Book Review: The Scent of Water by Naomi Zacharias

This book was an eye-opener into the world of prostitution and brothels in India and other countries.  Naomi has worked with women in the red-light districts in The Netherlands, India and Thailand.  She also helps provide foster homes for children affected by HIV/AIDS throughout Asia and helps to find funds for hospitals to provide surgical treatment for women who have been the victims of violence in the Congo.  She works in women's prisons in South Africa; displacement camps in Indonesia, Uganda and Pakistan; areas of the Middle East offering aid to Iraqi refugees; and areas of Southeast Asia devastated by the tsunami of 2004.  All of his is through Wellspring International, which is an "initiative devoted to providing financial grants to international efforts working with at-risk women and children."

I felt that I needed to tell you who she is in order for you to know what this book is about.  It covers all of these things and talks about her personal story within all of these environments, as well as some of her personal struggles.  The stories were heart-breaking, but also encouraging. 

In India, their ministry partnered with another ministry to help those that wanted out of the brothels to get out and to never have to go back.  They believed in these women even when these women didn't believe in themselves.  That brothels and prostitution part struck me because she spoke about how many times we judge people for their past.  When we describe them, we say, "they're the ones who used to be in a prostitution ring, but got saved and stopped" or "they used to do drugs but got saved and stopped."  We don't see them for who they are now.  Yes, by God's power they overcame, but the sin didn't/and shouldn't define them or what we think of when we think about them.  "For we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God." It's not like there are levels of sin in God's eyes.

She also spoke of going into the red-light district and not wanting to demean the women in the window by looking at their bodies, but she also didn't want to pretend they weren't there, so she would stop and look in their eyes.  She said it was heartbreaking because many of them were in pain and ashamed and empty.

This book was a great read and has made me more aware of some of the issues going on in the countries that we don't hear much about.  I definitely recommend this book.
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Zondervan provided me with this book free of charge, for the purpose of review.