Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Ege
Hi Christine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Boundless Mercy is a prayer-based initiative established in July 2011 to combat sex trafficking in the northeast quadrant of Houston. The organization quickly expanded to include awareness sessions and an intensive outreach effort. An outreach team of sexually oriented business chaplains takes artisan cookies and handwritten notes to about 175 people (45 of whom are men) on the same route every two weeks; the focus is to build friendships based on trust rather than on transactions. The goal is the ultimate dismantling of sexual exploitation in our area. This effort translates to over 8,000 large cookies and over 4000 handwritten notes of encouragement a year.
The non-profit Ark Bakery & Café was established by Boundless Mercy to fund what the outreach team gives away to sex industry workers. In 2019 the cottage industry bakery began preparing additional baked goods (beyond cookies) for sale to the public and in 2022 added frozen main dish items prepared in a commercial kitchen. All income above cost of goods serves to support anti-trafficking initiatives. The ultimate goal is to consolidate production and sales activities under one roof; at that point, The Ark intends to seek corporately endowed internships to hire individuals desiring to exit the sex industry and for training in culinary arts and small business operations.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been what would normally be considered a “smooth road.” Instead, the past 13 years have proven to be an adventure on uncharted waters. As a trained linguist and former homeschooling parent, I did not hear of sex trafficking until 2010 — largely through my young adult children. When I learned that Houston was a major trafficking hub, I initially envisioned myself tutoring rescued teenagers in math or science. Instead, I found myself making friends with sex industry workers who actually weren’t too different from myself. They were people like me — people with hopes and dreams, families, and challenges — the divide lay in the fact that their circumstances and background were radically different from ours (mostly through no fault of their own).
We listened to their troubles, laughed and cried, and shared discussions on problems, politics, tragedies and triumphs. We learned how they coped in the face of unimaginable adversities; we admired their ability to survive. We discovered that our new friends were very much like us — and that, given a different set of circumstances, we could very well have landed in their situation.
Our challenge has been to understand how to serve these marginalized (often harshly judged) individuals in ways that truly meet their personal needs. We never demand that someone exit the sex trade; we never tell them what they should do. We have learned to listen and listen well. We follow their lead in terms of hearing what they say they need and trying to connect them with service providers based on their requests (not our “program” or conditions). We have learned that relationships based on trust are hard-won. Our friends in the sex industry often have a long history of abuse and exploitation. They are savvy and perceptive people who readily spot a hidden agenda or an ulterior motive.
We have learned to change our definition of success. Instead of expecting someone to instantly exit from the sex industry (which has its own very real perils), we regard success as simply building friendships with people we honestly enjoy visiting. Being counted by someone as a true supporter and friend is a huge gift to us, and we refuse to consider exits or rescues as a metric of success.
We currently are confronting the challenge of consolidating the bakery’s production and sales under one roof in the hope of offering fair-wage culinary internships to individuals wishing to exit the sex trade and begin a new career in a caring, creative environment.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hospitality, food, and an interest in people were vital components in my parents’ home, and my husband and I continued that legacy as we moved to different cities and countries. Having raised five children and hosted all their friends over the years, I continued to listen and learn. Baking and cooking were second nature to me, particularly when I could try new foods and invite others to share meals with us. After the children left for college, I assumed I would resume a professional career of freelance interpreting and translation, but that never happened. Instead, I felt drawn to connect with people working in the sex industry in Houston — people who were often my young adult children’s age, people who had never eaten a homemade cookie, people who appreciated someone willing to listen. I grew up in a family where I was affirmed and loved without measure; I want to extend that attitude of affirmation to others who often have never been told that they have value apart from being a commodity to be bought and sold by others. That process doesn’t involve doing anything superhuman or complex; it simply has required me to recognize what I have in my hand (that I consider normal — baking and a listening ear) and giving it away to others who never experienced it.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have countless wonderful childhood memories, but my favorite memory at age ten was having the privilege of wearing the national costume of a foreign country whose language I loved and later seeing my photo in the newspaper.
Pricing:
- Baked goods – breads & pastries $4.50 to $35
- Main dishes & sides – $13 to $38
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thearkbakerycafe.org
- Instagram: arkbakerycafe
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/arkbakerycafe
