I stood at the back of a pavilion on Rapha’s Survivor Care Campus in Chiang Mai, Thailand, watching a group of precious children and young women celebrate a milestone they had worked so hard to reach—graduation. They received their certificates and accolades, and the joy was contagious. The next moment is one I have tucked away in my heart forever.
Our staff began to lead them in worship. And as I stood there listening, I looked across the room and saw the hands of these precious child survivors raised to Jesus.
I will never forget it.
These were children who had experienced difficult things—things no child should ever have to experience. Yet in that moment, I thought of the weight of their stories, and I witnessed their hands raised to Jesus in worship. It was beautiful, and it broke me. And, honestly, it was overwhelming.
This was my first trip to visit Rapha’s programs in Thailand and Cambodia. The experience was beautiful, meaningful, and at times difficult. Being immersed in the cultures and seeing the needs firsthand gave me a deeper understanding of the work our staff does every day. The stories of exploitation and trauma were difficult to hear and made me even more grateful for the people who faithfully serve and walk alongside those we care for. At times, the needs felt enormous. But standing at the back of that pavilion, God planted a seed of hope in my soul.
He reminded me that He was working in these places long before we ever arrived. He was there in the difficult places, in the hard stories, and in the years of work that brought those young women to that moment. He was there with the staff members who had faithfully walked alongside them. He was there with the people who had invested in their education, their healing, and their futures. And He was still there as those girls lifted their hands in worship.
I think sometimes I can become so focused on the enormity of the problem that I forget to look for the evidence of what God is already doing. I think the enormity of this problem can sometimes cause us to feel weary. As I shared my weariness with a coworker that night, she reminded me of Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
That day, I saw it. I saw young women celebrating what they had accomplished. They didn’t give up. They were reaping a harvest of accomplishment and growth against all odds. And their hands were raised to Jesus. That image has stayed with me.
There are still moments when I feel overwhelmed by the work of ending trafficking and sexual abuse. There are still stories that are difficult to hear. There are still days when I wish we could do more, reach more people, and see more immediate change.
But I think God is teaching me that faithfulness isn’t always about seeing the whole picture. Sometimes it is simply about being willing to stand in the place He has put you and asking Him to show you what He is doing.
We may not always see the full story.
We may not know what the future holds.
We may not see every prayer answered in the way we hoped.
But we can look for His fingerprints.
We can celebrate the milestones.
And we can worship.
I think that’s what moved me most that day. Those girls weren’t standing there worshipping because everything in their lives was resolved. Despite everything they had walked through, they had a reason to worship. Their raised hands were a testimony.
As I watched them worship, I found myself worshiping too—with great big tears rolling down my cheeks.
In SE Asia, I learned yet again that God is faithful. He is working even when we cannot see the whole picture. And sometimes, He gives us a glimpse of something beautiful beyond words. Picture it with me: a room full of children the world had forgotten, celebrating how far they have come, their hands raised in worship to Jesus.
Post written by Jessica Pommert.
Rapha International
Since 2003, Rapha International has grown from a single Survivor Care campus in Battambang, Cambodia into a global ministry serving trafficking survivors through Survivor Care, Prevention, and transitional living programs in Cambodia and Thailand, partner-delivered services in Haiti, and trauma-focused therapy at the Hope and Healing Center in Joplin, MO.
