Author's Note: I am honored to be featuring a piece written by guest blogger, Paige Allen. Paige is an amazing woman of God who has the ability to stir passion in your heart when you listen to her speak. In fact, she recently spoke at a beautiful event in our city as we banded together as women to raise money for a ministry that advocates for those caught in the sex trafficking industry. When I heard her speak that night, my heart was even more moved for the plight of these precious 27 million people around the globe who are being sold for sex. So moved, in fact, that I will be traveling with Paige to minister to women in India this November.
Please take some time to read Paige's report from a previous trip to the country, and allow your heart to be moved as well.
If you would like to partner with me in prayer or financially, you can log on to my You Caring site here. I receive 100% of gifts given at this link towards my trip to India. All gifts are tax deductible, and, if given before October 7, every donor will be entered into a drawing for a Carry Lovely handbag, thanks to their generous donation and tireless work to end sex trafficking. (To receive tax credit and be entered in the drawing, please make sure you leave your contact information on the You Caring site at the time you make your donation.)
If you would like to read more from beautiful Paige, you can visit her blog, Becoming Paige. It's a life-giving source of encouragement for women, wives, mamas, missionaries, and followers of Jesus in general.
Be blessed as you read her stirring narrative:
I had the privilege of being involved with a retreat in India at one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. It was an oasis in the middle of crazy India and it housed men, women, and children who have been rescued from the streets and all manners of horror.
The retreat was specifically targeted towards 85 women who were rescued from sex trafficking. Many of these girls were sold or kidnapped into prostitution and others of them were the daughters of prostitutes who also were abused and mistreated on the streets. If you can imagine, I was literally on the verge of tears when I allowed myself to imagine the horrors these girls have faced. Yet, I didn’t see pain or sadness in their eyes, but great hope and joy. There was an occasional flicker of longing or lament, but most of the time I just saw life!
I preached on Friday night about being a daughter and of course in my mind, I envisioned it looking something like what I experienced last year – girls crying, sharing their hearts, praying with the all-wise Americans, etc… Guess what? After I finished what I thought was a pretty good sermon and gave the invitation for prayer, only five girls came forward – yep, that’s it…five. I hate to admit it, but I was about to question God about why He would send me and not use me when Mandi (a fabulous girl from Dallas) started to sing a song acapella – “Child of God.”
I stopped in my mid-complaint as she began to sing because this song was explanation enough from the Lord. You see, God’s revelation to my heart about being His daughter as my identity occurred before I got married, and the story was the focal point of my sermon that I shared that night. Over 8 years ago, the one song that ministered to me in that time was “Child of God,” and it was so instrumental that I even had it sung at my wedding. So, when Mandi started singing this song that is almost 10 years old, the Lord said to my heart…"Paige, you just do what I tell you to do and then trust me to heal their hearts – they are my children.”
I looked out over the sea of women and saw that though they weren't coming up for prayer, some were silently crying, some were writing in their journals, and some were sitting and letting the Father love on them. So, although I didn’t see what I had envisioned, I left with an unwavering knowledge that God is at work in the hearts and lives of these young women.
Later that night, I found out that God wanted to redefine "ministry" for me. He reminded me that there are different seasons – a time to cry & a time to laugh. And after dinner we laughed so much! In fact, I think that perhaps the most good I did that entire weekend was allow the girls to teach me to Bollywood dance…They were doubled over in laughter at times - not sure if they were laughing with me or at me...but the point is - they were laughing!
And as I went to sleep that night, God whispered to my heart, "Paige, they've seen enough tears - tonight I just wanted them to laugh." Who knew my ministry this year would not just be in speaking or prayer but Bollywood dance?!
So, I share a few pics of this fun night, and I ask you to pray for these women, and let these ladies stories...their faces become etched in your hearts. It changed me...and it will change you.
If only we might do our small part to see more laughter replace the pain that MILLIONS of women face across the world.
