Since 2017, we have been serving Spanish-speaking sex workers in Amsterdam’s Red-Light District. Out of this, we started a church called Iglesia Vida Nueva. Here is one of the many amazing stories we have seen taking place at our church. Read what Mayra[1] has to say:
“When I was 22 years old, I came to the Netherlands with the idea of becoming a nanny. When I got here, I realized that the people who brought me here had no work for me as a nanny. The only option I had was prostitution.
I remember the first cold fall day where I found myself going to the street for the first time as a sex worker. I had been dumped at a house where 24/7 women came and where all kinds of things were taking place. I wanted to go back home and found myself in a situation I did not desire.
After a while, a man came into my life who helped me get out of prostitution. Yet, later, I decided I wanted to buy my mother a house back in Latin America. This meant that I would go back to working in the sex industry. However, as my son grew older, I decided that I had to get out of that work. I began working at restaurants, cleaning offices or helping at nursing homes. I decided to do whatever necessary to not have to work in sex work any longer.
As a young girl, I loved to go to church, yet my mother forbade me from going to church any longer. This is a decision both she and I now regret.
When the corona pandemic began, I started suffering from a very dark period of depression. I have always enjoyed drinking a lot of alcohol, yet suddenly this drinking habit became much worse.
I felt like I was drowning and that the devil was pulling me under. I was scared and felt a huge emptiness inside of me that alcohol just could not fill any longer. I felt like I was unlovable, ugly and a horrible woman. As if I should rather give up and quit on life. The enemy was getting ready to just hang me up and destroy me with despair.
One day, I decided, ‘Today I am going to church.’
I went even though I felt like a worthless ant; small and unimportant.
When Pastor Matthew saw me, he began praying for me. I started crying like a baby all the way from the church to my house. I told everyone at home that I was now going to church and was going to serve Jesus. I felt great happiness and peace. The corona pandemic has not been good, yet it has been very good for me in that I have had time to go to my church.
I have always been someone who loves to drink and loves to party. Yet now, I do not have that desire that I had previously to drink and to party. The Lord is changing me daily, and I am seeing his hand of blessing on me. I am having unexpected favor with new employers and experiencing blessings I could never had imagined. I do not feel the rage and hurt in my heart that I felt earlier. Without even realizing it, God has been working in my life and has given me a peace I did not have before.”
We want to thank you all for your prayers and financial support. Because of people like you, we can continue to reach out weekly to many sex workers and help them quit prostitution and get to know Christ. In the last few weeks, we have gotten many messages from people who are able to get new work and no longer be sex workers. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING!
OTHER MINISTRY: RUAH School of Prophecy
Not only is our church and ministry with prostitutes continuing to develop and grow, but our online Bible School is growing as well: RUAH School of Prophecy (www.ruahnetwork.com). This school continues to spread all around the world. In September, Matthew will be going to the USA to do live conferences in Oklahoma, Georgia, and California. If you would like more information, you can go to our website to see how you can be a part of one of the conferences.
[1] Name changed for privacy reasons
Matthew, Femke, Judah,
Hannah, Levi, & Benjamin Helland
