Brothel & Street Ministry UPDATES

Here are some updates on the women I have introduced you to from the Brothels on Wednesday nights and from our Street Ministry on Friday nights. I know some of you have been wanting to know what’s going on with them, so here you go. If you are new to these women and you want to read the original post and backstory, click on each of their names and it’ll take you to it. I will share about them beginning with the women I have most recently mentioned and will take you back to 2006. 

And by the way, the reason I don't give you their real names is 1) because often we don't know their real names as they use 'stage names' in their work and I don't want to call them by a fake name, 2) there are many that do share with us their real names but for the sake of privacy and their dignity I don't use their names with others outside of our brothel team and 3) I then give them new names with names that to me, describe the way God sees them. 

HOPE: I got to have 5 amazing encounters with Hope. But since my last post, I have not heard from her. This is not a surprise to me. She was convinced that when she left Hamburg to meet her boyfriend that all would be okay--that he’d treat her with dignity and that surely she’d text me later that day. I warned her that he’d most likely trash her cell phone and I warned her of what could very well occur in the upcoming days and weeks. I painted a dim picture that she didn’t want to believe. Nevertheless, our last evening together was filled with the presence and reality and God and she said she would never forget our time together, and I don’t doubt that. I truly believe she was given a tangible taste of our good God and it will never be forgotten. I will always have a tender place in my heart for Hope and of course I HOPE to see her one day again.

GEM: Gem is Hope’s friend from the brothel that came to Bible study that one day. She is absolutely adorable and I wanted to bring her home with me. She is filled with questions about faith and God and the Bible. She is a truth seeker, yet is currently imprisoned in the walls of brothel life. She dreams of life outside, but this has been her world for so long it’s hard to see clearly now…but I have told her that as she continues to seek the Truth that He will set her free. He will. I have not had the pleasure of seeing Gem since that last night I saw Hope in their brothel--as their brothel is not the one I usually go into. She hasn’t come to Bible study again but I know she would if I were to see her consistently in her brothel. For now, the Lord will be faithful to the work He has begun in her.

JUBILANT: Jubilant is now home from her 3 month vacation in Thailand. Rebekka (my friend who I go into the brothels with) and I were among the first people she contacted in Hamburg when she returned. She loves us and is so grateful for our new found friendship. But I have to let you know of a twist in her story--Jubilant who is so filled with JOY is a Lady Boy, which in the Thai world refers to a man that has had surgery if you know what I mean. So when we first met her we thought she was just one of the girls in the brothel but her/his story is a bit different. He has told us the truth of who he is and told us with great fear that we would reject him and never want to talk to him again (he is used to being treated like he is a monster when people learn who he really is). However, we have assured him that we love him for who he is and that God does as well. Jubilant is taking Rebekka and I out this week to celebrate our birthdays--and he is so excited about this he can barely stand it. And he is very curious about how we live our lives and about this God we serve--which is exciting for us to share with him. He is very faithful to Buddhism but at the same time I think he’s never met anyone like us before and thus he is very interested in learning more about our Jesus. Rebekka and I take great delight in Jubliant YET I will be honest with you that I don’t feel ‘called’ to work with Lady Boys. My heart is for women and thus I’m currently praying if maybe I should switch brothel teams as on Wednesday nights Rebekka and I are increasingly meeting more men in this profession. Rebekka feels very comfortable with these men--and although I feel comfortable talking with them, I just don’t feel that this is my niche and calling. So we shall see.  You can pray for me regarding this.

TREASURE: I haven’t seen Treasure since November or December. She told me that in December she’d be going home, hopefully to never return to this lifestyle again (she had only been doing in for a few months). She was so excited to go home. She wanted to finish her degree at university in bio-chemistry or something. My last encounter with her was giving her a supersized Goldschatz chocolate. I may never see her again but I am confidant that she heard truth clearly--that God loves her. I hope she comes to KNOW this deep in her heart.

BEAUTIFUL ONE: A lot is happening with Beautiful One. Rebekka and I continue to see her every Wednesday night. We usually hang out with her in her room for about 45 minutes. We talk about what’s going on in her life and we always pray together, which is precious. Rebekka prays in German, I pray in English, and Beautiful One prays in Thai. It is really cool. She is growing in her relationship with God and she has come to the point where she wants to move out of the brothel, which is a HUGE step. She has lived in this dank room for years now--it has become her sordid world and she believes the Lord has made it clear to her that she needs to leave. She said that she was going to move out this past weekend…and that she’s moving to a private apartment. The unfortunate thing is that the new apartment is owned by an older Thai woman who rents out private apartments to women like Beautiful One who may want to do some ‘work on the side’ if you know what I mean. So basically I don’t trust whoever this woman is and I am concerned that Beautiful One may be leaving one prison to enter another--but one that deceivingly ‘looks and feels’ better than the brothel. Nevertheless, Beautiful One knows the Lord and we continue to trust that He will lead her where she needs to go.

_ _ _ _: For those of you that have been following our Hamburg adventures since 2006, you have heard of _ _ _ _, who I will now call RADIANT ONE. We have been in relationship with her since 2006, then via email from 2006-2008, and we have been in continued friendship with her since our move here in January 2009. I will actually do a separate post about her at some point--but a quick update is that I try and visit her on the street of the Reeperbahn (where she works) every Wednesday night after we are done in the brothels. Sometimes she is upstairs with a customer--but when she’s not we get to talk. I believe that she really appreciates our family and that we have favor with her. She has not met with us outside of her job--but I think she loves it when I come and talk to her each week. More on Radiant One another time.

Now, there are many, many other women on the streets and in the brothels that I haven’t told you about, like JEWEL who I'm meeting with now once a week, and APPLE, a 19 year old who has captured my heart. Truth is, it is hard to find the time to write. To do a quick post with pictures of the kids is pretty quick and easy to do…but writing like this takes more time, and I just don’t have a lot of it. But in time, I will get to it…especially for posts like the ones of Hope where I was compelled to write them irregardless of my lack of time. For now, I trust these updates were helpful to those of you that care and that are following along with God’s great pursuit of these dear women--and men.

And, if you are so inclined, please continue to PRAY for these dear ones--their struggle to leave this lifestyle is the fight of their lives and they need all the prayer we can muster. 

With love to you all,
Krista