A Team Update

 NOTE: We are not allowed to use the names of the places or the people that we speak to - so we use the initials.

Tonight was an exciting night at the club. We had the privilege of having Miss Judy going with us and she jumped in with both feet. She and Lisa were able to speak to a man named "M" who has met them before and seems receptive to the cause. They were also able to speak to a few ladies. One is "K" and another "D" both of which their mothers are either hospitalized or very sick. They asked for prayers in that respect. Also, "D" has applied for another job (NOT stripping) but factory work and we pray that God grants favor for that.

The club seemed a bit more busy tonight than it has in the past few weeks. Perhaps it is because there were new girls dancing. While we were there, there were 5 new girls that came in to work as tonight was there first night to work.

We did not see "M" there this evening. We spoke to "M" the first time we went in and haven't seen her since. We pray that she has been able to quit and follow a dream. We did see "Kr" from the first time, didn't get a chance to talk to her tonight.

A special note, before Judy and Lisa went inside we prayed a hedge of protection, and that we were believing great things to happen and connections would be made. About 15 minutes before the ladies came out of the club, Peggy and I were praying that the stronghold be broken, spirits be bound and loosened, and as we finished our prayer, Peggy and I saw a double rainbow just off in the distance. We believe that it is God's promise.

Thank you again for all of your support and prayers today and the weeks to come.

            ~Kim

Passing Out Gifts

Hi Everyone!

 We are rejoicing today!

We walked in to club #3, where we were not allowed to stay last week, and were told where to stand to hand out our gift bags! What a miracle!

Not many girls were there this early, but they were busy. Deception and darkness filled the room, yet the peace and hope we have in Jesus compels us to share hope with these, He died for. We met several ladies and one has been on many mission trips and is the daughter of missionaries. We pray this head knowledge of Jesus will soon become a heart change.

Another young lady hates stripping and is planning to move in October and leave the sex industry.

As we walked out, the one who had stopped us last week, was walking in. God's timing....

Another team took gift bags to club #1. The girls were grateful and perplexed. The team explained that Jesus had sent them and that there are people who love them. After speaking briefly to two ladies from last week, they went to the dressing room and four new ladies opened up and shared their stories. These girl come from many different backgrounds, but they all have the commonness of pain and brokenness. After a time of prayer, one dancer said with tears in her eyes, she had been there sixteen years and no one had ever prayed with them in the club.

God is at work! Thank you for your prayers! We need them! It is an honor to serve Jesus and be His lights in darkness!

~Becky

Shop.com :: A Way To Grow Light In Darkness Ministry

Dear Friends,

Light in Darkness has just been given a great opportunity!  We are now part of an online shopping network!  Over TWO HUNDRED major store chains including Walmart, JCPenny, Best Buy, Apple, and Home Depot are in partnership.

When you make a purchase using this link: www.shop.com/lightindarkness,

our ministry receives royalties and you earn up to 35 cash back on qualified purchases!  You also earn 0.5 % cash back on the purchases of everyone you refer to the shopping website. 

Its a WIN/WIN!  You get the convenience of shopping online, and You will be helping Light In Darkness Ministry!

Here is what I am asking you to do.

1.  Go to www.shop.com/lightindarkness and create an account.  Use this site for your online shopping!  Every time you make a purchase from this shopping network- Light in Darkness will receive a small royalty.

2.  Forward this information to all your friends, light in darkness team members, prayer partners, church family, facebook friends, work associates, etc!  Help me get the word out to hundreds of people!  All those small royalties can soon add up to significant donations if we work together to get lots and lots of customers!

3.  Ask all those you email to also ask the people in their circles to do the same and hundreds more will have the opportunity to get reduced prices through shopping on line and at the same time- be helping a great non-profit charity- Light in Darkness Ministry!

Our Shop Representative is a dear Christian lady who heard me speak at a church.  The Holy Spirit directed her to ask me to be our representative in order to make this happen.  She feels so strongly about this- we are the only charity she is choosing to represent! 

