A few words to introduce me : I am a 41 years old Frenchman, married since the age of 25 and father of two daughters (15 and 7)...And my job is marketing qualitative studies (now as a free lance)
I started 6 years ago to reach street prostitutes who worked in the neighbourhood of my office. My aim was, as a Christian activist, to talk to them about my faith and to help them (if possible) to quit prostitution.
First step for me was to gain their confidence which wasn't an easy task...and took months and months... Prostitution is a closed world and most of prostitutes are very suspicious (which I can easily understand...). The fact that I was a man didn't help either... The method I used was to spend long time in the "cafés" where they used to go and meet once their job was finished. They became used to seeing me there often and from time to time I had the opportunities to have conversations with them. Once they realized clearly that I wasn't a potential customer it became easier. I didn't hide (on the contrary) that I was Christian and going to church every Sunday... but I didn't make proselytism at the beginning. Then progressively I told to those who became friends that I prayed for her everyday and I gave them medals and sometimes religious books for those who appeared interested.
What I have learn't is that you can't expect results in short term. The keyword is PATIENCE ("Patience gains everything" told once Theresa of Avila). All of the prostitutes I met were strong alcohol drinkers and most of them drug (cocain specially) addicts. The biggest problem being MONEY (fastly earned). Sadly I have seen several women quitting to start a small job and going back on the street because prostitution was for them a faster way to get money. As Shelley wrote on the forum once, your heart is broken... Your heart can be broken too when you lend money (for example to pay the weekly baby sitting of a baby..) .and you realize that this money finished in a casino or in a poker game.
But thanks God and with His Help, some have quit and live now far from that. I realized that the younger they were the easier it was for them to quit. When they have been prostitutes for 20, 30 or even 40 years it's very difficult for them to project themselves into a new and different life (sadly prostitution has become their world and they have few or even no friends outside).
I have learnt too that friendship and love is the prerequisit to act efficiently. If people don't feel they are loved they don't listen to you.
Praying is another requisit. You have to pray (and to make pray) before, during and after. Without help of the Holy Spirit nothing good can be said and done.
To conclude, maybe the most important is to never forget that you don't work for yourself but for our Lord. "Purifier l'intention"= "purify the intent" as is said in theology. Never forget that we are just tools in God's Hands.
Thanks for reading me and forgive my pooor english ;-)
God bless you all !
Bruno