Yesterday, Janelle, Marissa, Mary, my mom, and I went over to AIM's factory to hold the babies in daycare. Right next door to the baby room is the room where some of the formerly trafficked girls that have gone through AIM's rehabilitation program/center work to make bracelets. Janelle goes in there and after I've had my fill of babies, I do too. In there, most of the girls are sitting in a large circle, chattering and laughing amoungst themselves. I walk through the door and hear a chorus of "Hi!"s and "Hello!"s. The rest of the crew is checking out the bracelets so I walk over next to the girls. "What is your name?", a girl near me asks. "Katie", I reply. I love that everyone I've met in Cambodia wants to know your name and all about you. They all giggle as I sound out my name and teach it to them. The girl who asked my name tugs on the hem of my shirt and says, "Katie, you are beautiful." I kneel down beside her in the circle and say, "Thank you. You know, you are all very beautiful too." They all blush and giggle and I laugh at their reactions. Now, you might be thinking, "So what, a girl in foreign country gave you a complement. Yippee for you." But this complement stuck with me. All of these girls, who by the way are all around my age, are Trafficking victims. They all have lived a life of endless torture, with no mercy, no love. And yet THEY were affirming ME. They have been told over and over again through words and actions that they have no worth or beauty, and yet they still want to show love to a complete stranger.
It's hard learning that the people you have been fighting for have faces. What I mean by this is that my fight becomes much more real when I actually interact with those I'm fighting on behalf of. It hurts me beyond belief when I think of anyone wanting to hurt these beautiful souls. But it is amazing to see how God is changing and healing them. He truely does have the power to make us new.
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