In a previous post here I shared about my upcoming trip to India with Stop the Traffik and Amor. I’ve since been, gone and come back again. Although, to be honest, I feel much like I’ve been dunked by a tremendous churning breaker wave and am trying to find my way back to shore.

The trip was intense. Each day was full to the brim with meeting people, hearing their stories and just absorbing the fascinating and complex place that India is. (I find it daunting to even try to describe the experience in the limitations of this tiny blog post!) One of the purposes of the trip was to educate, expose and grow awareness on the issue of human trafficking. I thought I knew quite a bit about the sale of people before I left – but I’ve returned with a broader understanding. Human trafficking is far more complex and issue than I originally believed. The scope and spread of it, the hugely efficient way it can take place, and the range of destinations stunned me.

Some things are harder to unpack than others.

We heard stories of 3 year olds being traded into a life of domestic servitude, children being snatched into lives of forced begging, young boys sold into mine work, large clusters of young women tricked into working for cotton factories and women my age escaping from life in the red light district. It was painful to hear – and the scope of the wickedness and greed driven exploitation now sits like a rotten stench somewhere in my core. But, although when I speak about it at length I find my voice shaking and my hands trembling, I’m glad I know what I do now. I’m glad I went.

Because by going I forced my heart to break again for what breaks God’s heart. I had the incredible privilege to meet some ordinary people, ordinary and yet undoubtedly heroic, who face human trafficking in their back yard – and fight it. They work in rehabilitation centres, teach life-skills to the most vulnerable, educate their communities about the risks and about their own self worth. They care for children growing up in red light districts, put their lives on the line to intercept the trade of people and fight for freedom despite the apparent hopelessness. I was inspired, challenged, convicted and encouraged.

I find myself sorting through what ‘normal’ means under the responsibility of what I now know. And am newly fascinated and indebted to Jesus, who despite the apparent statistics, continues to fulfill his ministry prophesied so long ago:

‘The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.’ Isaiah 61:1-2

Penny Reeve is a children’s writer form Australia. More information about her and her books can be found at www.pennyreeve.com