-over!! To be completely rethought, and redone! Today i was pondering a few of these:

• Highschool and middle school education (especially urban): It is just a teeming whirlwind of DRAMA!!! I overheard a conversation coming home today ofhighschool students "she told my girl i was cheatin on her, or wait... maybe it was that i had gotten her pregnant."
• Foster care: so often families do it for the money from the state, but don't treat the kids any better - and often abuse and cause further damage. Lots of girls that get caught up in sex trafficking come from foster care. or are in someway "System involved"
• Homeless intervention programs: Especially the way all the "checks" (Social Security, Disability, Welfare..) come in on the 1st of the month, and everyone partiesit up- and the next day are broke for the rest of the month. Shelters and outreach program seem to be perpetuating this pattern. And, there is usually a threshold of money you can save before they cut off the checks, which is far lower than the amount you need to pay rent... so folks get caught in the loop of relying on the system, and not able to get out ontheir own. Also - when folks get housing, often they are isolated from their communities - so end up back on the street to be with "friends" or invite others to their place, against the rules, and get kicked out. There is a lot more to being homeless than not having a home.
• well, government. the way in which nations are led and governed: yeah.
• and there are so many other structures and systems that could use serious help...

But, the thing is, it is really easy to make lists of whats wrong in the

world, and to point out weaknesses and loopholes.

The challenge is to come up with solutions, and to actively engage in making positive change. This is a challenge we MUST rise up to - and let's start with loving our neighbors.

thoughts?

What do you do with her number?

walking home tonight i passed a group of guys standing by their motorcycles outside a club, and one asked one of the girls near by for her number. She laughed and said "yeah - you can have my number." i walked on and didn't hear anything else... but then this song formed in my head for the rest of the walk home down Shawmut Ave - and as often happens, it seemed great as I was signing it through, but then when i tried to start from the beginning again i could only remember pieces. So, here are some of the words- attempting to recreate.

What do you do with her number?

upon waking up in the morning?

A random collection of 6s and 2s, a 7 a 9 and a 1.

She was sexy with long hair and straightened

A skirt less than mini and heals.

Do you even remember which girl's is this number,

and which number belongs to which girl?

She's young and she's scared to be no one.

She longs to be known and adored

But she does not know where to find this

So she masquerades made up with make up

A smile smeared on her lips.

She laughs at your jokes with a toss of her hair

she drinks all the drinks that you buy her

but is she empty? she's lonely

you missed when she brushed back that tear

What did she wish on her birthday?

Back when she turned 3 years old?

What ever happened to that girl in the pink dress

and bows?

Now she is buried beneath not enough clothes

a mask of mascara and a stud in her nose.

Afraid of being no one

so hiding to make you see

her body as a thing you want to take.

What do you do with her number

when you wake up from your bed in the morning?

Do you remember where she went when you left her

stumbling down the street

her heals getting stuck in the bricks?

Do you even remember her name?

do you even remember her name?

you are beautiful

I walked outside this evening to pick up the trash that had blown through our garden, and now lay wet and limp - scattered through the back walkway. Some of the neighborhood kids were riding their bikes around the back parking lot, and soon hollered hello. a few of them came over, and others soon followed - showing me their bikes, and how fast they could ride. They wanted to see the flowers, and we picked and smelled the mint, the lavender, the rosemary and oregano.

these girls are in preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade... and yet, "boyfriend" or "she kissed him" or "he kissed her on the mouth!" could be heard here and there in their bursts of stories, and laughter and yelling.

I paused after a while, and looked at them. 4 little girls all looking up at me - clinging, pushing, hugging, smiling with mischievous dark sparkling eyes... and i said, "you know you are beautiful?! You know you don't need a boyfriend, right? You are beautiful just the way you are." they laughed and giggled. "Don't ever listen to people telling you you need a boyfriend to be cool."

When i was in India the girls from the Kadooli hostel crowded around me like that, wanting lighter skin, admiring, loving, pushing, hugging... and I made a point to pause and look them each in the eye, tap their nose and say "tu sundar ahey!" (You are beautiful!)

So here, in Boston, as these girls were standing here behind my house, I looked at each one in turn and put my hand on their head and said "you are beautiful! you know that right?!" and smiled.

Oh, that they will grow in confidence and strength, and not listen to the lies of our culture that they need to be sexy, to reveal parts of their bodies that should be covered- thinking its funny, and gets attention. I pray they grow to love and respect their bodies, demanding respect from boys in their class... not listening to mean and cruel comments as other kids try to tear them down. May they stand strong. May they know that they are beautiful - that they are loved - that their identity is in something far greater than a boy "liking" and kissing them! They are loved by the creator of the universe!

Why is everything so sexualized?! why is a 5 year old girl flipping up her skirt, thinking its funny?! Whats happening to our kids? No wonder girls are falling prey to exploiters... somehow they believe their value is in their bodies... in a guy's attention... they are learning from what they see around them. What do they see in us?

I pray for these girls tonight. I pray for the girls in Boston - that they will see through the lies -they will come to know the truth - True Love. Where are they meeting this Love? Where is Jesus to them? maybe i am the only "Jesus" they will meet? Maybe you are.

thanks

In everything give thanks.

don't just write todo lists, don't just run around stressed out - sit, relax, give thanks.

be busy and live full - give thanks.

it is not about what gets accomplished, or how successful or efficient we are in the end - it is about carrying Jesus' light into darkness - about stepping out one step of faith after another and trusting in His unfailing love. It is about loving our neighbor. about sharing joy and being someone's hope.

were you someone's hope today?

love much, laugh often, give thanks. Even when facing the blackest darkness. These things the darkness is incapable of and powerless against. (remember from "a wrinkle in time"? :) So press on.

