Dana

Dana’s young life changed drastically after her mother died. Besides caring for her two younger brothers, she was required to spend her days cooking, collecting water and firewood, and
keeping the family’s hovel in order. Then, her father died, too. With nowhere to turn, the three siblings resorted to begging in the market.

“Come here, little girl,” a well-dressed man said to her. “I have some money for you and some bread, too, if you will help me.” Dana followed him to a nearby hut.

The man proceeded to rape her, claiming, “If you scream, I will not give you the money.”

Dana wanted to die — but all she could do was close her eyes and cry. The sight of so much money helped to numb her pain. She knew it would feed her and her two brothers for a week. A month later, the man returned.

“Dana, will you spend some time with me today? I have more money for you.” Reluctantly, she got into his car. 

That was the last time anyone in the village would see her. 

The man drove her to a brothel two hours away and coldly announced that it was her new home. “I must return to my brothers,” Dana demanded. Before she could utter another word, the man grabbed the back of her neck and threw her to the ground. “This is your home — this is your new life,” he growled. 

For the next 20 years, Dana was prostituted, beaten, and tortured. The memory of her brothers’ faces had almost faded, but it was the dream of seeing them again that kept her alive. Someday I will find them, she told herself. 

Just when she thought Dana couldn’t survive another day, a social worker came to her aid. The woman convinced the brothel owner to permit Dana to attend the Project Rescue vocational training center for a few hours each day. 

After all the years of torment and ridicule, her breakthrough had finally come.

Project Rescue became Dana’s sanctuary — a place where no one could bring her harm. There, she met Cora, a caregiver who always seemed to have the right words. The first time Cora heard Dana’s story, she wept as if they were sisters. Dana had never witnessed such empathy and compassion. 

“I can’t describe what men have done to me. The only way I could ever believe in God is if He helped me leave the brothel and find my family,” Dana told her.

“All I know is that God can do impossible things,” Cora said. 

Over the next few years, Dana and Cora conversed almost daily about the mysteries of God. Dana learned to read and write and developed skills as a seamstress. When Cora began showing Dana’s work to local merchants, they began placing orders for her clothing … and one merchant paid the brothel owner off, buying Dana’s freedom forever! But Dana’s miracle story didn’t end there … Upon arriving home from an afternoon at the vocational center, Dana found a well-dressed young man waiting at her door.

“Is your name Dana?” he asked. 

“Yes,” she replied anxiously. “How did you know my name?” 

“Well, someone in the village mentioned that your name was Dana. That was the name of my sister, but we were separated when we were very young.” 

“What is your name?” Dana asked.

“They call me Ali.” 

“Ali?” Dana cried. Taking the young man’s face in her hands, she stared into his eyes to see if it could be true. 

“My brother and I have been searching for you all these years,”
he said. 

“And it took God in heaven to bring us back together!” she declared.