Last Christmas God pressed on my heart to play carols at a local brothel, sharing the truth through music. My friend, Holly, and I made invitations for the party and I took my guitar. God prompted another friend, Missy, to go with us, and used her in what was to be an unforgettable experience. We prayed that God would take a woman out of the brothel that day.

Holly and I, and at least one Nigerian friend, had already been in the habit of visiting the brothel every Wednesday. We would just hang out and talk one-on-one with the female commercial sex workers, and also invite them to a Bible study on Friday at our ministry center.

The women loved the Christmas music that day and some started singing along. Quite a few men sat in the bar, but I kept my attention on the women, praying that the words of the carols would speak to them. Then my friend whispered, “The police are here, let’s just keep singing.”

Several guys got arrested. Apparently, they were thieves finding refuge. So God just took away a lot of business! Then a woman began singing a very moving chorus. I joined in, and other women came out of their rooms, singing what seemed to be the cry of their hearts: God will make a way, when there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me ....

	Karis (left) prays that God will "make a way" for each of the women who work at the brothel.

God is the owner of life

My heart’s cry was that God would make a way for each of those women. We closed with some worship songs and a prayer. As I was packing up my guitar, a young woman named Joy came up to me. I asked if she would mind walking back with us to the ministry center and talking there. On the way, Joy told us she was pregnant. The “friend” who had taken her to the brothel was now pressuring her to get an abortion, and she didn’t want to.

We asked Joy if she was willing to leave her past life behind and go to a place where she could live and keep her baby. When she said yes, we called the pro-life center at Evangel Hospital. Joy told us her real name was Chiwendu, which means “God is the owner of life.” The next step was packing her belongings. That might be risky, but we trusted God.

Back at the brothel, Joy told the head lady of her decision, and packed her things. The other women didn’t understand why she was leaving. The extreme sadness in their eyes crushed me.

We walked away in awe of how God worked that night. As we passed a young woman, I felt God’s nudge to talk to her, so I went back. She’d caught my attention earlier with the way she sang “God will make a way.”

She asked me if Joy was traveling. I said, “No, she’s chosen to leave, to start a new life.” Jane watched Joy walking away and commented, “That’s a good choice.” I told her that God could make a way for her too. I didn’t realize that in two days this woman would give her life to Christ and start a new life too.

Joy is still seeking God, although her heart is tender, and I think she is very close to believing in him. Please pray she will soon discover that Jesus is the way.

*Note: This article was originally published in Serving In Mission Together, issue 128.