They need your prayers

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU THREE OF THE WOMAN THAT WE HAVE BEEN VISITING IN SAN JOSE DOWN TOWN. ( I am not saying there names for safety, if you want to commit to pray for them please send me you email so I can share with you there pictures and names)

-I am 38 years old, I am from Costa Rica.

I have five kids, Ana Karen she is 23, Paola Mariana is 17, Heiner Alejandro is 15, Veronica Andrea 7 years old.

I have been working in prostitution for 20 years.

My first daughter is the fruit of a sexual abuse; One day after I finished working I was going home and a group of guys took me and raped me. I was only 14.

After that not knowing what to do, I told my dad and he never believed me. He even told me it was my own fault. When Ana was born I decided to give her to a family because I knew that I was too young to take care of a child. Since then I haven’t had communication with my daughter but I know that she is doing ok.

I started working on the streets as a prostitute out of desperation, I needed money and also I felt dirty after what happen to me. One on my friends worked on the streets for a while, and by this time she had found herself a guy who took care of her, so I was hoping for the same thing. I was all alone.

A couple months ago I accepted Jesus into my heart and life, and I have already seen a lot of changes.

I still work in the streets but I am tired of it and ready to stop this life style. Please pray for my kids and for strength on me, and wisdom for how to make the changes I need, and for a way out of this life…

-I am 32 years old. I’m from San Jose, Costa Rica.

I have four children, who I love very much. Amber Michelle is 13, Maria Rose is 10, Julian Jesus is 4 and then Camilo Fabian who is only 1 year and 9 months old.  

I grew up with my mom and my stepfather, but when I was 13 years old I left my home, and I started selling myself on the streets.  Now I’m still here, after 19 years, but I want to get out of it.

I want changes in my life. And most of all I want to be able to be the mom my children need. Right now I’m not able to take care of them, and they are placed with different families. 

They need your prayers

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU THREE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN THAT WE HAVE BEEN VISITING IN SAN JOSE DOWN TOWN. THIS IS JUST A LITTLE OF THEIR STORIES ( I am not mentioning their names for safety, if you want to commit to pray for them please send me your email so I can share with you their pictures and names) 

-I am 38 years old, I am from Costa Rica.

I have five kids, Ana Karen she is 23, Paola Mariana is 17, Heiner Alejandro is 15, Veronica Andrea 7 years old.

I have been working in prostitution for 20 years.

My first daughter is the fruit of a sexual abuse; One day after I finished working I was going home and a group of guys took me and raped me. I was only 14.

After that not knowing what to do, I told my dad and he never believed me. He even told me it was my own fault. When Ana was born I decided to give her to a family because I knew that I was too young to take care of a child. Since then I haven’t had communication with my daughter but I know that she is doing ok.

I started working on the streets as a prostitute out of desperation, I needed money and also I felt dirty after what happen to me. One on my friends worked on the streets for a while, and by this time she had found herself a guy who took care of her, so I was hoping for the same thing. I was all alone.

A couple months ago I accepted Jesus into my heart and life, and I have already seen a lot of changes.

I still work in the streets but I am tired of it and ready to stop this life style. Please pray for my kids and for strength on me, and wisdom for how to make the changes I need, and for a way out of this life…

-I am 32 years old. I’m from San Jose, Costa Rica.

I have four children, who I love very much. Amber Michelle is 13, Maria Rose is 10, Julian Jesus is 4 and then Camilo Fabian who is only 1 year and 9 months old.  

I grew up with my mom and my stepfather, but when I was 13 years old I left my home, and I started selling myself on the streets.  Now I’m still here, after 19 years, but I want to get out of it.

I want changes in my life. And most of all I want to be able to be the mom my children need. Right now I’m not able to take care of them, and they are placed with different families.


-I am 40 years old. I have two daughters, Maria Laura she is 16 and Maria Mar she is 4 years old.

I have been working on the streets for 5 years, after been married for 14 years I lose my family my house and my job.  So, I was feeling desperate because I had my daughter at that time and I didn’t have any money.

