Hey friends! It’s month 9 & somehow were more than halfway through our time here in Thailand! This month we are working in the red light district of Chiang Mai. To read more about our ministry this month and everything they are doing, click here http://www.lighthouseinaction.com
It’s a physically, mentally, spiritually & emotionally heavy ministry month for most of us. It’s unlike any ministry we’ve ever done before. The issue here is so raw and so real and it’s happening right in front of us, all around us. It’s an issue with no immanent or direct solution. To many, it seems hopeless.
Let these facts sink in for a moment. During “low season” there are nearly 5,000 female, lady boy and child prostitutes in Chiang Mai’s red light district. During “high season” this number increases to nearly 25,000. Currently, we are here during their low season. I can’t even fathom being here during high season and witnessing what that looks like. What’s worse is that Chiang Mai isn’t considered to be “too bad” of a place for the sex industry. It’s ranked fourth in Thailand behind Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket.
This month, the teams here are going into the bars of the red light district, and making relationships with the girls, the lady boys, the johns and the children. We go to the bars to love on them, to listen to them and to share our stories with them. We go there be a light to them & show them the love of Christ. We go there to show them that they are worthy, not worthless. We go there to show them that they are worth so much more than ANY price tag. We want them to know that they have a future, that they are valued, and that they are deeply loved. Above all, we want them to know that there is HOPE.
What does this look like? Sometimes it’s a simple smile or hug. Some nights it takes on the form of playing jenga or connect four. Sometimes it looks like sipping on cokes together or giving away a bracelet. Sometimes it’s asking the simple question, “How are you?”. Rather than “How much are you?”.
There is no price tag you can put on the worth of another human being. PERIOD. Humans don’t have price tags because they can’t be bought. They are invaluable. It makes me angry, typing this, knowing that there are others out there who think differently. Who look at girls and place prices on them based on their age, eye color, body type, whatever it may be. The fact that this way of thinking exists, and has become a lifestyle to some, disgusts me.
It takes a toll on you, watching some of these girls, ones that you have developed relationships with, drinking just to get drunk so that when they are “bought” they don’t have to feel or remember the night. It’s infuriating watching these men come in and buy these girls right in front of your eyes, especially when you know the girl would rather do anything else, other than go with this “stranger” for the night.
So, I ask myself this question – “What can I do?”. I can start by loving everyone involved. This is where I struggle most & where I really rely God. I need to see these men through His eyes and have His unconditional love for everyone involved. I want more than anything to be pissed at these men. I want to glare at them across the bar, with a message that says, “You are older than my dad!! What you’re doing is disgusting and it’s WRONG. How dare you, for thinking that you can put a price on this girl. That you can treat her with such disgrace and disrespect”.
But that’s not what Jesus would do. He would love these men, nonetheless. He DOES love them. Every night before I go out, I pray that I’m able see these men through the eyes of Jesus. Obviously, there is huge disconnect in their lives. A void so big, that can only be filled by Jesus, which comes when we know Him and His love. And that’s what we’re hoping to do this month, show the love of Jesus through our words and our actions. Even if it’s just for a night, a couple hours, we can make an impact through our smiles, our encouraging words and our loving actions. We can stand out, and be the love and the light of Jesus.
Fundraising update!! I’m still about $900 short of being fully funded. I need your help to finish these last 2 months on the race. Please, don’t let me go home next month in Cambodia! I know God has big plans for my team and I these last 2 months on the race. 2 months – that’s it – I can’t believe it!! These past 9 months have gone by incredibly quick and they have filled my life with 9 months of incredible stories, memories and amazing friendships.
Please consider donating to help me reach this last part of my fundraising goal. I appreciate EVERYONE who has helped me raise over $15,000 already. Thank you!!!!
