Vineyard Spotlight: “Punching Holes in the Darkness,” Grafton Vineyard(WI) and Rahab Foundation

“Punching Holes in the Darkness”

VJN invited Adam T. Arn to share about the journey he and his church have been on with Rahab Foundation, an anti-trafficking ministry in Costa Rica. Adam is Associate Pastor at the Vineyard Community Church in Grafton, Wisconsin.  He has his MA from Marquette University and lives in Grafton, Wisconsin with his fabulous wife Kat and their two wondrous children.

In his poem “The Lamplighter,” Robert Louis Stevenson reflects on a very powerful memory he had growing up in Edinburgh, Scotland. On winter nights he would often watch the village lamplighter making his rounds, lighting the street lamps one by one. Stevenson watched him as he climbed his ladder at each post, leaving a warm glow behind, and on one particular occasion he supposedly remarked:

“Look, there is one who punches holes in the darkness.”

Darkness. What an apt description for the experience that millions of victims of human trafficking endure on a daily basis. Whether forced into sex or labor, traffickers often prey on the most vulnerable. Many victims are lured through the promise of a better job. Others are kidnapped by strangers; or worse, betrayed by family. And for some, it appears the only option they have for escaping violence and abuse at home or a seemingly insurmountable financial debt. So very dark are the streets they walk at night. But there is one who punches holes in this darkness. She is not the only one. There are many like her, working tirelessly to kindle lamps of mercy for each victim they meet and light a path for justice so others won’t fall prey. Her name is Mariliana Morales, director of Rahab Foundation, a ministry based in San Jose, Costa Rica, that exists to bring healing to individuals and families involved in human trafficking and the commercial sex trade.

“Look, there is one who punches holes in the darkness.”

Like the day Mariliana stopped by work to pick up some papers she left in the office and found the phone ringing. When she answered she heard a voice crying out for help. The voice was of a young woman who had been sold into sexual slavery at the age of four; an entire life lived under a dark veil of indignity and shame. Some days she was forced to see as many as a hundred men. On one occasion, after refusing a customer, she was beaten with a baseball bat. She later found herself lying in a hospital bed contemplating suicide. Then, perhaps thinking that she had nothing left to lose, she asked God for help and he answered her prayer with a vision. She saw the words, “Look for Rahab Foundation.” She had no idea what that meant, but with a nurse’s help, she found a phone number and called. That’s when she met Mariliana. Bruised and bandaged, but wrapped in the warm light of God’s love, she was invited into her home. With a clean bed, fresh flowers in her room, and the hope of a life lived with bright dignity and grace, she was given the support and skills needed to find healing and to pursue a new path in life. (This story has been adapted from a version told in Philip Yancey’s Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 224-25.)

“Look, there is one who punches holes in the darkness.”

Stories such as these have been repeated a thousand times over. Through the work of Rahab Foundation and the support and partnership of churches like ours, Mariliana and her team have been working to provide hope to the victims of Costa Rica’s sex trade since 1997. The foundation has evolved over the years from simply street ministry for prostitutes to a comprehensive approach that includes rescue, restoration, and reintegration into society. In a safe and caring environment, men and women are able to receive vocational training such as sewing, baking, and computer technology. Scholarships are provided for education, and childcare is available for single moms. Most of all, through the good news of Jesus Christ, they are enabled to discover their True Self as a son or daughter of the living God, and they are empowered by grace to walk into the future with faith, hope, and love.

“Look, there is one who punches holes in the darkness.”

Such great mercy has also been coupled with a passion for justice, leading to important work involving prevention through public education, training Municipal Police, and working closely with the Judicial Investigation Department to combat human trafficking. In addition, Rahab Foundation is now sought after by other countries to help them replicate what Mariliana is doing in Costa Rica. For instance, they are opening several branches in major cities throughout Brazil, specifically targeting human trafficking during the upcoming Rio Olympics in 2016. Because of this expansion, Rahab Foundation is now registered in the state of Wisconsin under the name Rahab Global. It’s an exciting development that has the potential of increasing their impact exponentially. Robert Louis Stevenson would go on to write in his poem:

 “But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I’m to do,

… I’ll go round at night and light the lamps with you!”

Those of us who have gotten to know Mariliana and watched the work that she and her team do could have easily written the same thing about our desire to partner with her. And so rooted in that desire, congregations like ours have had the great pleasure of supporting Rahab Foundation financially, prayerfully, and by sending teams to Costa Rica to help where needed. I encourage you to join us, whether with Rahab or one of the other many organizations fighting the darkness that is human trafficking. All of us have the opportunity to become lamplighters. May the watching world declare,

“Look, there is one who punches holes in the darkness.”

  For more information about Rahab Foundation please go to: fundacionrahabcr.org