Two more training sessions....huge progress!

This morning we loaded up in the taxi and headed back for our last training session at Rescue House. The young women greeted us at the door with hugs and smiles, and then we set up our stations and began to teach some new earring designs. Sonali asked me "Patty Auntie, do you teach people in America how to make jewelry?". I smiled and said "No, only in India"..she said "oh, we are very blessed". It was sad to say goodbye, and Heather, our professional jewelry designer and trainer, cried as we drove away....cried for these young women and the stories behind their smiles. Overwhelming. From there we traveled an hour away to GSH in Talegaon. There we taught our last training session to the older teens who came from the streets. What...

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Training Women rescued out of sexual slavery

We've taught two training sessions now for the young women of Rescue House, which is home to 19 young ladies rescued out of sexual slavery. The home they are in breathes hope and destiny to them, and encourages their dreams. For security reasons, we cannot post any pictures from this home, but I've included a pillow that rests on one of the young ladies bed. Enough said. Check back tomorr...

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Rudha

I choked back tears as I left GSH today. Honestly, I was overwhelmed and it was all because of Rudha. It was a moment in time I will never forget, a moment that represents a dream in my heart coming true....a dream to give hope for the future to the hopeless. We arrived a little after ten to start our second jewelry making training session with the young women of GSH. As I mentioned before, they have all been rescued from a horrible life on the streets. We set up our training stations, the young women arrived, and then we began to teach. The first day we trained them, there was one young woman named Rudha who struggled just to make a basic loop for an earring. She tried so hard, but wasn't able to do it, but all the while she was smiling...

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Jewelry Making Training - Day 1

Intent faces watched as Heather showed the teens at GSH the steps needed to create beautiful earrings today. All the young women, age 16 and older, were rescued a few years ago from life on the streets of Mumbai and Pune. Their stories are full of both heartbreak and hope. They were neglected, exploited and abused, but now they are in a safe place, going to school and dreaming of the future. Our team is truly blessed to be a part of seeing them gain skills they can use to earn income. Our training session was an big hit with the young women. One of the highlights was presenting them with several tool sets that were donated by Fire Mountain Gems. Thank you Fire Mountain for your generous donation. You are making a difference in the lives...

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We walked through packed streets of Mumbai looking for raw materials for the jewelry project today. After 8 hours of pouring over piles of stones, beads and hooks we made our purchases and started the long journey back to Pune. Check back tomorrow for a report from our first day of training a group of young women rescued from the streets of Mumbai and Pune...

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In Mumbai...searching for materials!

My team just landed in Mumbai last night from the U.S. I've already been in India for 11 days taking 11 friends from a church in Texas to visit approximately 200 children rescued from destitute lives on the streets of India. Today begins phase 2 of this time in India. We begin searching markets in Mumbai for the raw materials needed to create designs for our project. Check back soon from more from the bustling streets of India...

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You can buy jewelry!

Here are some items made by the young women in our project. You'll find pictures and the price list below. While we are setting up paypal, you can purchase these earrings by emailing us your order and mailing a check or money order to the address below. Once we receive your payment, we'll ship out your order (while supplies last). Please include your address and email address with your order. In the event that we are sold out of an item, we will contact you for an alternate choice (while supplies last). Tax is included in the price, but there is a $2.00 shipping/handling charge per order. Check out the donate page on our blog for more information on how to make a donation to our project. Thank you for supporting the women of Hope's Gate! Hope's...

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Heading Home!

As our suitcases are being rolled down the hall right now, I'm typing this final blog post from India.  We're about to get in a car to head to the airport where well catch our first in a series of three airplane rides back home. our team (minus Jen behind the camera) with the young women of Rescue & Restore Jewelry Project Our team dynamic has more than exceeded my expectations and each one on the team has served those we came to help with incredible love. Thank you Kelly, Jen & Crissie. You are awesome, and I'd eat carbs & ride in a rickshaw with you in India anytime! Patty Check back soon for more info on our jewelry! Photos by Jen Pric...

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Making beautiful Jewelry = SUCCESS!

Today we worked hard making jewelry side by side with the young women of the Rescue and Restore Shelter jewelry project.  This is our third project and there are six young women we worked with to create new jewelry designs.  Thanks to the creativity of Kelly Jo, we are leaving 9 different earrings for them to make! Woohoooooo!  Can't wait for you to see the earrings. Can you hear us cheer all the way from India? Photos by Jen Price ...

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Day 2 in Chennai

As Jen & I made our way by auto rickshaw from the jewelry project to a nearby slum, a young woman came to mind who I met on my last visit to Chennai. Her name is Bhavani. She has two small sons and lives in utter poverty. I wonder what her life story is, and hopefully someday I'll get to know her more. As we drove up to the entrance of the slum, surprisingly Bhavani was walking toward me. She smiled a beautiful smile when I called her name. What a wonderful thing to know her name. Even though she lives tucked inside this destitute place, she is not forgotten, definitely not by me. She kissed my shoulder as we said goodbye. The slum is not a great place to raise a family. The stories that come from this place are not pretty. A...

