Fighting Spiritual Battles: Human Trafficking in Berlin

Every week, women trapped in prostitution in Berlin, Germany, are invited to find comfort and restoration at Jesus’ feet.

Marina and Mariana, who head up the project for Samaritan’s Purse Germany, talk with Kristy Graham about the power of prayer, the weekly rhythm of this program, and how they're able to maintain and grow in their relationship with Christ despite this tough work.

Kristy reminds listeners that spiritual warfare is real, but we have the power of Jesus Christ living inside of us and must fight the lies of the enemy through prayer and by enlisting others to pray with us and for us. This is what our team in Germany does weekly—they pray for women who are trapped in the bondage of prostitution and the demonic web of human trafficking.

Mariana is originally from Brazil, and when she was in her twenties, she worked with women in prostitution in Sāo Paulo. Her heart for women trapped in bondage continued after her move to Germany. One day at church she heard about Alabaster Jar, and she felt the Lord calling her to get involved. Kristy asked Mariana how the Lord has sustained her through this challenging work.

“And I think because each week God [reminds] me that I'm worthy of His love and that He's giving me this mission to tell the women they are worthy too. I think that's what really sustains me.”—Mariana Oliveira

Recently, one of the women the Alabaster Jar team has ministered to made the decision to step out of prostitution. Not only is she free now from her former life, she has found freedom in Christ. The woman declared that she wanted to get baptized, which is a great encouragement for the team. Mariana was overjoyed.

She also shared a powerful testimony about a woman whom the team had been trying to reach for a long time. She was not being receptive to what they were telling her about the Lord. She felt dirty and unworthy of God's love. She believed no one could ever love her. But she said that during a dream, God began to change her thinking. He began to change her life. Recently, she opened up her heart to Him for the first time. This serves as a reminder that we can’t do everything, but God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.

“We will help them to learn more about God and how He sees them. That they are cherished daughters, that they have a worth, that they are loved deeply, more than they can imagine.”—Marina Nobiling

Mariana walked Kristy through a week in the life of the Alabaster Jar ministry, from the street outreach in the red light district of Berlin to praying prayers of lamentation. Mariana and Marina share some of the hardships they witness amid all the spiritual darkness. Kristy asked how they surrender these things to God.

“God is fighting for this heart and the women are in bondage. This is like a battlefield. And of course, we go in victory because we have Jesus’ victory on the cross. So, we put on the Armor of God, and we go prepared with the truth, with justice. But we have to really be aware and careful because the evil is there.”—Mariana Oliveira

Please pray for the ministry of Alabaster Jar in Germany. And pray for these women trapped in bondage on the streets of Berlin. Pray that the Lord would continue opening hearts and breaking chains. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories from On the Ground, please visit SamaritansPurse.org.