From Darkness to Light

Often new volunteers go out withSenior agapeTeams.Usually these newcomers are a bit apprehensive about walking the streets downtown and sometime it takes a lot of prayer for them to summon the courage. Most often this changes after the first night. One night two new guys were with us, quite excited about gathering material for a documentary. We set out in the pouring rain but saw only two girls after sizx blocks. The third girl we came upon, Carmen was sobbing systerically. I held her and tried to find out what had happened. I suppose that she had been rraped, as is often the case. As I held her and waited until she could talk she kept repeating, "I've done it again!" What Carmen?, I asked. Through her broken hearted sobs she said she's been "clean" for a month and she had messed up and been using cocaine the past 3 days. She said she was scared because she just wanted todie. She was afraid taht she would kill herself. Only 18, and she had tried to take her life before. She eventually told us that she had received $100 to buy groceries for her mom and she had spent it all on dope. As we talked she moved to the 'hitchhiking' stance in order to get a 'date'. I said we would take her home to White Rock, She began to cry again ansd said she couldn't go home until she'd made the money to pay her mom back as she'd told her nto to come home if she messed up again. I said, "Carmen, what if the next guy that picks you up decides that you are going to be the next girl to go missing? do you think your mom would rather have you back without the $100 or not have you back at all?" Carment looked at me closely for a moment and in a very small voice said, "Would you really take me home?" The fil crew had a very short experience that night. We had an awesome one!

We walked back to our place, gathered groceries to replace the ones that never got to Carmen's mom, drove her home and had the blessing of seeing themreunited and praying with them! A few days later Carmen was on her way to the Recovery House we'd recommended. Please pray for her!