Valentines Week Trip to the Clubs!

We took a team of five women and two men drivers out to the Southeast Houston Adult entertainment clubs the week of Valentines Day, so that we could hand deliver gift bags and share the Love of God with the girls, managers, bouncers, dj's and patrons. By July of this year, we will have been going in to these clubs for three years!! I am still amazed at the receptiveness of our efforts by the managers and the girls who work there. I am not sure why I am amazed, considering that what we offer has been attractive to hurting, broken and lonely people for ever! The love of our Creator, God, is so much more powerful than we can possibly imagine. It can pummel through brick walls erected by human hearts, faster than a hand swiping through a baby spider web. There is no stopping the effects of this love, once it is administered in a pure way. Though our team walks away after handing out gift bags, praying and giving sincere hugs and affirmation to these beautiful people, the Love that we came to demonstrate stays on. We are driving off to the next club, and God's love is lingering back there, beginning new works, healing hurt hearts, convicting areas of sin, changing circumstances to circumvent what Satan had planned and ulitimately doing everything we wish we could stay and do for them, but are not able to!

This particular night was a little different in that we came back with 23 bags because so few girls were working in each of the clubs. Two of them were almost empty of girls in comparison to our other trips there. Where there would be 18-20 working, there might be 5 or 6. This was good in one sense...they were not there. On the flip side, we didn't get to see them. This ministry has that fine line to deal with. You want to touch base and love on a girl that you have ministered to before, but you also don't ever want to see them in there again!

There was plenty of prayer requested by those that were there in each of the clubs though! We are usually back in the dressing rooms and at some point end up standing in a proverbial prayer circle praying for each persons requested needs. It is wonderful and lovely and moving everytime. There are often tears from a couple of girls that are at the end of their ropes. There are also often several each trip that tell us..." this has to be God that you guys are here..I just prayed for an answer for all this mess I'm in!"

I met one girl in particular who read the Purse Prayer that was in the gift bag. The purse prayer is just a small piece of paper with a scripture and a corresponding prayer after it, so that they have a little something to stick in their purse and hopefully run across when needed! She said to me-"this Purse Prayer is more important to me than this full size bottle of Bath and Body Spray!" She then told me that she really needed to hear that scripture right then. I looked into her eyes and could easliy see past the makeup and the smoke. I saw a heart that knew Jesus and had walked away. I asked her if this was right and she began to cry. She tried to convince me that Jesus was tired of her messing up; tired of working with her; exhausted by her empty promises. Though she was about a good head and shoulders taller than me, I looked up at her and told her to look in my eyes. I then tried to convince her: He is not tired of you messing up...He knows your weaknesses; He is not tired of working with you..He is aggressively pursuing you; He has promises that will never falter and He depends on those to keep us in relationship with Him..not our empty claims. She said.."do you really think so?" I told her to look at the bag in her hand. This bag was not from me, the team or Greater Harvest church. This bag was from Jesus Himself and He knew she would be there for us to deliver it for Him. She said she wanted to come to church. I hope hope hope she does, or that God takes her to any church that will lead her back into His arms again!

We go again in April, please be praying for us and if you are able to donate small gifts or bibles for about 80 girls, we would love to take those out and pour out Gods' love with your help!

I can be emailed at embracedingrace@yahoo.com if you have any questions about donating, or the ministry in general.

Love,
Chris