In 1901, a seven-year-old Indian girl named Preena escaped from a Hindu temple and ran to Amy Carmichael, a young missionary from Ireland. Preena’s widowed mother had dedicated her to be “married to the gods,” which meant a life of abuse. Her hands had been branded with hot irons after an earlier escape. She had heard Amy speak of a God who loves everyone. Amy checked the story and found the evil was even greater than she imagined. She said, “I must do something about it!” That one rescue launched a 50-year work of rescuing girls and later boys, and the Dohnavur Fellowship still carries it on today. One child’s courage can change a missionary’s whole calling.
