I was standing in a strip club at 3 in the morning, on stage doing the weed whacker dance.
Honestly, I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth.
Flash back 5 hours. I stood in a room with a group of people who were passionate. Passionate about their Savior and the love He has for each and every one of His daughters. Each of us full of a passion that would keep us on the streets until 5 AM sharing about Wipe Every Tear. An organization that “exists to bring freedom, hope and a future to precious girls trafficked in the sex trade.” I spent two nights in bars calling girls down, buying them a drink, and telling them about this organization. Wipe Every Tear pays for girls education, housing, food, and gives them an allowance. Ask them how they do this and I promise the only answer you’ll get is, “JESUS.”
The last night I was sitting in a bar with our translator and my squadmate. He called down two girls and we got them drinks. We started talking to them only to find out that someone else from our group had talked to them already. Next thing I knew we were being pulled onto the stage. Seconds later I found myself at the front of the stage doing the weed whacker with Ethan.
Flash back 6 months.
I was in Costa Rica. Ethan and I had finished our tradition of cleaning the dishes while having a dance party and we brought the dance party out into the living room with everyone else. Ethan proceeds to teach us all the weed whacker.
Who would have thought that 6 months from that moment he and I would be center stage in a strip club dancing with a bunch of women… So we could talk to them and make them smile. We walked in that night with one intention. To JUST LOVE. To love them with the love that Jesus loves us with. That’s how we bring Jesus to these girls. We didn’t go in screaming Jesus’s name or asking people to repent. We walked in with joy and excitement.
We left that bar around 3AM and many of the girls were getting off work. We were asking all the girls we could find if they wanted McDonalds. I was walking in with a couple girls and we passed a homeless man. I hate to admit it, but I tried to not make eye contact. I turned around to see my two squadmates fighting over who would buy this homeless man a meal. They didn’t just buy him a meal though, they invited him in and had him sit with us. They talked with him and they loved him. There was no gospel conversation,
JUST LOVE.
The next morning all the girls who were interested in Wipe Every Tear could go to the safe houses to get tours and learn more. We had breakfast with one of the women we met the night before in the bars. I had the incredible opportunity to watch my mom talk with this women and make her laugh and get to know her.
After breakfast we watched this sweet women and her daughter, get on the bus along with 20 other women and ladyboys.
Two nights on the streets. Going into every bar we could. Talking to every girl we could. Dancing on every stage we could. Staying out as late as we could. Was all worth it when we watched 20 women and ladyboys show up after a long night of work to go to the safe houses.
A common theme on this trip for me has been to love. To simple love. To love the broken. the poor. the ladyboy. the widow. the difficult person. my team. The only way I can love these people well, is to love them with the love Jesus shows me everyday.
This was an experience I think everyone should have the chance to be apart of. Feel free to check out Wipe Every Tear on Facebook or Instagram or go to their website www.wipeeverytear.org to see what all they’re doing.
