Overview of Eden Women’s Ministry Eden Women’s Ministry is a Christian ministry to the prostitutes of China. EWM has been walking the streets of China’s red light districts since 2003.
Many of the women we reach out to have been misled into prostitution or had been trafficked into our town through organized crime syndicate. Others leave their villages in search of a job in the big cities of China, hoping to bring in an income for their poverty stricken family. These women find that job opportunities available to them are few due to their limited education. The lure of a high salary and easy work, with no educational requirements, turn many of these women to prostitution. At EWM, we seek to bring hope to these women living in hopelessness. We believe in a holistic approach to helping the women – serving their needs through body, soul and spirit. At Eden, we have established a number of programs to meet different needs of each individual woman. As unique as our Father has created us, each lady comes to us with a special set of needs. We strive to minister to each lady’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs through our medical clinic, shelters and alternative career training programs. Currently, Eden has both foreign volunteer staff and local indigenous staff. We hope to replicate the Eden ministry model throughout major cities. EWM programs include:Jewelry MakingJewelry making is an extension of our alternative vocational training. The great need of the women to earn money – to supplement the income of a poverty stricken family, to put a child or brother through school or for personal survival – prompted us to find alternative ways for the ladies to make money. Jewelry making is a lucrative alternative source of income for the ladies. Many ladies have left prostitution to join us in this new venture. Street Walking Our EWM volunteer are regularly on the streets prayer walking the red light district of their city. We visit brothels and sit and drink tea with brothel owners and their ladies, taking this opportunity to build trust and friendship with the women in the brothel. We also talk about our clinical services, the dangers of their profession and offer them hope and a new start in their young lives at our shelters. ShelterEWM has setup supervised apartments in red light districts to serve as shelters. Women who are ready to leave prostitution can get free room and board at these apartments. At the shelters, the women learn life-skills and train for a new career. Trained counselors are on site at the shelter working with the women to help them get through prior emotional hurts and grow spiritually in Christ. Each day at the shelters, the women are immersed in the Word of the Lord. Prayer and worship is interwoven into their daily routine as well as discipleship and mentoring. Medical ClinicWith the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS and other STDs in China, EWM found it important to educate the women on safe sex and about common sexually transmitted disease. We also offer crisis pregnancy counseling. As part of our holistic approach to reaching the women, we offer the women free medical check-ups and treatments. This often is a bridge to a deeper relationship with the ladies. Prison MinistryThe prostitute prison ministry evolved from a couple of prison visits taken by a few of our local nationals. Now women led by local EWM ladies visit the prison weekly bringing food and toiletries while sharing the hope and joy in Jesus Christ. Women upon release from the prison can now go to EWM’s shelters to re-build their lives and train for a new career. |