 HOOKERS FOR JESUS Spring 2008 Quarterly Report 9435 West Tropicana Avenue #102-106 Las Vegas, NV 89147 509.768.8500 (msg) Annie Lobért, Founder March 2008
Dear Prayer Team Members, Financial Partners, and cherished friends, We can't believe the year we’ve had! The past six months have been absolutely AMAZING to say the least. I am continually blown away at what GOD has done! Yes, I said GOD because NONE of this would be possible without Him! We are so amazed at the opportunities that He has placed before us to speak into the lives of men and women that otherwise may not have ever heard of the unconditional love that Jesus has for them.  Over the past year, we have witnessed so many salvations here in Las Vegas and across the nation. We have seen lives and relationships restored, resulting in new beginnings for the men and women with whom we have been fortunate enough to work. Last Saturday night, THREE former sex workers were publicly baptized (fully submerged in water), making a public declaration of their new faith!!! (See pictures below) And the BEST part is that we know that this is just the tip of the iceberg of what is to come! Praise God for His faithfulness! We expect SO many more open doors to share His compassion and unconditional love across the city of Las Vegas ... and beyond! Every six months or so, the staff and board of directors of Hookers for Jesus will distribute a report of the activities, accomplishments, and challenges of the ministry and development of the organization. In this first report, we would like provide you with an update on several positive events and opportunities that have taken place over the past six months as the organization seeks to faithfully serve the church, community, and men and women working in and transitioning out of the sex industry. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT In July of 2007, we submitted documents with the State of Nevada, establishing Hookers for Jesus as a nonprofit corporation. This is the first step in the process of pursuing recognition as a federally tax-exempt public benefit charity under section 501 (c) (3) of the internal revenue code. We are currently working to lay a solid foundation for the organization, based on sound business principles. This process includes research and analysis to assist in developing the organizational, strategic, marketing, and financial portions of our business plan. Although the IRS allows 27 months to complete the application process, we anticipate submitting our application within our first year of operation. Upon approval, all donations are tax deductible, retroactive to the date of incorporation. (19 July 2007) Rescue • Redeem • Prevent
In developing the services and programs portion of our business plan, we have chosen to focus on three key areas of ministry development. The primary services of Hookers for Jesus are mission driven and are designed to minister healing and redemption to individuals and families affected by sexual abuse and trauma linked to professional and consumer involvement in the sex industry. The programs being developed are being referred to as Rescue (Outreach), Redeem (Transitional Support), and Prevent (Community Awareness). Additional operational programs include Business, Marketing, and Funding Development. MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE  The initial management team of Hookers for Jesus consists of a board of directors working closely with the Executive Director and the Director of Operations in order to provide strategic direction, plan resource allocation, and ensure financial accountability for the organization. Hookers for Jesus requires a very high level of legal experience and expertise. This is in addition to background and knowledge encompassing Christian ministry as it correlates to reaching out to men and women involved in and affected by the adult entertainment industry. Among our management team, we have included professionals in the areas of legal advocacy and financial accountancy in order to keep us apprised of the development of legal and financial issues and to help us affect desired outcomes. In addition, our management team includes persons with working experience and/or background ministering with persons who have experienced sexual exploitation and violence linked to professional or consumer involvement in the sex industry. The Advisory Board is currently being assembled. If you are a civic or community leader, business or ministry professional, or pastor of a church and are interested in being a part of our Advisory Board, please contact us at info@hookersforjesus.net, providing a copy of your resume and/or bio and background. Although we are primarily seeking support in the Las Vegas area, we will prayerfully consider all inquiries. MEDIA REQUESTS Over the past year, we responded to several requests for print, radio, and television interviews. These requests included local, national, and international publications and appearances. Internationally, the ministry of Hookers for Jesus and the testimony of Annie Lobért was presented in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Iceland, New Zealand, Africa, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the UK.  