Second-hand shop full of second chances
Sex trade survivor helps others
shona stewart grew up in Victoria, B.C., and spent almost two decades in the sex trade in B.C., Alberta, and the U.S. After finding a saving grace in Jesus, she now works in four areas of ministry to help women and children out of being trafficked locally. One of those is running the thrift store located in her now home of Winnipeg, called The Overflow.
“God called me into this ministry because I was stuck in it for 16 years of my life. I had many, many traffickers who used me. Even one of the police [officers] from Missing and Murdered Women in Vancouver said, ‘Shona, if you didn’t find Jesus, you’d be dead right now.”
After being in the sex trade for a long time, it was a call from her mother that prompted Stewart to get out. “I was out in Calgary. I owned my own business, a massage parlour. She was dying of lung cancer and she said, ‘My dying wish is that you get out of the sex trade.” From there Stewart moved back to Victoria to take care of her mom. They both met a neighbour who invited them to an Alpha course, which changed Stewart’s life.
“After the third video I said, ‘I want that.’ I was always looking for unconditional love and peace in my life.” After a series of events including Bible college, burning out from ministry work, and two years of recovery, she planted herself in Winnipeg. “Everybody in the community says the store is a blessing. The women come in for coffee, talk, shop. One woman came in the other day and said, ‘I overheard, are you an addictions counsellor?’ I said yes, and she poured her heart out.” Although Stewart says the store hasn’t made a lot of money, if any, it is changing the atmosphere.
“The store is making a difference in the Kingdom. It’s becoming what it was supposed to become and God’s blessing it.” When it comes to helping those get out of being trafficked, Stewart says, “Remember all these people you see have family that loves them, they’re humans that God loves. Prayer can move mountains. Pray for the whole human trafficking spectrum.”