This is a blog about one of the most powerful and impactful days of ministry of my entire race. It is definitely worth reading.
Today was our first day of ministry in China. After a great morning run with my team, the girls and I met with 3 ladies from the US and Canada and we went to the Tibetan Market to visit the brothels there. As I walked down the alley ways full of broken glass and rubble I saw girls ages 20-40 standing outside of doors in black skirts, tights, and high heels with their hair and makeup done. I would just smile and wave to them since I do not know any Mandarin. The ladies I was with knew quite a bit of the language so they would converse with some of the girls and translate for us. We had a conversation with two girls for about 10 minutes and drew a crowd of at least 15 men that formed a circle around us and stared at us. I was in an area known specifically for exploiting women with 3 of my American friends and we drew quite a bit of attention from the men roaming the streets which made me a little uncomfortable.
All the conversations that were had with the girls were sweet and lighthearted, we were there to encourage, love, and bring light into the darkness. As I continued to walk down the ally I observed men walking in and out of the brothels, the girls that were working had smiles on their faces the whole time.
I know that those smiles are only fronts for the real brokenness that they experience every day which has become routine for them, a complete numbing of their bodies and souls.
We ran into a couple of the girls that the ladies have become friends with and they invited us into their rooms where they knew we were going to be singing and playing music on the guitar. This trust has been formed after years of walking the streets, making conversation, and building relationships with the girls. We entered the doorway to go up an open staircase and into one of the rooms upstairs. This room had one bed, a small mirror, and a couple of dressers.
It was here that I found myself sitting on a bed in a brothel in China.
A few of the working girls joined us as we sang songs such as “How He Loves” and prayed God’s anointing over each life that enters that room. Our voices lifted up in sweet worship to the Lord, the one and only Savior that can free them from the bondage that they live in. I was brought to tears as I could feel God’s heart breaking for every woman that has ever worked in that room.
We were invited inside another brothel nearby that none of the women we were with had ever been allowed to enter before. We entered another similar looking place that was full of garbage, cigarette stubs, and broken bottles. The girl that invited us led us up to a small room sectioned off with plywood; it had two beds in it and a door that locked from the outside. It was here we continued our prayer and praise to the Lord. God’s presence filled that place as we sang and brought light into that dark cold concrete room.
In the afternoon my team met with another woman in a different part of town and we went into a couple hair salons that are not actually hair salons. A couple of us got our eye brows done as an excuse to enter inside and talk with the ladies. There was only one lady that actually does hair or eyebrows, the rest of the girls stand in the back all dressed up waiting for customers. One man entered in while we were there, he looked confused by all the foreigners there but one of the girls brought him to the back with a smile. It seemed like it wasn’t even a big deal- conversations continued like normal as the big red door in the back closed with that man and the girl behind it.
Starfish is a ministry that forms relationships with these women and offers them a way to leave their lifestyle and work for them making jewelry. If they decide to leave their lifestyle they are provided with 3 meals a day, a place to stay, and a salary. Most girls are hesitant to leave because the actual pay isn’t as much as they make with their current work even though with Starfish they would get room, board, and safety.
It seems like there is literally a sea of women in this business and we are reaching only a small portion of the need. But Starfish is focused on quality relationships with those who are open to change; when they decide to change it will be a total change. The women at Starfish make beautiful jewelry that is sold in the States and the profit goes to sustaining their new lives.
The story of the Starfish is as follows- "One day an old man was walking down the beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a young man picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. As the old man approached the young man, he asked, "Why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?" The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. The old man exclaimed, "But there must be thousands of starfish. How can your efforts make any difference?" The young man looked down at the starfish in his hand and as he threw it to safety in the sea, he said," It makes a difference to this one!"
The work done for the Lord matters and it makes an even bigger impact than we may ever know. I believe that one day the fake smile that these girls put on everyday for their customers will be changed into a genuine smile of happiness and freedom because God is going to transform their hearts and their lives.
