Hello everyone!
If you're reading this right now I, Madeline (the 2013-2014 intern) thank you for showing your support and/or curiosity in Alianza in this way. I'm a bit of a new voice on this blog even though I've been here in Jarabacoa as an intern for around four months now. It was brought to my attention by Glenn that people have been showing more interest in our blog recently and that it would help if someone who lived and worked here could update it, so semi-regularly, I'll try to post important events and ways that God is working through this ministry (as well as prayer requests) for anyone and everyone who is interested.

First of all, one very positive happening within the ministry right now is that a team of Dominican pastors (three men and one woman) from the Pentecostal Church that Jeannette (Casa Hogar's, the ministry center's, house mother) attends have shown great interest in our ministry and really want to contribute to what our ministry is already doing and add new, helpful contributions when they can. Right now, they regularly attend our team meetings which we have every other Friday and have expressed interest in designing a more affective web page for Alianza, working on team transportation both for the team and for the women and daycare kids that we work with and organizing an office space for us within Casa Hogar. Not only have they so far had valuable input and practical ideas for how to aid the ministry, but it's great encouragement to have new fresh, members within the team who are full of energy and ideas. When one dedicates a lengthy amount of time and energy into one cause it can be easy to become wearied by the daily grind and vast amount of need and to be forgetful of the bigger picture- doing the next right thing, within this ministry's power, for Christ. New members can help revitalize and strengthen the old, and with this in mind, you can pray for us that the new members maintain their sense of optimism in order to be a new, fresh help for other members that have spent more time in the ministry and feel over-burdened and tired.

Second of all, in order to make some of these new ideas a reality (and in order to continue and improve upon what we are already doing), we need more funds which, of course, are lacking, so in order to raise more money, Jeannette and her pastors worked together to have a used-clothing sale in which we sold (and are still selling) used clothing from our ministry and from clothing donated to Jeannette's church. On top of this, we've also been selling, banana bread, carrot bread and chinola bread -made by Glenn- which have been pretty popular! You can keep our financial situation in your prayers, money always being tight, as we seek to raise support both domestically and through donations to the face of our ministry in the U.S.- Priceless International.

Last but not least, I'd like to share with everyone that last Friday the team, Glenn, Jeannette, Marisol and I, all went to La Vega to visit another inspiring, young ministry that works for a similar cause called Nueva Esperanza or New Hope Girls. For those of you who don't know, La Vega is the capital city of the province of La Vega which is also home to Jarabacoa. La Vega is about a forty-five minute car trip, and sadly, since it's so close, many of the women that we know who are now working in the brothels in Jarabacoa either originated from or currently have families in La Vega. Thus, our two cities are very connected, and Nueva Esperanza actively prevents young girls in bad situations from growing into women who feel as if an occupation such as prostitution is all the more that they can hope for in life by facilitating the education and up-bringing (all the way into adulthood) of under-privileged young girls and women in La Vega. They also provide Awana and other services for girls that don't live within their ministry center as well as helping to employ some of the older girls and women by teaching them how to sew and create computer, bags, purses and beaded flip-flops (which you can buy online). You can certainly keep this ministry in your prayers. They were a blessing to meet, and if you'd like to learn more about them, here is their website: http://newhopegirls.wordpress.com/

Like always, please keep the women that we reach out to (at three different brothels here in Jarabacoa and various other homes) and their children and families in your prayers. As we've been visiting the women this week, it's seemed especially evident that even though almost all of the women are certain of the fact that the lifestyle they are within is self-destructive and damaging to their loved ones, they are still enslaved to the lifestyle and can't envision better possibilities for their lives. We ask God for the strength and humility that we need in order to allow Him to work through us and speak to the hearts of these women. Please pray that the women who are currently in prostitution will learn to seek God and that in doing so will understand how truly magnificent and valuable their lives can be with Him.

God bless,
Madeline

Meet Madeline!

I am excited to share that there is a new volunteer joining the Alianza team in the DR!  Madeline will be helping to develop the safehouse and pre-school program, and will most likely be writing posts for this blog very soon as well!  Here is the bio that she sent me about herself.  Welcome to the team Madeline!!
 

Hello. My name is Madeline Cramer, and I am more than excited to be a part of this community starting in September! I know that this is going to be quite a journey for me, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store both for me and the many people that I will meet! First off, I'm eighteen. I'm from a small, college town in rural Indiana and have just graduated from high school. I currently live at home with my parents, my younger brother, my dog and my four cats, and although I love traveling and desire to learn about the world first-hand, I'm pretty partial to my roots and my community which includes all of my family, friends, neighbors and my church. This passion for my home (along with family friends) allowed me to become involved with a local, small-scale, sustainable farm in my home town where I've spent the past six summers learning about how small communities like my own can support and sustain each other agriculturally. I have also had a long-time passion for ending the sex trade and eventually want to combine a sustainable farm of my own, in a neighboring town, with a ministry focusing on women who have just come out of prostitution. My other hobbies and interests include writing, reading, drawing, listening to music, long-distance running, learning about philosophy, spending time with family and friends, spending time with animals and being outside as much as possible!