 Thank you so very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Carolyn

Divine Appointments

Dear Friends,

We had a unique divine appointment this past week.  A girl was crying in the dressing room of a club and another girl told her, “Come and talk to these nice ladies.  They will help you and pray with you!” She was crying because her boyfriend had just gotten out of prison and then 9 days later had overdosed on heroin!  Now he is in a coma-like state but they know he can hear because he can sometimes respond with blinks and has startled reactions to noises. I asked her if I could visit him and tell him how to be ready to meet the Lord.  She agreed!

One of the ladies on the team, an OMS missionary named Paula Leasure, went to see him with me.  He was staring at the ceiling but when Paula began to speak to him he turned his eyes right on her face!  The whole time we spoke to him he looked intently into our eyes.  That assured us that he could hear.

Paula prayed for his healing and anointed him with oil as she prayed.  I took him through the plan of salvation using verses from Romans and John 3:16.  I explained how to be saved and what that would mean for him in eternity.  Then I asked him to pray with me and I took him through what is often called a “sinners prayer.” 

After every sentence in the prayer I would encourage him and say, “Now you repeat that in your heart to the Lord!  He can hear your thoughts!”  

I kept my eyes shut during the prayer so I didn’t know what had happened!

However, my friend Paula told me right after we left his room, that during the prayer, the young man had teared up!  This gave us such encouragement that this was indeed a divine appointment!  We believe that he was hearing and trusting Christ for salvation during that prayer. 

The prayers that you pray for us result in these divine appointments in the clubs.  This time it wasn’t one of the girls- but the Lord used a girl in the sex industry to connect us to this young man who needed an opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel.  This may have been his last chance to receive Jesus!  God brings us to Persons of Peace, as they are called in Luke 10, who are ready to receive the message.   I am so thankful that God connected me to YOU so this ministry could be possible!

Your missionary,
Carolyn Knight and the Teams

Thanksgiving Gift Bags

Getting bags ready to take into PTs was such a joy this past week. Mary Sue, Tamara, Bekah and I met up in the parking lot to add Waterline cards and some beautiful paintings to the bags before sending them in on Wednesday.

As we looked through the things we'd assembled we all kept saying how much we'd like to get a little gift like this! That sounds silly, but it's important.  That spoke to me. See, one of my own top love languages is gifts. If I got a gift like this from someone I would feel extremely loved and in giving it I'm telling someone how loved they are.

We laid hands on and prayed over each of the bags and prayed specific prayers for the girls who would receive them. Tamara had painted one teeny canvas with a beautiful little girl wearing a tutu. The girl had her hair in a long brown braid down her back. Tamara was specifically burdened for the girl who would receive this painting. Once the bags were tied closed we didn't know which was which and just prayed God would get it to the girl it was meant for. Later inside Tamara got to see the girl who opened it. This brown-haired dancer is now marked for a blessing!

On entering the club our usual friend A was not there taking the money. We continue to pray for A's salvation though. I have been especially burdened for him and pray that God continues to pursue him and send laborers to him. Though I've never been in the club and never met him, as Mary Sue says, I feel sure one day I'll walk right up to him on the streets of gold and hug his neck! I'm believing God for that.

Anyhow. The gentleman who was taking the money was nice, though he looked at Tamara and Bekah as if he thought they were just a little crazy. He called the manager over to show them the dressing rooms. (He also didn't charge them the usual cover; which was a specific prayer request we prayed before going in! Just a little wink from God!) The manager was friendly and smiled while he shook Tamara's hand. Our girls were escorted right back to the dressing rooms and went right in! This guy knows us now and we know who he is and he knows why we're there. To me this is a victory! We have been praying for him for months. From the car we specifically call out the management and ask The Lord for favor with them and we ask Him for their souls. He's beginning to answer those prayers!

We were earlier than usual so there weren't that many girls yet. On entering the dressing room one of the dancers recognized Bekah and Tamara and said "Oh! Let me go tell A you're here!" If you've been reading our updates you know A is one of "our" ladies now. A is a waitress we've been speaking to from almost the beginning. The last several weeks have felt a little more like we're making progress. This week A walked up to our girls and began talking to them about her kids and their Christmas.

"See! This is what I'm talking about!!!" A exclaimed as she walked into the dressing room waving a $100 bill. "I felt like God was telling me He didn't want me to dance for Christmas money this year so I'm just waiting tables. I just got this $100 tip for no reason!"
God is so good! He is pursuing A hard core!

