Jeff and I have had the privilege for 6+ years to encourage and minister to the incredible missionaries that serve at CENA in Crackland, Sao Paulo. We've walked the streets there, reaching out to prostitutes, transvestites. We've learned so much from the missionaries at CENA!!!
During the World Cup in 2014 we began serving with Brazilian churches in Rio's first and largest area of prostitution (somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 clients daily). We prayed, worshiped and reached out to the prostitutes and clients about 1-1/2 hours from our home in Rio. That work continues today! PTL!
During the World Cup, God opened up the doors for Jeff and I to walk into an area with transvestite prostitutes with our TREK7 team of college-age interns and begin to make friendships and show the love of Christ with a group of approximately 30 transvestite prostitutes---only 3 blocks from our home in Rio de Janeiro!
We continue to further these relationships with these men so close to our home, believing that God will transform lives and bring many (if not all!) of them to trust in Him as Lord and Savior of their lives.
The article below, written by Lauran Bethell, encouraged me as I hope it does you!
As we walk in the dark world of prostitution in Brazil, we covet your prayers!
Populating heaven with you,
Diane and Jeff
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As Jesus did: Why churches should be involved in anti-trafficking
By Lauran Bethell
“Just then Jesus’ disciples
came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a Samaritan woman….” (John
4:27)
Jesus only spent three years in ministry on this earth, and
I continue to be amazed at how much of that limited time he spent with people
that his society considered “bad”, “ugly”, “dangerous” and hopeless”. Yes, he
also ministered to the masses, the “ordinary” people and to the leaders. But he
intentionally sat down at a well with a Samaritan (Jews always tried to avoid
Samaritans) woman (a good Jewish man would never be seen talking with a woman
in public) who was outcast (she had to come to the well alone, in the heat of
the day because she couldn’t mix with the other women who came at more
convenient times) because of her sexual sins (she had been married five times,
and was living with a man she wasn’t married to, so very culturally
unacceptable). And he carried on quite a sophisticated theological conversation
with her (offering her dignity). And he gently confronted her with his
knowledge about her sins (“he told me everything I have ever done”!) And she
recognized Jesus as the Messiah. And she became one of Jesus’ first evangelists
(“many Samaritans… believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony…”). The
disciples were astonished. They had never seen a man like this.
Is Jesus our example?
If your answer is “yes”, and you have chosen to radically commit
yourself to follow him, then you can expect to encounter situations in which
you could never have previously imagined yourself participating. That was
certainly my story! And I’m sure that the disciples never expected a life such
as they had after committing themselves to follow Jesus! And the most wonderful
part about this “following-Jesus-life” is that we’re never alone in it. Jesus,
through the Holy Spirit, is with us in every encounter, in every moment, and
gives us the wisdom and courage to face situations that have few formulas or
blue-prints to guide us to solutions.
Is Jesus our example?
One of the “messiest” of situations that we have in our world today
involves the trafficking of human beings. Trafficking usually involves the most
vulnerable in our societies: children, impoverished women and men who need to
support families, those who have been victims of childhood abuse and
dysfunctional family and community systems. As soon as they become involved in
a trafficking situation, they become even more vulnerable, helpless and
entrapped because of the threats and brutality of the
traffickers, often involving mafia-type organizations. It seems like an
overwhelming situation, filled with impossible obstacles and difficulties:
poverty, extreme emotional wounds, cultural stigmas, organized crime, and on
and on and on. Why don’t we just focus our time and energy on the “good girls”
instead of wasting our time and energy on the “bad girls”, the messy, ugly,
uncomfortable issues of the trafficking in persons?
Is Jesus our example?
It’s becoming evident that God is calling the Church to reach into the
dark corners of this world of trafficking in persons with Light and Love, just
as Jesus walked into the messy, ugly, uncomfortable situations of his time,
with his Light and his Love. He risked the judgment of his peers, the hatred of
the religious elite, and the questioning of his best friends. But he knew that
he was where he was supposed to be. He went with nothing but compassion and
caring. He met the Samaritan woman with a request for a drink of water, not
with a requirement for immediate change. He met her with respect for her
personhood, and with the knowledge that she had been created in God’s image, in
great love. And like Jesus, we too, as his representatives on this earth, can
enter into these uncertain situations, knowing that the Holy Spirit will be
with us, giving us the wisdom and courage we need to face the most challenging
of situations.
So why should churches be
involved in anti-trafficking?
1. Churches can draw upon the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer
to intervene in places of darkness and evil. The presence and prayers of The
Faithful in places where the evil of trafficking
abounds can make a powerful difference. God is at work in this world,
and many times what to do, where to start in order to fulfil His will. Christians are called to simply show up and
call upon God’s power and presence to intervene.
2. Churches represent the Body of Christ on this earth, and have the
capacity to provide the kind of compassion and caring needed for the healing of
victims of trafficking. Victims of trafficking have been deeply wounded and
need to experience Christ’s unconditional love and acceptance to lead the way
towards their healing. Christians can provide that, led and empowered by the
Holy Spirit.
3. Churches are well-networked and can provide rapid information
sharing amongst each other. It is essential in the anti-trafficking movement that
many networks cooperate together. When a trafficking situation is identified, a
well-informed network of churches can facilitate contact with appropriate
government organizations (GO) and non-governmental organizations (NGO) for
intervention, protection and prevention.
4. Churches represent people at the “grass-roots” of our societies, who
are observant of what is happening in their communities and who can identify
situations of trafficking if they are made aware of them. If Christians are
willing to learn about who is at risk for trafficking and willing to look for
signs of victimization, more rapid intervention would be possible. And rapid
intervention can save lives from exploitation or further abuse.
5. Churches can be confident that Jesus will be with them, as their
example and leader, when they follow his Call into anti-trafficking activities,
as they seek his guidance, strength and wisdom.
Jesus is our example!
Rev. Dr. Lauran Bethell serves as an International Consultant on the
issues of trafficking and prostitution
with International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches/USA. She
served in Thailand as the
Director of the New Life Center for 14 years, and is now based in
Prague, Czech Republic, living at IBTS.
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