2006 June 15
Dear Friends,
It was approximately 40 degrees inside the Casa de Esperanza. Chris and I had traveled to El Alto, Bolivia to be with our friends Andy and Andrea Baker who had just given birth to their second child. Andy and Andrea have lived in Bolivia for five years and during that time a community of hope has grown around women forced to prostitute.
El Casa de Esperanza is a safe place in which the women and children can meet for a hot meal, medical care, and various development programs.
On this particular cold and sunny morning, at 14,000 feet in the Andes Mountains, the community of staff and volunteers of La Casa de Esperanza met to discuss their talents and strengths.
Chris opened our meeting with a devotional thought about the women who went to the tomb of Jesus to tend his wounds. Just having come out of the Easter season, the theme seemed appropriate. But what was more appropriate was the way the Word came alive in the context of this community. Chris expressed how the similarity between the corpse of Christ and the risen Christ is His wounds; even the risen Christ has open wounds. And just as the women went to the tomb to tend the wounds of Christ, so too this community tends the wounds of the risen Christ in the world today—particularly in La Ceja where a few thousand women and girls are forced to sell their bodies for their daily bread.
Around the table gathered cooks, counselors, housekeepers, women who formerly prostituted, educators, the president of the board, directors, administrators, and volunteers; there was diversity in background, roles, culture and language. First languages represented were Aymara, Spanish, and English. There was no high or low around that table. It was affirmed that each one has a unique role in the community and that each one is intrinsically valuable to the community.
Mary*, the oldest woman in the group had been trafficked into the sex trade from Argentina when she was seventeen years old. After forty years of prostitution, Mary did what few are able to do. Mary left the trade more than a year ago. She's given her life to Christ and her life is being renewed, restored and transformed. After the meeting, Mary (through an interpreter) said to Chris, “Thank you so much for helping me see that I have gifts.”
During forty years of domination by systems of oppression and injustice Mary's worth was judged only in relationship to satisfying the lusts and perversions of men. Her value was understood only by how many tricks she could pull off in a given night. In essence, the world told Mary she was worth nothing and had nothing to contribute save spreading her legs.
But today, the path Mary stepped on one year ago was reaffirmed and her intrinsic value echoed around the table. Mary is not a sexual gratification machine with nothing more to offer. Mary is a woman created in the image of God with gifts and strengths that the world community needs. Her identity is being restored. Her worth and her value affirmed as a child of the living God- a princess in His Kingdom.
Mary's story is hope for all the women, children and men whose identity has been stolen from them.
Our God redeems, restores and transforms. Praise be to God! His love endures forever!
In the sala where the women gather on comfy red couches Mary has graced the setting with green life-giving plants. Above one of the sofas there hangs a picture representing the woman in the Gospel who is thought to have prostituted embracing the feet of Jesus. Below the picture reads, “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” 2 Corinthians 1:5
It's been a full and rewarding year so far. Our service in the community has taken us to Sri Lanka, India and Bolivia. In July we will travel to Sierra Leone. We'll come back for several weeks before visiting the community in Romania.
I also wanted to let you know that Chris has been invited to speak at the Gathering annual conference in Scottsdale, Arizona in September. John Stott is the general session speaker for this year's conference. the Gathering is an international network of individuals, families and foundations who give or have the capacity to give a minimum of $200,000 annually to Christian ministries. Enclosed you will find a copy of an article about Chris and Word Made Flesh from the Gathering's spring issue newsletter. Chris and I would appreciate your prayers on September 21-24 as we meet together with these 400+ new friends.
for Mary,
phileena
*Mary's name has been changed to honor her privacy.