Still Held By Grace

Our team's bags were full of gifts as they climbed the steps to a brothel and knocked on the door. A woman named Miriam welcomed them inside. One of our team members sat beside her on a bar stool, and before long, the two were deep in conversation. 

As Easter approached, our team member asked if Miriam celebrated the holiday and, if so, whether she attended a Catholic or Orthodox church. Miriam quietly replied,

"I don't go to either church because I carry so much shame for what I'm doing." 

Then she began to share her story. 

"I grew up in the Orthodox Church, but I had an aunt who attended a Pentecostal church. She often invited me to come with her, and that's where I accepted Christ and was baptized. I loved the worship and the joy in that place." 

As she spoke, her eyes brightened with the memory of happier days. 

Life, however, took a painful turn. Miriam married an abusive man who beat her repeatedly. Eventually, she fled for her safety and later divorced him. With nowhere to turn and children to provide for, she did what she could to survive. Circumstance after circumstance led her into prostitution, where she became trapped. 

Through it all, she has never let go of her faith in Jesus. 

"He has helped me through every difficult situation when I couldn't see a way forward," she said. "I pray to Him every day." 

As we listened, we were reminded that God's love reaches into every place—even the places filled with shame, fear, and brokenness. 

Our prayer is that Miriam will one day be free from prostitution forever.

We pray that she will experience not only the Lord's comfort in the midst of hardship but also His power to rescue her from it. We pray she will know, beyond any doubt, that she is deeply treasured, fully seen, and unconditionally loved by her Heavenly Father. 

This is the hope we carry not only for Miriam but for countless women and children around the world who find themselves in similar circumstances.

Through faithful prayer and generous partnership, stories of redemption like Miriam's can continue to unfold. 

This story is from our project Jewels in the Night based in Europe.

Young women facing poverty or abuse are often deceived by traffickers posing as boyfriends, lured with false promises of marriage and work in Europe, then forced into prostitution. In the capital city where we work there are over 300 legal brothels. Many struggle to escape due to fear, trauma, and addiction. Weekly outreaches build trust, share hope, and offer paths to freedom through drop-in support.

Our donations support weekly outreach programs to women working in brothels and gifts for the women.