My First Shift

My first “evangelism” volunteer shift with the Scharlaken Koord was a few weeks ago. The night was amazing! I was a little nervous on the way there. I said prayers on the train for the entire 40-minute ride. I wrote some of them down:

• protect me this evening, physically and spiritually
• let my joy be complete in you, so that I may exude your love
• give me strength to stomp out my fears (and the resounding echoes of the fears of those who love and worry for me)
• help me to be completely awake, alive, alert and attentive tonight
• let me be a vessel of your peace (this one’s been on my prayer list for a while now)

The Volunteers
God answered all of the above, and much more! I just cannot believe how faithful, powerful, and amazing our God is. The evening started at 6:00. I met with all of the volunteers (all female) from the SK and another ministry in the Red Light District. We ate a Christmas celebration dinner together, which was a good opportunity for me to chat with some of the volunteers. I must have been one of the youngest in the room, and one of only two non-Dutch. What a privilege to be working with such a group! After the meal we finished the preparations of Christmas gifts to be handed out that evening, sang a few hymns together, prayed over each volunteer, and then took to the streets, alleys and windows in teams of two.

My Partner
I was paired up with Audette, woman in her 60’s, and very experienced in the field. She was a most excellent teacher for me on my first time out. She pointed out many important things to me as we walked. My role was simply to be present, to pray, and to hand a candle (Christmas gift) to each girl as my experienced teammate spoke with her.

On the Street
We spent our evening walking the streets and alleyway windows amongst very young, very beautiful Eastern European girls and their eager clients. Though I had reason to worry or fear for my safety, I felt completely protected, anointed, and covered over. It was as if I were walking in a bubble – a bubble blown by the winds of the breath of the Lord. I didn’t have to choose my way, the Holy Spirit chose it for me. I didn’t have to choose my words, for all I was expected to do was be present and to pray.

Our Interactions
Most of the girls were pleasantly surprised to see that we had a gift for them. Many of them replied, “For me? Really?” in confused, surprised, skeptical, or thankful expressions. As I handed the candle with a smile, Audette would ask the girl her language, then proceed to hand out CDs, tracts, and information about our organization, including a card explaining how to contact us, written in the girl’s own language. Most of the girls were from Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary.

Our interactions at the doors were brief, unless the girl was interested and asking questions. Of the more than 50 girls we spoke with that night, I would say 4 or 5 showed interest in hearing more. One Hungarian girl said she’d only just started this work. She’s been a prostitute for a week. She looked scared, overwhelmed, and in need of hope. Another girl respectfully stated she’s been here for 3 weeks, that she made the decision to come here on her own, and she did not want to talk with us for fear she’d change her mind.

Hope
By the end of the night, my heart was broken. I saw so many beautiful girls, scantily clad young bodies, faces painted with glamorous make-up and fake smiles. They spend hours on end, day after day, week after week behind the window. The older ones see the weeks turn into months, into years, into a lifetime wasted away in those tiny rooms.

I thank God for the opportunity to bring a bit of hope, or the potential for future hope to these girls. What an amazing experience, and that was just the first night!