Stories

In Reeva’s village in northern India, there are two types of people.

The first type are the landlords and the village leaders. Those families have so much money that they often send their children to schools in the West—to places like Canada or the UK.

The second type are people like Reeva: bonded laborers.

For a long time, Reeva and her husband were able to stay away from borrowing money from the wealthy families of the village. But when her husband’s father was diagnosed with cancer, there was nothing they could do.

They borrowed half a million rupees—at a 12% interest rate.

Freedom soon became a thing of the past. In order to repay their debt, Reeva and her husband were on-call at all times, often working into the night at the wealthy family’s request.

They were, effectively, slaves.

Have you ever felt trapped like that?

Maybe you’ve found yourself in a difficult work situation. Maybe you’re repaying debts that never seem to go away.

Or maybe your fight is spiritual: anxiety, fear, addictions, and trauma can make us feel trapped as well.

When you feel trapped, it can seem like there are only two options:

1. Fight against your bondage.
2. Give in, hoping the hardship ends soon.

Reeva chose the second option. But after years of work—and hardly any dent in their debt—she began to question her circumstances.

Could there be a third option?

That’s when Reeva joined a local Adult Literacy Class—brought to her village by people like you. Though it was a big investment, she was able to leave her work for a few hours a day to practice reading and writing… and it changed her life.

As Reeva began hearing about Jesus, she started to grow in faith for the first time. Before, her deities had felt distant and cruel. But Jesus was a Suffering Servant—He felt her pain with her.

But that was only step one.

Reeva noticed that Jesus never let His pain stop His ministry, and that was exactly what she needed. She received Him into her life. Then, she began stepping out in faith.

First, she mastered reading, writing, and math. She passed those portions of her Adult Literacy Class with flying colors, and even received an award for her efforts.

Then, Reeva started a small business in her home. With the help of her Adult Literacy teacher, she now sells hygiene products and household goods from her living room.

Reeva knows that someday, Jesus may choose to work a miracle and wipe away her family’s debts.

But as she waits, she’s focused on a way of life that Jesus offers: one of peace beyond her circumstances, faith in what He is doing, and courage to keep stepping forward.

Pray

• Praise God for His faithfulness to Reeva! He gave her freedom beyond her circumstances and unexplainable hope.
• Read Isaiah 61:1-3. Then: Pray, asking Jesus how He might want to bring this passage to fruition in your own life, no matter your circumstances.

Take Action

• Which of your friends may feel trapped in their situation today? Consider sending them Reeva’s story, along with a word of encouragement.
• Across India, women like Reeva are trapped in bonded labor or human trafficking situations. But you can reach them. Give to Adult Literacy Classes today to change a life.