A's grandfather passed away this week. The conversations they had in the time before his passing were those of reconciliation and love. Her grandfather's last requests to her were to plead with her to go back to church. That we know of A has gone for the last 2 Sundays in a row and has found a place she likes. She told Bekah that the weirdest thing for her was that "they don't use the King James Bible!"

We did not see V this week because she's working a different shift now. But Carolyn has been in regular contact with her. The foundation of that relationship is being strengthened and built upon. Pray The Lord continues to soften both A and V's hearts and we continue to see Him working in them.

Our specific requests from the past week are really that God would allow us to reach more girls through these gifts and begin to build new relationships. We're praying that the blessing of receiving a gift bag wouldn't have stopped that day, but they would constantly be blessed by it and reminded of God's love for them by the paintings and scriptures on them. That they would realize and be reminded of their beauty, worth and value by the lovely teacups they received. And that they would trust us more and reach out to us through the notes we wrote and the invitation to take them out for coffee or lunch sometime.

I cannot express how proud I am of this team. Bekah and Tamara may have been nervous to walk into that dressing room on their own, but it was clear that they weren't alone. They allowed God to work through them, they used His words, and were His hands and feet! Their faces shone with His joy and were bright with the light of His gospel. If I, who know them and know Jesus, am absolutely dazzled by this look on their faces when they return to the car, how much more brightly must it shine in the darkness of the club?!

~Tina

Jesus Loves You

 

 

Tonight, we felt the Lord strongly directing us to go into a particular club and tell someone there that Jesus loves them. My teammate, Paula, said she was overflowing with excitement and joy with the Lord's confirmation in her heart, so much so that she almost called me at 6:30 in the morning to tell me. I LOVE this woman!!!

At around 8:25 pm, we went into the club and were not charged a cover. Several older folks were behind the bar along with a few young people sitting at the bar itself. They warmly welcomed us and we took a table in the back. While walking to the back, we were greeted by the girls already working. 

 

Within a few minutes, "La" came to our table. She was very petite with glasses and long brown hair. She easily opened up about her life, stating she had gone to JVS. She started stripping in 2009. She had three children, but her son drowned in the Ohio River in 2010 along with his grandfather. Her 2 remaining children, both girls, were aged 3 and 4. She lit up when she talked about them. She stated her mom and dad watch them while she's working. She would do anything for them. I looked up at her it meant "light". It was her turn to dance and she started to leave our table when another girl (a very tall blonde) knelt down by us to say hello. Paula quickly took the opportunity and grabbed their hands. She told them that while having her devotions that morning, The Lord told her to tell the girls tonight that Jesus loves them. They both smiled, and the one kneeling said, "Oh, I'm a Christian, I go to church every Sunday!"

 

"La" found her customer while dancing and did not return that night. Next time. She's a marked woman now. Please pray for "La" and her 2 girls.

Several girls talked to us while going back to the dressing/restroom areas. The bartender (and older gray-haired man with a heavy mustache) came over and got us a couple sodas, only charging us for one.

 

It was so sad to see the older, married gentleman sitting at the stage. I wondered what he would tell his wife where he had been that evening. We prayed for heavy conviction upon this man. He didn't stay the whole time we were there. 

 

As we prayed, another girl, "Li" came to us, quickly hugging us and made small talk. She was the most petite and possible the youngest in the place. She could not have been more than 18 or 19 with long brown hair and dark eyes. Please pray for her.

The next girl to pull up a chair gave us her stage name, but would end up telling us her real name. She said she doesn't give it out because all of her family were Christian and they would die if they knew she was in here doing this. She came across someone cocky and closed. She did tell us that she had two children and had to do what she had to do to take care of her babies. She would be headed to Walmart after work to pick up diapers. She has only been stripping for one week. She seemed, at the least, a bit high. She stated she had been to a lot of interviews but couldn't get a job because of the tattoo on her neck, which was very obvious. She wants to go to nursing school. Please pray for "P".

 

Another tall young blonde greeted us and thanked us for coming in.

 

During this time, more men began to arrive. It was interesting to us that many of them came in with hoodies on....tightened hoodies. Not much of their faces were showing when they walked in. Most of the men coming in looked to be middle-aged.

