I spent all day on Friday at La Casa de Esperanza- the House of Hope. This ministry reaches out to the prostitutes living and working in El Alto- the extremely poor, fastest-growing Latin American city that lies about 1000ft. directly above La Paz. Right on the main avenue is a simple brick building with 3 spacious stories where prostitutes, or those who desire to leave that line of work, can come to receive lunch, a place for their kids to play, and love. Although I know a couple girls who work in this ministry, I haven't previously had the opportunity to see the home. Today is Bolivian Mother's Day and so the ministry decided to throw a party on Friday. We were invited to help out with kids program, entertaining and loving them while the moms were blessed with a time of music, food, and laughter. A praise team from our church, La Comunidad, came to sing praises and encourage those who know him to do the same. Unfortunately, the majority of the women are not that far along yet, and mostly ignored the music. We had about 30 kids of various ages upstairs and enjoyed singing, making crafts, eating, and watching a video with them. I couldn't help but wonder if most of these kids knew their father, or even if their mothers knew who the father was. I silently prayed for them, asking the Lord to be the perfect Father that they will never have on earth. 500 women were invited and there were probably around 200 that were able to come. My directer friend told me that getting them out of bed that early (12:00pm!) was a challenge and she was impressed with the group that arrived. The women seemed to enjoy themselves immensely and I enjoyed a peek into the work my friends do as I asked questions about the House of Hope. It's a tough ministry, something you can be involved in for years and see little fruit. Most women don't want to get out or try for a little while and return. One of the women that they've been working with for years was murdered in a brothel last week. It's good to know, however, that there is a place of hope, and I trust that in God's goodness and his time, many women will find peace there.
I spent all day on Friday at La Casa de Esperanza- the House of Hope. This ministry reaches out to the prostitutes living and working in El Alto- the extremely poor, fastest-growing Latin American city that lies about 1000ft. directly above La Paz. Right on the main avenue is a simple brick building with 3 spacious stories where prostitutes, or those who desire to leave that line of work, can come to receive lunch, a place for their kids to play, and love. Although I know a couple girls who work in this ministry, I haven't previously had the opportunity to see the home. Today is Bolivian Mother's Day and so the ministry decided to throw a party on Friday. We were invited to help out with kids program, entertaining and loving them while the moms were blessed with a time of music, food, and laughter. A praise team from our church, La Comunidad, came to sing praises and encourage those who know him to do the same. Unfortunately, the majority of the women are not that far along yet, and mostly ignored the music. We had about 30 kids of various ages upstairs and enjoyed singing, making crafts, eating, and watching a video with them. I couldn't help but wonder if most of these kids knew their father, or even if their mothers knew who the father was. I silently prayed for them, asking the Lord to be the perfect Father that they will never have on earth. 500 women were invited and there were probably around 200 that were able to come. My directer friend told me that getting them out of bed that early (12:00pm!) was a challenge and she was impressed with the group that arrived. The women seemed to enjoy themselves immensely and I enjoyed a peek into the work my friends do as I asked questions about the House of Hope. It's a tough ministry, something you can be involved in for years and see little fruit. Most women don't want to get out or try for a little while and return. One of the women that they've been working with for years was murdered in a brothel last week. It's good to know, however, that there is a place of hope, and I trust that in God's goodness and his time, many women will find peace there.
No comments:
Post a Comment