As horrendous as life is for these girls and women， they often are afraid to make a change. Without faith， they lose hope， and then they lose their humanity. They despair of ever making it out of slavery and the slum. Psychologists often see the same resistance to escaping in women who are in abusive relationships. They may live in fear and pain， but they refuse to leave the abuser because they are more fearful of the unknown. They have lost their ability to dream of a better life， so they can’t see it.
You may clearly see that these sex slaves should flee their terrible lives， but do you always see your own situation with such clarity？ Have you ever felt trapped in circumstances， then discovered that the only trap was your own lack of vision， lack of courage， or failure to see that you had better options？
To make a change， you must be able to envision what lies on the other side. You have to have hope and faith in God and in your ability to find something better.
The Bombay Teen Challenge recognizes that women who have been enslaved have difficulty seeing a way out because they are so beaten down， isolated， and threatened. Some say they can‘t believe that they are worthy of love or even decent treatment.
I witnessed firsthand the suffering in the brothels and slums of Mumbai， and I also saw the miracles that Uncle Dev and his dedicated missionaries are performing among the sex slaves and their children， known as “sparrows，” who often live homeless， on the streets.
They took me from one house to another. In the first I was introduced to an old woman who rose slowly from the floor as we entered. She was a madam who， through an interpreter， invited me in to “preach to my whores and inspire them to be better.”
The madam introduced me to a woman who looked to be in her forties. She told me that she’d been kidnapped from her rural home at the age of ten and forced into prostitution.
“I worked off my debt and was free to go at thirteen，” she said through an interpreter. “I went out into the street for the first time， and I was beaten and raped. Still I made my way back to my family， but they didn‘t want anything to do with me anymore. I came back here and returned to work as a prostitute. Then I had two children， and one died. Two days ago I found out that I have AIDS， so my pimp fired me. And now I have a child to look after and nowhere to go.”
From our perspective， you and I may see that she had options， but in her much narrower circumstance there seemed to be no alternatives. Understand that sometimes you may not see a way out， but know that change is always possible. When you can’t find an alternate path， look for help. Seek guidance from those with a wider perspective. Whether it‘s a friend， a family member， a professional counselor， or a public servant， don’t ever fall into the trap of thinking there is no escape. There is always a way out！
This woman was just twenty years old. I prayed with her. We told her that she could leave the brothel and live in housing provided by Bombay Teen Challenge while also receiving medical treatment at their clinic. Once we opened her eyes and showed her the way out to a more caring world， she was not only willing to change， she found faith as well.
“Hearing you speak， I know God chose not to heal me of HIV/ AIDS because I can bring other women to Christ，” she said. “I have nothing left， but I know God is with me.”
The peace and hope in her eyes took my breath away. She was so beautiful in her faith. She said she knew God had not forgotten her， that He had a purpose for her even as she faced death. She was a changed woman who had transformed her suffering into a force for good. Amid so much poverty， despair， and cruelty， she was a radiant example of the power of God‘s love and the strength of the human spirit.
Uncle Dev and his missionary team have developed a number of methods for convincing Mumbai’s sex slaves to leave their dangerous situations. They provide child care and schools so that kids can learn about Jesus and His love for them. The kids then tell their mothers that they too are loved and that they can move to a better life. I encourage you to embrace change that elevates your life and to be a force for change that uplifts the lives of others too.