It is about people- the chance encounters, a smile, seeing an old friend, a listening ear, a compassionate heart, and encouraging word. We don't know and may never know what an impact those small moments can have on a life - but never underestimate them.

today i went searching for pants with Cathi and Levi at thrift stores, and then we stopped by Target. As i was walking down an isle a man passing me looked, smiled and said "Hello!" I smiled back and he said "Hello!!" again, as if he knew me - then said "Pastor Larry!" and smiled. Ohh... yeah! I read his name tag - Joseph. Could it be, Joe?! the one who slept out under abandoned tractor trailers, lamenting the loss of his family, due to his addiction to drugs and alcohol? We would pray for him, and were always so excited when he came to McDonnalds and had a coffee with us. He rarely would come to church, as he felt ashamed of his fallenness. Jane and Larry loved him greatly, and we prayed God would give him the strength to stand. We didn't see him for a long time, then I saw him months later and he still was struggling. I let him know we were still praying for him. And then today - here he was again. He looked so good, and clean, and he had his son with him! wow. we shook hands, and he was so excited to tell me how God has helped him stay clean for over 7 months - and he is back with his family and going to church, and studying in seminary! I was able to pass along pastor Larry's number, as Brother Joe didn't have it any more. what an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness!

Thank you Lord!!

joy

"when all is depressing, hold onto joy"

hold on - cling to - grasp it like a lifeline, let it seep into you, pour down, drench - fill up to overflowing so that it spills over into the darkness around. There is a lot of deeply evil and depressing things going on all around us - this world is such a broken place! how do we continue to be grounded in joy? in the Joy of the Lord... to be at peace. to be still and know that He is God. To pause and look deep into the eyes of a child and smile. let them know they are heard. they are loved. To stop and really listen, rather than multi-tasking a hundred things at the same time... to sip tea and know that we are in this for a the long haul. to not be crushed by the overwhelmedness of that thought.

Life. It's so much more beautiful and complicated, and beautiful in its very complexity, than i usually realize. there is Joy in seeing the beauty. There is joy in the glimpses of the kingdom of Heaven splashing down in unexpected places- where the usual gets turned on its head and healing and restoration - laughter, and community, spring up out of the despairing.

It isn't really something we can force to happen, its more like an attitude - a perspective on everything that happens: it is not about me, but about Christ, and His plan for redemption. we let go, and watch and follow- and in that, whatever may come, there is joy!

thoughts on the vision

As I dream and process about where God is calling me, connecting to EGC and working to end trafficking and engage the larger systems, i wrote out these thoughts below in the car on the way from CT to NY with my family yesterday. I feel it comes closer to what God has been putting on my heart than anything else i've written so far. It's bigger than one group, one city, or issue... its bigger than me - yet God has invited me to join him in it. The quote is from the book Follow Me to Freedom.

so here goes...

“Great leaders emerge. They appear out of, or enter into, the agony and pain and struggle of their day. They meet God somewhere, maybe the backside of a mountain as Moses did, and they get a vision from God. You’ve got to have vision to lead. They get a glimpse of the promise of God. You must be conscious of the fact that God is calling you to carry on the promise. There has to come a time in your pilgrimage when you become conscious that God put you in a specific place, for a specific time and He’s leading you. It’s fearful. It’s painful. It’s too big for you. Moses experienced all of these things. But, like him, you must feel that quiet sense of serenity that God has called you for this moment. It is humbling.”

- John Perkins (follow me to freedom)

so then i asked...

What is the vision? The Vision is Jesus. The vision is hope and light in the darkness- restoration of the broken. JOY and dancing through the streets of bondage and despair. Freedom for each person to be all that God has created them to be, redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

The vision is building up, supporting, illuminating the image of God in others. Seeing each other as Christ sees them – as beautiful, strong, and created for a purpose - beneath the brokenness of worldly circumstances, the oppression, the abuse, the poverty which in Christ will all be washed away.

The vision is healthy community: deep relationships, connectedness and co-dependence – sacrificial love, humility and an openness to learning from each other – across the entire mosaic of national, ethnic, cultural, educational and economical diversity. We are all broken and in need of healing, everyone has something to teach and contribute, and something to learn and receive from others.

The Vision is opening up space to listen and be heard. By sharing ideas and resources of information, we develop a more complete understanding of the interrelated pieces of the systems. We can begin to understand how and why God’s intended system that brings life, gets broken, and produces exploitation such as human trafficking, and leads ultimately to death. Together we can create and explore ways to heal the broken systems, and partner with God in His work of setting the captives free, healing the brokenhearted, justice and reconciliation.

The vision is keeping space open and flexible to allow God to move and guide. To remain humbly ready to adjust our direction as God opens and closes doors, and leads us forward in His work of healing and restoration of the world into right relationship with Him.

beauty of interruptions

Im borrowing the book "follow me to Freedom" by Shane Claiborn and John Perkins from Carol, and sat down to read a bit tonight while i'm doing laundry. Its thought provoking - i like that about Shane.

wanted to share this bit

"Interruptions are a theme in Scripture. We have a God who is continually interrupting us - interrupting our routines, our patterns of inequity, the status quo. Abraham's life was interrupted. Moses' life was interrupted. John's life and my life were interrupted by the Spirit.

The gospels are stories of interruption after interruption. Jesus was at a wedding in Cana when His mother interrupted Him and said "they have no more wine." He had just stepped ashore in a region called the Gerasenes when He was

interrupted by the cries of a demon-possessed man. He was on His way to visit a sick child when a touch on His sleeve interrupted Him and He felt the power go out from Him. The incredible thing is that Jesus was always available and attentive to the interruptions and surprises, like someone who stops to fix a flat tire for a stranded motorist.

Jesus was never so fixed on His vision for the kingdom that He missed the needs of folks right next to him. Sometimes Jesus even gets yelled at for stoping to hang out with the kids. These days, He'd get in trouble in most churches for wasting time with washing feet and drawing in the dirt; after all, there's so much "meaningful" work to be done... like attending board meetings, raising funds for buildings and sitting in on conference calls (wink). Most days, our life in Philly feels like one interruption after another. It is packed with surprises: a knock at the door, an emergency or a kid who wants to show us the first sunflower bud.

