One of the projects of The Mustard Tree is Rahab.
The Rahab project is a night-time chaplaincy outreach made up of Christians from all over Reading supporting those who are sex-working. Our aim is simply to support them helping them to break free from the cycles of abuse, poverty and addiction.
2022 was a busy year for the team. We did more outreaches than in the previous year with a 15% increase in the number of nights that a team was out (150 outreach opportunities). In turn, there was an increase in the number of contacts by 33% to 582, with more than 45 different women supported.
We could not have done this without the help of our supporters, donors and those that hold us in their prayers. We would like to say a huge thank you and please know, we regularly give thanks to God for your support and are truly grateful.
While these figures show the breadth of our work, they do not reflect the depth of the work that we do.
For example, the statistics don’t demonstrate the time our volunteers took a woman back to the hospital so she could continue to get treatment – she had walked out earlier in the day. The figures don’t reflect the first time a new volunteer came out with the team and was amazed at the amount of hugging when we met up with two of the women; neither does it reflect the times that we pray with them; neither do they illustrate the time when one of the women thanked us just for listening and being there.
It is often these small acts of service that are such a crucial part of the Chaplaincy service we provide. A team member told us that a woman had remarked to her that we often did what we said we would do for them (such as a referral). The team member could see that what to us may seem a small action, is seen so significant to the women.
Their reaction to the Christmas presents was another example of this (so much so – that we are still being thanked weeks after Christmas).
In John 1:5 we read, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. Whether it is a present made with gifts from our donors, or support from our Chaplaincy outreach we seek to bring the light of God and to restore all hope and belief.
We don’t judge, just listen to find out what the women need and to see how we can support and encourage them when they want to make changes to their lives.
We could not have done this without the help of our supporters, donors and those that hold us in their prayers.
We would like to say a huge thank you and please know, we regularly give thanks to God for your support and are truly grateful.
Christine Munday is the project director of Engage and Rahab, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Reading
