The team in Thailand has completed the arduous process of finding new girls in at-risk situations high in the mountain villages of northern Thailand. In two weeks, fourteen new girls will arrive on campus. The extreme poverty and, in some cases, drug addiction these girls’ families are experiencing have made them targets for human traffickers. Jutiporn has spoken to the families, and they have agreed to allow their daughters to come to House of Grace.
The staff follows the model Dr. Rutland set up over thirty years ago. They speak to the most desperate families, convincing them that allowing their daughters to receive care and education at House of Grace is a better lifelong investment than selling them or giving them away to work in the city. Most families do not realize the atrocities their daughters will experience after leaving the village with a stranger. Traffickers use promises of a better life and a lucrative job to convince parents to allow them to take their daughters. Some even give an “advance” on the child’s salary. Traffickers canvass these villages looking for vulnerable girls. Sadly, the truth about what happens to these girls is seldom revealed, because the girls never return home.
Thankfully, these villagers know about the life-changing experiences our girls have at House of Grace. Since the House of Grace team are all from these villages, they are known to the villagers. Some of our team members have even returned and built houses for their parents. The villagers see how much good the girls from House of Grace do for their communities. Entire families have been changed for the better after their daughters went to House of Grace.
According to the law in Thailand, it is the family’s decision whether or not a girl comes to House of Grace. A family member or guardian must bring them to the home. The next few weeks are a time of prayer and preparation for the most vulnerable girls whose families have agreed to let them live safely at House of Grace. Please join us in praying for the new girls, the House of Grace team, and the returning girls to all arrive home safely.
Thank you for your generosity and willingness to be a Global Servant! We would not be able to help these at-risk girls without your support. We appreciate you beyond words!