It seems these are the very things so many of us want to try to squeeze out of our lives. We love predictability. We don't want anything to alter our course, even if we know there is something beautiful on the other end of the interruption. We'd rather just keep to the daily grind and the meaningless toil that is familiar and humdrum, rather than have our rhythms broken. Yet we have a God who is all about interrupting us. What if we missed the "interruption"?"

~~~~

and i might add- what if these very interruptions ARE the kingdom of heaven coming - they ARE the work that God is doing, and calling us to do. Jesus wasn't frustrated by them, because they were the very work he was called to do. How can we live more like this?

Today a girl came up to me on crutches in the T station. I have seen her before - and she is always making up stories to get people to give her money - often she is in Copley square telling people in a desperate voice that she needs to get home to her dying mother so needs money for the bus... you get the picture.

So, she walked up to me today in Back Bay station asking for a few dollars for a bagel at DDs, and i told her there were lots of shelters around that were serving meals. She said "I don't go to shelters" and i said "Well, they have food" and she gave me an annoyed look and said "yeah ok" as she hopped away on her crutches. Was that loving of me? maybe she needed a bagel. maybe she needs a friend. what if that was an interruption i should have payed a bit more attention to. How much do i value my time and schedule? how much do i value this girl's life and God's heart for her to find Him? enough to pause and actually ask about it? see where she's living, invite her to bible study on tuesday at starlight? maybe even go buy her a bagel. I get frustrated with all the tall tales told to get money to go buy drugs... but i don't want to

become calloused to the genuine brokenness and need for a friend that is there

beneath it all.

Interruptions - they can be so beautiful.

Last weekend when i was in the Bronx with my cousin we were making our w

ay down from the train platform and as the crowds were pushing here and there i mea

ndered my way down, and turned to see that she wasn't right be hind me... and as I looked back up the stairs there she was, helping an elderly lady with her cart, walking backwards step by step down the flight of stairs. With a wave and a smile she came along to join me.

We are merely servants of the King. It is His kingdom - and we are merely called to follow him: to meet the needs of those He tells us to meet, walk along side others in need and weep with them, sacrifice what we have for some, and allow for others to learn a lesson of the beauty of giving.

oh the backwards crazy adventure of God's revolution!

time is flying!

ahh its been three weeks since getting back! wow - amazing how fast time is flying by. We are sending out another prayer letter/thank you/ update on how things are continuing to have influence on our lives and futures... but it hasn't been sent yet. soon.

Im tired, and needing to work on time management! time for rest in the midst of all of everything happening has been challenging! There is always something else needing to get done- but im trying to keep time to process and reflect, and put into practice things i've learned. There is lots more to share - but just thought id write this up to note that i do still exist, and we haven't forgotten about the prayer support team! Thanks for your encouragement and support there and back again! :)

blessings

"This is my story..."

Back for a week.

India? how far away have you gotten? the stories, the lives, the joy the sorrow. Sitting on a creaky bed, holding the hand of a Nepalis Madame - looking deep into her eyes, and seeing the sorrow. "God loves you so very much!" telling of the love, the sacrifice, the victory of our lord Jesus... sipping orange soda, praying. Dancing and swirling around with the children - speaking Marathi and making them laugh. What horrors lurk in the shadows, what pain comes each night. But as the sun is shining, Hope and laughter come easy to their eyes. What of their future? the young girls? the boys? who do they become in this community making money off of human lives? ahh they are so full of life! Lord Jesus protect them!

The trains, the traffic, the language. I keep wanting to shake my head to say yes -confusing here. I don't so much miss the country as i miss the people, and I miss seeing so clearly the ways God was moving and working in lives, and in His church, and the promises of His glory pouring out over India. It was so clearly His story we were living and breathing - given the privilege of participating in.

Yes things are different here in Boston - but on the plane coming back He clearly reminded me - "this is my story too." God is at work here in Boston, here in America, and he wants to talk to us - he wants us to listen. He wants to show us the doors he is opening, the light he is shining through the cracks in the darkest places, and how we can be a part of all of this.

So i am trying to listen.

I get excited when i remember the visions about the work he is doing in India, and how it connects to the middle east. I think God has invited me into the work he is doing globally in some way... and im excited! I have no idea what this will look like. But i trust He knows, and im ready for the adventure to continue! thanks for your prayers and support!

A few things on my heart: encouraging and supporting the leaders God is rising up around the world in His kingdom, and in the work to end slavery. To help provide tools to better understand the systems of trafficking and how to determine the strategic points to break down the cycles. To connect people and combat the enemy's strategy of isolating God's people. To pray.

Back for a week. Still tired, but trying to give myself permission to take things slow (i haven't really been taking things slow) and to rest. my body clock is back in schedule i think. but emotionally im tired. And there is still so much to process. So i will take it one day at a time.

And God is saying "yes, this is my story"

systems mind map

so here is a take on mapping the negative system of trafficking - as it relates to a positive system.

We met with several groups in Mumbai and brainstormed about the system of trafficking - how do we actually end it?! not just deal with its consequences. This is my hope for Boston and other areas of the world as well!

im not sure how to make it bigger on here?

blue is the negative loop - and green is the positive loop. either can be healthy or broken - our hope is to starve out the negative blue loop and build the health of the positive loop. What do we do?

Travel tips for India:

a few helpful insights to keep in mind while visiting the beautiful country of india:

• Don't let a guy take your bag at the train station - for any reason! he will lead you to a sketchy cab and try to rip you off.
• Always cary tissues with for TP
• Don't make a habit of flying out the night of the Cricket World Cup semi-finals India/Pakistan game. No one wants to miss the game to take you to the airport, and if you wait til its over (and India wins) you have to doge parties in the streets and will arrive barely in time - just as they call your seat number for boarding.
• When you give something away use your right hand.
• Don't give change for 1000 rupes - it may be counterfeit. especially if its from the sketchy cab driver
• When on a sleeper car train, try to avoid booking a spot in the same car as the world-famous fart/burp/snorer!
• Don't use a green pen to fill out the customs sheet at the Mumbai airport. They will make you redo it.
• When trying to fall asleep on the train between Kolhapur and Mumbai, listening to Yo Yo Ma helps to drown out the world famous FBSer.
