One of the people I met in New Orleans this week was a woman we met under a bridge. It was obvious she wasn’t doing well. She seemed to be struggling with addiction, but that didn’t change the fact that I felt drawn to go talk with her. I can’t really explain it—I just felt like God was leading me toward her.
As we talked, she shared her story with us. It was heartbreaking, but also incredibly beautiful because of how faithful God has been through it all. She told us that she had been sex trafficked and was able to escape. She has battled addiction, overdosed, and has been in and out of the hospital with infections. She has experienced more pain than most people could imagine.
Listening to her was deeply personal for me because I’ve watched someone I love walk through similar struggles. Hearing her story brought back a lot of emotions, and all I wanted to do was love her the way Christ loves us. I just wanted her to know that someone cared.
For some reason, I felt such a strong connection with her. I can’t fully explain it, but I felt like she was “my person” that week. I grew to love her in such a short amount of time. Even after everything she has endured, you could still see her love for God. Her circumstances hadn’t taken away her faith, and there was still hope in her. That was one of the most beautiful things I witnessed all week, and I’ll never forget her.
— Written by one of our students
18th Annual New Orleans Mission Trip
The Walk Youth Group
Building 229
Venmo: @oneneednow
Thomas County Area Ministry