. . . and neither are you. 5:00 pm Saturday I witnessed one of the most challenging situations of my World Race journey. It is one thing to hear accounts of sex trafficking, but it is another ordeal to see men barter with women for temporary pleasure. As I mentioned in my previous blog, “A to Z,” Team Pneuma was entrusted with the renovations of Z house, a project to help CSWs come out of their industry and to share with the women the hope found in Christ. Last Saturday, Rachel accompanied me at the Z house so that I could finish the scripture for the mural. We worked alongside SFI staff members nearly all day to complete painting projects and installing a bathroom at the house. Rachel and I finished our work for the day and were waiting in our vechile for the workers to complete their day’s work. We typically leave this area by 4 pm because “work” for the women begins in the late afternoon hours. As Rachel and I were waiting, we observed heart-wrenching circumstances. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 7:22 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 You have been bought with a price. Christ’s blood was shed for you. He loves you and has always loved you. You were worth every moment of pain and suffering. [L to R: Josh, Bri, Krystle, Matt, Rachel, Jessica, and I cutting ribbon at the Z house opening. Photo credit: Sutesh]
[Z house site. Photo credit: Sutesh]]
The scene: The sounds of construction buzzing in my ears. Through our tinted windows, I see young children walking around the streets half naked. I desperately want to pick them up, bathe them, and clothe them. A young man in his 20s pulls up the street on his motorcycle. He strikes up a conversation with two women and pulls cash from his pocket. There seems to be bartering in the process as the young woman signals the price. Then, in a flash (I didn’t observe this, but Rachel saw this process), the woman takes the cash from the man and hands it over to an older woman sitting against the run-down building. The young man and young woman disappear into the first room while another woman brings change to the first room. Meanwhile, two more men stroll by and start conversations with women waiting for customers. I witness a similiar situation as Rachel observed earlier: hand motions signaled for the price, hestitant laughter exchanged, and flirtatous words shared. One of the men walked over to our vechile and gazed at his reflection in the window before returning to the women. Throughout these events, Rachel and I were interceeding in the vechile. Tears sprinkled down my face as I prayed for the men and women that they would discover their value. As difficult as it was, I prayed a lot for the men that they would come to Christ. My heart was deeply burdened for the injustices that I witnessed. Although this experience was emotionally and spriritually exhausting, I am thankful that I had this experience. This Saturday afternoon demonstrated the urgent need for the Z house. I then understood more fully how Z house will be a light in the darkness. Through witnessing the darkness, I was propelled to bring light and to help transform this area.
[Street view. Photo credit: Sutesh]
Last Tuesday we opened and dedicated the Z house. It was one of my favorite days of the race. A local pastor and the Z house staff, invited many women to the ceremony. Jessica and I both shared brief messages to the women to encourage them that they do have value. My message was centered around Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not percieve it?”
[Neighbourhood children. Photo credit: Sutesh]
The LORD is doing a new thing in both my life and in this city through His people. While we were renovating the Z house, the LORD illustrated the spiritual transformation through the physical process. During the intial days, we scraped off the layers of old paint. The LORD reminded me that this is what he does in our lives: he takes us just as we are with all our filth and starts a beautiful work in us. This process takes time. Sometimes we endure hardships (my WR example: Malaysian bamboo farm), but these hardships are within a larger context and could/ most likely will contain a nugget of wisdom. I am still processing why some people endure more hardships than others, and this is a concept that I don’t know if I’ll ever reach a concrete conclusion. However, I can personally testify that my most challenging moments of my World Race journey were used to form and shape the woman of God that I am today. It was worth it. Literally all the sweat, blood (leech bites), non-ideal living conditions, insanely long travel days are worth it because of what the LORD has taught me along the journey and who I am in Him today.
[Rachel. Photo credit: Sutesh]
For the next step, we primed the walls. Every inch of the battered walls were washed white. The Lord spoke to me about purity. Our Father takes us as we are and washes us white as snow.
[Matt. Photo credit: Sutesh]
For the final steps, the team painted the walls and woodwork with fresh paint. I designed and painted a mural on the walls and painted Zephaniah 3:17. Through this long process, I saw how often transformation is a process. Just as the LORD has used my World Race journey to transform me into the woman of God that I am today, the LORD worked through Pneuma and SFI staff to transform a run-down building into a beautiful work. Transformation takes time. Refining processes can be painful and difficult, but they are worth the effort. God is continually working in and through the lives of His people. This is just the beginning of His work in me and in you.
[Mural. Photo credit: Sutesh]
[Krystle and I at Z house opening. Photo credit: Sutesh]
The Z house project was an illustration of a redemption story. If you are not part of this story, there is a redemption story waiting for you.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