• Don't be alarmed by lizards above the sink, or mice, roaches and spiders visiting your room. They tend to be friendly and/or scared of you.
• If wearing a dupita (scarf) and you need to use the traditional squatter toilet, be sure to wrap your scarf up around your neck securely, or take it off and hang it up until you are done.
• When you give a cild something to hold or play with, don't expect to get it back.

• Taxi fare is whats on the meeter times 9 + 2. Expect to be asked for more, and perhaps to get into a discussion about fairness, justice and the law.
• Avoid drinks made with fresh ground water, and ice, whenever possible - yet don't be rude. This can be challenging.
• Don't be alarmed if a cow or herd of goats or sheep cross in front of your car on the road. Expect to walk by pigs in the neighborhood sleeping in a trash pile.
• Be prepared to receive a florist shop worth of flowers if/when you go visiting churches and schools.
• Be careful when flushing the toilet - you may get sprayed with water.
• Avoid eye contact with the opposite gender when walking on the street, but an occasional smile might make their day!
• Expect to see cars trucks, motor bikes and buses come barreling down on you in your lane as they swerve around a cart pulled by water buffalo. Miraculously they get back to their side of the road before you collide.
• If water comes out of the shower head brown and rusty colored, stick with bucket showers. If the bucket is moldy wash it first.
• Don't give money to the kids begging on the streets - but ask for their name (learn to ask in their language first). smile and touch their nose.
• Empty water bottles can be cut down to make vases for all the flowers received.
• Chai will be offered to you several times a day - be careful of caffeine/sugar overdose.
• take any opportunity to have freshly roasted corn with lime, salt and chili powder! especially on the roadside in the farmlands of Kolhapur. yum.

update 6: coming home

SARAH

Wow- we are almost home! Sorry for the long gap since our last letter- but things have been good and busy in Kolhhapur. We arrived back in Mumbai thismorning form the overnight train. The send off party last night was such a blessing! I felt so loved and encouraged by all of our new friends taking the time to see us off at the trainstation. The last few weeks have been mostly about learning from God about many many things, building relationships, wrestling with complicated layers of legal stuff (Nika is mostly doing that- I just listen and offer support where I can) and we have had some very encouraging prayer and worship times as well as visits to redlight areas. And learning Marathi :-)

I am learning many lessons about receiving gifts - about receiving generosity even in the face of inequality. I am learning about Gods justice- he is not so concerned with equality as I tend to be!! He is more concerned with the heart- with the work He is doing in each person- and this does not usually look like my idea of justice.

When women raise their children in the redlight areas- they grow up and many attend school- it is a community. But the boys have dreams of becoming engineers or police officers... And the girls may have these dreams but they are expected to join the "trade" often before they are 10 years old. The women were children tricked and forced into this life and are now hardened to it- but without going into much detail, we were able to go and sit with them for a while and the women were open to prayer. They were hungry for real love- the love that comes from Jesus. I held one of the babies for a long time. His name is Ganesh after one of their gods. I prayed for him that he would be free from the bondage that he was born into- that he would be protected from the darkness- that God would call him to Himself from a young age and that this little one would be a voice of truth and justice - shining Gods light into the darkness and breaking these chains holding so many million people in bondage!

The light - the peace and protection was so strong in that room. The enemy's territory is being invaded by stealth :-)

I am sad to leave - especially all of the wonderful friends we have made- but I am ready to come back to Boston and I'm excited about what God will do in applying all that I've learned to what is instore for my future and for the Abolitionist network! I will mention more on that below.

Thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers! I look forward to seeing many of you soon!

NIKA
Hey friends. Sorry it's been so long since our last update. It seems the closer we get to the end the more we have to do. Social visits and interactions have increased as well, as we have developed friendships. Some of these have been quite meaningful to me. I pray they will be lifelong and beyond.

I second a lot of what Sarah says above. I do want to reiterate our thankfulness at the love, hosptality and support we received in Kolhapur. The send off was crazy love-filled. Our coworkers from the office came to the train platform with their spouses and/or kids and brought gifts and snacks. Our hosts, a couple folks from their extended family, and of course our Indian mum and pop (Sheba and Ramesh) all piled into a van and rode over with us. There were tears and laughter. It was a very special time to me. I didn't realize we were so loved. I am still surprised about that.

Emotionally it's been quite trying the entire time, and I am looking forward to going home. It takes a lot of energy for me to be highly relational AND intensively focused on my work. I do one of those things at a time pretty well but become a bit of a relational disaster, at least internally, when I try to do both together. I tend to err on the side of being focused and "productive." Here, I've tried to err more on the side of the relational way of being loving, but that has taken a lot of emotional energy and left me weak and sometimes irritable. Anyway I could go on about that, but enough self psychoanalysis.

Spiritually I have drawn closer to the Lord, so I trust that though I feel weaker and more aware of my sinfulness it is still good. Thank you for your many prayers, thoughts and well wishes throughout this seven weeks. (A special thanks to those who don't share my faith - you are super troopers!)

Hah! Anyway. It's been fun learning to read in a new alphabet, even though I don't know what I am saying most of the time. It's a start. I am looking forward to returning to India soon, despite the cultural challenge of it. After July I'll probably need a different visa, so please pray for that if you're one to pray. It's no small thing.

We spent one last night at the girls' youth hostel. I danced barefoot until my feet blistered. The girls don't wear shoes inside. (Or outside unless they are going out). Dancing was fun! I could have literally danced all night. Sunday we headed back to Kolhapur and Monday we took the overnight train to Mumbai for a couple of busy days before flying out. We are seeing some beloved friends here as well as well as meeting with folks from around Mumbai and India. We also did a workshop sort of thing with a newly forming coalition to stop trafficking in Maharashtra. Cool. I've been asked to come back for their larger meeting in May to follow up and perhaps do a legislative drafting session!

Thanks again. Much love.

MINISTRY

Well, it's been sort of packed. We visited more ministries in the Kolhapur District, including a couple of red light area ministries that were quite inspiring. We shouldn't really speak to specifics here. Fantasic work though. Complex, heart wrenching stories.

Sarah ...is not exactly sure what the future holds but I (Sarah) am excited because I am confident God is doing something in and through his church globally and breaking the chains of injustice is at the core. I am recognizing my calling to the global work he is doing in some way - and the abolitionist network is an exciting avenue for that as it is developed in Boston and connects internationally. Please continue to pray for wisdom and dicernment as I seek His will and direction one step at a time! I will keep you updated as things develop- and please share your thoughts and ideas as you feel led!

