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FeedThe Road Less Traveled
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost (1874–1963)
When UNO student Samara Marie traveled to India last December with Faceless International, she expected to work in Calcutta, bringing aid and assistance to the poor. Instead, she found herself “banished” to a more secluded area of India. Though initially disappointed by this development, Samara would soon discover that here, in India’s remote countryside, she was to embark on a life-changing journey where she was destined to receive much more than she gave.
In London, Marie joined twenty-four other volunteers from the United States, Canada and Australia for the two-week trip. When they met, Marie and the other volunteers bonded quickly with a shared sense of nervousness and excitement.
In India, they were introduced to a man named Vijay. “I don’t know how to explain how incredible he was,” Marie recalled. Having been born into a poor family, Vijay was raised as an untouchable- those who are treated more like an animals than human beings. Rather than being embittered, he has dedicated his life to helping others who are suffering. He has created an organization and community that helps rescue women and children at risk for human trafficking.
On the first day, the volunteer group spent time with many of the “untouchables” who were infected with HIV or AIDS. They had planned to hand out food and clothing as a service gesture, but instead found the women and children eager to show hospitality. The villagers performed dances and skits as a way of welcoming the first “white people” they’d ever seen. “We signed so many autographs; we were treated like celebrities,” Marie remarked.
Learning about the trafficking trade before the trip had been a heartbreaking experience for Samara. However once in India, she discovered that despite their circumstances, the women exuded beauty and joy. “They are so grateful for everything,” Marie remembers, “It was humbling. We went there thinking that we would serve them, but they were just happy to get a hug.”
Vijay also welcomed the group with the hope that their experience would help raise awareness of the trafficking problem.“We spent 10 days in the field where families often shared straw huts along with their cows.” Marie expressed. “It was nothing like what I expected since I thought we’d be in Calcutta.” Her earlier frustration quickly dissipated as the group built relationships with the people, despite their language barrier.
The group spent time visiting a school that Vijay had established for boys at risk of being drafted into the labor trade. There, the volunteers distributed food and clothing that Vijay had collected. “Vijay just gives and gives,” she declared. “I have no idea how many he has rescued.” – And with that only Heaven may ever know. Additionally, Vijay has founded an “emancipation school” where women learn to make a living through crafts, including sewing and embroidery.
Marie, herself a victim of rape, discovered another issue that sparked sincere interest. She learned that women and girls, some as young as five years old, had been forced into brothels. “Knowing that was heartbreaking but seeing how their lives have been changed through this ‘emancipation school’ was healing for me.”
In 2006, Faceless International was founded by current director Sarah Freeman and two others. They were motivated by an interest in other cultures, and their prayers together led to travels to other countries, beginning with Haiti- the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. “It raised our awareness,” Freeman explained. Early trips prompted e-mail responses and increased high school and college students’ involvement. A major goal for Faceless International is raising awareness about the horrors of human trafficking, which amounts to modern day slavery. Knowledge about such issues has increased with the release of the 2007 film “Amazing Grace”, and is sustained through projects such as the ones Samara Marie was involved in where young people visit other countries, and spread the word when they return.
“We have huge power,” Freeman states, “Our generation has the ability to make a difference.”
Marie’s motivation for the trip stems from what she describes as “a passionate heart for the developing world and the people- people who don’t have nearly as much as we do.” This belief comes from her Christian faith. As a child, Marie was raised in a Christian home, but they were not very active members. Later, Marie got involved in drugs, and soon after reached a low point. She had difficulty knowing where to turn for help until she joined a college group at Trinity Interdenominational Church. “It was a hard process,” Marie said. “At first, I felt alone and heartbroken. I knew I needed to change. I kept going and reading the Bible; I saw people feeling joyful.” She experienced personal conversion and has been sober since 2006. “My life from that day has been incredibly different.”
While growing up, Marie had always wanted to travel, but wasn’t sure it would ever be possible. “Traveling became my passion,” she said after her initial, eye-opening trip to Costa Rica. “People there love each other, not possessions.” When she heard about an upcoming mission to India, by Faceless International, she quickly sent an e-mail and was invited to join them.
Marie is determined to continue working in less developed countries. “Leaving India was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I cannot only do two weeks ever again. That’s not enough time for me.”
Indeed Samara felt a sense of loss for several days after her return, but eventually came up with an idea of how to express herself. As an art/painting major, she envisioned a project, based on her feelings and reactions to the India trip. “I wanted to get the images out of my head. So when school started I was feeling very grouchy.” The instructor of her four studio classes agreed to let her produce one major project. “It ended up being my creative outlet, my mustard seed,” she said.
Using that theme, she infused some of the lessons from her journey into an exhibit “mustering your faith.” It included a number of oil on wood paintings, which she incorporated into an 11 x 7 foot image of a mustard plant, with the Biblical message, “It only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains.” She also incorporated jars of mustard seeds, a biology book and numerous other materials.
The exhibit’s opening was an event of firsts. It was the first time anyone saw the work and the first time she talked in depth about her experience with the mission trip. Marie currently works at Crane Coffee, and plans to make additional trips to other countries. “I believe the Lord goes before me and this is what I am supposed to be doing,” she said.
Reflecting on the impact of her trip, Marie remarked that India is one of the world’s poorest countries and spending time there made her aware of how much those of us here take for granted. She has learned to place a higher priority on people rather than on things.
An especially lasting memory is of the Indian women wanting to touch her hands and telling her how soft they were in comparison to theirs, which had become coarse from hard work. These are the images that stay with Samara Marie. Not only the comparisons of her hands to their hands, but of her heart to their hearts. Samara now reflects on growing up in a “land of prosperity,” yet encountering the poverty of spirit that left her heart hardened and hurting. By comparison her experiences in the “poorest of lands” left her heart softened by Vijay and the beautiful friends she discovered in these remote villages far, far away from Calcutta. “When I came home, I felt like they’d made an impact on me, and my life started taking a different direction.”
