She is the first person we met while doing outreach ministry on Friday nights.
But more than that, she is our friend and she is God's daughter.
Sandra was raped by her grandfather repeatedly as a young girl.
Later, as a teenager, she was raped by her uncles.
Her father gave them permission.
Her father. Gave them permission.
And thus began a pattern in her life.
Rape, abuse, repeat.
Her father. Gave them permission.
And thus began a pattern in her life.
Rape, abuse, repeat.
Sandra was taught what many girls and women are taught in Peru.
Beauty is dangerous. Your body is not your own. You are worthless.
Today Sandra lives in what the Peruvians call "the holes" in the city,
long alleyways filled with terrible hostels that cost about one dollar per night.
Her body is no longer worth anything to the men.
We think she is about 40 years old.
Sandra has AIDS.
She can't be sure when she got it or who gave it to her.
Only that her body is frail, her life seemingly hopeless.
But something so beautiful is happening.
Sandra met Jesus, and he called her beautiful.
He called her daughter, His daughter.
Sandra comes to our church now.
She is one of about 10 people that we pick up from her neighborhood every Sunday morning.
She comes and sits in the very front row, receiving words of love.
Last Sunday I held her close.
She whispered through her tears and told me that her daddy had never hugged her.
Never once.
I told her that she is a princess, God's princess, and that she wears the crown of a daughter.
Sandra is the reason why we are here. She is the reason why we are working to open the Freedom House. She is the reason why we go out into the streets all night. She is worth it. They are all worth it. Because they are God's daughters.
There are many different ways that a woman can be enslaved. Sometimes we see women who are enslaved by a pimp who uses violence to trap them where they are, in a cycle of abuse. Sometimes we see women who are enslaved by their own family members or husbands, exchanged for money. And then, sometimes we meet women like Sandra, who are enslaved psychologically because of terrible abuse that happened to them at a young age. In every case, the answer is to fight against abuse and to stand for freedom.
I stand for freedom. Stand with me.
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We think she is about 40 years old.
Sandra has AIDS.
She can't be sure when she got it or who gave it to her.
Only that her body is frail, her life seemingly hopeless.
But something so beautiful is happening.
Sandra met Jesus, and he called her beautiful.
He called her daughter, His daughter.
Sandra comes to our church now.
She is one of about 10 people that we pick up from her neighborhood every Sunday morning.
She comes and sits in the very front row, receiving words of love.
Last Sunday I held her close.
She whispered through her tears and told me that her daddy had never hugged her.
Never once.
I told her that she is a princess, God's princess, and that she wears the crown of a daughter.
Sandra is the reason why we are here. She is the reason why we are working to open the Freedom House. She is the reason why we go out into the streets all night. She is worth it. They are all worth it. Because they are God's daughters.
There are many different ways that a woman can be enslaved. Sometimes we see women who are enslaved by a pimp who uses violence to trap them where they are, in a cycle of abuse. Sometimes we see women who are enslaved by their own family members or husbands, exchanged for money. And then, sometimes we meet women like Sandra, who are enslaved psychologically because of terrible abuse that happened to them at a young age. In every case, the answer is to fight against abuse and to stand for freedom.
I stand for freedom. Stand with me.