S-H-E is the organization we worked with this past month in Phuket, Thailand. The Biddell’s, a family from UK, began this organization to help girls in prostitution exit that lifestyle. The Biddell’s way for the girls is the one and only way… through Jesus Christ. For months, they have visited the plethora of bars that line one of the most popular tourist’s streets in the city of Patong. They established healthy relationships with some of the girls and through Christ, gave them a hope of a different, more fulfilling lifestyle. So far, there are four girls being discipled at SHE. They are so much fun and lovable.
(left to right) Kay, Whan, Klon and Goong
Mark and Sharon Biddell is helping them to make a living by teaching them a new trait – jewelry and card making. These girls not only support themselves but they also send money back home to their parents, brothers and sisters and some have children to support as well. Mark and Sharon also ensure they are growing spiritually by incorporating a discipleship program into their lives. Once a week, a sister from their church visits the SHE shop and the girls stop working for a couple of hours to learn more about Jesus.
I am still amazed at how God has continued to use my passions and desires to glorify Him and expand His kingdom. On the weekdays, we helped them with jewelry and card making and designing. Both of which I loved to do.
In the evenings, we went out to the bars to meet more girls and establish more relationships. These were the times that were most challenging to me because the streets were filled with souls who were caught up in looking for love but they appeared to be looking in all the wrong places. This environment is definitely adult in nature – girls dancing on bar counters and “Lady-boys” (transvestites and transsexuals) parading the streets, all of whom wear next to nothing. What disturbed me the most were the children who walked up and down “bar row” with their parents (usually tourists) – some as little as 2-3 years old to adolescent and teen aged. I pray that our presence there made a difference and that we were able to bring the light of Christ into such a dark place.
The fact of the matter is that in spite of my overwhelming feelings of anger, confusion and disbelief while walking around “bar row”, God IS everywhere and He loves us all the same – whether we have a personal relationship with Him or not. I realized just how great His patience and mercy is for all of us while I was in this dark place. My faith rests in the fact that people who seemed so lost, so deep in sin, so blatant in disobedience, all get the same unconditional love from God through Christ who paid the price when He came on this earth over two thousand years ago. This is the hope that I cling to. All we have to do is reach out to Him and give Him the relationship that He so desires from us. It is then that we find true love.
More information about the Biddell family:
http://www.biddellnews.co.uk/html/present_projects_.html
Video on SHE:
