I know that mother/daughter relationships can all look different. Lorelia Gilmore is definitely Rory’s friend first, mother second. In my case, my mom is my mother first, friend second. I met a mother and daughter on Bangla Road the other night that will give you another look for a mother/daughter relationship. Bangla Road is
the bar street that we are ministering on this month. My team and I were going into a bar called Kiran that is on Soi Eric for the second time to visit a couple girls we had previously met. One of the girls was busy, so we ended up talking to a new girl. Her name was Nong. We are playing Connect 4 and just getting to know one another, when the bar owner walks up. We have to be a little careful with the bar owners because we aren’t their typical customer so I think we make them a little nervous. We definitely aren’t bringing in a lot of commission for them…so we have to make sure to not over stay our welcome so that we can come back again. Needless to say, I was a little intimidated when she approached. She put her arm around Nong, shook each of our hands and said it’s good to see you again. Nong’s next words took my breath away. “This is my mom!” They embraced and genuinely seemed to love each other. So basically she is technically boss first, mother second. How does that work? I immediately started praying…but I didn’t even know what to pray. Things just went to a different level. I have wanted to assume that these women have gone through terrible childhoods with absent or abusive parents to where they feel like this is their only option. I definitely didn’t expect it to be the family business. I’m pretty taken aback so am missing some conversation, but my ears perked up when Nong started talking about her daughter. Talking about their children is a good way to go deeper with the women, so I pull myself out of my trance and engage again. I ask Nong what her daughter’s name is. “Kiran, my mom named the bar after her.” Once again, I’m shocked. It baffles me how proud she seemed to be. To me that says, this is the life I am choosing for my daughter as well. In some ways, I am thankful for having seen and heard these things.
Of course, it makes me incredibly thankful for my mother and grandmother. I am thankful that I never had to break out of the ‘family business’ to follow Christ. But even more than that, I am thankful that I have an even greater motivation to help these women find another way of life. I honestly thought I was pretty motivated already, but like I said
…we are at a new level now. We are talking about GENERATIONS of prostitution being broken! We are talking about strongholds of the ‘family business’ being broken! We are talking about introducing little Kiran to Jesus, rather than Bangla Road. My heart and vision is to see all three of them in Heaven one day, and to get to hug each of their necks! It’s hard in the midst of all the darkness to remember that our plans aren’t what are important…but God’s plans. He loves each person on Bangla Road and wants to see them all in Heaven for eternity with him. I’m thankful to be a part of his plan.
