Shared Hope International Travel Blog

Nepal is a breath of fresh air after leaving the dirt and congestion of India. When we started rescuing and restoring trafficked young women and children 10 years ago, so many of the girls we had in Mumbai wanted to return to this beautiful place they remembered as home.

When we started, several of the girls in the Mumbai brothels had become trafficking victims, who had been sold by poor families, then moved 1000 miles south to Mumbai India, and forced into the violent life of child prostitution, their childhood stolen. Seeing the green surroundings this morning reminded me of why they wanted to come home and why I knew we had to find a way for them to come back safely. Within a few months of starting Shared Hope we started homes in Katmandu Nepal and brought the first 10 girls home. Their families would not accept them but Gods family in Nepal did and an organization now called Hope Nepal is helping young women like the first we brought here build new lives in the safely of the compound we built now over nine years ago.

Renu, who is traveling with me this week as my interpreter was one of the first young ladies who spent four years in our home here healing. The last year she spent in Bible College has really polished her English and she is now teaching girls at the village of hope in Mumbai working with Bombay Teen Challenge. She is planning to go back to college to get her business degree so she can work with groups that restore women and children.

When I first started this organization it was clear that I would be helping to raise the children of the women we rescued. Some had unborn babies and some infants and little children that slept under the bed they were forced to service clients in. Two of these little ones have now become young ladies. Pooja 16 and Mannisha 16 still live in the home we have provided for them here and go to a private Christian School. I met with the principle of the school last night and she said they were doing very well. It is hard to think that we are now looking at college for two girls the devil would have wanted to be where he had taken their mothers, a life of slavery. We will take them and 26 other women and children shopping later today. We had a dinner together at a resort near by last night to celebrate! Pooja and Mannisha danced for us during worship, I cried. They are beautiful in so many ways but their faith is strong and it is clear God has his hand on their lives.

I am overwhelmed with what God is doing with the precious ones he has allowed us to serve.

We will set a specific time for you who want to come and see the work you are such an important part of for next year. You just have to see to know what a big God we have. We should have the schedule set sometime later this Fall so let us know if you want to come and we will keep you informed.