One day, many years ago, I looked in the mirror and I had no idea who I
was. The person I had been most of my life was gone and she was
replaced by a lost, scared, sad, weak, young woman. By the grace
of God and through His merciful self, I am no longer that woman,
rather, I am now a strong in the Lord, joyful, mighty by the cross,
loving woman.
Part of what God has been doing in Vietnam is directly related to the
hotel our team stayed at and is also the hotel at least one previous
world race team has stayed at. This hotel is small, the owners
and a few of the staff live on the roof of the hotel. It is
located in a district that is quite out of the way of our
ministries. But, God designed this just for us, or I should say,
just for me. This hotel is known for the prostitution that occurs
within their walls. Not only does prostitution occur, but the
owners and staff allow it and a few of them have even participated in
activities involving hotel rooms and a woman. When I found out we
would be staying at this hotel, I was not at all thrilled, but I did
feel God calling me. I spent many days in prayer for the hotel,
the women, and the men. One night, the Lord awakened me in the
middle of the night. The moment I woke up I immediately went into
intercessory pray. At the same time I reached for my Ipod, this
had become the norm for me. I would be woken up to pray, I would
listen to my Ipod to drown out the sounds of what was going on in the
rooms around me, and I would pray. Well, not this night.
This night I reached for my Ipod, which I had been charging, and it
would not turn on. I tried and tried and tried but nothing.
The screen was blank and it would not turn on. I began praying
for what God was putting in my heart, and the more I could hear what
was going on in the room next door, the more I felt like I was
her. The more I felt like I was the woman in the next room.
I began praying for healing, restoration, and God’s love to captivate
her. I began to cry out to the Lord and then I burst into
tears. I was crying uncontrollably and truly felt as though I was
her. I just continued to pray. My roommates were awake
praying too. They covered me in prayer and covered the hotel in
prayer and the women and men within the walls. That was my first
night of seeing the face of God in the midst of the prostitution
hotel. Every night the Lord had me pray Psalm 142 over the women
in the hotel. And every night I would be woken up for prayer,
none as passionate as the beginning night. A few nights before we
left, I was woken up at 1:45 am. This time I did not want to wake
up. I turned my ipod on even louder and went back to sleep, or at
least tried to. I woke up again around 2:15 am and turned up the
volume again. At 3:00 am, I was up. The music coming from
the room directly above mine was so loud, if I had not known better; I
would have thought I was in their room. Before the music though,
the sounds of prostitution filled the night air. I could hear the
doors opening and closing all over the hotel. I could hear people
walking up and down the stairs. I could hear people in the
act. I finally got up; I began praying and walking around our
room. I stood at our door and watched through the window as men
and women walked up and down the stairs with arms filled with
alcohol. I prayed all morning. The music was louder and
louder as the time past. I prayed all morning. I could hear the
staff pounding on the door of the people with the loud music, but they
did not answer. The telephone began ringing, no answer.
Finally, I reached the point where I needed to leave. I grabbed
the computer and Ipod and headed for the internet café down the
street. I spent some time there talking to God and talking to my
mom. When I returned the music was still blaring. It lasted until
mid afternoon or so. After talking to the staff, the music never
got as loud as it was, but the actions were still going on. One
night, I watched as one of the staff members took a prostitute in the
room next to mine. I prayed for them both until I saw him walk
out and a few minutes later, she walked out. Even though our
purpose for Vietnam was not prostitution ministry, this became a huge
part of ministry for me. I understand, even if no one else does,
why God put me there. My prayer for all of those women is that
one-day, very soon, they will look in the mirror, and instead of not
knowing who they are, they will see the truth of who God is and who He
created them to be. I pray they will no longer be lost souls, but
women driven to fight for God’s Kingdom. My prayer is they will
soon see redemption through Christ Jesus.
