by Aliza K (age 14)
In 1895, when Amy Carmichael travelled to India to undertake missionary work for the Church of England, she said she did so becasue God had called her there. She didn’t understand why at first; she simply knew deep down that she must obey that prompting because she felt that it came from the Lord.
In India, Amy was horrified to fnd out about temple slave girls. These girls’ families had been told that their lives would improve if they “gave” their daughters to the priest as a sacrifice, surrendering them to do whatever the priest demanded.
Amy felt compelled to do something. The first young girl Amy rescued from this awful prostitution had actually sought Amy out herself. She had run away and been drawn to what she described as Amy’s motherly light.
After taking in Preena, the first of her adopted daughters, Amy could not have imagined how large this movement would become. As she got to know Preena, her commitment to rescuing other girls from the same dark, horrible life grew stronger.
Even though Amy suffered from a chronic illness that forced her to be in bed for weeks at a time, this didn’t discourage her in the slightest. She knew that God would provide a way for her; she simply gave her life to save others and love them the way she knew God loved her and every single child she rescued.
Amy would travel days at a time, over dangerous roads and jungles, to rescue a single child. Their lives were so precious to her, that she was willing to risk her own for them.
From that first child, Amy’s home eventually grew into an orphanage that is still thriving today. The organisation rescues both boys and girls from temple slavery and other life-threatening situations.
Amy’s story and incredible faith and trust has inspired me so much. No matter how hard her situation, she had such a joyful and hope-filled attitude. She believed in making a difference one precious person at a time.
One of my favourite quotes from Amy Carmichael is: “You can always give without loving but you cannot love without giving.”
Word Oysters 