It was 7:00am on a beautiful day in Vancouver BC, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

We pulled around the back of the church parking lot, ready to start a full day of Executive Training for our urban partners and to wake up the CityConnexx short-term mission team that was sleeping in the basement. Thanks so much for your recent gift that helps make it possible to do these trainings and mission trips.

I was just coming to work, she was just leaving work. The streets were already busy and never sleep for a depressed neighborhood like this.  She was just leaving the front steps of the church after a long night of hard work. 

I was dressed in my work clothes and so was she. But she was more dressed up than I was, I have to admit. I wore jeans and tennis shoes. She wore a tight skirt and high heels. I had a black backpack with my computer. She had a red leather purse with the tools of her trade tucked inside.

I came looking forward to a great day. Her eyes looked sad and tired, like she didn't have a very good one. 

While I had been fast asleep in a warm comfortable bed, she had been walking and probably found a bed or two herself, but not so comfortable.

We have some things in common. We're both working folks, walking the streets. We both have customers. I'm trying to save some from the streets. She's also trying to grab some off the streets, if but for a little while. The difference is my services are free. Not hers. At least she hopes not. But you know how it is. Sometimes you don't get paid for your services and black eyes and broken bones don't count as collateral, just damage.

When she caught my eye, maybe I was just one more prospect. But no, it was quitting time and she looked tired. I'm sure she had no idea about my profession like I did about hers. I don't wear a black robe or a collar, maybe I should. It might have made a difference. She might have turned around to talk or cry. But she just kept passing by.  There we were, a preacher and a prostitute, just going about business.

They're both legal professions in Vancouver BC. Did you know that? I didn't until I asked my host Brian who is the Executive Director of Mission Possible on the Eastside. I was shocked that she could stand in clear view on the front steps of the church, while the police were sitting in their car across the street. Brian and Grant, the Pastor of this church, confirmed that indeed the oldest profession is legal above the border in BC. In fact they went on to tell me that ladies in her shoes are starting to flood the streets and mark their territory in anticipation of all the tourists coming for the Winter Games, and it was only August.

This urban church and ministry does what they can but they are just a few. And what can you do when it's legal. Call the cops? Don't work in this town.

So what can you do? Come to BC on a CityConnexx mission trip this winter for the Games. But don't buy tickets to go to the slopes. Bring some coffee, sandwiches, some love and compassion, stay and pray in the church basement with Brian, Grant, Linda, Kevin, Travis, Darla, and these dear disciples who are doing their part to end addictions and offer transformation and hope that we find in Jesus Christ. See Kevin's story of salvation from the streets of BC at www.youtube.com/cityconnexx.

There's another hidden and forgotten place that prostitution is exploding and it usually involves young teenagers. It's on America's Native American reservations. YouthPartnersNET is doing what it can with gifts from faithful donors like you to help our partners provide safe church based programs as an alternative. Read the story on the next page to find out how your donations are helping kids on the Lakota Reservation where one of our CityConnexx teams just returned from giving their time to serve this summer.

For Him and Them,

Dean Cowles
YouthPartersNET
President

LIVE COMPASSION!

Your Donations at Work:

The Oglala Re-Creation and Worship Center in Pine Ridge, SD reaches out to the children and youth living on the Lakota Reservation, one of America’s poorest Native American reservations.

In addition to providing open gym Monday through Friday for safe, skill based activities, lunches are provided every day during the summer for kids and their parents, and they have the AllStars for Jesus, Royal Rangers and Missionettes programs to share God’s word with these kids on Sunday and throughout the week. Their largest outreach is at Christmas time where AllStars for Jesus perform and the ministry feeds and provides gifts to all that attend. Many in the community are blessed by this one outreach.

The center is also used for tribal meetings, birthday parties, wakes, funerals, yard sales and to bring the community together. YPN is honored to provide this grant for their many outreach programs that serve the children and youth in their community.

Prayer Request:

The ministry has asked that we pray for direction.  They know change needs to take place, but where?  Rather than birthing Ishmael, they will wait for Isaac. 

Also pray for local leaders to be raised up, people that have a heart for God and a heart to win the lost.  Continue to pray for the ministry team, for fresh anointing and strength. And for the church pray for spiritual growth and a deeper revelation of Jesus.  For the community pray that the scales would be removed and they would see Jesus clearly and make a definitive decision to follow Him.