In Nepal brothels and prostitution are illegal, but they still exist.
Here they have “cabin restaurants”
It is a brothel disguised as a restaurant.
Usually a dimly lit room with a few large booth-type sections around the tables.
“Customers,” as they so casually call them, are able to come to these establishments and order food and drink for themselves and the women. The more they order—the more they get. The food and drink is marked up so high and this is how they make their money.
Young girls, always pretty, are usually there because they think they have no other choice. They are attracted to work there because they lack education and have difficulty finding other jobs or because the owners have come to their villages and offered them jobs in the city (not disclosing the actual work) and paying their families upfront. Once the young women become aware of the job description, they are told it is too late- they have already received their pay and have to do the work.
A random team was assembled. It seemed that Jesus had called the women and men together that had a heart and passion for seeing bound women set free. It was apparent because many of us have the same stories. We debriefed the mission before we left. We were told about the relationships that had already been developed. The Nepali women leading us into the battle were well equipped. We prayed that we would not carry anything into this mission and put on the Armor of God:
The Helmet of Salvation
The Breast Plate of Righteousness
The Belt of Truth
The Shoes of Peace
The Sword of the Spirit
The Shield of Faith
I have never understood the need for all of this protection until I visited the darkest place I’ve ever been.
It is a war for our souls
and this is where the Devil plays.
This was the only photo I could take inside the cabin restaurant. This is actually a dissembled booth because of damage from the earthquake. You can see the booth number above. Only a number.
We had a pretty large group so we got split into two teams. I was with a Nepali woman that we will call Ro and two of my squad mates Becca and Nikki. We prayed for ourselves and for the women we were about to meet.
Nikki got a word from the Lord.
It was “blue”
We realized the weight of this as soon as we walked into the cabin restaurant. Everything was painted blue.
There were flowers on the table we sat at… they were blue.
And the women that were working had on blue eye shaddow.
This was not an accident. This was a divine appointment made by God.
We ordered Juice (the only thing available that was not an alcoholic beverage.)
We knew it would be expensive, because like the men that would visit this establishment, we were buying these women’s time.
We sat down and invited the girls to sit with us.
A young woman sat down at our table, her name is Muna (Moon-a’).
At first Muna was quiet and reserved, but seemed happy that we sat her down just to talk- for a change. She knew a little broken English, but we also had our lovely translator, Ro.
Nikki, Becca, and I mainly talked asking Muna questions about herself. She wouldn’t budge on anything personal, but that is where the Holy Spirit came in. Muna asked what we were doing there. Usually you don’t come right out and explain that you are a missionary and that you are doing ministry in foreign countries, and you usually definitely don’t tell someone that at a cabin restaurant….. but
with peace like a river… we shared our story
not only about ministry, but also about ourselves.
Each of us shared, but not like we normally told our testimonies.
These spirit-guided stories were about how each of us, in our own way, had at one time fallen away from the Lord even after already knowing him, and of course, how his redeeming love brought us back again… and for good.
Muna opened up.
She explained how she already knows who Jesus is. “I know Jesus. I used to follow him, but my family does not know him and told me they wouldn’t love me if I kept following Jesus. I did anyway and got baptized. They kicked me out and that is why I am here. I have only been here for two weeks.”
Our hearts broke wide open as the Fathers words then poured out of our mouths.
“Muna, you are loved by Jesus!”
“He sent us here to remind you of his love for you”
“even if you think you have turned away from him, he will never turn away from you no matter what you do”
“you are not alone”
“he sent us here to sit with you as your sisters, as your family”
“even when your earthly family gives you up, he can never disown you”
There was not a lot of emotion in Muna’s face. However, she did light up. Her body language was antsy and she seemed to squirm in the cabin that we sat in. She did not squirm as to get away from us, but as to recognize the love that she was being covered in.
The Lord had ordained this situation as we sat in the cabin with Muna for almost 2 hours. The conversation seemed short with time taken up with translation, but it was the message God intended for his princess to hear.
The Nepali women quickly got up and urged us to pay for our juice and quickly leave. It cost $50 USD to be able to sit with Muna and the ladies for almost 2 hours. We had to leave because our contacts felt the pressure from the owners to move along so that the customers outside could have their turn in the cabins. We paid and I asked for Muna’s number. It was chilling to think of what would happen to my sister after I left.
Our Nepali sisters stopped us once we gained some distance from the cabin restaurant. Ro and her sister said “we will pray now. You do not take anything with you that isn’t yours to carry. Do not take the weight of this situation home with you.”
So I prayed to the Father
God keep our minds safe and do not let attacks of the enemy flood our thoughts
God let me see your light in this dark situation
and please cover my sister Muna in your deep peace and deliver her from this bondage as soon as possible!
We were not able to debrief the situation until the next day. It is not safe to openly talk about bar ministry walking the streets of Nepal so I kept praying about what God sees in this situation.
There are some things that I realized. I got to first-hand experience how deep the Father’s love is for his children. I know it because of my own story, but the way I saw him pursue his stray daughter, his lost sheep. He is too good! God told Muna through our lips that no matter what she has done, if she thought she turned away from him, he could never turn from her. This encouraged me because it is true for all of his children. I have never felt so loved.
Only two weeks after Muna got caught in this mess, we were sent to her to remind her of her King! The one that loves her and keeps her.
When we got to debrief we were asked to pray for clarity about the situation. The hard part is that Muna is not the only girl that the Nepalese contacts know at that cabin restaurant. The first relationship they built was with one of the owners, who is probably allowed/forced to work at the restaurant by her husband. This is good and bad. It is good because, from what we heard, the owner is interested in the God we call Jesus and perhaps going to church. She is even interested in church being brought to her….. in that terribly dark place! This, of course, is good. However, the hard part of this is that because we also have a relationship with the owner it makes rescuing Muna (what would typically be an easy rescue) very challenging. If we were to call Muna immediately and offer her a way out… a new job, a new life, freedom… it would be very obvious that this was the intention of the visit. Which makes it a very dangerous situation. So we have been asked to pray fervently over this situation. Pray for clarity about what is the right answer from God, and how to proceed with the kingdom at mind.
I wanted to tell this story because obviously we need help in praying over this situation! This is a reality for millions:
An estimated 29.8 million people live in modern slavery today
Approximately 78% of victims are enslaved for labor, 22% of victims are enslaved for sex
55% of slavery victims are women and girls
26% of slaves today are children under the age of 18
And an estimated 60,000 victims of slavery are enslaved in the United States
Muna needs our prayers and also millions more! There is actually more slavery today than there has ever been in recorded history. It just looks a lot different than we think it does. It happens in dark rooms with booths in tucked away places in Nepal, but it also happens right next door at home in the US too.
This story is dark and heavy, but when I prayed that Jesus would show me where he was in the situation.. he answered this prayer…
John 1
3-5
Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
THE DARKNESS CAN NEVER OVERCOME THE LIGHT
The Story of the Lost Sheep
Matthew 15
1-3 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their grumbling triggered this story.
4-7 “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.
THERE WILL BE A MIGHTY PARTY WHEN ANY OF US COME BACK TO THE FATHER
We are so loved by the mighty King of Kings! He will not leave us alone in our mess!
Isaiah 43
1-4 But now, God’s Message,
the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
HE WOULD SELL THE WORLD JUST FOR US? THAT IS INSANE!
That is my God! He is mighty and he loves us!
HE LOVES US!
I hope this story opens your eyes,
I hope this story encourages you,
I hope you pray for Muna and the millions being trafficked every day
I hope you trust the Lord God Almighty with your entire life!
Thank you for reading and please pray for Nepal.
