Kainos is a Chrisitan, non-profit organization in Stuttgart, Germany that helps victims of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation find freedom, hope and a new life.
Kainos is Greek meaning “completely new”, inspired from 2 Corinthians 5:17: Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! It is our desire to help give women in prostitution the confidence, hope and belief in the living God so they can exchange a life of captivity for freedom. We believe this offer of new life is for everyone, and we want to take this message of love and freedom in Christ to some of the darkest places in Germany.
Prostitution is legal in Germany, and Germany is known as the Brothel of Europe, an international hotspot of sex trafficking. Brothels are filled with women from around the world, especially Romania, Bulgaria, Columbia and the Dominican Republic. Even though prostitution is legal, it is difficult to regulate, creating a dark place where abuse and atrocities of all kinds are committed every day.
It is estimated that 150,000 people in Germany are currently living in forced prostitution and sexual exploitation. However that number only reflects the lack of reporting; most organizations agree that the number could be 3-4 times more. One can go to prison on accounts of rape or physical abuse. However, in Germany, all of that takes place in the brothels. This injustice needs to stop.
Our organization was founded in 2014 by my former pastor’s wife. God had put this ministry on her heart, and so she gathered a group of women to start praying and researching what is going on, how can we help and where the Lord is leading. They would prayer walk around brothels and then as the Lord led, start visiting women in the brothels. The team brought gifts, homemade cupcakes, literature and Bibles to bless the women and build relationships with them.
God blessed the ministry programs of our organization, and we grew into several teams reaching women in several different cities. One woman joined our team who had been trafficked in the United States; another woman joined our team who had been a victim of domestic violence. Both were able to provide insight and helpful training for volunteers to better understand and connect with the women they met in the brothels. We provide training for our volunteers to share the gospel in one minute, and to use stories from the Bible to introduce grace, hope, forgiveness and courage. We want women to feel seen, heard and valued. We want to leave them with hope.
Generally, the women are happy to see us; they welcome our prayers and gladly take a gift. Our goal is to build trust in hopes they will meet us at a café where we can speak plainly. Inside the brothels, there are cameras, customers and pimps, so we have to be careful what we say. The women do not have the freedom to go and come as they please; they have tough working conditions. We want to take the light of Christ into these dark places, praying that His light will expose the lies and deceptions. We pray that the light of Christ would pierce the hearts of those we come into contact, and they would desire this light. We hope they understand that they are in darkness and turn towards the light of love, truth and grace.
We have had beautiful experiences in the brothels. We’ve had times of intense prayer, as well as a revelation when a woman realized after reading John’s gospel that Jesus is real and answered her prayers. We have also had difficult experiences: when a woman has just been beaten up and the tensions are high; when the women are quiet and you stare into her eyes but it’s like no one is there. Our teams go into these dark places with respect, grace and unconditional love. Even if we cannot speak plainly, it is our hope that women will know us by our loving kindness. As Jesus said, the world will know we are His by our acts of love.
We understand that success belongs to God alone, and this is why prayer is so important. We are going into battle when a team enters the brothel; that is why the team needs to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We also have a time of prayer and debriefing after the visit. Our team prays over each other, the ladies they minister to, and then leave it in God’s hands. It can be so tough because, as humans, we want to see change quickly. If someone is in danger, we have an escape plan. This ministry can wear on volunteers; that is why we have team meetings and trainings to equip the team to stand firm on God’s holiness, He is just and merciful. We also encourage the team that God tells us to love Him and love others, He does not command us to change or transform others. That’s His job, and we need to trust Him.
I’m part of the Core Leadership Team, responsible for our Safe House and New Beginnings Program which opened in 2021. It is a place of safety, healing, job training, experiencing the love of Christ, providing trauma-informed care and learning how to live with hope. A place where women learn how to take off the old habits and put on new healthy hopeful habits.
Our Safe House has two bedrooms. We take women with or without their children. The women are welcome to stay 12 to 18 months; it depends on how quickly they can get back on their feet. A key part of my role is to help them find that solid footing.
One thing I love about my job is sitting with the women over a cup of tea, and wrestling with their big questions about pain, suffering and the evil in the world. I give the women a Bible, and we look at passages like the story of Hagar. I get to share with them about sin, forgiveness and redemption, and that each woman was fearfully and wonderfully made. The ugliness of sin caused so much pain in their lives that they describe themselves as being dead inside, like a robot unable to feel. I show them God’s plan of forgiveness and grace. These are special moments.
I also go out in the community and raise awareness for our ministry about sex trafficking, how women are trafficked (most commonly through fake romantic relationships), the reality of prostitution in Germany, and how the church can respond.
Some survivors from our program have found safety for themselves, moved into their first apartment, pursued furthering education, and made amends with their family members. One woman learned how to make jewelry, and was able to sell the beautiful pieces to provide for several months as she fulfilled her dream of moving back to her home country.
Helping women exit prostitution and journey with them on the road to recovery was on my heart since high school, I dreamed of serving in a different country, but God had other plans. God is good all the time. A man may plan his day but the Lord directs his path!
I’m just a regular person. Dare to let God use you, and you’ll be amazed at what He can do through you. Jesus told us to love God and love others, and that is what everyone in Kainos is doing!
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