Hope on Wheels

Project GRL Is Reaching Women in a Whole New Way

Meeting Needs in India

When your life is unstable and unsafe, it helps to have a place to go for support…even if it’s temporary. We met Paran during a visit to Aler Village, 45 miles east of Hyderabad.

Paran lives in a constant state of fear, with danger lurking all around her. Living in the red-light district comes with very real dangers, but evil lurks at home as well. She’s been married for two years, but when Paran’s husband is home, he treats her badly, and it’s even scarier when he leaves, often for days at a time. That’s when her father-in-law comes for visits. Dark bruises on her lower back and thighs were a red flag to our medical staff in the van.

If she had not come that day and her doctor had not taken the time to question her about the bruises, Paran may not have spoken a word about the abuse at all. But she did. She explained how her father-in-law would rape her and physically abuse her. The horror and humiliation were so hard to bear, Paran could hardly cope. She said she’d sunk deeper into depression, going through recurring bouts of suicidal thoughts. If it weren’t for her son, she said she would have already ended her life.

Since the mobile Project GRL medical van was there, Paran was able to get the loving care she needed. The van’s staff encouraged her not to feel ashamed or hide the abuse from others, but to speak up about her struggles and learn more about her rights as a woman. Paran was also given the phone number of a local pastor that she can contact for help and support whenever it’s needed.

That day, her medical issues were also carefully addressed. She was given medicine to treat her conditions, and she learned about the tangible love God has for her and her son.

Because of your support, more women like Paran are experiencing hope. They are receiving tangible help and physical healing. And they’re experiencing the healing in their souls that only God can provide.

As we continue to serve the needs of these precious yet vulnerable women and girls, they will begin to discover their true worth. When they do, the Gospel will travel even more swiftly than our mobile medical vans. And we can hardly wait for that day.

A Safe Haven in the USA

When Deborah* was 16 years old, her family was in financial need. Out of desperation, her mother took her to a man in their neighborhood who sexually exploited her in exchange for money.

“I didn’t know what I was walking into, but I knew it wasn’t supposed to be happening,” Deborah said. The pain of the abuse and her mother’s betrayal led Deborah to start taking methamphetamines.

She didn’t want to get addicted. She wanted to get her life back on track. So, Deborah moved away from home to start a new life in Los Angeles. But she struggled to find work and eventually began prostituting herself on the streets. Deborah knew she didn’t belong there.

Eventually, she heard about the emergency shelter for women at the Los Angeles Dream Center—an outreach supported by Joyce Meyer Ministries’ Project GRL initiative.

The Los Angeles Dream Center has been Deborah’s safe haven, helping her break free from addiction and find healing through the love of Christ. She is a new person who finally understands how precious and very valuable she is. God has even completely changed her mother’s life and restored their relationship.

Deborah recently said, “I’m getting to know who I really am and just be a healthy human being. I can just be this woman that God called me to be.”

You can help women and girls who are being trafficked right now in the United States and around the world. Together, we can meet the needs of these precious women right where they are. We can shine the light of Christ in some of the world’s darkest places.

*Her name has been changed to protect her identity.

Updated: February 2023