PART TWO
…CONTINUED
I am in Malaysia now but this all happened at our de-brief in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I can’t shake the image I saw that night on Pub street. I had gone out with some of my squad mates with the intentions of hanging out and then doing some ministry. I never even made it to the hanging out part. I was instantly bombarded with this image of girls and lady boys walking the street trying to sell theselves and a heavy burden to share Gods love with these girls.
Lynn was the first girl I met, her english was poor but I shared Jesus with her anyways. When I noticed her eyes shifting like she wanted me to leave I asked if I could pray for her, she agreed. When I was finished I looked into her eyes and just saw emptiness, without a second thought I wrapped my arms tightly around her and told her Jesus loves her. My heart broke.
Lakena was next, I hung out with her for a long time, just getting to know her, joking and laughing with her. At one point I asked her if she was happy, she looked at me with those big beautiful eyes and for a long time she never said anything, there were tears in her eyes. Then she laughed nervously and said “yes I’m happy.” My heart broke.
Vissar was beautiful and confident, she didn’t share much about herself personally. She was full of life, but at one point she leaned into me and whispered “go tell that man that I love him” – I looked over my shoulder and there was a man, clearly a tourist, 2-3 times her age sitting on one of those patio chairs, drink in hand and a smirk on his face as he stared at Vissar. I turned back to her, holding back tears and rage, I shook my head, telling her I was here to get to know her not to help her get buisness, she giggled nervously. My heart broke.
Psalms 34:18
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
I don’t know their whole story, or the situation that got these girls where they are. However I do know that I never saw true joy in them, and I never saw genuine happines in their eyes. Instead I saw pain and I saw emptiness.
Anger, nausea, pain, brokeness these are some of the words I can use to explain how I felt. Along with the many questions racing through my mind as I tried to make some sense of what I had just experienced. I lay in bed that night unable to sleep. My only comfort, is that my God is a just God, my God loves each of those girls so much and that maybe, just maybe they got a glimps of Gods genuine, pure love from me that night.
Psalms 18:6,7
“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice, my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.”
Please pray for these girls and pray for my whole squad as we are preparing to spend our 4th month in Thailand working with and ministring to lady boys and girls Just like Lynn, Vissar, and Lakena.
Psalms 18:29
“With your help I can advance against a troop, with my God I can scale a wall. “
Psalms 82:3-4
“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless, maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
Psalms 5:4-5
“You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.”
Psalms 33:5
“The Lord loves righteousness and justice, the earth is full of his unfailing love.”