 

The last girl to greet us was also quite young. Again, long brown hair and dark eyes. She was very sweet and seemed a bit embarrassed to talk to us. Told us her real name and that she had been working for one month. "S" told us she had never stripped before this job. She just walked in and asked to apply for a job. The owner, a woman, told her she was beautiful and she was hired. Just like that! She couldn't believe it. They taught her what to do and how to do it. She needed to take care of her 9 month old baby girl and the money was pretty good.

 

She really started to feel comfortable talking to us and told us the owner of the club had died and now a woman was the owner. When asking her what she wanted to do with her life, she told us she wanted to go to Culinary school. Well, lo and behold....Paula's son is a chef! The conversation went on from there quite easily as you can imagine. Paula stated that she would talk to her son about work/education and also told her about church. "S" said she would be interested in coming to church and asked for directions. PTL! Paula gave her number to "S" and told her to call. "S" said her little girl loves music and she would love for her to hear a choir. Pray the Lord leads her to church tomorrow. Please pray for "S".

 

More girls had gathered around us as we rose to leave, and hugging us, they thanked us for coming. There seemed to be a real family feel amongst the girls. They were really watching out for each other.

 One tall blonde walked Paula to the outside step.....wanted to make sure she didn't fall.

 

We came away rejoicing for the breakthroughs in conversation and the doors that were opened. The prayer makes the difference...of this I can be sure. Doors have been opened. Territory has been claimed. Pray on........pray on.

 

Thank you again for sacrificing.......being inconvenienced........stepping forward. .......going to battle.

 

We are in active duty. We will wait for our next set of orders from the Lord.

 

In His Service,

Kim

 

 

She Cried, "Yes!"

 
Here at ICF, our outreach team met for a wonderful time of prayer before heading out to one of our clubs. Carolyn and I went into our club. We rejoice that business continues to be slow, though there were more customers tonight than there have been for the past few weeks. We prayed tonight, and ask you to join us in this prayer, that God would send Christian men, friends or family members across the paths of these men, who would speak truth of God's word into their lives.

There has been a lot of turnover with the dancers. Hardly any of the regulars that we used to see often are working at the club anymore. Because business is slow, not as many girls work at a time. Last week, there were only three. Our prayer is that business dwindles to nothing, that the club has to close, and that a business that brings glory to God and blesses people would take its place!

As always, we were not charged a cover charge. 'M', the waitress, was very attentive, making sure we got our drinks (water and Sprite) at no charge and accepted no tips. 'P', the new doorman our team met last week, came right up to our table as soon as we sat down and talked to Carolyn. Please pray for this young man who lost his parents at a young age, that he would come to know The Lord as his Father and Savior.

We began to think that 'M' and 'P' were the only ones we would speak to. With so few girls working and so many customers, we didn't think any of the girls would have time to talk to us. Then 'D' stopped by our table after her turn on the stage, and after learning why we were there, she reached for our hands and cried yes and said she definitely wanted to pray with us. She poured out a story of unbelievable pain. In the recent past, she has had several members die, including two brothers that were shot a year apart on the same day. Her mother died three weeks ago and then her dog was hit on the road in front of her house. She cried as we prayed for her. She told that she was raised in church and "knew the Bible backwards and forwards".

After we prayed, she had to return to the stage. As soon as she was finished with her set we thought she would go to one of the customers or to the dressing room, but she came straight back to our table. She said she had no excuses to offer. She knew that she should not be working in this place, that it was her second night dancing, that she had come because her daughter was about to have her electricity shut off, so she was trying to make money to help her pay her bill. She said that she had asked The Lord for a sign that He was still there for her in the midst of all her pain and trails, and that she knew He had answered her be sending us (and, of course, we told her we agreed!). We talked to her about jobs she had worked at in the past and encouraged her to seeks jobs like those again. We also told her we would help her look for a job. She gladly gave bother Carolyn and I her contact information. Please pray that "D" will respond as we attempt to communicate with her. Pray that she would allow God to understand the truth in HIs word and that she would get another job.

As always, we give thanks and praise to The Lord who is able to do abundantly more than we think or even ask for.

In Him.
Suzie