Red Light District

Women support Women

Together with women from different churches in Cologne, we have it on our hearts to give appreciation and to bring support to those which often no one sees or observes.

• Practically: With regular visits to women in two brothels in Cologne and on the road, we will show that they are important. We bring small gifts, talk to them, offer prayer, or other practical help.
• Through prayer: Regular prayer is the foundation so that change happens.

Past experience:

Our first visits to the women were often very short. We were two or four going out to visit the women and after an hour we were done. Now, after two years we are three or four teams of two going and need two to three hours. The relationships have grown so much that we sometimes spend one hour sitting with one woman. They tell us a lot – finally there is someone who does not want anything from them, but just to listen.

Sandra*, a woman with whom we met regularly and have also developed a good relationship, was suddenly no longer to be found. Another woman told us that she had moved to another town. Notably, she was one of the few women with whom we had spoken English. She was very open, and wanted a Bulgarian children’s Bible and has also read all the Bulgarian books that we had. With a small silver cross around her neck, she showed that her faith was important. But now she was gone. With a feeling of uncertainty about how she was doing, we finally gave up, praying that God would take care of her. A few weeks later, however, a call came from another YWAM base in Germany which also visits women regularly in brothels. They told us that they met a woman in one of the brothels who speaks English and has a little cross around her neck. They had had a really good conversation with her. She was very touched by a story they told her from the Bible. When they asked her if she knew who they were, she said promptly: “Yeah, I know who you are. In Cologne, women like you also visited me and that’s why I trust you. “

* The name of the woman was changed for her protection.

Work with Refugees

More and more refugees are coming to Germany. They usually don’t know the language or culture and often have had a lot of suffering or traumatic experiences. In Germany they are not allowed to work right away, which starts a period of waiting for them. Most live in houses on the outskirts or in towns and have hardly any local contacts and relationships.

We would like to get involved by visiting, bringing hope and helping practically where it is necessary. Since we are international and familiar to different languages and cultures in our team, we would like to serve them. We are developing this ministry and have started to visit the people in refugee homes.