Rescuing Girls in Costa Rica

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our church for blessing me with a plane ticket from the Equipping Fund, so that I could meet with people in Costa Rica to set the groundwork for opening a safe house there for underage girls removed from sex trafficking. I’m happy to report that it was a busy week guided by the hand of God bringing together those with their boots on the ground sharing the same vision. Our new foundation, Saving Hearts Together, envisions a long-term residential center providing a safe space where girls can learn to value themselves and others as they heal from their past and embrace their future.

We toured some available properties where the children could live and have full-time access to caring house mothers, accredited schooling, equine assisted healing, traditional therapies, building faith, and unconditional love, so they can return to society as capable, contributing young women through the grace of God. The trip was filled with so much love, joy, and laughter as we celebrated the 18th birthdays of three of our girls who participated in our previous pilot program. It was through God’s calling that I have been able to provide a safe home, education, and psychological services to 31 amazing girls between the ages of 8 to 18 over the past two years. As I reflect on my relationship with these girls whom I love and who love me in return, I see that it is all part of God’s plan, and no matter how hard it gets, every part of me wants to continue moving forward for their sake and others like them.

January 31st – February 10th, I will return to Costa Rica to resume God’s work. I will be training some doctors from Michigan on how to recognize patients in their practice who might be victims of human trafficking and the services they should offer. This is a new requirement in Michigan that all family docs and pediatricians are trained, and it is a great honor to be doing this training for them. They will also spend two days with some of the girls who went through our pilot program. During this time they will participate with the girls in some equine assisted therapy so they can get a first hand experience in this amazing treatment for trauma. This will take place at the facility which we are praying to be able to purchase.

The other really big part of the trip is to find a living situation for one of our girls (Marcia) that we have committed to supporting for the next two years so that she can finish her high school education and at the same time receive a AA degree( equivalent to two years college ). This is a very bright girl who finished first in her class last year and 6th in her school. The new school year starts in February so we have a lot to do to get her settled.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated for Marcia to feel cared for and welcomed into the new environment. Also that funding is found for her support which will be about 600 a month.

Please also pray that God speaks through me as I am teaching about what these girls go through and what they need. Also that the doctors see how important their role is in the fight against human trafficking and feel that they are able to do a better job to recognize it afterwards.

I pray that God’s blessings will be felt by all who are in need, that they may find trust in his ever-present love. I would like to thank Kairos for supporting efforts like mine and others who are working hard to be faithful to their passion and calling.

If you would like to learn more about our efforts, please feel free to reach out to me(mmfej@yahoo.com). I would love to share with you how I was called to do this work and our plans for the future.

– Maria Fejervary