 I got pregnant with my second not to long after I started working in prostitution so I work being pregnant until 2 days before  give birth. I can say that it was the hardest time in my whole life, my feet where swelling after working for hours on the streets. I felt miserable.

 Right now I have my two kids and I leave them with a lady at night so I can work. I don’t have any support from my family because they know what I do and they feel shame.

I would like you to pray for my 2 daughters, for protection and also that I can step out of this life style and I can be a better mom for my kids. 

 

A Street Named Freedom

The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world.

Everyone will praise Him!

Ten years ago the child protective services of Costa Rica released a statistic estimating there are 3,000 underage prostitutes just in the city of San Jose. Since that time these numbers have only increased and San Jose is fast becoming a key destination in the global sex trafficking and tourism industries.

A small group of us at the YWAM base here in San Jose have a heart to reach out and offer hope to these children and also adults who are either victims of human trafficking or caught up in the glamor and money so easily available through prostitution.

With a vision to extend the love of Christ to these children and other adult prostitutes in San Jose, Paola Arce began visiting the streets as a way to build relationships there about 2 years ago. With this vision burning in her heart, she carried this passion until in recent months several other of us have joined what is now a ministry called A Street Named Freedom.

Ingrid Rong, Pablo Jiminez and Elizabeth Gilroy have joined skills, passion and vision to be God's hands and feet in the streets of San Jose. Every week, we go downtown serving coffee and cookies on the corners where transvestites, women, men and children prostitutes sell themselves every night. God has also placed in our hearts to do prayer vigils in front of the largest brothel in San Jose every other week.

Our vision has three goals: 1) to build relationships by ministering in the streets on a weekly basis and opening a coffee house type place where we can hold Bible studies, classes and have a place to where they can visit and hang-out. We want to offer a place of safety and hope to these broken, hurting people. 2) to produce a video documentary exposing the realities of child prostitution in San Jose. Sex tourism has increased the demand for prostitution in Costa Rica, which attracts men from all over the world. 3) to open a safe house far removed from the city environment where women or children can come as a transition to a transformed life.

We can see the hand of God orchestrating every step we take in unfolding His plan for us in the streets. This is His ministry and not our own. We are prayerfully following His lead.

As we move forward in these goals, we realize more and more the need for greater training and increased wisdom as we work with these broken lives. They are in need of a complete transformation which only God can bring into their lives. And He has chosen to us for this purpose and has called us out to fulfill it.

In February of this year there is a conference in Amsterdam, Holland. We need to raise money for 3 of us to go. Would you please be a part of this ministry by helping us get to this six-week conference. The people who are hosting this conference have worked in the Red Light District of Amsterdam for nearly 15 years. We hope to glean ideas, concepts and wisdom from these women who have worked with prostitutes and transvestites for years.

Here is a brief description of the conference:

Shine Seminar is a six week course designed to promote a healthy understanding of injustice and how we as Christians can and should respond. We hope to provide education, resources and practical tools while mobilizing and connecting people whose goal is to see transformation for people in places impacted by the global sex trade, human trafficking, prostitution and modern-day slavery. The lectures will be held primarily in the Lighthouse (YWAM Amsterdam's ministry to prostitutes) which is located in the Red Light District of Amersterdam.

This is how you can help us. We feel strongly that God is calling us to go to this conference and are believing He is going to make a way for us all to go.

Paola Arce and Ingrid Rong needs the following amount of money each for the airline tickets and the conference fees.
Airline ticket - $1,200
Shine Seminar fees - $1,100 (six-weeks of food, lodging and conference fees)
The total per person is $2,300.

Several of our leaders have strongly suggested that we attend this conference and agree that it is a great way to connect and grow in our ministry. Please contact us if you wish to help in any way. There is a paypal link on this blogsite or you may email us.
Elizabeth Gilroy - elizabeth@11daysjourney.org
Ingrid Rong -
Paolo Arce -

May God bless you and keep you.

For Donations:
Paola Arce - paolaarce_rj@hotmail.com
(paypal account: ajav86@gmail.com)
(US Bank account: Bank of America
Liliam V Rodriguez 0476235661) 

http://astreetnamedfreedom.blogspot.com/2011/01/in-streets.html