God in a brothel ...
There’s a parked car in the driveway when we pull up at the house. We wonder if a client has arrived there before us even though it is only 10:30 in the morning on a Monday. Entering the house, we are greeted by morning chaos, as a few women are showering and dressing, others are in the kitchen burning herbs to “keep evil spirits out”, the phone is ringing, and the television blaring. It seems that our visit was not anticipated. We manage to ask in all the milling about, if the brothel owner had told them she asked us to come this morning to share something from the Bible with them. No, she had not told them, and Dana, one of the live-ins, informs us that it is not a good time as one of the ladies is busy with a client, and there are various chores and errands to attend to. But she somewhat reluctantly agrees, they can take a few minutes to hear us, once Angie is through with her client and Zoe is out of the shower. So, we sit and wait for 15 minutes, while the sitting area fills with the pungent and nearly choking smell of burning herbs that are not completely dry, phones ring, and women finish their hair and makeup.
When we eventually hear the sound of a male voice being escorted out the door, it takes another 10 minutes or so before all six of them are huddled into the sitting area, some of them clearly distracted and in a hurry to get back to their daily routine, but too polite to refuse us. Others are sitting quietly and wearing a mixture of curiosity and eagerness on their faces. As soon as we begin, a motorcycle noisily passes by the open door, drowning out our voices and shortly after that, the phone rings again. Dana jumps up to shut the door and we press on, reading John 8 and then showing them a short 4 minute dvd clip of Jesus’ encounter with a woman caught in adultery. We discuss the story with the women, and their response is animated, admitting that we all have a choice to follow Jesus and leave our life of sin, but, they are quick to add that it’s not that easy, and they need the money. Angie, the new girl on the block is the quickest to take this position, insisting that she can’t just leave what she is doing since she has no other way to provide for her children. Having stated this, her expression and body language communicate that her mind is made up and it is no use to try to tell her otherwise. The doorbell rings and Dana opens the door just long enough to say, “We’re busy. Come back in an hour.”
After some discussion, with various ladies giving their opinions and chiming in with their two-cents, we show another clip of a woman choosing to follow Jesus. By now, the atmosphere in the house has settled down quite a bit and the conversation has grown more lively and open as the women begin to ask questions that they have wondered about: “Can I talk to God while I am still busy doing this?” “Are the bad things that happen a message from God to tell me to turn to Him? Or is it the devil? Or because of what I am doing?” “Gradually, they begin to admit that the work they are doing is “like suicide every day” and is “worse than being in a prison”. They talk about how impossible it seems to socialize with normal people anymore, because they always have to lie, and they themselves can’t be normal. Clearly all thoughts of errands and chores have vacated their minds as for the next 45 minutes there is good, genuine discussion. We offer our phone numbers and stories of ladies who have left prostitution, for them to read, and they eagerly, like children who have been offered sweets, put out their hands to receive them. Some of them even start reading the stories right then and there. As we continue to talk with them, a few ladies allow the pain in their hearts to surface and tears begin to flood their eyes and spill over their cheeks. One of them is Angie, the new girl on the block. It is a holy moment. And God is in a brothel.
Lisa DePalma, Straatwerk
Straatwerk’s Project Restoration seeks to equip the Church to reach and restore women in prostitution. For further information contact Lisa DePalma at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 021 930 8055