Where the Hell are we?

We have been in Phuket now for over a week and it is extremely hot and a completely different world from anywhere I have been. The beaches really are from some beautiful exotic paradise advertised in the travel magazines. The streets are filled with the latest fashioned clothing, souvenirs, and anything you could possibly need for taking to the white sand beaches. Tourists and locals intertwine, weaving around each other to get to their intended destinations.

Are we in Paradise?

Or are we in Hell?

Just past the twilight hours the mood and scenery of the streets change. What were once deserted, unseen bars become streets filled with people from all over the world. The world connects on one street in Phuket – Bangla Road, and you feel as if you have either arrived in heaven or walked into the pit of hell – depending on your beliefs.

For the male tourist what more could you want? There is cheap alcohol, plenty of entertainment, and scantily clothed girls up for anything you can pay them for.

For the working women on Bangla Road, what more could you want? They are provided with accommodation, the opportunity of meeting their future husbands, free drinks, and entertainment all week.

But again the question is:  What more could you want?

These men are looking for an escape out of their ordinary lives, they are looking for someone to love them, they are looking for sex, but they are never fulfilled, never satisfied and always looking for something more.

These girls definitely are looking for more. They are also looking for someone to love them, for someone to provide for and take care of them and they are looking for a way to provide for their family back home.

What more could they want? I think the real question is – What more do they need?

LOVE

There is no one to point your finger at when you arrive at a street like Bangla Road. All you can see is the need for love all around you. It is just that different people find it through different ways. The men are there for the ladies and the ladies are hoping these men will be their escape.
  God sees each one of these people and He wants to be the love that they seek.   When you ask the question what more do they need? They need Christ. There is no greater love than the love Christ gave for this world. When these women feel like no one is there, Christ is. When these men feel rejected and alone, Christ knows it all and offers them hope and freedom.

  Are we in Paradise or are we in Hell? The answer depends on the person. Have they found freedom or are they tied in bondage from the situations they are in? To be in Paradise is to know you have hope, love and freedom. And that is our aim here in Phuket, to lead the people on Bangla Road to Paradise.