Printed interviews and articles of note include the London Sunday Telegraph, London Metro, LA Times, Sun Magazine, Bella Magazine (UK) and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Many of these interviews and articles can be reviewed on our website. Television interviews of note have included appearances on Morris Cerullo’s “HelplineTV” program, CBNs “The 700 Club,” and TBNs “Praise the Lord.” International appearances have included work with television networks and production companies located in Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, and Great Britain. Recent printed publications have created quite a buzz, resulting in numerous proposals from various film and documentary producers throughout Western Europe and the United States. We are researching and prayerfully considering a select few of these proposals. Media inquiries and requests are made through our website at media@hookersforjesus.net. SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Speaking engagements for both churches and civic organizations included several invitations that led us to California, New York, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, and Japan. Currently scheduled invitations and proposed opportunities for 2008 will take us to Arkansas, California, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, Scotland, England, Australia, and back to Japan. Speaking invitations and booking inquiries and requests are made through our website at booking@hookersforjesus.net. MINISTRY AND OUTREACH UPDATE Over the past year, Hookers for Jesus has reached out to and counseled over 250 men and women in the sex industry. To date, over 40 people have made life-changing decisions to leave the sex industry and pursue a relationship with God. Television and radio appearances have brought forth over 6000 documented salvations. Research studies by the 700 Club in recent years have shown numerous other viewers that have made life-changing decisions, however have chosen to seek the Lord apart from calling in to the television program. Therefore, these salvations remain undocumented. The primary mission of this ministry is to see lives changed through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To that end, we continue to meet our goals.  Our outreach efforts have included spontaneous and scheduled visits with adult entertainment professionals in their working environments. Our participation in the AVN Porn Convention in Las Vegas this past January provided us with an opportunity to successfully network with hundreds of sex industry workers. We used this opportunity to initiate light-hearted, non-threatening conversations, opening the doors to offer spiritual counsel and prayer with numerous persons throughout the convention. This outreach resulted in several new relationships of mutual trust, which we are continuing to cultivate today. With the many introductions that were made with men and women living outside of the Las Vegas area, we were able to provide our contact information in order to follow up with resources for assistance after they return home. Others living in Clark County and the surrounding areas were offered literature, contact information, and an invitation to church. Our fundamental goals in reaching out to men and women are based on a biblical message of grace and unconditional love. It is our firm belief according to God’s Word as spoken in Romans 2:4; 5:8 that the loving kindness of our Heavenly Father serves as the primary catalyst leading to repentance. Believing that true change takes place in a safe environment, our objectives include establishing relationships of mutual respect. We communicate a message of divine grace and love, letting each individual know that there is nothing that they have ever done that would cause the Lord to love them less. God’s love is unconditional.  During this initial introduction and conversation, we generally exchange and/or offer our contact card along with an invitation to join us for our Women’s Weekly Bible Study and/or church on the following Saturday night or Sunday morning. When contact information has been exchanged, we make a point to phone or email each individual in order to answer any questions, and ascertain and attempt to remove any barriers to attending the service. When barriers have been identified, we address the issue and work together to resolve the conflict. Oftentimes, we work with volunteers to provide transportation and/or childcare services where assistance is needed. When the women come to church, they are welcomed with open arms and embraced by others. The love of Christ extended through the kindness of others, fans into flame the need in each person’s heart to seek the Lord and His desire for their lives. During the service, the pastor generally offers a message of love, grace, and repentance. The message is followed by a time of corporate and individual prayer. It is during this time that introductions are made with either the pastor or others in leadership, affording the opportunity for prayer support and counsel with Annie and another individual. Greater than nine times out of ten, this time of counsel results in prayers of repentance, salvation, and an expressed desire to leave the sex industry. We follow this up with a skills and needs assessment, in order to provide resources and assistance out of the sex industry. As an organization, we provide support during the transition that includes rent, food, clothing, and transportation. We also provide spiritual, emotional, and career counseling, in addition to job seeking and educational assistance. Hookers for Jesus is currently working with seven women in Las Vegas, along with several others currently working and/or transitioning out of the sex industry nationwide. During the month of February, we were blessed to witness the salvations of six  different women in one night. These women have now left the sex industry and are working to put their lives back together. In just the first week of March, we began working with three additional women that have also turned their lives