Today is Day 2 of the 31 Day Blogging Challenge!
I am sharing a beautiful testimony of deliverance from one of our Latvian young people. I know you will be touched by this story because, unfortunately, this practice that almost took Egija, is alive and well around the world. Feel free to share it with others, you never know who may need to hear it!
Egija Gulbe left the Latvian countryside to find a job in the capitol city of Riga. It is the pattern of many Latvians after high school. Riga’s population is just under 700,000, but the entire country of Latvia is just two million. So you can see that the majority flock to Riga to find work.
Egija had a grant to study cosmetology and could also live at the school. Once she arrived, she discovered things were not as wonderful as promised. The living conditions were, as she put it, “a little bit scary”. She also still needed a job and soon found one as a nanny.
She was thrilled because she loves children! She has a younger brother and sister so she knew that would be a perfect fit. The family she would be living with had only one son who was about seven years old. The mother worked in Scotland and travelled frequently, the father worked in Latvia.
Unfortunately, in a short time Egija noticed things were a little unusual and she was unsettled in the home. One day her employer said to pack her bags because they needed to take a quick trip to Norway. Egija was concerned, but if it was part of her job to take care of the little boy, then she was to follow.
When they arrived at the airport, Egija became very worried. He told her to sit still and he would be back in 15 minutes. It was then that he took Egija’s residency papers and work permits and revealed to her what was happening:
Egija was being SOLD into the human trafficking slave market!
Her heart pounding, the blood rushing to her head, the room spinning, she knew she had to get away. She waited a long time until she was sure he was out of sight, grabbed her bag and ran out of the airport as quickly as she could.
She hopped on the tram and the only place she could think to go was to our apartment. When she showed up at my door almost two years ago, sobbing hysterically, trying to convey to us in broken English what had happened; my mother’s heart was breaking for her. You read of such things and see them on the news, but this was real life.
She had already been to the “policija”; they had basically laughed at her.
This is all too common in this part of the world and there is not much that can be done about it. But for Egija, the damage was deep. She had to have help to restore all of the documents that had been stolen from her. Thankfully we had legal help on our missions team!
But even more than that, she needed God. He provided the healing she needed to get her back on her feet.
Fast forward to 2013. When I came back to Riga this time, I had not seen Egija for almost 17 months. The spiritual change is amazing. She has grown and blossomed in the Lord! He has healed her mind and restored her soul. She is reaching out and ministering to others and she is taking the things that the enemy meant for harm to her and turning them around and making them stepping stones in her relationship with God. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me: but God meant it unto good…” Genesis 50:20.
Hope and Healing.
Egija has experienced so much of both of these in her short life time.
What trials or tests have come your way that maybe you thought could destroy you?
How can you turn those into a testimony?!
Have you been delivered from something that only God could have stepped in and done?
Share with us your words, your triumphs, your witness of His power in your life!
There is Hope and Healing for you today…be encouraged and know that Jesus is waiting to fill that void and bring deliverance and peace to your situation.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.
For more posts on our current trip to Latvia you can read about it here, here and here!
Sharing with Super Sunday Sync
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Isn’t it the truth?! We need the Lord! I owe you an email friend 🙂
That is a beautiful story of what our wonderful Saviour will do for people. I’m so glad I read it. We live in a scary world, I don’t know how anyone makes it each day without God!!!
How wonderful that you took her in and heard her out. Many, I suspect would not have done so. I am thrilled to hear of her happy ending!! Thank you for linking to Super Sunday Sync!
What a moving story. Praise God! Thanks for sharing and opening our eyes a bit more to this evil trade with this personal story.
Thanks for sharing at Essential Fridays.
Blessings
Mel from Essential Thing Devotions
Thank you Caroline. Love making new friends! Blessings. ♥
Found you at Christian Mommy blogger, and so glad that I came across your story! What a wonderful testimony! Thanks for sharing!!
Wow Terri, isn’t it crazy? The world is just a mess anymore, you cannot be too careful. Thank you for stopping by and you are correct, more people need to step up and speak up! Blessings!
Thank you for sharing this! I was surprised to know that even here in Austin we have a sex-trafficking ring. We need more people like Egija to share their testimony.
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You are being a blessing all around the world Egija! God is going to do great things with your testimony. Thank you for letting us share it. We love you so much! ♥♥♥
Beautiful! Thank you Kieta, I showed this to Egija yesterday, she was so blessed that others were reading her story and commenting on it really excited her. She couldn’t believe when I first asked her if I could write about her journey that anyone would be interested…and then yesterday I showed her the “backside” of my blog and the stats! It was a very big day! She was shocked that so many would read about her. I told her she was being a blessing all around the world and she then understood it may help others as well. God is good! ♥
What a story, Sue! You would love Egija! She is a sweetheart 🙂 She has a strong network here for her now in her church family. I spent the evening with her yesterday and we had a wonderful time reconnecting. She is doing great! Love you friend! ♥
It is such a danger in this world today! Egija was fortunate to be sure. She is doing so well! She has a good job, a wonderful church family and loves the Lord so very much. God is good! Thank you for stopping by today Audrey! ♥
It breaks my heart whenever I hear about young girls being trafficked. I’m so glad that God had you there to save this young woman’s life.
Praise the Lord that she is alright and thank God you were there for her. The world needs more strong Christins to lean on and stand strong.
Blessings!
Sue
Egija, thank God you were smart enough to run. I’m so sorry for your experience but am glad you’ve managed to find a way to use your pain to help others. That’s the most we can ask of ourselves after such an experience. May you continue to find love, peace and safety in God.
Oh – thank you, Nannette. Its really well. Hope testimony gonna catch some souls for Jesus. <3