“Do you like working here?”
“No.”
“Would you like to work somewhere else, doing something else?”
“Yes. But where? I have no skills.”
Girls, sometimes as young as 13, can be found working as “waitresses” in cabin restaurants. These restaurants are usually lit up by neon lights, even in the middle of the day, so that the dark alleys they hide in become lit up by flashing red and purple. These cabin “restaurants” are fronts for prostitution businesses, and prostitutes are paid for by the exorbitant prices charged for drinks in the restaurant. When a customer buys a drink, they also pay for the time of the prostitute.
We were following our ministry host and interpreter. We had just arrived at a big junction on the edge of Kathmandu, and piled out of our packed and dusty bus ride. She led us in a short prayer asking the Lord to lead us, and told us to follow. We had drawn a crowd, as 8 white women were not so common in that area. We began walking quickly, avoiding the men offering hash and marijuana, dodging trash piles and crazy motorbike drivers. Suddenly, our ministry contact and interpreter (let’s call her Mary) turned left down a dark alley. We walked past some men, standing on a wall and smoking, past a fruit stand and neon advertisements, and turned into a doorway lit up by neon to a cabin restaurant. Inside, there were some girls sitting on a couch, and a man behind the counter. Mary spoke some words to the girls, and they led us through a curtain. Behind the curtain was a small dark room with 4 tables divided by short walls. There were already men sitting at a table, so we took two of the tables in the corner. Two of the girls brought us menus, and we chose the only non-alcoholic drink we could find – hot lemon tea.
The girls brought us our hot lemon teas, pulled up two chairs, and we began to talk with them. At first it was just the basics – what is your name, where are you from, and how old are you. We learned they were both from small towns far away, and were 18 and 25 years old. One of them ran away from home and came to Kathmandu to escape the hard labor she was forced into. Thinking that a larger city would hold more opportunities, she moved and took a job as a housekeeper. That job turned out to be more hard, physical labor with little pay, so she began working as a waitress at this cabin restaurant.
We began to ask what they would like to do if they got out of their current occupation. They talked about owning small businesses, living in a different area, having families, and hopes for their future. We asked what was stopping them. They said “I don’t know how. I have no skills.”
The ministry that we are partnering with this month has many different facets to the ministry, but one of those is a safe house for women. They provide shelter and teach skills to many women coming out of prostitution or unsafe homes. Through helping provide safety for these women, they demonstrate the love of Christ.
As we continue talking to these girls, we drew the attention of other girls working there. As they finished their business with other customers, more girls came over and sat with us. We began talking about a friend. This friend is always there for us. He loves us for who we are, not for our bodies or what we can do for him. He loves everything about us, and doesn’t even care about what we have done. He is our best friend. We asked if they knew anyone like this. The shook their heads. All the men they know only want one thing from them. We asked if they had ever heard of Jesus. Only one of them nodded. We continue to share testimonies of how our lives have been changed by the love of Christ, who He is, and what He has done for us. We told them that He can be their friend too.
We continued talking to the girls for a while after, and collected their phone numbers. The next day, the ministry host contacted them, gave them more information about the safe house, and counseled them on how to get out of their life style if they desired to.
Sometimes I take for granted so much of my life. I complain about little things – like having to plunge the squad’s squatty potty or not having queso for two months. I lose focus. These experiences remind me of what is important. I have an amazing savior who has brought me out of darkness. Maybe I haven’t been a prostitute, but how is my sin any different? He loves me, and He loves those women, and chooses to look beyond our pasts. He brings redemption out of such darkness and heals the hearts of the most broken and abandoned. Although I may not remain in Nepal much longer, I know that the work will continue through our partner ministry. I pray for the redemption and safety of these women. And more than that, the healing of their hearts. I pray for these women that we met, and the millions more that I will never meet.
