"Love in Action"

That is the phrase that describes what Rahab's Rope is all about. I had kind of forgotten the exact words until the other day when I was on their website again exploring. The first thing my eyes were drawn to was that phrase. Needless to say I was blown away. Over the past week, I felt God teaching me little things about His love and loving others. This was just another reminder that God knew what He was doing sending me to India. I had also been getting a little bit nervous about the whole trip and questioning whether I was really the right person for this. Besides, how much do I really know about human trafficking or life without the love of God? I continued to ask God to equip me for this journey. After watching some videos about Rahab's Rope and exploring their site, I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace. The women and children need love. They need to be loved with no strings attached. I can do that. With God's help, I can love with the love of Christ. That in itself might be why God is sending me to India. It may not be something that you can physically measure like painting or doing repairs, but it is something that fits who I am. I am very relationship oriented, so knowing that is what Rahab's Rope is all about makes me excited. There will be a language barrier but it's the little things like sitting beside someone or even a smile that will help me bond with the women and children. There is a lot of love at Rahab's Rope and I cannot wait to be a part of it. I have no doubt that at times it will be extremely difficult, but I am confident that God will be my guide.

Here are a few facts about where I will be spending my summer.
-India has an estimated 1.16 billion people and Bangalore alone has over 8 million people. Just a bit bigger than Sully :)
-India is over 80% Hindu and only about 2.5% Christianity.
-There are 16 major languages and about 844 dialects. In Bangalore, the main language is Kanada. English is widely spoken and taught in most schools, but both their and my accents will be an issue. Not very often am I told that I have an accent.
-The weather will be 70-80 degrees with high humidity. I'll be there during monsoon season, so will probably  experience a good amount of rain.
-Bangalore is known for being the most livable city in India and is known as the Garden City.
-It is the Information Technology capital of Asia.
-Although it is very international with most needs available, the diversity is very large. India is booming economically but there are also over 300 million people that live on less than $1 a day.

-South Asia is home to the world's largest population of slaves. Trafficking into forced prostitution victimizes more children in India than any other country in the world. Approximately 200 girls and women in India enter sex work everyday. Rahab's Rope rescues them from the streets. These are the women and children I'll be working with. Bangalore is the home of the aftercare center for Rahab's Rope. The beautiful women and children there are the ones I will be blessed to share God's love with.
Here is the promo video for Rahab's Rope. The statistics are heart-wrenching.

As I talk to more people and ask for their prayers, I am reminded of the verse in I Thessalonians that says to "pray continually." A few specific prayer requests that I would ask you to join me in prayer for would be for the women, children, and staff that I will get to know at Rahab's Rope. Pray that we may form relationships despite any language barriers or anything else, that our hearts may be opened, and they may be able to experience Christ's love. Also, I ask that you pray for those who are still out in the streets and haven't been rescued yet. Human trafficking is real and there are new victims every day. I would also ask that you pray for me-packing, preparation, calmed nerves, health, my heart, and contentment as I can almost count on my fingers the number of days until I leave.

Music is a huge part of my life. Whether through piano or singing, it is a way I feel connected with God. I love music, so I also have a lot of favorite songs. Over the past few months, I've heard some excellent worship songs that I felt would be fitting for my trip, but yesterday at work, there was one song imparticular that seemed to always catch my attention. I probably heard it at least 5 times throughout the day. By about the third time, I stopped and truly listened to the words and immediately knew why I had fallen in love with it. This song is one of my biggest prayers for my SOS.

Now that I've written a novel, I should probably wrap it up. But I was reading an email from a friend today and was reminded that God's plan is perfect and He knows what He's doing and exactly what we need. We may think we know, but in reality, we have no idea. There have been a lot of little reminders lately in my life that God takes care of me down to the tiniest details. His love is greater than we could ever imagine. I am so thankful for all of the encouragement, support, and kind words everyone has blessed me with as I prepare to leave in just a little over a week. I have five days of work left, six days at home and to prepare, and before I know it, I'll be boarding my plane at the Des Moines airport.