After preparing for two years, finding the perfect home, hiring and training staff, Courage Homes was ready to open in October. However, the license and girls did not come. In January, the co-directors revisited government officials. The government pledged to send girls and work on the licensing process at the same time. Within a week, Courage Homes received the first two girls. The first was not a case of trafficking, but of abuse, and after the abuser was put in jail that week, the girl went home. The second looked like a case of abuse too. Instead, as her story unfolded, it was clear that it was an ugly story of child sex trafficking. Two other girls were referred, this time with the police and rescue agencies. Word had gotten out that there was a healing, good home for girls rescued from sex trafficking. The government sped up the licensing process. The girls felt the warmth and safety of their new home and chose to be brave. They began telling their stories, people starting going to prison, the nation began to wake up to the issues of child sex trafficking, and trafficking laws in Delhi began to change . . . in less than two weeks. Then on Tuesday, in the middle of February, a big raid was done in one of the major brothels of Delhi. Five girls were delivered to Courage Homes! That same night, Courage Homes was called about another girl.. “Would you take her?” In less than a month, they went from no girls to ten girls. The staff is running, they are running to mandatory medical appointments, to court appointments, and to required home studies where they determine the safety of girls returning home, while others stay at home and the girls have counseling, life skills classes, and school. We rejoice! We pray! We marvel at what God can do if we just dare to say, “Yes!” And then we keep praying!
Note: We at Courage to Be You, Inc. are excited to share an update from Courage Homes India! While Courage Homes is not part of C2BU, we consider them our partners in fighting this evil of sex trafficking. Our good friends Kim and Troy, along with their daughters, relocated to India for a year to partner with an organization already onsite in Delhi to open a Courage Home. This group honored us at C2BU by choosing the name of Courage Home. We ask that you keep them group in your prayers as they enter into the war of restoring these precious children.