Nika will be continuing to work with at least three groups. One, in Mumbai on strategic planning, and perhaps legislation, relating to coordinated and systemic anti-trafficking work. Two, with a political party that is newly formed on anti corruption legislation and political engagement. Three, with the KCC on some legal matters. I will also stay involved with the youth hostel for hopefully the next two or three decades. We were able to make a substantial donation, thanks to the generosity of many of you and some folks here India, to the unsponsored girls hostel. Unsponsored means that they have no funds supporting them. As a result they don't have sufficient food, clothing, school supplies, or emotional and spiritual support. They sleep on the hard floor of a separate building that badly needs repairs. They also often cannot continue their education and return to bad environments, including brothel areas, once they finish ninth or tenth grade. I'll be working with the KCC to develop an American sponsorship program focused on sponsoring hostel girls financially, and providing emotional and spiritual support to them, until they achieve their highest educational goals. More on that when we get home. Finally, there are lots of intercession movements going on here. I hope to be one of the hundreds (at least) of both Indians and foreigners that God is calling to help these movements unite under one banner of the Holy Spirit. Also, please be praying for my return trip to Mumbai, which looks like it could happen in less than two months.

Thanks for reading, thinking and praying.

update 5: post mumbai

SARAH

The warm breeze floats through the window of our room here at our dear friends home in kolhapur. Again I am so thankful for places of rest in the midst o the whirlwind that is India! The longer we are here the more complex it seems to get - though I am feeling more and more at home. I think with familiarity comes more perceptive lenses through which we are seeing everything around us. It is both exciting and exhausting! But I'm loving being here.
Last week Nika and I were off "on our own" in Mumbai, Pune and back to Mumbai then down to Kolhapur. We had lovely uninvited roommates of all verities- a rat, beetles, roaches, and of course a few mosquitoes! Haha and our toilet in one of the bathrooms would spray out water from the holding tank everytime we flushed! I laughed out loud the first time it happened- and most other times. Quick! Flush and run!

We have had many wonderful adventures- up small mountains, out on rocks in the arabian sea, watching the sun set and large fruit bats fly overhead, and ofcourse navigating the train system :-)
Over the past week we have met so many more amazing people whom God is using in powerful ways! Prayer warriors and a young couple starting churches in a shanty town by "ceiling road bridge"- law firms to fight trafficking by going after the perpetrators- the president of a new political party formed in northern India based on biblical values and morality - leaders of several NGOs working in mumbai who were excited to do some systems thinking and map out the causes and systems of trafficking with us. I didn't expect my "mind map" of a partial causal loop diagram that I wrote out during a CUME class last year to be useful hear in India as a starting point! It was exciting for all of us in the room to learn from eachother - and brainstorm where the most strategic and influential places are for not just helping stem the tide or rescue a few victims- but to really break the cycle! It is crucial to address the higher criminal industries and the healing of families and relationships... But these things are possible. Networking is key - we must work together- especially as the body of Christ! Enough with our divisions and arguments with territory and doctrine! God is calling his church together and it is so exciting to see it happening here in india! If broken relationships and broken systems are what feeds into the cycle of trafficking and exploitation - may we not be a part of this brokenness as the church, but rather an example of healing.
The darkness coming against the light can seem unbending- and the enemy is attempting all sorts of ways to stop us from pressing on- but he has no power really. walking through one of the most notorious redlight areas in the world was hard for me- not only because of what I saw but because of the spiritual oppression there- no happy about me praying in that place. We will go into more detail in the prayer letter. So many lives are held in such deep bondage - but as Nika mentions- the most powerful of these trapped people think they are hidden in the top spheres of society! Things are about to change. We serve a God who is invincible and victorious!
It is good to be back in kolhapur! We have a day of rest - with delicious food and watching the India vs. South africa cricket game - after taking the overnight train last night. Ready for what's ahead in these next few weeks! Also i have been learning so much to take back to boston- but more on that next time. Thank you for your encouraging emails and prayers!
Sunday the 13th is Freedom Sunday- take some time to join with the thousands of churches who are standing against slavery together! No one should be for sale!
Blessings
Sarah

NIKA
I have been getting better physically. My voice is almost completely back. My shoulder blade is healed. My chest is clearing up. We had a ton of fun in Pune. With Abishek we hiked up a hill, a bit off track, which was nice. See the sun set over Pune city in a pic below :).

Things have been excessively good in Mumbai. We learned a ton. Some of the details will show up in the intercessors email, as it relates to the revival that's about to explode here. It's so fun and faith building to be a part of it. Viju and Valsa took such good care of us, and their apartment is lovely and extremely comfortable on so many levels. They had lots of fascinating guests, though none of the kind Sarah mentioned! Plus they live in one of the high infrastructure, tree-lined residential areas of Mumbai. We walked along the boardwalk, grabbed some corn roasted on coals on the roadside and carefully cantered out on the rocks at low-tide to watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea. Cool. (pic below). There is quite a bit more western style dress in this part of town, but I still wear at least a stole to give the impression that I'm conservative. While many may find it laughable to refer to me as socially conservative in the States, what it means to be a non-conservative American over here can be pretty degrading for women.

My heart is on the mend. My spiritual and emotional healing are directly impacting my work and my love for others. I am beginning to see joy, community and spiritual wealth where I once could only see suffering, poverty and oppression- which enraged me and made me sad. I feel so happy when I visit homes and streets in what looks like slum shanty housing, from up high on an overlooking hill of Portuguese ruins, and find laughter, dancing, ingenuity, people looking out for each other, teaching, small enterprises, and even praising the Lord amongst some families.

