Rescued to New Life

by Kristin Huffman & Dan McNerney, Associate Directors

A young woman, clear-eyed and passionate, stood before us. She was from the Wa people group in northern Thailand but now lived in a hostel surrounded by love and faith, where she received discipleship, education and community. With grace and confidence on the one hand, and her fun, teenage persona on the other, she shared her riveting testimony with us.

At a young age, she was forced into a life of prostitution in order to help with her family’s income. Worse still, she was raped by her father and neglected by her mother. She was virtually homeless. In recent years especially, many thousands of Thai and Burmese girls have been lured into this dark path of prostitution and sex slavery, enduring similar fates. For many families, it’s a matter of survival. Mixed in with the ills of prostitution and sex slavery are active and lucrative drug trading and constant war, violence and conflict, especially in Myanmar.

This brave young woman stood in front of our group and told about her newfound faith in Jesus. She shared how, through her experience with Christian community at the hostel, God began to heal her and draw her into an abundant new life with Him. She’d never felt more loved in her life than when she gave her whole self to Jesus. She believed she was no longer alone. Growing up, she’d never known there was a loving God who wanted to guide and protect her from all the evil spirits that surrounded her. She now wants to become a Bible teacher and dedicate her life to forming Christian community wherever she can—to rescue other people from fears associated with Buddhist beliefs like reincarnation, karma and the darkness of evil spirits.

After sharing her testimony, she and a group of other teens performed a pantomime for us. They acted out a drama of abuse and abandonment, temptation to a destructive life, rescue and community. The young woman played herself—inviting us into the reenactment of her life in all its pain, suffering and rejection. And then the tone shifted as, through more drama and dance, she brilliantly revealed her rebirth through the love of God and acceptance into a community of faithful followers of Jesus. Her face literally shone with light and hope. The authentic witness of this young woman and her friends encouraged all of us as we wept and then rejoiced with her. May she be used mightily in God’s work in the Kingdom!