This past weekend we had a Leadership Development Weekend in Riga. Our team got there on Friday night and we ended up partnering that night with an organization that is combating sex trafficking in Riga. Having heard about sex trafficking for the last couple a years I was pretty excited on being on the front lines for the night. So our mission: Be the dumb American tourists. Which I must say we played to a T. However, I did not realize how difficult this night would be.
A group of 3 other guys and myself made our way out to the streets of Riga. Our goal was to go into the clubs and bars and find out if there was any shady business going on in there. We found it very difficult to get into the bars because most of them had a pretty hefty cover charge, but we did have success getting into a few. Being early in the night we didn’t see anything super shady, just a lot of heart breaking situations. Situations of drunken men stumbling into clubs, women offering themselves up, and so many people seeking fulfillment in wrong ways. So we left the clubs spent most of our night talking to the bike taxis. The bike taxis in Riga take people all over the city, and at night their main priority is to get people to the bars and strip clubs. So knowing this we thought it would be beneficial to get their take on things. We approached them and began asking them about where the best clubs were, what the night life is truly about, and if anything underground is going on. You’d be surprised how much they will tell 4 random American guys who just walk up and ask. During this conversation I had to consciously keep the anger of my face. On the inside I wanted to explode with rage and anger, but on the outside I had to seem somewhat interested. The conversation came to an end when they informed us on an underground club that not many people know about. This seeming like a good opportunity for us to see more of what may be going so we asked them to lead us there. This club was legit underground. There isn’t a sign on the outside, the only way you know it is there is if someone who knows about it took you there. So we go in and scope out the underground club. They told us the place doesn’t start getting crazy until 1 am so we didn’t get to see too much, but we were able to alert the organization about this place. A place they can now walk by a pray over daily.
The next night we went out and spent the night asking The Lord where to go and who to talk to. I felt The Lord telling me to go back to the bike taxis and talk to them about respecting women. Soooo not knowing how it would go I went and talked to them. I met a guy who is currently a student and has been taxing for the last 3 years. After talking to him for 15 minutes or so about his life I decided to make the plunge and ask him if he ever thinks about the lack of respect for women in the prostitution and strip club industry. After he said no, we began to a have a really awesome convo about respect and love. His perspective began to change and he began to think about respecting women and genuinely loving them. This led into the gospel and the saving grace of Jesus. That Jesus brings freedom from shame and guilt, and that in Jesus we actually begin living life to the fullest! I wish I could say he accepted Christ as his Savior that night, but he didn’t. I pray for him though. I know a seed was planted and I pray he can’t stop thinking about that conversation. I pray he begins to understand respect and love, and begins refusing to bike people to the club. I pray instead for the day where he begins biking people to church!
Pray for Riga. Pray for the people combating sex trafficking. Pray for the people involved in sex trafficking. It’s okay if you can’t physically be here your prayers are powerful!
XX
