March Letter...reflections on Flower day

March 2011

A few weeks ago we bought 2500 flowers, and passed them out to the women who work in the red light area near our home. I first heard about "Flower Day" when I did my internship with WMF, and immediately I wished I could have been a part of it. That was 4 years ago, so needless to say I had very high expectations for Flower Day. And like so few things Flower Day did not disappoint. I can't explain the evening to you. My words cannot do justice to all I felt and saw and experienced. I'll do my best – but it just isn't possible to share all the beauty and joy.

Slowly we made our way down the dark lane – pausing to make eye contact with each lady and say, "A beautiful flower for a beautiful woman" and if they asked why we were giving them a flower we'd say, "just because" or "for your happiness." In some ways passing out flowers in a red light area seems futile. It's a small drop of hope in an enormous bucket of darkness and brokenness. The cynical voice in my head says, "What good does a flower do?!?!" – but I don't listen to that voice (at least not in this instance). We pass out flowers because what woman doesn't want to be given a flower? We walk through a dark place, and we smile, and reconnect with old friends. We speak value, and beauty, and truth. We acknowledge human dignity. We give respect. We hand out flowers as a small sign post of the kingdom. Heaven coming to earth, through 2500 flowers.

I have these moments imprinted in my memory...

· looking back and seeing yellow sunflowers – little pin-pricks of light in the darkness

· the way "S" was beaming as she handed out flowers with us. She used to "work the line" (the slang for sex work here) – but now she is the manager of the bag department as Sari Bari. And she walked through the red light area she used to work in – handing out flowers, and hope. Really, it leaves me speechless.

· I kept getting separated from my group (just a little) – I just couldn't bear to leave anyone behind – without a flower, so I was straggling behind a bit, focused on giving a flower to every woman I saw. Suddenly I'd look up, and search (a bit frantically) for my group. It never took long – just look for the huge bunches of sunflowers, or for where the line of flowers ended, and I'd find my group.

· bunches of bright flowers slowly dispersing into the night.

We ended our flower giving adventure back at Sari Bari. It was the perfect celebration to finish the night. We laughed and joked. The ladies stuck the flowers in their hair. One of them gave me a flower and told me it was a beautiful flower for a beautiful woman. They decorated the sewing machines with floppy sunflowers. And one of the girls put flowers by the pictures of the women who weren't there to receive them (and recited our "mantra" to the pictures).

Laughter. Joy. Love. Safety. Hope. All bouncing off the walls of our factory – as we celebrated the restoration, and freedom we have received from God, and the family we have found in one another at Sari Bari. Simultaneously we celebrated the beautiful women outside Sari Bari, still working in the dark lanes of The Gach, and we celebrated the hope that someday they too will know the One who is freedom.

In joyful confidence,

Melissa

Ways you can pray this month:

● For a sense of peace and "settledness" in my new roles – I often feel torn in many directions. I also still don't feel like I know what I'm doing half the time!

● For good sleep (and discipline to go to bed on time!)– as my schedule has gotten more full, I find I'm physically exhausted (as well as mentally tired) by the end of the day.

● For creativity and wisdom as I begin investing in the Aftercare aspect of Sari Bari (overseeing training still feels very overwhelming!).

● For training at our prevention unit (the educational needs there are very different than the needs at our other units, our current curriculum doesn't meet their needs. Also, we need an educated person to lead training out there, as many of the girls have had quite a bit of education, which means we need to offer high level educational opportunities).

● Continued disciple to study Bangla. In the past week at one point I felt like all the Bangla study I've done has been a waste of time (when I couldn't understand my friend who was upset and talking very fast). I have also joked around with my friends, had fun conversations, and generally felt very proud of how much I speak and understand. Language learning is a LONG process – full of drastic mood-swings!