From the first time that I heard about the film, I knew that it was perfect for my girls!
Katariina is a trafficking survivor who was trafficked in the U.S. sex trade from the age of 13-17. She became a believer through an amazing series of events and now does outreaches to girls* who work in strip clubs in Florida. The Magdalena team met Katariina last spring at a conference where she was speaking, and gave her copies of the film and Bible study to use in her ministry. I caught up with Katariina this past week to see how her ministry was going and if she needed more resources. It was an amazing conversation! She has given away everything we gave to her, and told me that whatever we give her in the future would go right back out to women and girls!
She does “outreaches” into strip clubs with other survivors. They make small bags up for each girl they talk to, and the Magdalena film is part of that. In addition they pray with each girl they talk to, and many are coming to the Lord. Next week I plan to meet with her and give her a couple more boxes of our materials to give out. And she has asked me to show her how to use our app, so that she can more easily share the film with “her girls”.
Pray for Katariina and her work (thereishopeforme.org). She is going into very dark places. And thank you for your partnership that enables us to provide her with these resources!
*14 is the average age of a girl who works as a stripper, according to Katariina. The newest human trafficking laws define anyone under the age of 18, who works in the sex industry, as a victim of human trafficking. This means that underage girls and boys who work as strippers or in prostitution are no longer charged as criminals but instead are treated as victims.