Take A Look Around You!

After spending last June in Thailand working in the red light district I knew that I wanted to do this type of work again. When I signed up on the race I knew there was a possibility that I might be able to do street women ministry again, but I didn’t want to have any expectations so that I didn’t get upset if I actually didn’t get to do that kind of ministry.

A couple weeks before coming to Malaysia we got a email saying we would be planting churches and doing some prayer ministry. But once we got here plans changed. Our contact Pastor Edwin didn’t have any ministry for us to do so he was trying to contact some friends to see if they had anything. He came in contact with a American woman from New Jersey who has been in Kuala Lumpur for 9 years doing ministry. About 2 years ago she started a ministry for woman, she now has a safe house for women who are coming out of any type of slavery or homelessness. They also 2 days a week have jewelry classes for woman on the streets to make jewelry and in return they pay them every week for what they made. On Thursday they do prayer walks around KL. Some stay in Brickfields, which is the community where we are staying right now. Some go to Petaling Street, which is also known as China Town. And then some go to The Beach Club, which is very very similar to the bars we visited, everyday in Thailand. Expect the bar does not own these girls; they either come from agents or go on their own to make money.

My heart was happy when I heard that I was going to get to be one of the 3 girls that will be involved in this ministry in Malaysia. When getting to spend time with the girls at the house or when we were prayer walking by 30 or so brothels on one alley, that it was a total God thing that I got to do ministry again.

Prayer walking at first was difficult for me because my heart is in outreach into the bars building relationships with the girls. But after we started prayer walking and after feeling the darkness as we walked by so many brothels I began to realize how crucial that is for this type of ministry. I also prayed in Thailand before walking into a bar, or before walking down our street. I was really convicted that I wanted to focus on outreach when it all starts from prayer, and we wouldn’t get anywhere without prayer. Also you can talk to as many girls on the street but they may not remember you, they may remember the light of the Lord that you showed them and that is the most important thing.

When we were in Thailand I knew that we were staying in the red light district because everything was in your face. Here the first day we walked down the street we were staying at, it looked like any other street, all we were told was it was not safe on that street after 6pm. The 3^rd day we were there, Alexa and I had to go to the ATM at 7am to get money to pay for our hostel. We were walking down the street really looking at the people that were standing outside and then I happened to look into one of the random doors and there was my first sight of a full-blown working brothel. I was shocked to what my eyes saw. I was shocked to see it open at 7am, and to see the girls standing in individual doors waiting on customers. I was shocked to see the men sitting outside of the main door determining who could enter or who needed to pay. As said before I was use to seeing prostitution and trafficking in my face in Thailand. I was not use to seeing it so hidden but also so in your face. I never imagined Malaysia as a high prostitution place, but after spending 3 weeks here I have realized what kind of problem it is and how it is getting worse daily. At night walking down the street we are staying at, you see red lights after red lights in almost every window, in business, in un-used buildings trying to get the point across that there are girls waiting for a man to pay to use for how ever long he wants.

We have met woman that are prostitutes because they live under a bridge and have no other way to provide for them, we have met a mother and daughter that are both prostitutes, we have met girls that have been rescued out of labor slavery, we also met a girl who is dying from HIV, we met many girls from different countries. As much as it hurts to hear what they have gone through or seen the pain on their face because they are sick, some these woman that we have met are on Fire for Jesus. I cannot say that they all will get of the street or will stop prostituting themselves but I can see a bright future for each of theses girls. The closer they grow with Christ, the more that will realize that they need to lean on him and not other men. They have already found someone who loves them unconditionally; they have already found someone who actually gave his own life for them.

The staff of this ministry will be in my prayers as they continue to serve these precious women, and as they continue to offer these women a better life with Christ. I hope that you also will keep them in your prayers.

For the second time I can say that I am staying in the middle of the red light district but they are both so different. But this time it took more than a look at the street to notice the injustice that was happening, it took more of a look at inside of a place to see what was really happening.

Coming to Malaysia I had expectations of planting churches and traveling, but God had another plan for my time there. The girls in the house and the girls at the Drop In Center blessed me more than I could have imagined. They showed me how I need to be bold about my faith, they showed me how bold they are in unsafe places. These girls have a bright future ahead of them. One of the girls in the house just found out that she will be going home in 10 days. And her home is one of the countries we will be visiting in the next few months, so we got her phone number and we are going to try to meet up with her once we get to her country.

Please keep the 2 girls in the house and the 6 girls at the Drop In Center in your prayers.
 
BTW since I’m posting this blog.. IM OFFICALLY IN AUSTRALIA! 

love love,
Savannah