over to Christ. Additionally, with the help of Hookers for Jesus, they are beginning the process of transitioning out of the sex industry. In addition to working with women in their own working environment, we also meet with women on a weekly basis through the chaplaincy program of the Clark County Detention Center. Every Friday evening, we meet with the women that are incarcerated, in order to provide a time of teaching, prayer, and fellowship. We have been blessed to see lives changed, delivered, and transformed each week during this time of prayer. Our transitional support includes providing assistance ranging from prayer and spiritual counseling to job networking. Our financial support helps cover expenses for childcare, food, medical expenses, transportation, and rent. This assistance is provided through gift cards and direct payment to creditors. Additional areas of support and service being developed and/or currently offered include: * Relocation Expenses and Assistance * Unplanned Pregnancy Counseling * Addiction and Abuse Rehabilitation Support * Mental Health Counseling Referrals * Education and Skills Training * Housing and Rent Assistance * Spiritual Counseling and Mentoring * Women’s Weekly Bible Study Groups * 24-hour Warm Line Service * Juvenile Offenders Support and Mentoring Program In 2008, we see the ministry of Hookers for Jesus expanding nationwide and throughout the world. We plan to continue our mission efforts, expecting tremendous growth in the ministry and lives of men and women trapped in the sex industry. As you know, the cost of reaching out and assisting others during the transition out of the sex industry does not go away. We pray for your continued support in the future. .jpg) ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGESAt the end of December 2007, we had less than $200 in our bank account. Unfortunately, our financial statements reflect this same amount today. Regrettably, we have not been able to provide financial support to the men and women transitioning out of the sex industry at the level that is needed. In spite of the achievements and growth that we have experienced this past year, there have also been times of crisis and disappointment. There have been situations when a couple of young mothers have made the heartbreaking choice to return to the sex trade, simply to make enough money to pay for food and shelter. Our most trying time of crisis came last fall, when we were approached by a young woman desperately seeking to escape from her pimp. Our funds were at a bare minimum; therefore, we feverishly began the process of raising transitional funds and arranging for her to enter the Walter Hoving Home for Women here in Las Vegas. Tragically, her life was violently taken when her pimp caught up with her before she arrived. We were devastated. And we continue to grieve. However, we remain steadfast and ever more committed to the calling and mission to which Christ has called us. Rescuing men and women trapped in an unending cycle of fear, despair, loneliness, regret, and pain brought on by a life in the sex industry. We are currently in contact with several men and women, providing counseling and spiritual direction. Additionally, we are working with several single women and young mothers that have been working for many years as prostitutes and/or strippers. One woman came to church the first weekend in March and turned her life over to Christ. When she returned to church the following week, she made her testimony public through baptism. She has now left the sex industry, is attending a weekly Women’s Bible Study Group, and is growing in her newfound faith. She is four months pregnant with her first child. It is our desire to financially support her during this transitional time. She has basic needs including food, clothing, and shelter. Maternity clothes, as well as clothing, food, and baby furniture for her child due in August. Additionally, she needs a reliable car, along with an infant car seat.  (Pastor Benny baptizing Natalie, former stripper shown on the right.) Another woman was delivered from a 30-year addiction to heroin. In order to support her drug habit, she has worked as a prostitute and stripper for the greater portion of her life. Her life was radically changed the day that she turned her life over to the Lord. She is a spitfire and is a walking, talking testament of the grace and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father. She attends church services each weekend, in addition to participating in a weekly Women’s Bible Study  Group. Having worked in the sex industry since the age of 15 years, she does not have readily identifiable skills or training for gainful employment. Our desire in addition to skills development includes assisting her in pursuing her GED and possibly vocational training. She has long desired to be a chef. (Pastor Benny baptizing Cara, former prostitute shown on the left.) Let me tell you about Cory. He contacted Annie last Thanksgiving through MySpace. Cory has been living in the San Diego area and has been working the game for quite a while. After reading Annie’s testimony, he had a change of heart, saying, “[When you said] that it is a spirit that makes a pimp want to pimp, I had to look closer at myself.” Continuing on, he said,  “I know that God isn't pleased with me [pimping], so I decided to change and rededicate my life to God.” Cory proceeded to tell his girls that he could no longer continue working as their pimp. He has since begun working a regular job. Additionally, he has enrolled his girlfriend in college. Our support with Cory has included providing miscellaneous assistance