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Partners in Indiana
“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Taking the train to accompany Emma to her meeting with the intake person for the program for trafficking victims on Tuesday, I jotted down this and a couple of other verses. Emma and I met at the train station for a hamburger before walking to the meeting. Having reached the bottom of our Cokes, we talked about what might happen in the meeting. Then, I shared the verses of encouragement that had come to mind on the train. As usual, I didn’t have to quote the verses alone; Emma knew the verses by heart—all except for “…where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” from 2 Corinthians 3:17. It’s a good verse for all of us to know, too.
Our walk to the office took us along the old stone city wall, which passes just a block from one of Italy’s old Roman arenas. The fourth archway in the wall held the entrance to the office we were looking for. We rang the bell and were buzzed in. We had more time to talk in the empty lobby while we waited for the social worker, so we talked and prayed together.
Sitting there, Emma told me her trafficker recently went to her family’s home in her country of origin to complain that she is not paying her debt. Emma’s brother called her to see what was happening. “Good girls pay their debts, right?” Finally, after 3 years, she told her brother what kind of work this man made her do in Italy to make the money to pay her debt. She told him she had to work in prostitution. She explained that, since her arrest for a lack of documents, she has not gone back to the streets. She told her brother not to worry about the man’s threats to go to the voodoo priest and put a curse on her. I thanked God that Emma was willing to tell her brother the truth. That was a good sign.
We had a good meeting with the social worker. She explained Italy’s program to Emma and what information local authorities would require of Emma if she wants to enter the program. She asked Emma a few introductory questions which Emma answered without a problem. The social worker suggested Emma think about whether she was ready to denounce her trafficker and asked if Emma would agree to another appointment in a couple of weeks to go further in the process. Emma said, “Yes.”
Yes! We left and did what people in Italy do…We went to a café! As we waited for our order, Emma said she told her mother on the phone not to worry about that man’s threats. She didn’t tell her mother about her involvement in prostitution. Emma thinks it would be too upsetting to her to know about that. But, she reminded her mother that the man’s threats are nothing to worry about because Emma is trusting in the only true God, who is more powerful than any force of evil. Emma told me she quoted a verse to her mother: “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Do you see a theme here?
Thank you for your prayers for Emma, the meeting yesterday, and the upcoming meeting.
Pray for Joann in another city who is considering making steps similar to Emma.
Pray for women’s groups in Italy to be prepared to reach out to trafficking victims in their communities.
Thanks to all of you who are financially supporting this work, too. You are all amazing!
We need $22,000 or so by September 30th to meet our support goal for the fiscal year.
Ongoing support means ongoing ministry! Three new individuals have made monthly pledges. You can make a pledge or contribute now at www.internationalministries.org by clicking on Donate Now.
Your missionaries,
Debbie (along with Jim, Luke, and Ben) Kelsey
jdkelsey@hotmail.com
Taking the train to accompany Emma to her meeting with the intake person for the program for trafficking victims on Tuesday, I jotted down this and a couple of other verses. Emma and I met at the train station for a hamburger before walking to the meeting. Having reached the bottom of our Cokes, we talked about what might happen in the meeting. Then, I shared the verses of encouragement that had come to mind on the train. As usual, I didn’t have to quote the verses alone; Emma knew the verses by heart—all except for “…where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” from 2 Corinthians 3:17. It’s a good verse for all of us to know, too.
Our walk to the office took us along the old stone city wall, which passes just a block from one of Italy’s old Roman arenas. The fourth archway in the wall held the entrance to the office we were looking for. We rang the bell and were buzzed in. We had more time to talk in the empty lobby while we waited for the social worker, so we talked and prayed together.
Sitting there, Emma told me her trafficker recently went to her family’s home in her country of origin to complain that she is not paying her debt. Emma’s brother called her to see what was happening. “Good girls pay their debts, right?” Finally, after 3 years, she told her brother what kind of work this man made her do in Italy to make the money to pay her debt. She told him she had to work in prostitution. She explained that, since her arrest for a lack of documents, she has not gone back to the streets. She told her brother not to worry about the man’s threats to go to the voodoo priest and put a curse on her. I thanked God that Emma was willing to tell her brother the truth. That was a good sign.
We had a good meeting with the social worker. She explained Italy’s program to Emma and what information local authorities would require of Emma if she wants to enter the program. She asked Emma a few introductory questions which Emma answered without a problem. The social worker suggested Emma think about whether she was ready to denounce her trafficker and asked if Emma would agree to another appointment in a couple of weeks to go further in the process. Emma said, “Yes.”
Yes! We left and did what people in Italy do…We went to a café! As we waited for our order, Emma said she told her mother on the phone not to worry about that man’s threats. She didn’t tell her mother about her involvement in prostitution. Emma thinks it would be too upsetting to her to know about that. But, she reminded her mother that the man’s threats are nothing to worry about because Emma is trusting in the only true God, who is more powerful than any force of evil. Emma told me she quoted a verse to her mother: “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Do you see a theme here?
Thank you for your prayers for Emma, the meeting yesterday, and the upcoming meeting.
Pray for Joann in another city who is considering making steps similar to Emma.
Pray for women’s groups in Italy to be prepared to reach out to trafficking victims in their communities.
Thanks to all of you who are financially supporting this work, too. You are all amazing!
We need $22,000 or so by September 30th to meet our support goal for the fiscal year.
Ongoing support means ongoing ministry! Three new individuals have made monthly pledges. You can make a pledge or contribute now at www.internationalministries.org by clicking on Donate Now.
Your missionaries,
Debbie (along with Jim, Luke, and Ben) Kelsey
jdkelsey@hotmail.com