The Unexpected of Field’s Avenue
If you’ve never heard of Field’s Avenue, please, stop and add it to your prayer list RIGHT now.
I left Field’s Avenue differently than when I had entered.
Back Story:
Ayame (Co-Founder of Pivot | Faith & Valor) and I headed to the Philippines for a mission’s trip on October 14, 2023. As the new Safe House Developer for Pivot | Faith & Valor (OUR MISSION: We exist to Pivot Women and Children Globally from Sexual Slavery and Exploitation to Freedom), this would be an amazing opportunity to see first-hand how our partners at Wipe Every Tear have created an amazing program, how their safe house was established and currently managed. We met with the staff and chatted for hours, learning the ins and outs of their operation.
It’s incredible to learn from a team that has been very successful and gives it all to God!
In the evening we headed to their new house which they’ve been blessed with and were able to purchase for the first time in 12 years! Talk about a huge blessing and miracle! Everyone sat around the large common area and began introducing themselves one at a time. Each girl / woman would say her name, age, how long she’d been in the program and what she studied or what she was currently studying!
An applause filled the room as each girl completed her introduction.
I couldn’t t help but be amazed by EVERY! SINGLE! PERSON! in the room. I mean, wow! To just sit in awe of the wonderful mercies of God and to witness firsthand the transformation each one allowed Him to make in their own lives. I just don’t have the words to even express how incredible it was to experience that. We worshipped, had dinner, said our goodbyes, and headed out.
I only hope I can return one day to see their progress and just stop by to say hello!
BACK TO FIELDS AVENUE…
Several people had told me about this place, and I mean, to be honest it’s quite famous; a simple google search will provide you with more information than you’ll ever want to know. This place is dark, sad, and VERY broken from all aspects. The amount of people trapped in darkness will blow your mind and break heart.
Now, although a lot of information had been shared with me about Fields Avenue, I never expected it to be on THAT scale. It’s hard to hear “you’ll see thousands of girls trapped in the sex industry” and imagine seeing that number in your head.
YOU CAN’T!
Then, you’re there and you understand what you’ve been told.
Wipe Every Tear has been blessed with an amazing church in Angeles City that is involved with multiple ministries throughout the city. One of those ministries includes a meal outreach program, where the kitchen staff from the church prepares hundreds of meals, 5 days a week to pass out to bar girls, freelance girls and the homeless. Side note: Pivot | Faith & Valor has been able to help support this ministry through their foundation as well! Ayame and I helped pack up the meals for the evening we’d be doing outreach with the team.
Walking through Fields Ave, passing out meals and cards, the girl’s faces just lit up with gratitude! There was one freelance girl I’ll never forget - she came over, introduced herself by name, gave me a hug and told me thank you. She was literally all smiles.
After all the meals had been distributed, we headed back to one of the bars and asked if we could go in.
WE DID!
We were then told to choose a girl. I chose one of the girls who seemed timid and body language screamed she didn’t want to be there. She looked so young (let’s call her Suzy, for privacy’s sake). Suzy said she was 18 but looked much younger, she was so tiny. We sat and talked with Suzy for a while, about things she likes, dislikes, her family, what she wants to study…
She has a cat, and she likes to paint…
She’d been there for JUST one week and said she did not want to work there. Sigh.
(my heart aches just typing that out)
Our conversation came to an end, we told her about the safe house in the Philippines where she could live for FREE, where she can get an education, have support, community and be surrounded by people that will love her. We gave her a card and told her to call anytime she’d like; the doors are open!
I asked if we could pray with her before we left (of course we’re not supposed to do this) so we prayed with our eyes open like we were having a conversation with her.
We hugged her and told her goodbye.
I teared up a little as our outreach team left the bar.
Questions flooded my mind:
Will I see her again?
Will she reach out and head to the safe house?
Will she be able to set the dark thoughts aside for a few moments to consider this opportunity?
Will she listen when God calls her?
I DON’T KNOW…
What I do know…
I WILL pray for her by name EVERY DAY.
I WILL think about her EVERY DAY.
When I say, “I left Field’s Avenue differently than when I had entered.”
It’s because I did.
Going to the house and meeting so many girls that have been restored JUST the day before was eye opening. So often, we get caught up in the everyday of life and let things get to us, often wondering if God can do something and if He will. He CAN change our hearts, He CAN change our spouse’s heart, He CAN heal the broken, He CAN remove the darkness and pain!
WHO AM I?
Who am I to question what He can or can’t do?
He CAN change ANYONE, ANYTHING at ANYTIME in HIS TIMING!
Seeing their transformation reassured me of this 100%
This was the unexpected of Field’s Avenue:
I left Field’s Avenue believing this a lot more than when I had entered.
PS. I am forever grateful and blessed for the opportunity and experience that God provided through PIVOT and Wipe Every Tear with traveling to the Philippines. I know our journey with PIVOT and developing our safe house in Colombia will not be easy BUT bring on 2024!
GOD’S GOT THIS!
Written By: Katie-lyn Smith
