ESTHER was brought up in Lithuania by foster parents who abused her physically and mentally.

At school she fell in with the wrong crowd and began abusing alcohol and drugs, but her torment didn’t end there. In 2009, she was trafficked to the UK where she endured a year of what she describes as ‘hell’ until she was finally rescued by police and placed in a safe house.

The man who trafficked her was brought to court, found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in prison. But the process of reliving her ordeal exacerbated Esther’s mental health issues. She turned to self-harm to cope with the trauma and tried to take her own life several times.

Ultimately, it was only her involvement with Vista at Harbour Church, Portsmouth, that helped to find a place where she felt safety and love. Vista offers support to women who have been involved in the sex industry, offering a non-judgemental, confidential listening ear, as well as helping women to seek changes to their lives.

A team of women (pictured above) visit massage parlours, sex workers’ flats and a strip club and offer regular one to one support. They offer advocacy, signposting and referrals, and can help with access to safe housing, drug and alcohol services, and sexual health. They offer prayer if that is welcome.

This is one of the projects that worshippers from our churches and communities will be supporting as part of this year’s Bishop’s Lent Appeal, through donations and fundraising.

Esther* had already been diagnosed with PTSD, depression and eventually Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) before the court case around her perpetrator. Going through that ordeal made her feel isolated, that she didn’t belong anywhere and that people wouldn’t want to be associated with her.

She tried to take her life multiple times, but was unsuccessful. Looking back, she describes knowing that God had plans for her, even then.

Around two years ago, Esther moved to Portsmouth. She was still struggling with her mental health and addiction to drugs and alcohol. A friend invited her to Harbour Church, but she was hesitant at first because of previous negative experiences of church elsewhere. However, her welcome at Harbour Church was different.

She said: “I was greeted by smiling faces and as soon as I heard worship music play, all I wanted to do was cry and let all the pain and hurt out. But at the time, my head kept telling me I had to keep it all to myself and so I did what I do best. I ran away and hid from church and the people that wanted to help me.”

Because Esther was still abusing drugs and alcohol, she was kicked out of various places she was living and ended up on the streets, where she felt like she had finally reached the end.

She said: “I ended up heavily self-harming that night to the point where, by the time police found me, I had lost over two pints of blood and was in a bad way.”

Even though she begged them to keep her in overnight, the hospital discharged her, and suggested she go to the council to seek emergency accommodation. She arrived in a desperate state, with just 15 minutes to go before they closed for the weekend.

To Esther’s surprise, one of the ladies there helped her to find a place to stay but, on her arrival, she found there were no clothes, no food, or anything to help her, and she was filled with despair.

She said: “Something told me to contact Miriam from Harbour Church and, to be honest, the rest is history! She not only provided me with food but also prayed with me and gave me a glimpse of hope.

“Over the next few months, she and her team helped me with attending my medical appointments and helped me find a place to stay. I can't even begin to describe how much I needed someone to walk with me then, and having someone to be willing to take time to attend appointments with me, my anxiety and PTSD then was so bad I could barely do anything for myself.”

Eventually Esther started attending church more regularly where she began to feel God surrounding her with his love.

“My fear was slowly lifted, and my heart slowly filled with joy,” she said. “I had finally started waking up and thinking I was grateful to be alive, after more than 15 years of wishing I was never on this earth to start with.”

Esther started attending a weekly women’s group at Harbour Church where she encountered a place of safety and love. Throughout her whole life she had been regularly told that she was ugly and unwanted, but each week this group would speak positively into each other’s lives, telling them that they were beautiful, loved and seen.

“To hear that I am loved is so important for me and I am forever grateful for having a chance to attend this group,” she said. “I am now four months sober, and God is leading me through life with help and support from my church and group.”

*Esther's name has been changed to protect her identity