She was 7 years old when first sold. Two years later she was sold to a brothel. For 20 years, she clung to the hope someone would come, someone would be able to free her from her hell on earth.

To protect her identity, we’re calling her Devna. Here’s her story in her own words, told to RescueLIFE:

I was born in southern Nepal, and my mother died when I was young. When my father remarried, he didn’t want me around, and I had a very unhappy childhood.

And then one day I’ll never forget, I was tending a field and two people came and offered me candy to go with them. I didn’t know where we were going but went along because they seemed so nice. They took me to the India border, where they had arranged to sell me to a family. For 1½ years I worked as a house maid.

When I was only 9, I was taken to another part of India. [Devna became very emotional as she talked about this.] I had been sold to a brothel, and men told me, “This is what you will do [talking about having sex with men], or we will kill you. Your life has no value unless we can make money!”

My clothes were ripped off, and they tied my feet and legs. I refused to participate, but they forced me. As this went on, I began to feel dead inside. I knew I had no place to go. I had nothing in life.

I could not escape … I was heavily guarded, and they would beat you with sticks if you tried to get away. There was no way to escape. It was like being in hell. I was tortured and beaten very badly. Sometimes they would keep me naked in a toilet room and, at times, with no food. Other women were locked in closets, and they would not let them see the daylight. They shut them in to make them suffer.

I witnessed many deaths. When I saw girls actually die, I had so much fear … I thought that was my future too. “I will die, and they will just throw out our bodies … no one will find us.” I actually saw girls slit their wrists and sometimes die from bleeding. That was their way out.

My constant cry was, “Please, someone get me out of this place. I have no one. Somebody out there! Please rescue me out of this nightmare.”

Somehow God has kept me through all these years. I have my hope in God. I had nobody, no home, nothing. I felt useless. Who would want me? But somebody from a mission team came to rescue me, so I know there is a God.

I’m so thankful to be free today because God’s people cared.

After 20 years of being enslaved, mission workers were able to free Devna. That day was made possible because Streamers like you give to help further the cause of Mission: RescueLIFE.

Even in this time of social distancing, you can stretch your hand out and help pull the innocent out of sex slavery. You can reach, rescue and restore lives shattered by human trafficking. And now your giving can help even more with a $250,000 Matching Gift for this outreach. Give once, bless twice as the impact is doubled!