Scars, similar to these pictured, are common on the faces of trokosi slaves. Liberation comes in more forms than just physical.
Ghana (MNN) ― Ghana's fetish priests carve their Trokosi's faces to keep them humiliated. Every Child Ministries' Lorella Rouster says when they liberate the slave girls, it takes more to break the spiritual and emotional bondage. One such girl, whom we'll call 'Esther', wanted to have her scars removed.
Esther is now working with Every Child Ministries as a Bible teacher and counselor to help other girls still trapped in trokosi slavery in idol shrines. For some time, she longed to try to have the scars surgically removed.
After her liberation, Esther was able to return to school to complete her education which had been interrupted. She thought her days of humiliation were over, but she was hurt when other students refused to associate with her because of the scars. Many were afraid of involving themselves in some kind of curse which they feared might be invoked by the idol gods.
But after awhile, Esther noticed that the scars actually helped her in her ministry. Former slave girls began to tell her that her scars were a visual testimony. Every Child Ministries' Lorella Rouster says, "All the things that they have heard have been ringing in their ears. Things like, "Once you are initiated as a shrine slave, you can never become a Christian. You'll die. You'll go mad." Yet, they're looking at her, preaching Jesus to them, and with these scars on her face, they're realizing that those things are not true."
In fact, when they looked at her scars, they saw living proof that they could receive Christ, and many of them have chosen to do so.
Now, Esther realizes that her scars are a reminder to her and a testimony to all of what Jesus Christ has done in her life. Recently, she called Every Child Ministries and asked them to stop looking for a way to have the scars removed. "I have come to peace with my scars," she said.
ECM helps them rebuild their broken lives with spiritual discipleship, vocational training and micro-enterprise. Says Rouster, "We would like people to pray for the liberation efforts because it's a spiritual battle. It's only by the power of God that it can be done."
To find out more about the idol shrine slave liberation project or to donate to this ministry, go to www.ecmafrica.org and click on Slave Children.