                                          

                            

News from La Alianza in the DR!

Hi all,

I realized today that the last time I updated this blog was June 14, 2012.  Two days before Kenya was born.  For those who do not know, we had a very traumatic birth experience in the DR which was violently mishandled which left both my daughter Kenya and myself with serious medical issues so we are both back in the states now.  Sadly, we were not able to go back to operate the safehouse for underage girls as we had intended.  Believe me when I say that no one has had a harder time accepting this than I have.  However, even though we are no longer in the DR to serve with La Alianza, the ministry is still alive and well and I have received news from my team member Jeanette about some of the exciting things they have going on.

The first piece of exciting news is that in the house where we were living in Jarabacoa, they have started an educational pre-school program for the children of the women in the area who had been previously working in prostitution.  The goal of this program is two-fold.  First, the women who want to find new jobs or start businesses and be free of prostitution will not be held back due to childcare restraints and will be able to engage in alternate daytime work with the assurance that their children are well taken care of.   Second, the children are able to engage in a hands-on educational pre-school program where they are loved and valued.  We believe this is taking the first step to breaking the cycle of poverty and prostitution that is so common in these communities.  The children will have the early tools they need to be successful in future school programs, while learning about a God who loves them and building dreams for a future where the sky is the limit.  Here are some details from the program...

•  There are currently ten children in the program between the ages of 2 and 6 years old.  There are 3 teachers (one certified) so the children receive all the individualized attention they need.  There is also a chauffer who provides transportation for all of the children to and from the pre-school program.
• The children usually arrive to the program hungry and are met with a full nutritious lunch time meal, as well as an afternoon snack, so they are able to learn with full and happy bellies.
• In addition to early academic skills, the children also engage in character building activities so they learn to treat others with love and kindness, as well as Biblical lessons about a big God who loves each of them.
• Children have free time for discovery learning where they are able to engage in play activities with peers with a variety of educational toys and resources.
• Due to the fact that these children live in poverty, they are also all given baths during the week as running water is a luxury most of them live without.    
• Most importantly, the children are treated with love, respect, and dignity, and learn that they have value and a future full of exciting possibilities!  

And of course, some photos of the beautiful kiddos....

 

Our team also still engages in outreach ministry with the local brothels and the safehouse is ready to receive women in need who are wanting to leave prostitution or have other housing needs.

We cannot do this without your help!  Please consider supporting this program  to help these women and their precious children.  There are many ways you can do this.  You can support this program through prayer, financial support, donating materials, or volunteering your time abroad.  Please let us know if you are interested in helping.  There is currently a pressing need for cloth diapers for children in the program.  If you are able to donate these, please let us know!  The program is also in need of educational materials, healthcare items, and more.

To find out more about how you can help, you can email our partner organization Priceless International who supports La Alianza and I can proudly share that I am now a board member of!  Please email pricelessinternational@gmail.com for more information on opportunities on how you can help this ministry.

Thank you for your love, prayers and support!!

Love,
Kristin

Modern-day slavery

Powerful video about sex trafficking and modern slavery around the world.  Thank you to Daisy Nunez for sharing this with us!  Please continue to pray for our ministry!

The Cycle of Poverty and Prostitution

Photos taken in Sosua, Dominican Republic, a town with a booming sex trade.  This town is one of the major hubs here for sex tourism.  Photos by Jessica Ensing Photography.

When I share my messages, stories, and videos about child prostitution with friends, family, acquaintances, and the world wide web, the responses I get vary, but there is a general sense of surprise, disgust, shock, horror, and a desire to help.  People say "I can't believe that could ever happen" and "That's so awful" and "I'm so happy for what you're doing".  Trying to imagine a sweet innocent child as precious as the ones in our video forced into a life of prostitution is something that breaks all of our hearts and makes us want to help each of them.

But what about adult women in prostitution?  That subject is one often met entirely differently.  I've seen people point, laugh, make jokes, and use synonym words for adult prostitutes as a slang or derogatory term.  When sharing about wanting to help these women, I've been met with "It's her choice", "If she didn't want to do it, she wouldn't do it", and "She's making good money, why interfere?".  Some of the tourists who come here and buy prostitutes have actually felt they were helping these women by paying them a good fare.

Here is the thing that they don't know. 

Almost all of the women who now prostitute were raped and/or sexually abused as children.  Most of them were forced into becoming prostitutes when they were just children.  They learn this trade skill young instead of going to school, and after a few years, all other options they had ever hoped for seem to fade away for them.  Many of them start having their own children as teens, young teens, and they continue prostituting as a means for providing for their families.  Not because it was what they had dreamed and aspired to as a lifelong career, but because they love their children and want to care for them.  Their lives are not easy.  I have had women roll up their shirt sleeves and pant legs to show me scars from men who have cut them and beat them.  And these are only the physical scars.  The emotional scars run far deeper than the eye can see.

