We want to share an inner look of life at Rescue 1 Global with you.
Rescue 1 Global supports survivors every single day, here and around the world. They come with a myriad of trauma caused by broken homes, broken families, trafficking, years of compounded physical and emotional abuse, addiction, and even mental health and behavioral issues. One of our survivors, like most that are in our care, currently struggles with self-harm, self-loathing, PTSD, feelings of worthlessness, and depression. Every day is a battle for her. She makes the decision everyday, sometimes multiple times a day, whether or not she wants to live.
Last night, she attempted in multiple ways to harm herself, from cutting to attempting to walk out in the street in oncoming traffic. She was fighting a battle of whether or not to live, not just for the moment, but to end all of the pain she was feeling inside. It took our entire restoration staff to care for her, while maintaining stability for the other survivors in our care. It truly takes a whole team of dedicated staff, therapists, and doctors to love them through situations like this for her to see the next day.
We all know that life is hard for a person without trauma even when you have all the tools to live it. But what we have found is that even with the coping skills that we’re teaching them, they often don’t have the resources to pull from inwardly to handle even the most basic tasks, let alone difficult emotions. Suffering just to survive, they have lived on the streets, they have been repeatedly bought and sold multiple times a day, and raped over and over for the almighty dollar. They have assigned themselves a dollar amount for their self-worth. Can you imagine the feeling of thinking you are only worth the $50 someone paid to take your body?
In the world of anti-human trafficking, we get a lot of people who want to help rescue girls from the streets. We want to rescue every single one of them and show them the love they deserve! Rescue and outreach are small portions of what we do because once we’ve pulled them from their way of survival, we provide them with shelter and pathways to holistic restoration. Restoration is a long journey, one that often keeps us connected to survivors for years at a time. We walk alongside them, just like our current survivor, through some of their darkest moments on their journey of healing. It’s imperative to us that we give them the skills to thrive, not just survive.
Thankfully, we were able to redirect her, get her settled, and get her rested to start a new day. This is what we refer to as “rupture and repair.” The explosion of emotions happens, and then we coach her through new, healthy responses. She is trying to find her way out of the murky waters of despair, and we covet your prayers for her and every one of the survivors who have entrusted us to care for them. Pray specifically that Jesus will reveal himself to her, and that she will find an unwavering peace in Him.
We generally do not share such personal stories about our survivors, because we do not want them to feel exploited by Rescue 1 Global. However, this story is not exclusive to just her. This is a story that we could tell a hundred times over with just a change of their names. We’re able to tell their story because of generous donors and supporters like you. Because of you, we are able to walk alongside her and give her the level of care that she needs. So, thank you, for every prayer, every dollar, and every hour of time you donate for her good!