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 a sweet time together with them.

On the way home we laughed a lot. Heather couldn't get over the fact that all the big mack trucks are decorated with colors and flowers and bells.

Check back soon!

Patty

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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 tomorrow!

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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 and happy. We learned she has special needs. Rudha has an enormously high risk for abuse and exploitation here in India. Because of GSH she is safe and protected, but as she gets older the staff have been wondering what she can do as a vocation with her special needs.

Today I was teaching a group of young women to make bracelets, so I asked Rudha to join my group. Before coming to India we asked women from three churches to donate their old, broken, and mismatched pieces of jewelry for a recycle project. We broke down the donations into bags of beads, then today we taught these young women how to make bracelets out of the donated beads. What a great way to recycle for hope.

Rudha was a star at bracelet making. She was incredible. She truly excelled at it, and she was beaming with pride. Her bracelets were the neatest ones & she chose the perfect bead combinations. As I praised her, her confidence grew. I found myself wondering if this was the first time in her life she was the best at something. Most importantly, we have found one way for Rudha to earn an income that will go directly into her bank account for her future.

What an amazing day.

Check back tomorrow for a report from our training session at Rescue House, a home for teens rescued out of sexual slavery.

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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 of these young women.

Check back tomorrow for an update from our 2nd day of training.

Patty for the team

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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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