We were walking down our street at midnight on our way home from a beautiful adventure day in Etraetat, France. I hadn’t walked the streets of Paris that late before and was met with women lining the sidewalks. The reality hit me that the sex trafficking world is alive and well in Paris. Right outside of my door are hundreds of Nigerian women coerced into coming to Europe in promises of a better life. They are convinced to go to Europe and then forced into a voodoo blood covenant that binds them to their pimp under threat to them and their families.
I immediately wanted to love on these women and honor them with a gift. I decided to educate myself and my team further the next day so I did research and my team and I went out that night to prayer walk our streets and the Pigalle (Moulin Rouge) area. The gross sight of men choosing a woman to use and the perverted sex shop windows won’t be forgotten.
The next day we baked cookies (with sad attempts at converting to the metric system and without measuring cups) and wrote out one of my favorite verses.
Isaiah 43: 1,5
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name and you are mine… because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.”
We walked the streets and were turned down by the first few women. It was hard not to let discouragement set in. I had pioneered this aspect of ministry and it might be a dud.
We continued walking and one of my Romanian speaking teammates stoped to talk to a sick homeless woman, Rosa. Rosa also spoke Romanian. My teammate asked Rosa if we could pray for her and listened to her pain. As we prayed, we laid hands on her. My teammate Lila put her arm around Rosa and I grabbed Rosa’s hand. Rosa’s tears came. Lila pulled Rosa closer. How long had it been since someone touched her? Was it so out of the ordinary that people stopped to hear her? Had she ever been prayed for?
As I continued walking, I knew Jesus was working. We offered our gifts to more girls. After one grabbed the cookie and smiled, the atmosphere warmed. Before long we were surrounded and laughing (mostly at my attempts to convince them that the cookies were good). I got to share about Jesus’s heart through the verse and see smiles that would melt anyone’s heart.
I went back the next night (with slightly better cookies). This time a girl my team met at church came with us. She is Nigerian and has lived the life of these women. She eagerly came with us to return to this place of pain with saving hope. Five of the women will be going to church with her this Sunday. I am so encouraged that she is pouring out love and will have a powerful ministry in the lives of many. I couldn’t stay, but she will, and God will be known in the streets.
Prayer:
-In the morning, I’m starting a 21 day trek through El Camino de Santiago. It will be physically taxing and emotionally draining. Please pray for my growth along with strength to hike and love my team well. The trail is full of people from all over the world who have come to Spain for a spiritual experience so pray that God will use me and my love for Him to influence those around me.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support! It truly means the world to me that I have you interceding for me. <3
