Please don’t ring that bell!

For the last few days my team and I have been working in Pattaya, Thailand. Pattaya is not only known as a tourist city but is also the capital city of human trafficking in Thailand.  Here women are willing to sell themselves in hopes of being able to provide financially for their families.  Most of the women I have talked to have children living with their parents, where once married to a man who then cheated on them with a prostitute then left them, and are very unhappy with their current job but see it as the only way to make money.

While on the streets or in the bars we have been passing out cards about the Tamar Center which is a place where the women can go and receive free English lessons and be trained in another occupation such as cooking, cosmetic/hair styling, etc.  This is a place that offers HOPE to the hopeless.

This week while talking to women on the streets I met a young girl with a gorgeous smile.  She speaks English pretty well and our birthdays are only a few days apart which was our initial connection.  I was able to meet with her a few times throughout the week. Wednesday night we went to KFC for some ice cream and had a 2 1/2 hour conversation about God, Buddha, and her life. She talked about how her dad had died when she was 11 and at the age of 12 she moved to Bangkok and worked in a sweat shop making clothes.  She later married a thai man who abused her and then left her for another women.  That is when she moved to Pattaya about 3 years ago to start making money by selling herself.  It seemed like an opportunity of a lifetime.  We were able to share who Jesus was and she had so many questions.  I set up a time and place to meet with her again on Friday night.

Friday night she showed up.  Praise the Lord!  But it was only to tell us that she was not going to be able to stay for dinner because she had a “customer” who had bought her through next Saturday.  My heart was broken!  The man came with her as she told us goodbye.  You could see the shame, guilt, and embarrassment all over his face as he stood by and watch her tell us.  Even though we didn’t get to talk to her we do have her phone number and our ministry contacts can keep in touch with her.  I pray that God will continue to pursue after her heart and she will continue to ask questions.