I had the opportunity to do a prayer walk in the red light district not far from Remember Nhu, the children's home I was working with. I have always known, in a general sense, what sex trafficking is all about. But to see it with my own eyes is something I will never forget.
My day started with my team and I relaxing on our day off. That night we went to a night market called the Night Bazaar. It’s a very large market where you can find anything and everything from street food to clothes; electronics to purses, jewelry, paintings and souvenirs. We ate dinner and walked around, looking at the different vendors, and buying anything we might need or want to bring home to a loved one.
After 2 hours of shopping, we drove to the red light district. On the drive there, we passed by some places that were obviously bars and/or brothels. They aren’t hard to spot. Most of them have blinking lights, large neon signs or a risqué billboard across the street. And sometimes they have all 3 and more.
When we arrived there, we decided to split into pairs, seeing as how we had one of our contacts and 2 other girls who were volunteering for Remember Nhu, making 10 in all. As I walked around and prayed, I was shocked, disgusted, and saddened by what I was seeing. Men, primarily white, were walking around with these young women and girls. They were conversing with them, walking around hand-in-hand with them, and playfully nudging them or patting them on the butt. Five minutes into the walk, I wanted to scream “WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?” and “LEAVE HER ALONE!”
I saw a man step out onto a balcony from a room on one of the upper floors of a bar, with his shirt off. I can only assume as to what he was doing in that room on top of a bar. We saw and overheard a conversation between a much older man and a young Asian girl who appeared to be no older than 10 years old. The man was leaning against a motto (a cross between a motorcycle and scooter), talking and stroking the hair of this young girl who was crying, telling her that it will be okay and that the first time is always the hardest.
We also saw families in the red light district getting foot massages and hanging out at the restaurant/bars, oblivious to what was going on around them. One of the sad parts is that while some of these men are only interested in sex, a good majority want companionship and love.
A few days after we walked the streets of the red light district, we went to a Hill Tribe Village, where some of the girls from the children’s home are from. The village reminded me of some of the homes I’ve seen in South America: dirty, run down, not really much of a home at all, but the best that can be done with what they have. Once you see where they come from, you start to see why (not to say it’s right) people sell their kids: they have next to nothing.
Now that I have a better understanding of where these kids come from and where they could possibly be, I am so in awe of God and how He works. These kids now have a better home, a better life, and more hope for what’s ahead of them in their future.
