Last week I had the opportunity to hear the founder of
Eve's Angels share her story and how Eve's Angels ministers to women in the sex industry. Anny Donewald came from a normal Midwest middle class family. While attending college in Michigan she was introduced to an older crowd who always seemed to have a lot of money. A lot more money than she had access to while being a college student and working as a waitress. They would hang out and their lifestyle of having money appealed to her. She called this "the conditioning." Before long they suggested that she become an exotic dancer where she could earn the kind of money that they did. She accepted the offer and was quickly sucked into a subculture with rules all its own and no way to get out. Exotic dancing eventually turned into prostitution.
Like many young girls in these situations she turned to drugs and alcohol in order to cope. In her testimony Anny described how she wanted to get out of that life. She attempted several times. She would get cleaned up from the drugs and alcohol, but was still empty on the inside. She was conditioned to the amount of money that could be made in the industry and would return to that lifestyle feeling she had no other choice. She explained that her attempts to get out did not work because she was trying to be her own savior. She needed to recognize Jesus as her savior and let the love of Christ fill that empty feeling inside her.
From Anny's website:
Upon becoming pregnant with her second child and contemplating another
abortion, Anny sought spiritual guidance. With nothing to lose and searching
for options, she prayed a simple prayer asking for God’s help. That’s when God
stepped in with the miraculous: Anny made five different appointments that all,
through different circumstances, got cancelled. Anny had a son. A month after
his birth, a bible scripture reference popped in her head, “Matthew 4:16″.
Having no previous knowledge of the bible, she found it and read, “Those who sat
in darkness have seen a great Light.” Less than twenty-four hours later, she
received the Revelation that Jesus was her Savior. She was Born Again.
At the age of 30, Anny diligently sought the Lord for her life’s purpose.
After a five-day fast, she knew that she would start a ministry that would help
other women like herself come to know that Jesus loves them, no matter where
they’re at and what they do. This ministry would eventually cater to women who,
in times of trouble, feel like they have nowhere else to turn. Eve’s Angels
was subsequently founded.
God's word is powerful. One verse changed her life. She came out of the darkness of that empty culture and into the light of the hope of Jesus Christ! And now she has devoted her life to showing the love of Jesus to women in the sex industry.
Eve's Angels began with bible studies in Grand Rapids, MI for women leaving the industry. They now have chapters in Lansing, MI; Orland Park, IL; Detroit, MI and Chicago, IL. Along with the bible studies they also go into the local strip clubs and minister to the girls. They deliver care packages that include a Bible, lip gloss, candy and Eve's Angels information. They are available to prayer with the girls and let them feel love.
I was moved by Anny's story. I think it resonates because it shows that it can happen to anyone. Even someone from a normal middle class family. Education is half the battle. Young women need to be educated and aware of the lies and the lures that can be used. We need to clear up the misconception that girls are stripping or prostituting because they choose to. While that is sometimes the case, often times they are forced into it. Or they may start into it by choice, but are quickly lured into sex trafficking with no way out.
“They told me I was going to have to work at a strip
club. They forced me to work six days a week for twelve hours a day. I could
not refuse to go to work or I would be beaten. I had to hand over all of my
money to [them]. I was often yelled at for not making enough money or had a gun
put to my face. Every week I handed over around $3,000 to $4,000 to [them]. I
was their slave.”
– 'Katya', a trafficking survivor
from Ukraine.
Source: Polaris Project
"Locations, such as truck stops, strip clubs, massage parlors, and cheap motels,
are havens for prostitutes forced into sex trafficking. Many massage parlors and strip clubs
that engage in sex trafficking will have cramped living quarters where
the victims are forced to stay."
Source: Information for Patrol officers FBI website
"Nick invited her to visit him in Seattle, and when she saw his chromed-out
Mercedes and stately Victorian house, she felt she had wandered into a dream.
When her family adamantly told her she could not spend the night with him, he
told her to break her ties with them and move into his spare room. He also
suggested she could attend college while doing a little work on the side. Why
not try dancing in a club?, Nick asked, adding that his former girlfriend did
that and made "tons of money doing little work."
Within hours, Nick had taken Brianna to get an entertainer's license, helped
her choose her stripper's outfit, and led her to a strip club. There he warned
her not to make eye contact with certain men. She later learned this was to keep
her from becoming the property of another pimp. During her second night in
Seattle, she took the stage at a strip club for the first time, all the while
telling herself that even though she was naked, she would have her clothes on in
a matter of minutes. She did this for three consecutive nights, working seven
hours on the last and pulling in $850—a big change from the $85 she made on her
best night ever at the diner.
Sensing her potential, Nick offered to take her on a trip to Arizona and
Nevada, where Brianna most likely would have been completely cut off from her
friends and family and disappeared into forced prostitution."
To read more about the misconceptions here are some great articles:
Addressing Misconceptions about Stripping
Addressing Misconceptions about Prostitution
