Lastnight, our squad set off to downtown Thamel to do bar ministry. One of the things the organization we are working with this month does is help rescue women from prostitution by providing them with jobs like working at a coffee shop, beauty salon, or making jewelery. They told us of several success stories of women who have left that lifestyle, come to Christ, and are now working and living for the Lord.
I wasnt sure what to expect for the night. But, I had already learned from the past couple days of doing ministry in the street cabins that prostitution is very prevelent here. Our instructions before going were to simply strike up conversations with the women, buy them a coke, and then exchange contact information if they were interested in order to follow up. We were not necessarily supposed to tell them about Jesus but rather show them an expression of His love just by getting to know them. We began by taking a prayer walk through the streets to see where we felt led and then we broke off into small groups. When our group got to the club me and Quinn sat down with one of the girls, ordered a coke and started asking her about herself. She was friendly but after a few minutes had to go back on stage to dance.
Over the next couple hours, our group was able to talk with all of the girls as well as exchange contact information. We got to hear their stories and dreams. Some of them said they enjoy working there but most didn’t. It was really evident to me watching them dance that they were only putting on a show but behind it there was so much pain. I could see it in the vacant stares in their eyes. The way that they were bubbly and answering our questions but their minds were a million miles away.
At one point, it hit me how strange it felt to be in a club with lil wayne blasting, bottles popping, and hookah smoke billowing and im sitting there in my gaudy rain jacket, chaco sandals, and unwashed hair sipping a coke. I think it was my first time in an environment like this where i wasn’t the one on the other end of things. I was familiar with being the girl dancing in the skimpy dress covered in sequins vying for a mans attention. And now, there I was to show these girls they are so much more than that; and that there is a man named Jesus Christ who already paid a higher price for them than all of the men in this bar combined could ever pay.
Beyond how out of place I felt, I knew we came as living testimonies of Gods redemption and I wanted that so badly for them too. For them to experience His goodness and love and for theirs to be another story of redemption. We left knowing that we (in the words of my squadmate Allie) “dropped a big Jesus bomb in there” and I know that is only a piece of Gods pursuit of them.
Tomorrow we leave for a 9 day trek into the jungle to conclude our time in Nepal. No phone, no toilet, no shower. We will be tenting it up in the villages. I cant wait to see what the Lord will do but I’m also nervous. Then, we head to Vietnam the day after we get back. Where has the time gone!? Until next time… We’re goin’ to the jungle!!!!
