The Witch in the Bathroom

My last week in the Dominican Republic was probably one of the most special weeks of my life. For the past couple of years I have been working with a wonderful woman Ketty Figueroa. Ketty is an educator, pastor’s wife, and minister who began a small school in a barrio slum of the capital city of Santo Domingo many years ago. Since 2004, Ketty has been a part of the outreach we have been doing to reach girls involved in prostitution. It was through this outreach that Ketty felt the need to begin a children’s home to receive children of prostitutes and abandoned kids that we were finding through our contacts in the red light districts. Ketty had no funding except from her local church where she and her husband were pastors. The church found a home to rent they relied on donations of clothing and food for the children.

The home that she was renting was really falling apart and not an adequate place for the children. The bathrooms had plumbing problems and they always smelled like urine. Yet at least in this home the children were loved, fed, educated and taken to church. I began to dream with Ketty about a new home for the kids. It was my sincere desire to help her purchase a home so that the church’s money could provide for the needs of the girls. In response to our prayers God sent the Women’s Ministries of Colorado and Utah to help us. The women raised enough money to pay for one year’s rent on a better and bigger home. They also came to paint and fix it up.

After one week of renovation work on the new house, we would bring the kids in to see their new home and celebrate with a party for all the children of the home. The women had brought new clothes and shoes for all the children. They also brought a brown baby doll for each one of the 17 girls and trucks for the 2 boys. Needless to say the children were elated and thrilled with all the blessings. Each girl found their bed full of gifts and began to play with the baby dolls and try on their new cloths.

For me it was one of the BEST days of my life. It was as though the combined joy of each one of the children was heaped inside my heart. I laughed and played with the girls as they looked over their gifts. One of the girls, Daysi, caught my eye as she admired the beautiful new purple butterfly dress that was given to her.

Daysi is eleven years old and the oldest of three sisters that came to Ketty through contacts in the brothels of Boca Chica. She is one of the quieter girls in our home. She LOVES to get attention and longs for it, but she would never demand it. It is as though she feels unworthy of any special attention. So I wanted to make sure that I shared with her this special moment.

“Daysi, would you like to try on your new dress?” I asked.

She smiled and nodded.

“Let’s go change in the bathroom.” I responded.

A worried look replaced the excitement in her face. “Will you come with me?” she asked.

“Of course.” I found it somewhat strange that she wanted my help to change in the bathroom but I was delighted to share with her this special moment. As we entered the bathroom she almost froze with fear and explained with a quivering voice, “I’m scared to go into the bathroom alone.”

“Why Daysi? What’s wrong?”

She then began to explain that before Sister Ketty had taken her in she lived in a horrible place that had a witch in the bathroom. All of the sudden our giddy happiness was replaced with the haunting past. I had so many questions about this “witch in the bathroom”. Yet I sensed that these answers and explanations could never erase the fear that I saw in those beautiful chocolate brown eyes---only the powerful work of Jesus could erase that fear.

“Daysi,” I responded, “I want you know that this place is nothing like the place where you used to live. The place where you used to live may have been filled with many awful things and awful experiences but this new home if filled with love. There is love in the kitchen and love in the bedrooms and even the bathrooms are filled with love. I want to pray right now and ask Jesus to erase your memory of the witch in the bathroom.

“Jesus,” I began, “by the power and authority of your mighty name I ask you to remove every awful memory in the mind of my precious Daysi. Come in this moment Holy Spirit and may your presence erase the haunting image of the witch so that it could never enter her thoughts again. I come against the enemy and his wickedness and I remind him that this home is dedicated to the glory of God alone and that these children are precious treasures that belong to Almighty Father God. I pray that every day Daysiwill grow in the knowledge of her Heavenly Father’s love and may that perfect love take away every fear. In the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.”

Tears were glistening on both of our cheeks when I finished praying. The fear in Daysi’s face was replaced with a big smile. “How about trying on your dress?” I asked. She nodded with excitement and quickly changed her clothes.

Looking at her with that pretty butterfly dress, I reminded Daysi that the butterfly was once an ugly caterpillar. His past was ugly but his new life is beautiful. I told her that she is very much like that butterfly. The past may have been ugly but now everything is new. She has new home and a new life and her future is certain to be beautiful.