with college expenses. (Pastor Benny baptizing Lana, former stripper and prostitute shown on the left.) Please pray with us for Cory and his girlfriend. His new life in Christ hasn’t been easy; finances are tight with unexpected living, medical, and school expenses. Honestly, in spite of his pursuit of God, the enemy is coming at him strong with temptation to return to the game. But he is working hard and daily making choices to stand on the promises of God, believing that in the long run, that things will work out for the better. FINANCIAL OUTLOOK Sometimes, we think about how comforting it would be to never focus on finances or make any pleas for donations. In reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we are reminded that part of being in ministry includes an utter dependence on God to meet our needs. Personal sacrifice is indeed an essential component of faith. How .jpg) fair would it be for the staff of Hookers for Jesus to have all of our needs – present and future – met already, while our friends in transition are hoping for this day’s provisions? As we quickly approach spring of 2008 and a time of refreshing and growth, we must report our concern over the finances of Hookers for Jesus. The financial outlook of the organization is grim. In developing the ministry as a nonprofit corporation, we have delegated the responsibility for budget approval to the board of directors. At that point, we then depend on the faithfulness of individuals, churches, and our community to underwrite this budget through their generous donations. As good stewards, we will continue to live under the established budget, yet we have experienced a rather substantial shortfall in donations. The holidays were tight this year while regular donors turned toward home and family. (And rightly so.) However, this unfortunately left us in situations where we were unable to support the men and women turning to us for help. There’s no easier way to say it than to just say it. We need help in order to continue assisting others. In addition to program needs, we have operational expenses including web services and internet costs, office/administrative costs, marketing and development fees, telephone services, transportation expenses, and general cost of living to cover food, clothing, and shelter for the director of the organization. Capital expenditures and needs of the ministry include: * Computer desk and chair * Printer/copier/scanner (donated!) * Macintosh laptop computer * Four-drawer lateral filing cabinet * Office materials and supplies * Printing and postage supplies A Capital Campaign will commence in July of 2008, however, we continue to need funds to ensure solvency during the startup and development of the ministry. To that end, we are initiating a Partnership Program whereby individual and group donors would commit to extending a monthly donation to the organization. The scope of this program is currently being developed. We are so blessed and grateful to have so many prayer partners and supporters of the ministry who have given from their hearts to the ministry this past year. For those who have consistently contributed on a monthly basis, once again, we thank you for generous prayers and support. Your friendship and encouragement sincerely means the world to us! Our hope would be for continued prayers and financial support. Our plans this year, in addition to initiating a Capital Campaign, include developing mission partnerships with churches throughout the nation. If you or your church has yet to contribute to the ministry here in Las Vegas, we welcome you to partner with us and your brothers and sisters who have faithfully supported our work in reaching out and rescuing people trapped in the sex industry. All gifts of money, equipment and professional services are tax deductible. We thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support. When you give to Hookers for Jesus, you are taking part in our mission, resulting in changed, saved, and transformed lives! Finally, I would like to mention email messages. Or rather, our response to email messages. The organization has received a tremendous amount of publicity over the past few months. At times, it has been overwhelming. While we would prefer to be able to respond to each and every message, it is simply impossible. Our turnaround time is now over one month. Additionally, we are working with record numbers of individuals transitioning out of the sex industry and making decisions for Christ. Much of our time in ministry has focused on mentoring, in addition to outreach, rather than on responding with messages of thanksgiving to letters of encouragement. We ask that you continue standing with us during this time of transition. We appreciate each and every message and love you all very much!!! The staff and board of directors of Hookers for Jesus looks towards 2008 with anticipation and excitement, because we believe God is doing some incredible work within the church, in Las Vegas, across the nation, and throughout the world. We are honored to be a part of the great call to reach the sex industry with the love of Christ! Join us in prayer as we seek to walk alongside each other as God leads. Remember, you are unconditionally loved! By the Father... and by us. May God bless you immensely in 2008! Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Board of Directors, Annie Lobért, President and Executive Director Cindy Nelson, Vice President and Director of Development If you have questions, we can be contacted through our website at info@hookersforjesus.net. RETURN to ABOUT US |
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