Ex-Hooker Annie Lobart

She writes on MySpace:

I have…and many times here in Las Vegas for prostitution and soliciting. AND–I used to RUN from the police …ducking behind slot machines in the casinos, trying to "hide"! (Never worked, by the way) But what is really funny to me—one of the police officers that I used to run from was Bill Young, former sheriff of Las Vegas. We soon formed a friendship…but not an ordinary one. Here I was, an escort, not admitting I was a prostitute. And then there was Bill and David, telling me that I needed to get out of the business…because I was too smart and beautiful. They also were concerned for my safety…they did not want me to end up murdered somewhere in a hotel room.

Many nights they would arrest me…in sting operations in hotel rooms or just walking through the casinos. They told me I would be safer in jail than on the street. As much as I did not want to admit, they were right! I WAS safer in jail than out cruising around risking my life…because the "glamorous life" that looks and feels so good doesn’t always reveal the wicked part of it right away…and sometimes it’s only after you’re used and abused, or just outright DEAD! Do you know how many prostitutes are at the morgue weekly in Vegas??? For these girls it is too late!!!

So how did this friendship with Bill and David start…and how is it today? Can I tell you one thing—sometimes people are put in your life for a REASON. Today, Bill Young is on my board of directors for Hooker For Jesus! How COOL it that? He has a heart to help the girls just like I do!

So, getting out of the business and finding Jesus has been the best thing that has ever happened to me! I want so much to pay God back for all the wrong that I have done, and am always looking for opportunities to do so. Now I know that doing good works will not earn my salvation….but by my faith in believing that I could make a difference and please God at the same time…this is what drove my desire!!! I really wanted to do something special for God and the women too.

So when I heard that my church (The Church At South Las Vegas) had a prison ministry…I was so excited to join it! I wanted to reach the women that were in the very jail that I was brought to when I was arrested…so I signed up for it.

When I walked into the jail…and looked into these beautiful, broken, and humble women’s faces…. my heart just BROKE. Here they were, tears flowing down their faces, and completely worshipping Jesus with ALL OF THEIR HEARTS!!!

Then the realization and guilt hit me…because many of the things that they were "busted" for…I SHOULD HAVE BEEN! I just never got caught!

Haven’t we all somehow broken the law…and if we would have been arrested, would have served some time?

EVEN AS CHRISTIANS! Haven’t we also broken many of God’s laws, now that I mention it???

Be honest with yourself! Come on—let’s be REAL. I don’t know about you…but I could name a number of things that I have done over the years (that most of us do or have done) that I deserved "jail time" for!!!

Do we really KNOW how fortunate we ALL are? Think about it, most of us have found Jesus outside of jail….here these women are incarcerated, with no where to go!!! Didn’t Jesus SAY that we are to visit these very people WHILE they were in jail??? At their LOWEST point?

How would YOU feel if you were in jail and NO ONE came to see you???

OUCH.

This made me all the more thankful for Jesus in my life…because I honestly believe, even when I wasn’t yet sold out to Him, He saved me from this jail time…and then later after I overdosed…the JAIL of my MIND!!!

So what DOES Jesus say about people that are in jail—or people that need our help in general?

Well, I have been to the jail to minister a couple times now…and cannot TELL you how extremely amazing that it has been! This past week I was able to share my testimony…there were MANY women in the audience that cried the entire time I was talking. Why was this…that they would listen to my story? Because I also have spent a little time in jail—and they know that I understand how they are feeling…I remembered that feeling of being so alone in jail!

Two x-prostitutes came up to me afterwards and asked me if I could help them when they got out—many of them have no where to go. One is getting out next week!!! So I am going to help them!!! These women are so PRECIOUS TO ME!!! I want to do whatever it takes to stop this cycle of abuse so these beautiful women do not end up in jail again!!!

Some of you might know about of the Prostitution Reformation Program that I am currently working on with the courts. This program will allow the women to take educational classes to inform them of the dangers and realities of prostitution, and it will be available to them in lieu of their jail time. Every woman that is arrested will have a chance to "choose" to really change her life! There will be resources available to them after every class should they want a way "out". Yay!!!

Please pray for the women that I was able to talk with and minister to in jail. Please also pray for the two x-prostitutes wanting to really change their lives, that they will continue their relationship with Jesus and go into a healing program to finish what has started in jail…a place ironically where they had an encounter with "Jesus".

I want to thank all of you for your support and prayers…and for the donations. You know who you are!!! The donations not only help me run my administrative part of the organization…they have also been helping many women and CHILDREN of women that are prostitutes and x-prostitutes.

Would you like to see just one example?

A few days ago I took my good friend’s (x-prostitute that is now saved) son (12 years old) shopping—because he did not have any clothes, shoes, or school supplies for school. He was so happy! I also gave as much as I could for food because his mother has a severe disability and is not working right now.

This very friend of mine (Deanna) is sold out for God and has been coming to my church for about 5 months now, and God has completely changed her life!!!

She needs her teeth pulled out, (she is in a lot of pain) she is in desperate need of ALL of her teeth being replaced with dentures! So I am hoping to do this for her as soon as I can….we both agreed that she would be a much happier person if she could talk and smile without covering her mouth! Please pray for finances to come for this very task!

There are so many other GLORY stories that I could write here about women and men that we are helping…but I do not have room on this page…so stay tuned for future blogs!

Thank you JESUS for ALL that you are doing and ALL the love and encourgement that you give me…YOU are the reason that I am living today!!!

I want to thank a couple of very special people in my life…Cindy. Cindy Nelson is my partner, and my Assistant Director. She does many things behind the scenes, and works her little booty off!

Cindy! J

You my girl, are an absolute God send….I thank you for all the support and hard work that you have put into this ministry! You are so appreciated…and I could not do it without you!!! Many times you have proven yourself again and again…and by your love witnessed the REAL Jesus to me:)

Heather…I thank you for being my friend and supporting me with these women…encouraging me and keeping the "fire" going no matter what the circumstance!!! Thank you for your sometimes BRUTEL honesty…it is refreshing! You go girl!

I love you both!!! J

Thank you to my pastors, Benny and Wendy Perez…for also believing in me!!! Backing me up….no matter what time of day it was! The whole Church At South Las Vegas, for affording me the opportunity to work with these women in jail! You ROCK!!!