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Sitta's Story...Day 1 in Chennai

A blast of hot humid air hit us as we walked out of the Chennai airport last night! Wow, it's hot here. What a terrific first day we've had, though. This morning we loaded up in two rickshaws and headed to the bulk jewelry supplier to purchase some raw materials to use for jewelry designs for the women to make. The market was dusty, crowded and very HOT. A motorcycle hit me in the leg, but thankfully I squeezed out of the way at the last minute and didn't get crushed. In the afternoon we worked with the young women of Rescue & Restore jewelry making project. This is our third project that's being launched in a home that rescues orphans and young women from the streets. Siita's story is one of heinous abuse, but also of intervention....

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In Transit

Tonight we fly to Chennai to work on the development of a third jewelry project! Tomorrow we'll be working with some young women on jewelry making techniques and purchasing some supplies. Check back tomorrow for more..... Photo by Jen Pr...

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Jewelry Project: day of training at Rescue House

28 hands twisting, shaping, clipping. The young women of Rescue House crowded around a small table as our team worked with them to master the basic jewelry making techniques they need to know in order to create beautiful jewelry. All 14 young women, ranging in age from 18 to 21, have been rescued by the police from a life of sexual slavery. When I first met them, almost two years ago, their stories gripped my heart. I remember weeping long and hard as they sang the hymn "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow". What struck me today was how much they have changed in the past two years. Two years ago they seemed a little tougher. Today they are softer, more tender, even joyful. It's obvious something beautiful is happening deep inside their...

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Thoughts on being in India from Jen

Thirteen years ago I came to India. After that trip, I never wanted to come back. Everything about it was tough. Being here a second time, I've had the time to reflect on the differences. During this reflection, I've realized that my heart has totally changed toward this beautiful, crazy country. During our time here we've visited a brothel, the area where the street kids live, the children's homes who have rescued these kids, and the various jewelry projects. You can't understand the impact these children's homes and jewelry projects are having without seeing the other two places. We started a new jewelry project the other day with some ladies. They had such a joy as they learned to make earrings for the first time. Later we heard...

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Launch of a NEW Jewelry Project for Young Women Rescued from the Streets

Today was an incredibly exciting day! We launched a new jewelry making project for a group of young women who were rescued from the streets when they were very young. They have grown up in a Childrens' home, but they are reaching the age that they must find a way to earn a living in order to transition into a healthy life out on their own. This project gives them a way to begin earning fair wages in a very safe environment. Kelly Jo did an amazing job teaching them basic earring making skills. She was patient and persistent in showing them exactly how to make a perfect loop. After about an hour and a half we were surprised to see about 46 pairs of earrings completed. They were so proud of their accomplishment! Kelly Jo, you are...

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Rescue Children & They are SAFE

Tonight I heard some beautiful music. Now all the notes weren't in the right key, but it was beautiful because of what the notes represent. They represent peace, safety, joy, life and FREEDOM. After leaving the red light district we made our way to Hope of Glory Childrens' home. Little Meriamal grew up in the very brothel we visited earlier today, but was rescued and came to live in this home when she was very small. Today she is 6 years old, she's going to school, and she is safe. If she had stayed in the brothel, she would end up growing up a prostitute like her mother, but her mom chose love and is allowing her to grow up away from that place. Children who live in the brothel are often druged or given alcohol to make them sleep...

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The Brothel-Wednesday Part 2

My heart thudded in my chest as we walked up the narrow dark stairway leading into the brothel. At the top of the stairs we turned into a small room where several women sat, just waking up from work the night before. Boxes of condoms lined the wall by the door. They welcomed us in, and took the gift of lunch we brought. We sat down on 2 dirty straw mats they put down on the old wooden floor. Wadded up clothes and dirty dishes crowded the already small space. Looking around the tiny room, I noticed the girls hesitated to look us in the eye. They wore shame like a heavy blanket, but we came in and sat beside them. I reached over and put my hands on the arm of the girl beside me. It took some time, but slowly she let her guard down. As...

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Life on the Streets-Wednesday Part 1

This afternoon we visited families living on the streets. Life is harsh for them. We met a group of young women who live alone & unprotected in this rough part of town. Their stories are shocking, heart wrenching, frustrating. These two young women are picked up regularly by a local gang and raped, and they can't do anything about it. If they fight back, they know they will be killed by the gang. They each have several children now, but still they live alone with their little ones. Their faces are old, but they are young, maybe 18 or 20. In the eyes of their children I see no hope for the future. What can we do? Lord, how can this change? You are the only hope. Show us the way. After spending time with these families the four of...

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