The Two Little Hearts that Broke Mine

During our first week here in India, we spent our days going to this home for women who had been rescued from sex trafficking (there were also these two boys of one of the women). The first time we stepped foot into the home it was evident that there was no life or joy radiating amidst those walls. The 8 of us missionaries are not and will not be able to ever express the love that comes from knowing and trusting in the name of Jesus Christ. However, we as christians have that joy inside of us, and by loving these women, we were able let our love mirror the love of our Abba, daddy.

At the end of the week, it was time to say goodbye to these women and children which was hard because I wanted to stay and continue to love on these people more. However, I left confidently knowing that the creator is faithful to finish the saving work he began in those people’s hearts. When we left, you could visibly see the difference in their eyes, voices, and mannerisms. They had life, and the Spirit of the living God was and is moving in that place.

The next couple of weeks we did various other ministries, but God still had my heart set on seeing these women one more time. After talking with some of my other teammates, it became extremely apparent that we all felt like we needed to go back to the women’s home. I talked with our host, and we got to go back to the house and see the women and kids again!

When we first got there and the kids saw us, the older one ran and grabbed my hat I had gifted to them the last time we were there. It was so beautiful to see how they remembered, and it felt so special that they still had it with them. Next, we went upstairs to see the women as we did normally, and the joy that was splashed across their faces when they saw us is how I imagine God himself looks at his children. One of my teammates Rachel brought her speaker, so we played some jams, and I just danced with the kids and spun them around. The life that was bubbling up in the room was so beautiful and heartwarming.

Then, I brought my journal over to have the kids write their names down while I traced their hands so that I may always remember them. It was a special moment for me to feel how alive these kids had become. At that moment, God gave me eyes to see them as he does; I could see how loved they were and how much joy they brought to the Father. All I wanted to do at that moment was let them know how loved they are, so I had our translator tell them that I loved them. Their smiles in response were a treasure I won’t soon forget.

After a while, the kids wanted to get up and start dancing again, so I got up and started showing them some of my moves. The thing they liked the best was when I would pick them up and spin them around upside down. As you can imagine, doing this for a prolonged period of time was quite tiring. When I had finally had enough and was about ready to stop, God put this thought in my head—“15 minutes for eternity”. So I sucked it up and didn’t put those nuggets down for the rest of the time there, and I had my assurance that God will hold onto them long after I am gone.

Leaving those two kids was quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The older one, Parmesh, would not let me leave. He physically began pushing me back when I was trying to go down the stairs. It was so heart wrenching because I want so bad to be able to love them longer. It got worse when our translator told him we were not coming back; he started to hit me and he was just so angry. Parmesh told the translator that he loved me so much that he didn’t want me to leave. I felt helpless and didn’t know what to do, so I just bear hugged him until he calmed down enough to talk. I told him that I loved him while he walked me down the stairs and out the front door. The last thing I said to the two kids was, “may God bless you and keep you”. I know that God is faithful to soften the hearts of the children and of the rest of the women in that home, but that does not make leaving them any easier.

My friends, please pray for those two kids, Parmesh and Darmesh, that they may know that they are children of God. Pray for the home and that the Holy Spirit continues to fill it with joy and life. Pray for my team as ministry winds down here in India and we begin to start shifting our focus to the people of Thailand.

Forever a slave to hope,
Josh