nce before, there was anticipation in my spirit to see these women.
There are about 15-20 girls at this particular brothel with two madam's who control the area. The head madam has been there for many years and the associate madam is 37 years old and had been at the brothel for 28 years; that means she was 9 years old when she was sold by her parents to the brothel. Every day the girls that work at this brothel are sold for 300 Indian Rupees ($6.50 USD) per customer. After the girls have a customer they go to the Madam's and give them the 300 Rupees; the Madam will keep 200 Rupees for herself and then give 100 Rupees ($2.22 USD) back to the girl.
Our time with the girls started off as a normal day; we were sitting on a bed that sits outside the door talking to some of the girls before we got started with their classes for the afternoon. I was talking to one of the younger girls when the madam walked up to me and standing about two feet away from me says, "I know you." Honestly, I chuckled when she said that because I knew I had never met her in my life. After a moment's pause, she said, "You were in my dream!"
At this point I was a little bewildered but very interested in the dream. She went on to describe:
'There was a big battle that was going on. Everybody was at war and everyone was fighting. Then you (Laura) appeared and there was this whiteness that surrounded you and we (the girls at the brothel) knew it was good. When we would come near you we were FILLED with PEACE. So, all of my girls would come to you and we would be FILLED with PEACE and the war ended."
The last thing that this madam told me was something to the effect of that I was coming back "to stay" so that they "could find peace".
I have thought about this moment with this woman every single day since the Madam told me about the dream that she had. Needless to say, by the end of her telling me this I was crying and just in awe of who God is. I know that the peace that she felt is the PEACE of Jesus and what an opportunity to share the Peace of Christ with her!
The same day, the Madam asked if she could join our classes, and hear stories of Jesus, and have prayer for herself and her family. I sat with this madam and helped her with basic math skills as she worked on her first count by coloring page waiting for our approval and just to hear that she had done a good job!
How could I forget Your face/ When all it took was just one day/ For me to see it wasn't ordinary/
I could never be the same
You took my hand and led the way/ I didn't even know Your name/ But something happened deep inside me/ And I knew life would have to change
So how could I go back to life as usual?/ And how could I return to who I once was? / I just want to take Your story to the world/ 'Cause You have shown me what it means to love
This madam taught me what it means to love.
Laura
Volunteer - India
