shortest yet. Of course, it has been my favorite thus far and I could have
stayed for another month (at least). Although our time it was short, the impact
it made on my life and the impact we made on those women was immense.
Explaining the environment on Bangla Road is so hard. Even videos don’t capture the depth of
the darkness- it is just something you will have to experience yourself (and
you are ALL welcome to come and experience it, SHE is in need of volunteers-all
the time). I have been through the red light district in Amsterdam, and that
was hard enough for me. Bangla however is not at all “behind glass” but mostly
out in the open. Girls (and I do mean girls) and women dance on counters and
poles at bar fronts. Others stand on the street, wearing nearly nothing,
waiting to be “chosen” for the hour, for the night or for the week. The
environment is, in no small way, sexually charged and meant to draw men (and
women) into their world of momentary pleasure and control by whatever means
possible. Grabbing you by the hand, offering free/cheap drinks, promising
certain services—whatever. And it’s all motivated of course by cash money.
We spent our days here walking the streets in prayer. We
prayed for peace in the hearts of those who live and work on Bangla. We prayed
that the men and women God wanted to lead us to would encounter us that night
and would have the trust in us to be totally open about their circumstances. And
we prayed for change in Patong. That it’s notoriety for the sex trade would one
day be swapped for a reputation of God’s joy, rest and of healing for tourists
who really just want an escape from the rat-trace of home.
Then at night we would spread out in teams of three and go
bar to bar talking with women, looking for those who wanted change. Not surprisingly, 9 of every 10 women
we talked to openly hated her job. Some were so candid with us that we would
hear gut-wrenching stories from the night before- just because they needed someone
to listen. Although incredibly hard to endure, we spent most of our time
listening to women’s stories and trying to understand why she does what she
does. And although most want a change, money is their motivation. As I mentioned before, the majority
of women are separated from their families, working the sex industry because it
doesn’t require an education and is always
hiring. In comparison to other jobs that don’t require training, the income is
huge. And they need a good percentage of their income sent home to their
families to take care of their children, siblings, ill parents etc. So
sacrificing their happiness and discomfort seams like the only choice. But it
is not!
We shared the SHE organization with dozens and dozens of
women. Some came to have lunch with us there and check it out; some signed up
for classes, and some still aren’t ready to make a change. Although it was
incredibly hard for us to leave Phuket without some of our friends stepping
foot in SHE, we have to trust God with them. And know that while they may not
be ready now, they at least know an alternative exists. And the bottom line is,
they have to choose for themselves. When one girl decides to fight for a better
life, her sisters and neighbors in the bars will inevitably notice and there will
be a domino effect. So we consider the five or six women getting involved while
we were there as a huge success!
When we left, SHE had 40-something other male and female
volunteers arrive to help this next month. And teams will just continue to come. Although this organization
is relatively new, Gods people are making huge waves for His kingdom in Patong.
And it brought my heart much comfort in leaving to see the commitment of these
people. They aren’t going anywhere.
They are there to stay, and I can’t wait to come back.
