As we walk down Bangla road, the promoters and advertisers stick flyers in our faces, attempting to draw us in. They try their best to get us into their clubs so they can make some money off of us. As we respond “my ow ka” letting them know that we’re not interested, some take the hint and move onto the next, while others are a little more persistent, determined to get you in the door. The promoters are more aggressive with the guys, knowing that guys are usually where they make their money. One night we saw a guy go up to one of the dancers and hand her a bunch of thousand baht bills (each 1000 worth 30 USD). As she fanned herself with the money, she pointed to his watch, indicating a time to meet up later.
Every opportunity we get we try to talk to the dancers, or the other ladies at the bar. We try to give them a break from having to flirt with a customer and throw themselves at him. We ask them their names, where they are from, and about their family. Initially they try to get us to buy alcoholic beverages thinking that we’re “just another customer”, but when all we order is a sprite or a red bull, they realize they can relax and not have to worry about impressing. They realize we’re different. They challenge us to games of Connect 4 and Jenga, usually dominating easily everytime.
When the girls interact with us, they are always so excited. Many of them are happy to see us, though they’re not making much money off of us. They tell us we’re nice and that we’re beautiful and complement our external appearances. But more that recognizing our “kindness” and our beauty”, I want them to recognize the Christ in us. Because though they can experience momentarily laughter and genuiness while they are with us, when midnight strikes everynight, and when the end of our 3 weeks in Phuket, Thailand is up, we won’t be there to fill that role anymore. They need something that lasts far past when we are gone. They don’t need us to be happy or to make them feel like a beautiful and valued woman who should be respected. Our time here is temporary, but God is eternal. He brings hope, redemption, restroration, and salvation. I so desperatly want them to know that.
We’ve been in Phuket for a little over a week now. I still don’t know how it looks to share Christ with the people that we meet, especially when they can’t speak english that well and they’ve never heard of Him before. Jesus reminded me that just like at home, it looks like building relationships, and loving people, and most importantly praying for them. When we leave Phuket, I don’t want them to remember the Americans that were reallly nice and only drank coke, I want they to remember the light in us, the hope that we had, and one day, be able to have that for themselves. Knowing that they are fully deserving because God says so. Because He loves all His creation, so much to send us to Phuket, Thailand, to show them love personally
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
