I stepped off the bus and turned down a back sidewalk to make my way up the stairs towards the overpass. As I walk I feel uneasy. I could feel a darkness in the place almost immediately. We walked in between vendors who stare at us up and down. I see girls stand on the side of the road waiting for business. We pass a little boy sleeping on his back while holding a cup in his hand. He was all by himself in that dark stairwell and I almost didn’t see him. “Is he ok? What is he doing sleeping there?” I asked. “He’s a street kid.” My heart instantly broke. I wanted to go back and feed him and take care of him, but we had to keep going…
We came to a very busy street that has 24 hour prostitution. Vendors were everywhere selling food, clothes, you name it. There were people sleeping right on the sidewalk. I even saw a lady sleeping on cardboard and next to her was a small toddler sleeping too. I learned later that she had recently escaped from her abusive husband, but had no money to live anywhere else. Many of the women who live on the streets are the ones who work on the street. When they do “their business”, they just go around the corner for 'privacy'. The price is around 50 pesos, which is about the same as one US dollar. One of the ladies we met used to bring her six kids on the street with her when she was working. My heart was breaking as I looked around and saw such hopelessness on people’s faces. They see no future so they stay in this lifestyle. In this city, you need a college degree just to work in fast food, so if you don’t have a degree, job options are very scarce.
While our host was talking to a friend, I notice a very pretty young girl walking around, and she ends up standing near our group. At first I thought she was with another lady talking with us, so I started talking to her. Her name is Ellie and she is twelve years old. Her parents own a little shop around the corner. She left our conversation after a few minutes and our host told me that she wasn’t with that lady. Sweet Ellie at twelve years old was “learning the business”. She walks around dressed up on weekends for people to start noticing her. I’m not exactly sure the details of her situation, but her parents allow her to walk around this area by herself. She is at risk for entering this terrible business. Right now she’s not in it, but if she does, she will begin at a high price because she is a young virgin.
I hate this. I wanted to just hold her and bring her back with me. I want to protect her before she enters this evil, horrible lifestyle. I felt angry with the parents for allowing and maybe making her do this. She’s too young! She’s so precious! She’s pure! She’s a young girl who should be playing at home, not showing off for perverts trying to fulfill their sick pleasures! Please God, protect her!!! Please God, bring justice to this awful way of life and of making money!!
Please pray for these sweet people! Seeing their faces is so different than just reading stories and watching videos about it. I am in it. I have a fight in me to bring justice and freedom to these people. Please continue praying for our team as we try to bring Jesus into these dark places while fighting spiritual warfare.
We need your help. We need prayer warriors.