Let me tell you the story of A (name will remain unidentified), a woman who we discussed during our ministry meeting this week who our team has been working with.  A grew up in a severely abusive home.  Her brother died young of AIDS.  Her older sister became a drug addict and once tried to kill her.  Her mother abandoned her.  She became pregnant at the age of 12 and was "married off" to the older man who impregnated her.  She was forced to start prostituting to provide for her baby before I ever took my first communion or had my first period.  She didn't choose this life.  She didn't pick it for herself.  Now A is 28 years old with 3 children and is trying to turn her life around.  When asked about her prostituting, she feels ashamed and sad.  But she is trying to do something about it.  A is enrolled in university now in Santo Domingo studying tourism with the hope she will someday get a job in one of the resorts here.  She prostitutes on weekends and school breaks to make her tuition payments, in the hope that someday she will leave prostitution forever. This will help A to break a continuous cycle in her family that is so common here in the DR.  A cycle which could affect A's own children if she wasn't making the choice and putting forth the effort to do something to stop it.

We also learned a similar story this week of a woman named E.  Another woman who desperately wants to leave prostitution and make a better life for herself.  Different details, but the same strong desire for a new start.

Your prayers and support go to help these women start over.  And whether at the age of 8 or 28 or even 88, I think every person in the world deserves that fresh start.  A fresh start at reaching their dreams and living a safe and fulfilling life.

Will you take a moment right now to please pray for these two women who hope and dream for a new life and a better future?  Please pray for our team to have the strength and wisdom to help them in making a fresh start.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  It is making all the difference to women like A and E to have a new start in reaching their dreams.

Pajama Party!

This past Saturday night, I had a pajama party with the girls from Templo Bautista Church, who are also from our former neighborhood, Barrio Cristo Rey.  Many children from this neighborhood live in poverty and are highly at-risk for physical and sexual abuse, rape, incest, teen pregnancy, and dropping out of school.  Since we moved from Cristo Rey across town, I don't get to see these pretty little faces on my doorstep each night when I come home from work and I miss these kids tremendously.  And since baby girl will take over my life soon but for now is taking her sweet time, I thought this would be the perfect weekend for a sleepover party before baby girl arrives.

Of course, our sleepover consisted of all the fun things they usually do.  We ate pizza, went out for ice cream, danced and played in the park, played hide-and-go-seek and UNO, painted nails, colored pictures, and stayed up late watching Ice Age 2 on the laptop.  The girls played dress-up in my clothes and enjoyed borrowing my pajamas (which they had to tie up with hair ties to hold them up :)  But I also spent time talking to the girls about their rights as females, about Christian dating, and about what true love means.  I know you're probably thinking they look really young for this.  And yes I'd think so too.  But they take it all in and then pour out their feelings and stories.  One of these stories including a girl from their neighborhood who was repeatedly raped at the age of 9, and who now is pregnant at the age of 10.  And I think, I didn't even know what the word rape meant when I was 9 and was just feeling ready for pregnancy this year at the age of 29.  How can this possibly happen to a 4th grader?  But to these girls, it is all too familiar.  Elissa Duncan, who has been helping with our ministry over the past year, made up these awesome "Priceless Bills" and had them laminated to give to girls in the area.  These bills give girls guidelines to follow and remind them that they are priceless gifts from God who can never be purchased for any amount of money.  Their value and beauty is infinite and they are not property to be sold or purchased.  It also includes a drawing of a young girl wearing a leotard/bathing suit that says over it "Not to touch" so girls can learn about what parts of their bodies are private and should stay protected.  The girls cherished these bills and were excited taking them home with them as gifts from the sleepover.  No goody bags or gift bags, just a laminated piece of paper, but they read over each word carefully and carried them proudly with them out the door.  Thanks Elissa for sharing these, and for the difference you have made to so many girls around Jarabacoa by creating these "Priceless Bills"!

I can never emphasize enough how important it is to teach these girls their value and personal rights when they are YOUNG.  Our ministry is currently planning to teach workshops in the fall regarding sexual education and personal protection of their bodies.  I remember both as a student and teacher in Michigan, these assemblies were provided for us by professionals and we didn't have to worry about planning something ourselves.  But in this country where abuse, rape, and incest are so rampant and this kind of education is rare, it is so important to educate these girls of their personal rights.

In the meantime, my heart will continue to break for all of the stories I hear each day and I will pray for the protection and healing of the girls in each of these cases.  Will you join me in praying for this too?

Thank you to each person reading this for following us and teaming with us.  Please read and print this "Bill of Rights" to share with girls wherever YOU are to prevent abuse, rape, and trafficking.  Please continue to share with others and follow our Alliance! :)

Kristin and the Alianza team

Anti-trafficking video message from Red Light District

Powerful message about trafficking in Europe - watch until the end. :)