By Ally Horine | Echo
Taylor students are taking on an issue many would shy away from-male prostitution. Global Outreach, a cabinet within Taylor World Outreach (TWO), is partnering with Emmaus Ministries to lead a cultural immersion trip in Chicago this weekend.
Emmaus Ministries, located in Chicago, is an organization that rehabilitates men who work in prostitution. Many of these men are stuck in what Emmaus labels as "survival prostitution," meaning they sell themselves to other men to survive. Through various outreach opportunities, Emmaus staff and volunteers build trusting relationships with these men in an effort to get them off the streets and help them develop a relationship with Christ.
"Prostitution and human trafficking have become popular social justice issues lately," current Emmaus intern Peter Garringer ('14) said. "A lesser known side to this subject is the plight of countless men who find themselves in dire situations, many having to decide between selling their bodies and going hungry."
When Taylor students arrive in Chicago, they will be given a tour of the ministry center. After receiving a brief training session regarding street behavior, students will be transported to Boystown, an area of Chicago known for its high concentration of gay bars and male prostitutes. Following the guidance of Emmaus interns and employees, students will participate in "street walks" where they engage in conversation with men who have either formed prior relationships with Emmaus, or are suspected of being prostitutes.
Taylor students, like all Emmaus volunteers, will have the opportunity to buy meals for these men and invite them to further engage in conversation. In doing so, Emmaus hopes to develop intentional relationships with these men, even if they never set foot in their ministry center.
"We offer our men a hope for the future that no secular social service agency can offer," Emmaus intern Ellen Aldridge ('14) said. "We love these men deeply and walk beside them, striving to meet their needs holistically in the ways that we believe Jesus would."
According to Global Outreach co-director and senior Katie Norwood, the trip's purpose is to offer students insight into the lives of very different people in a context that is stretching but safe.
"Taylor students most likely do not come into contact with such a population on a regular basis," Norwood said. "The hope is that students begin to understand that people are in need right down the road from us."
Global Outreach desires for students to connect the brokenness of others with the brokenness within themselves as well.
"Our belief is that we are all broken people," Norwood said. "It is only through the transformation of Christ that we are made whole."
Global Outreach hopes the Emmaus Immersion Night provides practical experience and application for Taylor students as they engage with the hurting culture in Chicago.
