I arrived home safe and sound and VERY thankful to be home and see Ewout again :0) I'm sorry I didnt post as often as I would have liked but my internet conectivity was sporadic.

I am really pleased to have had the opportunity to help Freedom Firm and these girls in a small way, and I felt like by the time I left i had made a lot of progress and now they can take things forward and really run with it. The new jewlery business is called Ruhamah... the ones God loves (Hosea 1) and should have a website up and running within a few months. Each of these girls that has been rescued had something stolen from them that they can never get back but I believe they are seen by God, heard by Him and loved by Him.

If you would like to support the work of freedom firm and Ruhama through a gift or through buying jewelry or throwing a jewlery party for your friends please let me know. Thanks for your interest and prayers during my time away. I really appreciate that!

Hi guys,
Every day this week I have spent the majority of the day at the centre for the girls. In the morning the girls have school and then we all eat together and in the afternoon I get the girls to work on new designs that I have been trying out. There are 5 girls, the youngest of whom is 16 and they all have stories that are remarkably similar...most are sold into prostitution by their family, people who they trusted and loved. Some of the girls were prostituted from the age of 12 and had known no other life until they were rescued. Now they have a chance to start a new life, to be educated , learn new skills and make a living. The jewlery that they make earns them the money they live off. Mala and another colleage are now starting the jewelery sales as a seperate buisiness with internet sales etc. One of the main things I have been able to contribute is to organise things and help with seeing how things can be run effectively. When i first entered the building I was overwhelmed, there were I think over 200 different designs, impossible to catalogue and have a website etc. So i have been working to create lines of jewelry, so that you could buy a necklace, bracelet and earrings all in the same range. I have been creating new designs to fill in the gaps. It has been a challenging but really good time and I am thankful to be here, to have met these girls and hear some of their stories.

Hi everyone,

Im here and alive! Sorry I havn't written an update till now. I had 2 prettty exhausting days of travelling and getting through the normal indain beurocracy of getting your passport checked for the same thing three times within 10 minutes or getting several stamps on a form where really one would suffice...the Indian method of creating job opportunities!

I arrived safe and sound in Ooty, a town high in the Nilgiri Hills, in the south of India. The whole town was started as a tea plantation and most of the hills are covered with tea bushes. Thw weather is cool but sunny and the smell of eucalyptus trees fills the air. It really is beautiful!

I spent the day yesterday recovering from my trip and brainstorming about jewlery products, packaging ideas and marketing, with Mala Malstead. Mala and her husband started Freedom firm and mala is now starting her own business to help the rescued girls. I start work this morning... first with working on designs and seeing what beads are available. And then this afternoon I have 3 hours with the girls. I will be giving workshops every afternoon in both jewelery making and card making... great to have the creative juices rolling again. I am really excited about this opportunity and seeing what God has in store for me.

Thanks for your interest adn prayers, I really appreciate you guys!