She was born on the streets. She was sent to beg by her mother. She was taken by the police. She was sold by the police. She was sold into human trafficking. She was taken from her country, from her home. She was taken across the border. She was drugged and raped. She was forced into prostitution. She was sold back into Cambodia. She was addicted to drugs and alcohol. She was back on the streets. She was HIV positive.
He was born at Teen Challenge. He was the son of a woman who just made it off the streets, a woman who was very sick. He was born against all odds, with his mother fighting for him. He was the result of a choice, a choice made by his mother to with go taking medicine, medicine that would save her life but take his. He was the result of a choice, he survived, but she didn’t. He was an orphan.
This is the story of Haan and David. Haan, the woman who has changed my life forever, Haan my very dear friend. And David, the baby boy who stole all of our hearts. These were their stories before Jesus stepped in. Before He created their beautiful endings, or should I say beginnings. Before He turned their stories of immense sorrow and brokenness, into a story full of so much hope, redemption, and promise.
Jesus brought her back to life. Jesus took her off the streets. Jesus brought her to Teen Challenge. Jesus cleaned her up. Jesus gave her a place to live, to sleep, and food to eat. Jesus gave her medicine. Jesus brought her to bible studies and to church. Jesus gave her a community of believers that would help her grow in her faith. Jesus gave her, her joy back. And Jesus gave her a son, the son that she knew she would never be able to have.
Jesus gave him life, Jesus kept him alive. Jesus gave him a place to live, to sleep, and food to eat. Jesus gave him a community of believers, that would help raise him, a community of women that would love him. Jesus gave him a start at life filled with joy. And Jesus gave him a mom, the mom that he would never get back.
Jesus gave them each other. Jesus took two stories beginning in tragedy and sorrow and intertwined them together to create something beautiful. Wherever Haan went, there David was on her hip. I would have never known that wasn’t her child, the way she lovingly took care of him. I asked her if she wanted children one day, she looked sad and said it wasn’t in God’s plans for her.
I was changed forever. I was in love. I was broken from their stories. Haan’s story has changed my life forever. I didn’t know it was her, I didn’t know she was the woman who was positive for HIV. She was too joyful, too energetic, too full of life. I was in love from the moment she took my camera and my hand, wanting to take photos of me in front of every tree, bush, and flower on the property. And as she did my hair and makeup every morning, as I sat on the floor, as she happily braided my hair and applied her favorite glitter eyeshadow all over my face, I knew she was someone I could never forget. Someone that would cause my heart to break, at the all too familiar dreaded goodbye that happens every month.
And then on that very last day, the day we had to leave, I heard her story. I couldn’t believe it! How could the most joyous person I have ever met, endured so much. She was the woman that I read about in books, she was the woman that my heart broke for, the woman that I knew I had to go to. She was a part of the thirty million that are victims of human trafficking. But she was so far from that. So far from a prostitute or drug addict. She was a beautiful woman of God, filled with His joy.
As I sat in my room crying, rushing to pack all my stuff, Haan sat with me, admiring all of my photos of my family and friends. I asked her if she hated Thailand, if she hated those lost years of being a slave. She simply said with her bright eyes and beautiful smile, “Me no remember, me smoke, me drink.” Then she laughed that wonderful laugh of hers.
Because you see, She is not her past. She is not all the awful things that happened to her. She is redeemed. She is beautiful. She is made perfect and new by the blood of Jesus. And she will be the greatest mother to David. She will raise him with love and joy. And when he cries, that laugh of hers will comfort his soul. When David’s birth mom died, she said she dreamed that David would grow to become a doctor. There is no doubt that God has mighty plans for that little boy. You can see it in his eyes, as Haan holds him, that he is destined to do great things. They both are! This is just the beginning for the both of them. I will never forget them. As I hugged Haan goodbye, one last time, both of us crying, she asked when we would see each other again. And I replied, I will see you again one day very soon in heaven. She laughed her joyous laugh and said yes, yes we will in heaven!
