Monday, June 4

Greetings to everyone,

We are out of Dubi and in Teplice in an internet cafe! All I can say is that we literally experienced the book of Joshua. We went in on Friday and got settled in our hotel which was really a brothel. God truly gave us favor. We were located right in the center of the red light district. The rooms were fine and we had to trust the Lord to keep us safe. This is such an amazing miracle I just cant even describe what God did. Regular people dont get to stay here. We were placed two to a room and even given a discount rate.

"Emily" was our hostess. She literally was our Rahab. There were two girls working out of her place but their situation was different. They were independents so they could move about freely in town or where ever. The place operates more like a family. One of the girls has been there for six years and the other one we didn't visit with much. There were two other girls there but it didnt seem like they were in the trade. One cleaned and cooked and one did most of the cooking. She apparently was trafficked from the other side of Slovakia a quite a while ago and "Emily" hired her as a waitress so she was able to get out of the business. We were treated very well, infact, since it is basically a night time establishment, "Emily's" husband would come in in the mornings and cook breakfast for us. They didnt charge us much at all which is a huge blessing since foreigners generally have to pay inflated prices.

When we first walked in on of the girls spoke in Czech that we were "different". We didnt even have to say or do anything and Jesus was already speaking love. Our rooms as I said were fine when you consider what they are used for. The doors really wouldnt keep anyone out so we took our valuables with us and just asked the Lord for protection. We went out in the afternoon and started our spy mission just asking the Lord what was there and for significant areas we should be praying over. One amazing thing was that there is a River that runs directly through Dubi. A couple of weeks prior to arriving here my husband and I met with the team that will be following us. One of the young girls on the team had a dream of a town with a river running through the middle. At the beginning of the river the water was fresh and clean and by the end of the river the water was black and dangerous. This is exactly how it is here, at the headwaters lies a church and nice neighborhood, the brothels are shut down and beauty is coming back but at the end the area is very poor and run down. It looks much like the slum area and the brothels are very wicked. The girls are working much of the time here.

We do alot of prayer walking and reconnecting with our team. We are fed supper which is very good. Our first night was a bit akward but we were feeling the Lords favor. That evening we were downstairs in the dining room which is really one room with tables, the bar, sofas, and a platform with a high stool on it. When we first arrived I thought that this was a pretty small stage for the band. Well, it wasnt for the band it was for the girls to sit in the window. The first night was interesting since the girl in the window was dressed pretty scantily and very very sexy. She was quite animated and seductive. One older lady stopped in selling lingerie much like an Avon lady and so this girl was giving us a bit of a fashion show. We just went about our business but didn't communicate displeasure.

That night I watched a couple of girls across the street who had to just sit there for hours. One looked very young and it was sad to watch. Two people on our team spoke Czech well and three spoke German so we could communicate with our hosts and others in the bar. I had great expectations of connecting with the working ladies but it was looking like that wouldnt be happening. Upon retiring to our room I was right across the street from another brothel and wanted to get a picture of what the girls had to go through. As I was trying to get a shot a very large angry man came to the window and totally flipped me off. I quickly closed the curtains fully expecting him to charge across the street and make alot of trouble for us. Our bedroom door had just a thin cardboard panel in the middle so it wouldnt take much at all. "Emily" our hostess was God's literal Rahab, we found out later that he did make a nasty phone call and then did storm acrosss the street and she totally protected us.

There was some activity that evening in the other rooms but The Lord gave us rest and we just had to trust him. Saturday consisted of mapping the city both literally and spiritually. I will write more details on that later when I get home. It is part of prayer strategy to pray out different areas of a city. We can see that God is working there and has gone before us to make more of an impact on everyone in the village. Czech republic is primarily athiest so its just not prostitutes, there is other stuff.

Saturday evening was good. We came together as a team and shared communion in one of the rooms. I guess that is something that doesnt happen every day, ten Christians sharing the Lord's supper in a brothel bedroom in Eastern Europe. Saturday night brought more men into the bar but it was pretty cool until about ten then we knew too many of us were being checked out and we retired for the evening. Again some action in the other rooms but we all slept well. Sunday morning was a treat, we were able to worship with an evangelical church in the next town. It was funny singing songs we sing in church in Czech. When we shared that we had a heart for the prostitutes in Dubi and wanted to see God change this place a couple of people started crying.

There are obvious lines drawn between the people the Czechs, the prostitutes, the gypsies and the Vietnamese who have erected a Bhuddist hall. The sermon was about being filled with the Holy Spirit and the pastor asked if anyone wanted to be anointed to have more of the Spirit. Almost everyone stood and He and another Elder went around and anointed us with oil. We shared a meal and then this church had a meeting to see if they wanted to continue to support the church building in Dubi. It had dwindled down to two people. They needed to decide if they were going to sell the building. Doris and Shalyn had been led to move to Dubi and start a work there that the Lord is putting together. They may have a great connection here. In the afternoon we climbed to the highest place overlooking the town of Dubi and prayed and worshipped from there. After that we had free time and I was able to get alot of good pitures.

I prayed that the Lord would make me invisible and He did. I was able to wave at a few girls in the windows and smile but most just look through you. They are very young and have already grown very hard and hollow. It appears that many cannot leave the buildings and that is an indication of trafficking. On June first the Czech Republic passed a law that the girls cannot stand on the street but must be inside. This will be better for the town but doesnt solve anything. Most of the girls inside are not Czech, the Czech girls worked outside and were free.

Our evening was pretty amazing. We totally bonded with everyone in family. I brought a few silver bracelets with scripture on them and gave them to the girls who worked at our hotel. They were so blessed. The one girls especially just hugged me and hugged me. I just wanted to take her away from this life so she could taste some freedom and this girl has it good, she is her own boss. "R", the girl from the first night who gave us the fashion show was the most excited that she received the gift but she was sad that she didnt have a gift for me and then she returned from the back with a silver crucifix pendant that I truly treasure. I will wear it an pray for all the girls who dont think they have a way out.

I brought some of my family history with and that gave us good conversation and we had more in common when they found out that I too was Czech. I too had favor and they asked if I would come back to visit some day. My heart breaks for all of the ladies. They are like prisoners in glass boxes who have to dance huddled together in nothing more than bra and undies all day long. Just going to walmart would be a different experience for them.

Its Monday and our team checked out a pension, large house, that is for sale that the girls are asking God if He would want them there to do ministry in. It is very well kept and has sat empty for five years since it was a brothel and was apparently owned by a someone who cannot come back to Dubi. Interesting how the Lord is bringing us right into the thick of things. It would be a great place and has been fixed up alot but the Lord will have to make this happen. We are now in Teplice and will spend the night in a church in the next town. We will go back to Dubi tommorrow for a few more pictures and more prayer. We will also try to go to the orphanage either Tues or Wed and then back to Herrnhut on Wed evening. I have other detials to fill in but should go for now. I love you all and could never have done this if everyone hadn't been praying. Please dont stop because we are not finished yet. Our team is now only three people and we need to still be safe and hearing the Holy Spirit.

Keep the prayer room going! Im hearing incredible things are happening!