Scripture text for Monday, March 8th, 2010: Isaiah 51:1-53:12
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In Half the Sky, Nicholas Kristoff & Sheryl Wudunn report the story of an Ethiopian woman who, at the age of 13, is sold to a 60 yr old man who repeatedly abuses & rapes her. When she is 7 months pregnant, she manages to escape to her home village, only to find that her family has left, and no one will help her. She goes to the river to end her life, when an uncle finds and takes her in. During childbirth, she suffers injuries that leave her unable walk or have control over her urine or bowels. The villagers decide that she is cursed by God, and although her uncle provides her with food and water, she is put in a hut on the outskirts of the village, the doors are removed, and she’s left for the hyenas. All night, she fights them off with sticks. In the morning, she crawls to a neighboring village where she remembers having once seen a missionary. He cares for her, and brings her to a hospital, where she receives treatment.