Opening a Door

Mar 3, 2024 | by The Fellowship

 So how do you spend your Saturday nights?  Multiple times a month you would find me, along with a group of other volunteers, conducting an outreach to women and men walking the streets.  These men and women are commonly known as street walkers/prostitutes and are working by selling the only valuable thing they seem to think they possess -- their bodies.

Our ministry goes out there to show them they have not been forgotten. They are loved not only by us … but by God. Their chosen occupation does not disqualify them from being loved by our Heavenly Father.

Within the last year, the City of Houston has made an effort to reduce the activity of prostitution by blocking off certain streets and having an active police presence.  This caused the major street for this activity in the Houston area to pretty much shut down.  Many of the prostitutes left town.  Others made the choice to remain in town by finding different locations where they could walk.

We continued to seek out the street walkers, finding the new locations and reaching out to them there. However, even those were eventually shut down. While it may seem like a good thing that they are no longer active on the streets, we realize they simply just moved on.

For the next couple of months, we continued to drive around former areas to see if they had ventured out again. However, it became evident that was not the case.  So, we turned our attention to strip clubs and decided to start doing outreach there.  While I have been out with other groups visiting strip clubs in the past, I have never been the leader of a team and asked the Lord to clearly show the way and open doors for us.

The first club we visited would not allow us to interact with the girls.  The person in charge did, however, suggest that we make a poster to place in the locker room so the girls would know we are available for them.  I left my phone number with the manager who planned to talk to the owner and then follow up with me.  The girls at this club are Cuban, so we will need a translator for our next visit.

The next club also did not allow us access to the girls.  But once again, that manager said he would speak to the owner and get back with me.  He also told us the owner has four other clubs in town.  Since the owner comes by during the week, possibly we could visit him about ways to interact with and show love to the girls.

An amazing thing happened when we arrived at the last club on our agenda!  We were allowed to visit with the girls in their locker room!  They were all so sweet and kind, enjoying the gifts that we brought for them.  At our invitation, they made a circle with us and allowed us to pray with and for them.  As we were about to leave, the manager came up and shook our hands and shared with us that he was a pastor’s kid and he always invites any of them who are open to attend church with him on Sunday.  We hope to develop ongoing relationships with the girls on our next visit by taking some games, like Farkle and Taboo, to play with them between their stage times.

So very conscious of the Lord’s presence, we gave Him glory on our way home for preparing the way and opening a door at the last club -- and possibly at some of the others.  Though the hour was very late by the time we were finished, our hearts were overflowing with joy for being able to represent our Lord Jesus Christ to some of the “least of these” in our metropolitan area.

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. 
As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. 
John 13:34-35