Rahab's Rope Update
July 19, 2005

Hello Everyone,  

Well, I am home feeling both sad and glad. I am sorry for the delay in sending this to you and that I couldn't email you from India to keep you posted. So much happened while I was in India, I will hit the high points for you along with a few prayer request.  

Our first team to Rahab's Rope Women's Center arrived in Bangalore on June 5th. Most of you will know them (Kim Robertson, Lindsey Williams, Jennifer Moore and Sophia Pulmante) I am calling them the "Way Makers". They were great! They were Jesus' love in action. Their testimonies and stories of Jesus love in their own lives and willingness to sit and listen and share with the women made a huge impact. The first team left June 11th and in the two weeks that followed the seed they had planted came to Life! The week after the team left as I was meeting with a group of the women they asked to see the Jesus film. They were wanting to know more about Him because of what they had seen in the team the previous week. This is really incredible that they would ask to see the Jesus film. Our second team of six arrived on June 22, (5 from Rome, Ga. and 1 from Charlotte, NC, 2 of them are Christian counselors). On June 24 this team enjoyed reaping the harvest of the seeds sown by the first team and our first salvation occurred at Rahab's Rope. A woman named Amma, received Christ! Amma is a former CSW (commercial sex worker) and Hindu. Amma came to us about six weeks ago from the streets. I had watched Amma's countenance change over the days and knew God was touching her heart. After she prayed to receive Christ she ripped her red Hindu dot from her forehead and threw it across the room, it was truly amazing! Amma's daughter is a current CSW and Amma has a beautiful granddaughter (age 11) that will become one if we can't convince the mother to let us intervene. The following day we showed the Jesus film to the women and Amma came to us and said she wanted to be baptized like Jesus. Her understanding of what had happened to her was incredible especially considering she had never know about Jesus before coming to Rahab's Rope. Amma was baptized this past Sunday. It was truly a joyous occasion with much celebration! Many of the CSW's were touched by the witness of the two teams, many asked for us to pray for them (Hindu's and Muslim's) to learn more about Jesus. It is a process and a total change of life and way of thinking for them to become a Christian and it doesn't come easy. God definitely touched many of their hearts, please pray for them and their understanding of Him. I know many are going to receive Him. "All" of the CSW's told us that no one has ever cared for them the way they have been cared for at Rahab's Rope and it is touching and changing them, you can see it. They also said we were brave and taking a great risk because no one else even speaks to them in fear of hurting their reputation. This is an issue for our Indian staff that works with them daily, please pray concerning this matter. I can't thank our first two teams enough for their obedience and sacrifice and I thank each of you for giving and praying during this time.  

Our vision for Rahab's Rope Women's Center is and always will be to rescue women enslaved in human trafficking and show them the way to the life changing love of Jesus Christ. At the same time, like Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, our plans to reach that vision may change along the way. God blessed us with a beautiful new building to begin Rahab's Rope and to show the women that we care and want the best for them. We have had around 120 women to come through Rahab's Rope staying various lengths of time or just coming daily and having to leave at night because they have children which we cannot house. Currently we are housing 7 women full-time. We have decided it is necessary to change to a smaller house to enable us to do a couple of things. Because so many of the women have children and a place to live, they only need job training and they will leave the csw work. They don't want to do what they are doing but have no choice in order for their children to eat and go to school. Secondly, we are going to open Rahab's Coffee House right in the center of where they work so they can come daily for counseling in a Christian atmosphere. This will serve as a place of transition as they come and learn what Rahab's Rope is all about and that we really want to help them and that there is a One True God who loves them. By moving to a smaller building we can put more money into job training and the transition place therefore reaching more women. Please pray for wisdom for our staff in India as we make these changes to fulfill the vision that God has called us to be a part of.  

Pray for our move and especially for our landlord to return all of our deposit. In Bangalore it is required to make an 11 month deposit on a rental building and for some reason you can't always get all of your deposit money back even though you have a legal contract stating you get it all back. An IMB friend of ours who was moving while we were there couldn't get 3 months worth of their deposit returned for no reason. So, this is a big prayer request. Also, we had a new girl to move in while our first team was there, last week she left for the day and has not returned and all of her things are at Rahab's Rope, we are very concerned for her and what has happened to her. Her name is Mumtaz, she is only 20 and is beautiful, I am fearful of what her pimp may have done with her. Please pray for her.  

Thank you all for everything you do for us. Please remember us in prayer. We love you all!  

If you would like to have a gathering to benefit Rahab's Rope with your friends or women's group please give me a call.  

In His Glad Service,
Vicki  

770-287-5218