Thailand… oh my Thailand.
Jesus has absolutely etched Thailand’s name on my
heart. This country is so unbelievably
beautiful — the countryside and the people who live here — and so incredibly
special and important… and so deeply conflicted.
heart. This country is so unbelievably
beautiful — the countryside and the people who live here — and so incredibly
special and important… and so deeply conflicted.
On one hand, it is a land of development, where roads are
paved and buses are air-conditioned and even huts on stilts have running water
and electricity.
paved and buses are air-conditioned and even huts on stilts have running water
and electricity.
On the other hand, it is a land of backwardness, where
children run around bar districts barefoot and “keeping face� is more important
than a woman’s dignity.
children run around bar districts barefoot and “keeping face� is more important
than a woman’s dignity.
It is a place where appearance is everything and no matter what
happens around you, you keep smiling to maintain that Thailand is the Land of
Smiles.
happens around you, you keep smiling to maintain that Thailand is the Land of
Smiles.
It is a place where beer is cheaper than water, women are
cheaper than the room you might take them to later, and the only thing that is
off-limits is saying anything disrespectful about the king [a great man].
cheaper than the room you might take them to later, and the only thing that is
off-limits is saying anything disrespectful about the king [a great man].
It is a place where bars are filled with white men, young
and old, who have traveled here for sex tourism and little else. It is a place where the women who bring them their
drinks and laugh at their advances are oftentimes married with children… but
she left her home to go work in the bars, because maybe her husband is sick and
can’t work. Or maybe he doesn’t want to work, so he sent her
instead. Or maybe he’s gone and this is
the only option left to her.
and old, who have traveled here for sex tourism and little else. It is a place where the women who bring them their
drinks and laugh at their advances are oftentimes married with children… but
she left her home to go work in the bars, because maybe her husband is sick and
can’t work. Or maybe he doesn’t want to work, so he sent her
instead. Or maybe he’s gone and this is
the only option left to her.
What comes into clear focus pretty instantly is that this is
not an issue of mere exploitation, but an issue of the heart. People look at trafficking as a women’s
issue, but it is not just about women talking to women in bars, though that is
a large part of it. It is about men talking to men — in the church, in the streets, in the airports. Fathers and sons, brothers and friends — I
saw all of those combinations walking the streets of Chiang Mai this month,
traveling about on holiday together.
And the sad reality is that even if we could pull all of the women out of the bars, they are easily
replaceable commodities here and the bars would be back in business within
days.
not an issue of mere exploitation, but an issue of the heart. People look at trafficking as a women’s
issue, but it is not just about women talking to women in bars, though that is
a large part of it. It is about men talking to men — in the church, in the streets, in the airports. Fathers and sons, brothers and friends — I
saw all of those combinations walking the streets of Chiang Mai this month,
traveling about on holiday together.
And the sad reality is that even if we could pull all of the women out of the bars, they are easily
replaceable commodities here and the bars would be back in business within
days.
The women aren’t here because they want to be, though many
of them start to become accustomed to the money they make and won’t leave because of it… no, they are
here because of the demand. Plain and
simple — as long as there is a demand for it, trafficking will flourish.
of them start to become accustomed to the money they make and won’t leave because of it… no, they are
here because of the demand. Plain and
simple — as long as there is a demand for it, trafficking will flourish.
And although Thailand has become the poster child for it,
trafficking is much, much larger than a single country. Trafficking spills over into America through the
porn industry, into the dive “salons� and “massage parlors� on the side of
major highways [even in Michigan], into major hubs in Atlanta, Georgia, and
Portland, Oregon. This is a battle that
desperately needs men to stand up and fight against
it. It is a women’s issue in that it is
mainly women who are directly affected; however, this is very much a men’s
issue in that it will take men to partner with women to end it.
trafficking is much, much larger than a single country. Trafficking spills over into America through the
porn industry, into the dive “salons� and “massage parlors� on the side of
major highways [even in Michigan], into major hubs in Atlanta, Georgia, and
Portland, Oregon. This is a battle that
desperately needs men to stand up and fight against
it. It is a women’s issue in that it is
mainly women who are directly affected; however, this is very much a men’s
issue in that it will take men to partner with women to end it.
Certainly, trafficking is a serious issue here, but Thailand
is so much more than its issues. And the good news is that things are starting to change. I believe that God has looked down and
remembered Thailand in His loving-kindness and He is saying, “ENOUGH.â€� There are scores of bars in Chiang Mai alone —
but they are slow. Even in the busiest
tourist months of the year, the bars’ business dragged. I believe that the
prayers and the battles waged against this problem are effective — things are
changing and I got to see that directly in the bar district this month.
is so much more than its issues. And the good news is that things are starting to change. I believe that God has looked down and
remembered Thailand in His loving-kindness and He is saying, “ENOUGH.â€� There are scores of bars in Chiang Mai alone —
but they are slow. Even in the busiest
tourist months of the year, the bars’ business dragged. I believe that the
prayers and the battles waged against this problem are effective — things are
changing and I got to see that directly in the bar district this month.
Thailand is a place where I see my family standing united
against this darkness and fighting for the Kingdom together. It is a place where the Light of Jesus is
growing warmer and brighter by the day.
I believe that one day soon, Thailand will be seen as a kingdom of more
than just smiles and “keeping face.�
Thailand is going to be a part of The Kingdom and it is going to be a
place of freedom and real, innocent, genuine, perfect smiles instead of smiles
that act as a mask.
against this darkness and fighting for the Kingdom together. It is a place where the Light of Jesus is
growing warmer and brighter by the day.
I believe that one day soon, Thailand will be seen as a kingdom of more
than just smiles and “keeping face.�
Thailand is going to be a part of The Kingdom and it is going to be a
place of freedom and real, innocent, genuine, perfect smiles instead of smiles
that act as a mask.
“Let this be written
for a future generation,
for a future generation,
that a people not yet
created may praise the Lord:
created may praise the Lord:
‘The LORD looked down
from his
from his
sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed
the earth,
the earth,
to hear the groans of
the prisoners
the prisoners
and release those
condemned to
condemned to
death.’
So the name of the
LORD will be declared in Zion
LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
when the peoples and
the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.�
the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.�
Psalm 102:18 — 22
Yes, Jesus. Come quickly.
Amen.
Amen.
