Pray, Pray, Pray

I woke up this morning with nerves in my stomache stirring from both excitement and anticipation for what tonight would bring. We tried a new approach tonight with this ministry, instead of doing lunches every week, and dinner twice a month, we went tonight on a Monday and brought dinner for both girls getting ready to get off of work and also those getting ready to start work for the night. We felt that God was just ready to do great things tonight as we walked in, and of course as always He sure did.

I was blessed this past weekend by the way, with the opportunity to have one of the girls inside my home. She had called that particular morning with a desire for a makeover with her hair as well as just encouaragement because she was just having "one of those days". I eagerly jumped in my car, picked her up from her house brought her back to mine and spent the next 4 hours just loving on her. How amazing our God is! I remember starting this ministry 8 months ago so excited for the day I would have the privelege of having one of my new friends in my house. What a cool day!

As we walked in the bar tonight, the girls came to see what we had brought for dinner. They didn't have much more time on their shifts so they were eager to leave and also hungry for dinner. Perfect timing for us to come:) We talked about their days and fed them the food filled with love. Everything was going so great as girls were coming one by one from the Night Club to get their dinner from "the church girls" (as they always call us). We were so excited to see that they were actually making the effort to come over to us and talk for a minute and get something to eat. I was talking to one girl in particular and just felt like there was something she needed to talk about. I was asking her how she was doing, and with hesitation she answered that she was doing okay. I just really felt like there was something going on and that she might just open up to me, so I asked again if everything was okay, and about that time, Leanne, came over and said that we had to leave. I was caught off guard, and wasn't sure what was going on. I stopped and asked the bartender what was going on and he responded that he was given the orders to tell us that we needed to pack up our things and leave.

Completely caught off guard and feeling just sick to my stomache, we asked if the owner was there so we could talk to him. He was not there, and so dishearnted and confused, we agreed to leave. We hugged the girls good-bye telling them that we were sorry that we couldn't stay. We told them that we loved them, and hoped that we would see them again soon. As we were leaving the bikini bar, more girls were coming to get food from the night club. We had to tell them that we were asked to leave, and to please tell the girls that we tried to be here, that we loved them, and that we really want to see them again. We gave them flyers about our Sunday gatherings we are planning to have, and encouraged them please to come and have the other girls try to come as well.

As we were getting into the car to leave with all this food leftover, one of the girls was leaving work and we were able to give her a lot of it to take home to her family with 4 little boys at home. We then, got in the car to leave, feeling overwhelmed with grief and disappointment. As we were leaving, God layed something on our hearts to turn around and as we did, the owner pulled into club. Feeling Holy Spirit goosebumps, we followed him with prayer for God to just fill us up and give us the words to speak to him. As we pulled up behind him, we met him at his car and from there asked what had happened for him to change his mind about us being there in the club. He told us that he had had complaints from customers and girls that we made them feel uncomfortable. He said that he had girls come up to him saying that we made them feel uncomfortable because we were just too nice. He also said that girls had told him that we were harrassing them in the parking lot as they were going to work, and also that we were coming in and trying to convince the girls to stop dancing and do something else. He told us that this was his business and that he would not have that anymore. We very lovingly but boldly replied that that couldn't be the case, that there had been no harrassment, only love. We had never come in with the intention to have them leave there, only again to bring them love. He had his mind made up though, that we were no longer welcome there. He said to us that we were nice, awesome girls, but this was again, his business and we were no longer welcome there.
We told him thank you for allowing us the blessing of being there the past 8 months, and if he ever did change his mind, that we would love to come back.

As we drove away this time, I just couldn't help but feel just sad and hopeless. This amazing ministry is coming to an end? I don't think so!!! God is good girls!! We have to remember that as ALWAYS in this and in all things, just because things don't look exactly the way we think they should look, does NOT mean that God isn't working. Okay, the door is shut physically. Spiritually though, we KNOW these girls....by name, about their families, their faces and hearts. God still desires just as much to know them and to call them His own. God is still working in this ministry. Our job description has just adjusted slightly for the time being. We won't be physically walking through those doors every week, but every day we can and need to PRAY PRAY PRAY for those girls, pray for the owner, for the bartenders. This is not the end, this is only a shift of what God has next. We have got to stay faithful together and pray for new opportunities to minister to these lost women. So tonight, I am encouraged knowing that God is good, He is in control, and He still desires to use us if we are willing. I pray that you are all encouraged not to give up hope, but be encouraged to continuously pray for God to be at work in that place.
God works for the good of those who LOVE HIM! Keep loving Him like crazy and be open to where His leading may be parcitucarly in this ministry. Love you girls!! PRAY PRAY PRAY

~Stephanie Crynes