Since being in Kenya (and now in the States), I have had a lot of time to process and think. It first occured when I sat at home with a severe case of lice. Then I was hit with Malaria. And better yet, I had even more time to process when in the many hospital beds, 31 hours of plane rides and now in my bed at home. I have been sick for weeks now. What has consumed most of my days in Kenya (and now the States) has been rest, prayer and sitting in His presence.
As I was laying in bed during an afternoon when I had Malaria, I began to process the month prior to this one-Thailand. I witnessed so much in such a short amount of time. I saw layers upon layers of sin down Bangla Road. My eyes and heart were awakened to so much.
It is simple- I fell in love. I fell in love with the girls, the ministry, the culture, the people, the children, and the victories that were won during my short time in Thailand.
There is one victory in particular that brings me the most joy of all. Do you remember Jeab, the woman that I danced with in the bar (from the blog Dancing with Prostitutes)? Well every night I went out to minstry, I went to go and see her. There were a few nights that she was there working and we would sit and talk, but often times we heard “O, she with customer.” For 10 straight days I heard this. My heart was so crushed. This was no longer just a woman working at the bars, but my dear friend and sister. To see her with a customer and taken night after night, I was hurting for her. Her family is so far away. She lives 12 hours away from her children, siblings and parents. And yet, she is stuck working at a place where she is seen as a possession and not as a human.
Finally, the last week of ministry I would return night after night in hopes of seeing my sister just one more time. I woud hear that ‘she is with customer’ so many times. Daily I would cry out to the Lord for freedom on behalf of my sister.
Freedom came. On one of my last nights out doing ministry, I did not hear that she was with customer but that she was no longer working in the bars. She is now a hair stylist and will soon return to her family when enough money is saved. Praise God!
Though there are many girls still stuck in human trafficking, an end is coming and victories are being won-one by one.
