I feel the entire atmosphere shift, as a coldness hits my skin.
The 3 girls we have come to visit look at each other with sadness, as to see who’s turn it is. Then one pulls her chair away from the table we are sitting at and leads the 45 year old man to the back room.
My heart sinks in my chest.
The reality of what happens in these dark, undercover brothels hit me. And I feel paralyzed with rage.
My two very special friends have been pouring their lives into lost girls in these positions for the last 3-4 years. They don’t get paid to do it, get no recognition or praise, but are just compelled by love
to be a light in the darkness.
We continue our conversation around the table as the girls admire the brightly coloured roses
we have just brought them. In faith we brought 10, and we had exactly enough to go around.
Our motives are simple. To just love them. Not judge or preach. Just love. Through the eyes of love we show them they have value, are not alone and most of all – give them a hope and a choice for a better life.
We hear similar stories in these underground places of desperation.
Many get tangled in this lifestyle because of poverty, others sold into it as objects.
And without there being a light of hope to get out…many end up dying young from STI’s, having multiple abortions and some even grow up to become pimps themselves. It a terrible generational cycle that goes on and on.
Our desire is to cut it.
For the girls safety, I can’t tell you names, locations, go deep into details or show photos. But I want to share with you what my experience was serving alongside some of the bravest Christian girls I know.
I remember a man sitting in the corner of the establishment, peering at us from the shadows. A customer waiting his turn. I felt disgust and bitterness towards him… But then quickly remembered he is also a victim.
A victim to what you might ask? Lust, loneliness, addiction, rejection perhaps. Searching for love.
Trying to feel something. I don’t know, but hating him wasn’t going to help anything.
The girls sat with us and didn’t want us to leave. It was a break from the daily torture.
When their manager was out of ear rang one of the girls hastily said “Sister, this place is no good. I want to leave”.
She went on to say how she wanted to search for another job but the controlling pimp did whatever she could to not let her go. She was 26, had had 5 children but only 2 survived. She was currently pregnant with her 6th.
She looked tired and restless, not able to relax and on her toes.
I did my best to hold back the tears.
Another girl, aged 18, also wanted to leave. She had no parents and was from a village 7hrs away.
Her older brother dropped her off there to “work” and never came back. She was the sweetest most innocent
girl with bright eyes and a dimpled smile.
In this country, if these women get caught, they get beaten till black and blue… And put into prison for anything up to 5-10 years. There is no empathy or measures of prevention. It doesn’t matter if the girl actually wants to be there or is held against her will. Her punishment, by the law, is unforgiving.
My heart misses a beat, excitement wells up in my spirit. This is the bit that brings me joy,
the part where my fellow sisters offer a “get out of jail” free card. The power of Christ, when love sweeps in and rescues the princesses from the darkness. My close friends whisper, explaining that we can
give them the choice to live a new life, that there’s a way out.
We have houses, new dignifying paying jobs and will teach them new skills to empower their future.
The girl’s faces change and you see a flicker of light dancing in their eyes. It’s something new, Hope.
We leave that place in a taxi, and the 26-year-old pregnant girl comes with us.
We make plans to see the 18-year-old girl get out also. She needs to get her brothers permission to leave, so we made a date the very same week to travel 7hr on bus with her to visit her brother.
Staring out the dirt coated windows I feel a mix of emotions.
Our new friend has braided my hair and sits across from me with her hands holding her other rescuers.
I don’t know whether to rejoice or breakdown in tears. But I feel comforted by Gods love, knowing we did something, no matter how big or small, to represent who Jesus truly was. A burning light of Hope.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.
They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first,
until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.
“Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:3-7, 9-11 NIV
Pete Durose
Thank the Lord for what your doing, making a huge difference in there life’s, I will pray into these situations, God bless