Puerto Galera.
On the surface, it is an absolutely
gorgeous island with world class beaches and mountains that will take
your breath away. But, that’s only the surface. When your eyes move
from the perfection of the landscape to the people around you, what
you see will make your stomach turn.
Walking down the boardwalk throughout
this week, I saw girls who looked younger than me sitting at tables
with white haired men. When I would catch their eyes, they would
quickly look away, with shame written all over their faces. These
women aren’t doing what they do because they want to. Each one has a
different story, each centered around poverty. Some are trying to
provide for their own children, others for their siblings or their
parents. They have a responsibility, and they are turning to selling
themselves because they don’t have any other option. The men are here
from different parts of the world, trying to fill parts of themselves
that are empty and trying to find their happiness.
Then, there are the Baklas. Baklas are
local men who dress and act like women, and try to attract the
attention of other men. They are clearly very confused individuals
who were most likely abused as children. Usually, the men on our
teams are instructed to watch out for us women because local men
sometimes have a tendency to say inappropriate things. This month, we
were told to stick close to our guys in certain situations to protect
them.
There is a lot of darkness hidden in
the beauty here on this island. So what are we doing about it?
First and most importantly, we are
praying that eyes will be opened and hearts will be softened, and I
really hope you will join me in that prayer.
Second, we have partnered with a
ministry called Threads of Hope. They provide jobs to women, making
bracelets. Those bracelets are then shipped all over the world, and
people buy them, but not without learning why the bracelet was made
in the first place. The bracelets give women the opportunity to sell
something other than their bodies. This ministry currently employs
over 500 women, and the more people buy bracelets, the more women
they can hire. We are doing some land clearing for them so that they
can eventually build a building which might become a school or an
orphanage.
Third, we are just being. In the
afternoons, we go down to the beach in groups. Some people are
involved in a volleyball ministry. Some are going scuba diving. Some
are sitting with the women who make bracelets and listening to their
stories.
It might not sound like much, but
relationships are being built, conversations are being had, and a few
hearts on that beach have already been changed. Many people here have
never experienced genuine unconditional love before, and when they
do, it rocks their world. These women are buried under so much shame
that they do not realize they are worth just as much as you or me,
simply because they are human beings. Loving these people is what
will empower them to rise above the decisions they have made in the
past.
