Project Hope
![The Project Hope postcard [new window]](/foto.php?foto=church-programmes/images/project-hope.jpg&popis=The Project Hope postcard)
Project HOPE is an international ministry which exists to bring hope and a future to women in prostitution through:
- unconditional love
- the embrace of prayer
- the Good News of Jesus Christ
- and viable alternatives to current lifestyles
Project HOPE is based in Prague, Czech Republic and attached to SVCC. The women Project HOPE has had contact with thus far are from the country of Bulgaria and are from the Roma (or Gypsy) people. The Roma make up 6% of the Bulgarian population of 9 million people. Economic conditions in Bulgaria are quite difficult at this time. Unemployment affects an estimated 14.5% of the general population in Bulgaria, but in the Roma communities the figure ranges much higher, from 60 - 90%.
The women are working to support their children and elderly relatives in Bulgaria. Many of the women were brought into Prague, thinking they would be getting a good job, though some did come knowing the work they would do. All the women live in fear: fear of physical violence; fear of their families discovering the work they are doing; fear of spiritual separation from God.
The workers of Project HOPE go into the streets to meet the women where they're at; where they're at physically, emotionally and spiritually. We seek to share the redeeming and unconditional love of God by greeting them with smiles and hugs; by laughing with them and crying with them; and by inviting them into our homes and into our hearts. We embrace them in prayer and share their concerns for their families and their futures. We share the Good News of Jesus Christ and are enriched by their stories of God's work in their lives. And we seek to share viable alternatives, by offering training and support for creating long-term alternate income.
Please pray with us that we would be faithful to the doors God is opening for this ministry in Christ's service.
Project HOPE
- Lauran Bethell - Project Consultant
- Susan Linderman - Coordinator of Communication and Administration
- Simon Vlechkov - Coordinator of Networking
Contact Project HOPE at: ProjectHOPE@pobox.com
SVCC and PROJECT HOPE
Project Hope has SVCC as its spiritual home. The church provides a place of encouragement and prayer support. The Project was started by members of SVCC and Project Hope is linked to the mission of the church.
SVCC is committed to:
- Consistently support the Project in prayer.
- Warmly welcome into its community, anyone who would come to church through the ministry of the Project.
- Allowing Project Hope to solicit volunteers from its membership, who would then be trained by the Project Hope staff.
- Allowing Project Hope to request funds. (The church is not responsible for the funding of the Project. The primary source of funds is from external sources, raised by the staff.)