India is the most complex place I've ever seen. So many apparent contradictions. So much being birthed so healthy, even amidst thorns, stones and adversity. It's hard to explain in an email. Everything is all mixed together and on top of each other, especially in a big city like Mumbai. Rich poor, clean dirty, educated illiterate: all like grains of various types poured into the same jar. But there is static around the different grains that keeps them from touching or noticing each other. A lovely penthouse flat of four large rooms, first floor ten persons squeezed into a tiny two room apartment with no furnishings but a couple of mats and a tv, outside a dozen families with babies are sleeping on the sidewalk- the police knocked down the lean-tos they'd erected along the front property of some small retail shops. Turn right for a tutorial on Mumbai illicit night life, left for the 15 min train to the top private school in the city. Some kids never turn right and don't know that a pimp hangs on the next corner. Don't see the homelessness, brothels or poverty. Well, a lean-to on the sidewalk is considered a home by the government and the resident; should I judge? In the old part of Mumbai it's not uncommon for even concrete 90-year-old apartment homes to collapse during monsoon season.

In the red light district you know the prostitues bc they wear a lot of makeup and make eye contact with men on the street. Most Indian women don't do that I'm told, though I think this is changing faster than many realize. It's hard to prayer walk while staring at the ground- at least the way I do it. Do you think you can take me, bc I'm comfortable staring you down as you stare me up and down? Probably not. I'm like three feet taller than you. Jk. Jk.

Seriously though, red light pimping is not a high rolling thing here. People are trying to survive. Many children are born and groomed into lives of prostitution. We are told by local lawers that girls trafficked in from other countries by trick or force are sometimes beaten and raped until they agree to stay in the brothel and give all their earnings to the madame or owner. Older prostitutes "break free" to become madames and slave owners themselves. These are the folks mainly being prosecuted now. "The madame contracted HIV when she was enslaved. Will the courts let her off? Should we? Will public health justice NGOs fight us?" This is the jist of a conversation with one freedom fighter lawyer who told us about the results of a recent raid on a brothel. The top guy collecting from the madame is no where to be found. The arrested Madame had coldly inquired of the prosecuting lawyer, "Where were you when I was kidnapped and dragged down here?!" It's complicated. It's ugly. But it's also going down. I don't think prosecuting the middle men like this can work without additional strategic attack on the whole corrupt structure.

This red light district type of crime against humanity is actually not driving the economy of trafficking. I'm sure you are not surprised that a trillion dollar industry isn't maintained by street pimps and resilient ex-prostitutes. The most sustainably corrupt forces don't hang out on street corners much. In fact they work in law offices, parliament, business, law enforcement, etc. I'm looking into this. There are plans afoot to uproot the large scale corruption destroying the fabric of Indian society and impacting the dynamics of trafficking and violence in the US and worldwide. I am meeting good, smart, commited people. Pray that God would allow me to get more involved somehow.

I can't say that I like it here. Not yet. But I do feel called to come back. What happens in India in the next decade or two will export to the entire world. Next couple of weeks- back in Kolhapur. I'll be thinking and working on strategic planning and trafficking stuff with local churches, schools and hospitals again.

Saying goodbye to Mumbai temporarily. Here is a part of a note I sent my house and community mates last week. It gives a bit of the flavor of my experience in one of the biggest cities in the world.

"On the way back [from a church service attended by 400 women trapped in or rescued from prostitution and their kids] traffic was ridiculous. Pedestrians, a small variety of other mammals, taxis, 1-ton roadcarts pulled by old thin men. Burkhas (sp?), some quite sheer and fancy; barechested elderly female beggar, prostitutes, happy children, lots of men working and walking, some hand in hand; many in this neighborhood are Muslims, some with orange beards died with henna; motor bike with 3 children, a woman in a sari and the dad driving. All mixed in the middle of a broad, packed smokey (for some reason) street. Eery lighting at night reflects off smoke and sparkling punjabi dresses. Some people are used to the chaos- enjoying life. Others clearly hate it. Others oblivious to that any other life exists. We are nearly killed (not really) while tailing our escort on foot through the middle of the street looking for an empty cab that will go to our neighborhood. We try to stay close as we walk towards moving headlights coming at us. Sidestep at the last minute, just like everybody else. Finally find one that smells like goat and slide into the slimy seats. Half an hour later we get out and walk. This "traffic" is going nowhere. Keep my head down. Don't feel like standing out tonight.

Night air is humid and strange in the old part of Mumbai where ten-story 90-year-old concrete apartments have never known a fresh repaint and colorful laundry dangles from one hundred crumbling balconies, swaying high above crowded, steamy trash-strewn streets."

MISSION
Most of the mission work is detailed now and deeply spiritually grounded, so we will address it in the intercessors email, for those who replied to the invitation for that. Here are some things everyone can pray/think encouraging thoughts about.

- red light district: beds on the street, small children hanging around the brothels, their homes. Pray that when they come down, they will not relocate or be replaced but redeemed.
- "slum" ministries: beautiful spirits, grassroots community development, the residents are leading the participating churches, the church is coming to the streets as well as helping with tangible needs for homes and medical care. Pray for protection and prosperity for the residents and that they would know and be able to enforce their rights. Also that people, especially church people, would respect and love residents as peers and community leaders.
- legal ministries: pray against organized crime influence in the courts. For government ministries that are receptive to ethics and trafficking enforcement training.
- for strong families and communities that protect and look out for children and other vulnerables.
- for christian mission investigators who go undercover into brothels. They say there is danger in being discovered and also in th temptations aroused by the environment. Sometimes they get minor (so far) injuries while trying to escape criminals who have discovered that they are there gathering evidence.
- pray for unity and grace in relationships for the current and potenial workers and volunteers.
- nika had to give her fingerprint to a hotel concierge recently, it seems, bc she was identified by their computer as staying at a church mission house (hostel) in a totally different city. Pray for continued safety for all the tourists, workers and volunteers.
- Some crazy anti-corruption stuff is being organized. Will send a presentation with the intercession email. Pray for God's light to fully overtake the dark corruption.
- intercessors and church groups are being inspired. Pray for their courage and continued encouragement. Also for the safety of them and their families and churches.

- for Freedom Sunday and the work we will do with/for the church council in coming weeks, including a workshop, a women's retreat and public health visits to the local red light district - a receiving area of trafficked girls from abroad and a feeder district to Pune and Mumbai.

update 4: en route to Mumbai

Look for an email from a particular helen later. It will share more of the controversial warfare type requests and invite you to join a sublist for hard core intercession. (Or because you are curious about just how crazy we are). Ha. Our email access will possibly get dodgier in a few hours, once we leave Pune.

