I can't tell you the name of the organization we're working with in Thailand for their safety and security. But I can tell you this: it's a dynamic group of people who want to see Christ destroy the shroud of sexual perversion hovering over Phuket and to beckon all into the presence of the One Who Saves. Every night teams are sent out into bars (one road alone has over 200), where relationships are built over time with women who are forced to sell their bodies in order to provide for their families. After gaining their trust, the women are given information about the organization, which offers alternate jobs enabling them to leave the sex industry. The women also hear the Gospel, sometimes hearing for the very first time that they are loved by the King Eternal and He wants nothing more than to have every soul fall passionately in love with Him as He is passionately in love with all of us.
My first night of bar ministry is hard to describe. Some of the bars are "closed-door" bars, due to the graphic nature of what happens inside (live sex shows). Many bars have 6-8 women who wait until someone purchases their bodies for an hour at a time. One bar had at least 50 women pole-dancing while another 100 or so mingled with anyone and everyone. I was shocked by how visible sexual exploitation is here. Even with what we saw in Cambodia, for the most part it is hidden. To give you an idea of how rampant it is, a massage parlor had to advertise "no sex" on its sign, because so many massage parlors are also brothels. It is heart-wrenching.
Though it is really hard to come face-to-face with all of this, I know the Lord is doing awesome things through the organization and every team that comes to serve. I know the Lord can break the bondage of perversion, sexual exploitation, depression and greed. He can move mountains and He is the Light that pierces the darkness. I pray for divine interactions and that all the women we meet see Jesus, even if they don't know Him yet. I pray every stronghold the enemy has is obliterated by the power of the Holy Spirit. And I pray that every wall standing in the way of people knowing the Savior comes crashing to the ground.
