Witnesses To The Work of God
Written By: Stacy Swenson
There was a birthday celebration at Ahava last week - Lizette Marquez, the founder of our organization, No Mas Cuartos Vacios (NMCV), was having a birthday and the girls who live in our safe house called Ahava were so excited to plan a party.
We decided on a pink and purple color scheme, made banners, blew up balloons and the girls prepared a flan cake and meringue candies. The party was scheduled for the evening, so the day was filled with cleaning and preparing for the big event.
Happy nervousness filled the air!
When Lizette arrived for the party, we burst into song! The Happy Birthday song has a version in Spanish that is long and loud and fun - the tiny upstairs apartment kitchen was filled with song and laughter as we celebrated Lizette.
We ate Little Caesars pizza, drank warm Coca-Cola and celebrated together this extraordinary women who started it all.
Lizette and her husband Andres started NMCV 7 years ago to do what they could to help the survivors of commercial sex trafficking and abuse. Now we were standing in the 1 year old Ahava House kitchen - staff and survivors together honoring the legacy God has begun.
There was the sweet young girl who just arrived 3 weeks ago, smiling and laughing and serving everyone food and drink with a beautiful servant heart.
There was a young mama carefully orchestrating the events - her heart overflowing with thanks for the safe house that shields herself and her kids from the looming danger of the cartel she escaped from.
There was the amazing Christian nurse on staff at Ahava, surprised and overwhelmed by the love Jesus had put in her heart for the girls in her care.
There was another young mama, pregnant and with a precious one year old on her lap, who quietly gazed at all the festivities - in awe of the happiness shared while the shadow of her own future hung heavy in her mind.
There was the patient psychologist who selflessly guides us all through these dark roads of recovery. There was the gentle and kind house manager affecionately called “Abuelo” whose eyes shine with admiration and love for these young survivors.
There were 6 crazy, active kids under foot - filling the steamy air with shouts of laughter and fun. And there were the three of us in administration: Diana, Lizette and I.
After Lizette blew out her candles, she graciously listened as each one talked about their personal blessings that had come through her obedience to the voice of God. We heard,
“I now have the light of a new life in front of me.”
and,
“Through Ahava, God has shown me a new level of love.”
and
“I am no longer a slave.”
What an honor to be in that hot little kitchen, in an obscure dark corner of Tijuana Mexico that night. The love, the words, the laughter, the hugs, the tears - they all pointed to God and His work.
For my whole life I have shuddered at the tales of sex trafficking. I used to cover my ears and leave the room when someone would retell a horror story they heard about a girl being stolen and forced into prostitution. Now I find myself in the middle of it all - and I am strong and brave.
The change of heart came when God called me to the streets of Tijuana and said
“I want you to be a mother, a grandmother, to those who don’t have one.”
I obeyed and now I get to be a witness to the miraculous love and power of Jesus Christ in the face of the darkest evil. He is using our Ahava House to bind the brokenhearted and set the captives free. (Isaiah 61)
*All photographs are stock images to protect the privacy of the families