SARAH

nameste! - means hello (and goodbye) in Hindi, and is used
throughout India.
Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement - there are many
beautiful things happening, challenging things as well. The enemy
seems to be attacking our team in various ways physically- sickness,
bug bites, hives, back pain - and trying to overwhelm us in various
ways emotionally and spiritually with the scope of the problem, or the
craziness of the schedules, or tensions in relationships. A friend
shared Psalm 91 with me, and it is exactly the promises that we are
holding onto!
"He will cover you with his feathers
and under his wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night (spiritual warfare, even in our hotels)
nor the arrow that flies by day, (opposition/suspicion where we go)
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness (bed bugs/ hives)
nor the plague that destroys at midday." (mosquitoes / allergies/ back pain)
Psalm 91:4-6
>
> Through these pestering attacks, God's grace has been strong - keeping our spirits up and protecting us from any severe problems. Thank you for praying for all of these things! especially Marcos' and Ramesh's backs - they have been quite painful with all the sitting and traveling and hard beds.

I am so thankful for a team that can laugh and joke - even in the
midst of stressful situations or difficulties! I am thankful for God's
gentle reminders to give thanks in all circumstances - we have been
blessed with so much! I am thankful for all the amazing people we met
in Kolhapur - especially Rev. Pathani, Mr and Mrs Chopade (who have
opened up their home for us to stay in when we get back in a few
weeks) and for Rahul our driver, and our brother - looking out for us
when we were staying in the hostel. His gentle humble spirit is
encouraging and refreshing. I am thankful for the delicious fresh
veggies along the road side - for roasted corn on the cob sprinkled
with salt, lime juice and chili pepper :) for oranges and carrots and
unexpected showers of rain as we crossed the mountains into Pune. I am
thankful for friendships that cross any distance, for the blessing of
internet and phone and for God's plans being so much bigger than i can
even imagine to rescue and restore those who are suffering unspeakable
horrors right now. Because I know He is at work, i can lay my anger
and feelings of helplessness at his feet - and listen for his still
small voice saying "come. follow me. Follow me into the brokenness,
into the abandoned streets, into the crowded traffic, into the tangled
webs of a caste system, of oppression, of guilt, of blindness, of
despair, and into this darkness a light shines. We may not always see
it, but in our smiles, in our encouraging nods and handshakes we are
sharing his love, and through his love, his Hope!
I am so thankful that I am merely called to listen and obey. To
follow. I am thankful for the lessons on receiving gifts, on working
through tensions with team members, on navigating through the crazy
traffic to cross streets, and for learning yet again to lay down my
ideas of what i should be accomplishing or what expectations i should
live up to, or even just trying to wrap my head around the problems -
to lay it all down, and let the burden roll off. To breath freely - to
see and love people (as Nika shares) and to soak in and to learn.
Nothing is going to be accomplished by my strength.
As we were coming away from lunch a few days ago we passed by several
girls begging for change - they were thin, small little girls with big
dark eyes, imploring us to give. we were hurried along, and as I
climbed into the rickshaw i looked back and felt an incredible weight
of helplessness - I have nothing to give right now, and no way to help
this girl - in this moment. she doesn't just need money - someone is
probably taking most of the money from her anyway - she might be
working as a slave for someone else - but she represents so many
thousands of others stuck in desperate need. This burden stayed with
me for a while and I wasn't fully aware of it, but when i recognized
what was happening I had to shift my focus again - away from me and
what I could do - and back to the reality that God is in fact doing
something for that little girl. and I am a part of that plan. We all
are if we will respond to His call.
We are in Pune and I enjoyed a calm day of catching up on some things.
Nika and I had a time of prayer out on the roof again, and watched
another sun set over the buildings and palm trees as bats fluttered
about overhead and mosquitoes started chomping down. We had a lovely
dinner down with all of the engineering students, and then back up in
the room I had fun drawing on Consuela and Michelle - with Henna :) I
will miss everyone heading back to Boston, but am looking forward to
this next part of the trip. I trust God will guide and protect us!
Please pray that Nika and I will use caution and be wise with
decisions especially while in Mumbai, and that we would be safe as we
travel and meet various people and organizations. Nika explains more
below. I have a strong peace that God is paving the road ahead for us
- there will be some rocks and bumps, but he will guide us one step at
a time. Thank you for your prayers! already people are stepping up to
escort us places and watch out for us.
So, I leave you with this reminder - "give thanks to the Lord for He
is good - His love endures forever!"
Blessings and much love! hope to hear from you! (please do not include
the attachments in your reply :) we will be accessing email with
Nika's iPhone again - Thanks!)

NIKA

Dear friends and prayer partners, I write you from what feels to me like our crossroads city - Pune. Here, on the way to Mumbai from Kolhapur, we stay comfortably and without charge, thanks to Ramesh's professional connections and long time service to India as a chief engineer in this college town and high tech center. When we first came through a couple of weeks ago, Pune looked so foreign to me; so different than anything I had experienced - full of poverty and half-made seeming buildings. Now, after a week and a half in Kolhapur and round abouts, Pune looks opulent and very westernized. It is very difficult for me to remember how I once saw it otherwise. Interesting.

Of course there is too much to report, so I won't try. I do want to share just a few direct answers to prayer before musing a bit about what I am learning- my big prayer request.

After sending my last note I have consistently encountered and devoured lots of safe, delicious fresh fruits and veggies. We also began eating as a team in a way that included more protein, generally. That's been very good for my metabolism, though I have to come to terms with that it is not how the people around me here are able to eat. That is true when I am stateside as well, even though I am not as consistently cognizant of it. Also, because sometimes very poor friends spend time and precious resources making food especially for me/us, I have eaten several unsafe veggies and with no ill-effect.

Some of you were praying for (well against) a strong allergic reaction I had (hives) while staying in a ruralish orphanage/boarding school. I am just about all better, and it didn't get in the way of being with people. Thank you. Marcos's back is also steadily improving. I have been staving off this cold that seems to be going around, but just barely. Please pray for other members who are feeling under the weather. Finally, I have started exercising again. Just in time, as a bit of pot belly is starting to peek through my punjabi dresses ;).

