June 4, 2005 Some Life-Place Testimonies
By Petra Luna
Petra Luna with some frends in front of Life-Place in Pickering Street
The community based around Pickering Street, has been a place where drugs, prostitution, and violence have been the norm rather than the exception. Life Place is like a torch to shining in the darkness in the community of Pickering Street. It is a center to reach out to this afflicted population by helping them to find meaning and get insight into what the ‘good’ life is all about. It is also a place for them to rest, ventilate their feelings, concerns, and frustrations. The team from DFL working here give assistance in how to cope with certain issues, primirily the AIDS/HIV epidemic and abuse by their pimps and customers. In addition we also provide counseling services, as well as advocacy, and by linking them to pregnancy crisis intervention programs. Their response has been awesome! Some of them are in the process of rehabilitating. Pimps are also being reached by the gospel of Christ. They appear to be impacted by the good news. The afflictions of these women, who have been victims of abuse, have consequently been stigmatized by society. Some visitors at the regular Tuesday afternoon devotions
These are the words of one of the girls who have left the ‘sex business’ : “I will never go back to that evil life!” (For confidentiality purposes, I will address this person as Ms. P). Ms. P is a twenty-one year old female born and raised in South Africa. She is of English descent, mother of two children and is the second of three siblings. From the age of five to ten, she was raised in a foster home and has a history of being raped by four men. Ms. P is a carrier of the HIV virus. According to her report, she started prostitution at the age of seventeen and was in the business for four years. “Following my mothers footsteps I became a prostitute.” She points out, “I was a drinker and a druggie.” Ms. P discovered alcohol did good things for her. “Firstly, I enjoyed indulging in it. Secondly, it took away my hustle and my stress. It was great and exciting. Booze did marvelous things for me so I drank and continued to drink more and more. Gradually alcohol and drugs started ruining my life.”Ms. P explains that during her prostitution career, part of her fortune was made by 'reapping' customers or “slukking” According to Ms. P, “slukking” is the street term for reaping of johns. “It works like this: A john or customer is soliciting on the street or comes to the club. I would take the customer before or after our private session took place. I would then take a type of a knock-out drug and secretly place it in his drink. He would then fall asleep, which would give me a perfect opportunity to rob him.” However, in spite of Ms. P’s sinful life, a divine intervention from heaven, made the earth move for a woman who flirted with prostitution, crime and drugs. She joyfully states, “I have been through a lot, but thank God for Life Place ministry. It has been my way to salvation. To God be the glory!”
One of the women gave her testimony during a devotion at Life-Place. Here she poses with Petra.
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Doctors For Life International represent more than 1000 medical doctors and specialists; three-quarters of whom practice in South Africa . Doctors For Life was founded as a South African organisation in 1991 and has spread across the globe. DFL is involved in several community projects including orphan care, the care of terminal AIDS patients, malaria prevention and the care of abused women. Please go to: www.doctorsforlifeinternational.com for more information about these projects.
