By Dr. Laila Wahba
When Wahid informed me that he was going to Istanbul, Turkey, to minister to leaders from Syria and Iraq who have fled ISIS to Turkey because of their faith, I felt a beckoning in my spirit that I needed to go.
Many obstacles prevented me from going, yet the more ferocious the spiritual warfare, the more convinced I was that I needed to attend. I knew there were divine appointments waiting for me in Istanbul.
One of the girls attending the conference was a beautiful 18-year-old girl. She was quiet and reserved. She always sat alone during meals. The person who brought her to attend informed me that she had fled from Syria after ISIS raped her mother in front of her, then raped her when she was 9-years-old.
"You need to talk to her! She needs counseling," he exclaimed.
"I cannot barge into her life. She needs to come to me." I answered.
I prayed all night for God to give me wisdom.
The following day, before we gave them the gifts many of you have so generously provided, I stood in front of everyone and said, "Many of you know me as Laila, Wahid's wife, and 4G3Administrative and Communications Officer. But you do not know that I have a nonprofit called Not Guilty and that I am a professional trauma counselor. I am available to anyone here who desires to talk to me."
I was unsure what the reaction would be, but I opened a floodgate. I was counseling people every night until after midnight.
Then, this 18-year-old approached me.
She did not tell me about the rape by ISIS, but she informed me that she was raped by her boss when she arrived in Turkey.
"I came to the conference to meet you," she said.
"And God sent me to the conference to meet you."
Since then, I have been counseling several girls on zoom weekly.
I am doing it for free right now because I know they cannot afford to pay, yet they are in so much need to deal with their trauma, their shame, and their guilt to be able to get on with their lives. They need to realize they are not guilty and that what happened was not their fault.
The cost for the four monthly sessions is $600 per girl.
I currently counsel three girls for free, which equals $1,800 per month.
I have also been invited by an Iraqi pastor Sabry, and his wife, Nahla, to go to Erbil in Iraq this November to minister to girls who ISIS has raped. We will need three other counselors since I cannot do it alone. The cost for the conference will be $20,000.
It is incredible how our ministries, 4G3 and Not Guilty, are intertwined. 4G3 trains and disciples, while Not Guilty deals with the traumas we see in participants and counsels those who need counseling.
We are believing God to move mightily in the hearts and lives of these women and for a holy passion for His word and truth to be shared with many others in their communities.
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