Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A Blessing In Disguise

A really neat thing happened this morning while working with Nea Zoi. I accompanied Dina into a brothel assuming I would just observe as usual (due to the language barrier), and the working girl spoke English! We walked into the kitchen area which had a small bedroom connected to it. The door was open and the young girl lay unclothed on the bed. Dina asked her a question and, when the girl replied in English, sent me in to talk with her while she engaged the madam. My heart dropped and I immediately prayed that God would give me loving words to speak into this girl's life.

I learned that she is 22 years old and from Romania. She has been in Greece just one month now. She calls herself Mary, although we doubt that is her real name. During the ten minutes I spent in small talk with her, I learned that she moved to Athens to make money and that she didn't enjoy her work. She also told me that she was sleeping poorly and was working two shifts per day at the brothel.

When the front door of the brothel opened, she got up from the bed to greet her potential customer. About four times during the ten minutes I was there, she got up to do this. Each time returning without business. I could see the humiliation in her face. After returning to the kitchen one time, she stated, "I don't like these Greek men." My heart broke for her. She was new to the industry and the wounds were obviously still very fresh. I can't imagine the pain of being rejected over and over again. It's no wonder that these women's hearts become so hardened. That's the only way to survive.

Dina and I explained to Mary that we belonged to a Christian organization that wanted to help her. We gave her a business card and explained that we offered free life-skills classes and counseling if she ever needed anything. But most importantly, we told her that we believed in a God that cared and loved for her - and that we also wanted to love her. She graciously accepted a Bible and worship music before leaving me with a kiss on the cheek.

I am extremely grateful for this experience. God allowed me to take part in this wonderful ministry in unexpected ways and gave me the opportunity to speak hope and love into a broken girl's life. He challenged me to step way beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone. He allowed me to relate to this woman in a way that she was no longer a prostitute needing fixing, but a real person with real emotions and dreams. I won't forget Mary. I think she had a more significant impact on my life than I ever will on hers, but I will be faithful to pray for her.

One more Nea Zoi story. As we were discussing prayer requests this morning, a certain couple was mentioned. This Christian couple lived in Romania, until moving to Greece temporarily to earn enough money to build a home together. The husband subsequently forced the wife into prostitution as a means of funding the house. As a result of years working in prostitution, the wife has recently become mentally ill. Now, the husband has threatened to leave her with no family or means of legal work. Please join us in prayer that God would provide a host family for this woman to live with. That the church would be enthusiastic about supporting and loving this woman during this difficult time. And that she would know the hope and forgiveness offered by a God who loves her and created her for himself.

1 comment:

Catherine Elizabeth Entrekin said...

Wow. That's all I can think right now. It's so incredible when God moves in our hearts that way. Connecting with someone who has such a vastly different story and life the you is difficult in itself. But God moved you and in turn, moved in Mary. How powerful the gospel is!