As always, my heart is the place where the real action is. 2010 was an incredible year of heart learning for me. Horrific really, but in a good way. One of the things God told me during that time was that the lessons of that season, as well as the lessons of this trip, would be all about learning the importance, the depth and and the reality of love- passionate, true, devoted, unstoppable love. Here, I can't go into tremendous detail about how those lessons manifested in my life. Suffice it to say this trip has been the, thankfully less painful, capstone to the best "living sermon series" God has ever shared with me.

In short, I have come to terms with my own insatiable need for love. Not just the dutiful kind- "love as action"- which I am quite comfortable giving and receiving. But also the passionate, Songs of Solomon type love. That love that would die for you because he/she wants to in a I-can't help-it way, not because it would be honorable to do so. Anyway, I want to love others in this way. I have always been afraid to unleash this part of myself for fear that it would not be returned at the level that I need. For this reason, I have generally kept an internal distance from people and tried to approach love as a task rather than a feeling. God has been showing me all of this and sort of curing me of my somewhat fear-driven "condition," but I haven't really liked it, though I have been compliant.

Well, I realize now that I don't have to be afraid that in loving others, they will not be able to reciprocate in a way that fully meets my need for love. First of all, I can know for sure that not only can one person not meet that need, the whole sum of all people I know and love could not. My need is infinite. Second, God is capable enough and desires to, in fact he is determined to, fill that need- through others and by himself directly.

I have known this in my head for about a year. Progressively I have felt it deep in my spirit and soul. My heart has been the big holder out. And she still struggles to receive this. Being here helps a lot, because I have such a strong and growing desire to love the people that I am encountering, rich and poor, who live in spiritual poverty of an unspeakable kind. This makes it easier, somehow, for me to envision loving others and seeking the return from God alone.

On a related note, I mentioned before that God has been encouraging me to look past people's situations and to see the individual people- not their poverty or "exploitedness," or their exploitation or addiction, or their racism/classicism or their "star struckness" with us as westerners (all of which bother me deeply). This ""looking past" has helped me relax about the justice "movement," which must be fueled exclusively by God's power, and to allow some of my anger about injustice to chill into the productive variety of energy. It has also made space for me to have more meaningful relationships with some of the people I have been spending time with. For example, I feel quite close to the warden of the girls orphanage/boarding school in a town called Kodoli. I think we connected at a heart level. I will see her again next time I am in town.

The fact of relating to people as brother and sister has helped me, well is slowly helping me, to let go of the "project" mentality. It protects me against using people as a means to an end that is praiseworthy but a) not my responsibility, but God's, to bring about and b) not worth using people. When you are in love with people, I think you can help them in ways that are more eternal and more of a blessing in the moment as well. One of God's words to me was "you don't have to help the whole world, only those I bring to you." I felt a divine chuckle when I asked God would he be planning to bring us (those who are willing) the whole world one group at a time.

Please pray that I would trust God more and more for the long-term vision of justice and love poured out across the earth. And pray for the greater miracle of my trust in him for the safety of my quite vulnerable heart. I was telling my friend and community-mate Kaitlin that I am turned inside out and getting cleaned out and reshaped. It feels surprisingly refreshing- at the moment. haha.

Consuela is terrific. She is such an angel and a gift. Pray that I would be a support to her, emotionally and otherwise. She seems to be having a good time, and Sarah has been a terrific blessing to her. They are just under 9 years apart, and Consuela has told me that she relates to Sarah quite well.

Marcos gets to go to his job's Pune office today! Please pray (probably retroactively and that's ok) for a productive and encouraging time there. And that I would be able to love him in the ways that are most meaningful to him. He has been a sweet and incredible support to me.

M and C head back to Boston this week on late wednesday night, early thursday morning, along with Alex and Michelle. Sheba and Ramesh will be traveling to other parts of India by train. Sarah and I will be in Mumbai and traveling to Pune in that time for various meetings. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers with respect to travels, safety, relationships, health, etc.

I also give thanks for our amazing driver Rahul, back in Kolhapur, the cows that walk by as we are parked on the roadside waiting for Raul Bhau (brother) to buy us some mosquito traps from one of a gazillion storefront shops, wild green parrots, wild boars roaming town streets, meeting up with Sthuthi's awesome brother Abishek at a Pune cafe and lots of cute funny goats everywhere (but not in Pune, which I've mentioned actually looks a lot more "western" to me after living in Kolhapur and its rural environs for a week and a half or something). I'm also learning the hindi/marati alphabet and some phrases.

Thank you for reading, encouraging, thinking, praying.

MISSION

- Wow! so much amazing stuff- can't report it all. We spent part of last week staying in a hostel, which is a combination orphanage and boarding school for children from all backgrounds, mostly extremely underprivileged backgrounds, including the red light districts. Even though the girls here are relatively blessed, they live in poverty and have many unmet needs. Some of the girls have sponsors that enable them to have things the other girls can't, from small things like more meat (twice a week), to big things like a college education. God is really moving, and it seems he wants to do some work to increase the condition of these girls and to give them ALL access to a life better than brothels, slums or field work. Many of them are top students and very hard workers. Though many come from non-Christian homes, they encounter and often accept the love of Christ in their lives. It is amazing to see what this faith can do for them as they face hardships once they become women, especially. Pray that God will use us however he has in mind to bring justice and resources to these girls and to this school, both from within India and from abroad. There are lots of specific ideas and possibilities and some fair amount of enthusiasm swirling around at the moment. But we want to build the house upon the rock, not the sand. And it all has to work within the foundation of what God is already doing. Please pray for Shaila, one of the wardens (headmistresses) at the boarding school. She has a lot going on and is praying that God would help us bring in more sponsorship. We'll see. It seems doable, and is, of course, if that is God's plan.

- Please pray for our meetings in the coming week with International Justice Mission, Freedom Firm, Oasis (Vasu, from a previous prayer letter), ACT (Viju's collaboration of anti-trafficking, economic development and rehabilitation ministries and NGOs), an intercessor's group in Mumbai (Vanita), an acclaimed Christian documentary photographer (Santosh) and whoever else God is bringing our way in the next 8 days till we return to Kolhapur.

- Pray for wisdom and clarity about whether, when and how the corporate social responsibility and legislative pieces of this puzzle will tie in.