The prayer meeting before hand was intense. We prayed hard for protection for our eyes and hearts. We prayed for the girls and boys that would be working. We prayed for the men to turn their hearts away from the actions they were planning. Several girls in our group became emotional because of the evil we were about to encounter and the awful plague of human trafficking. We knew that we were going to be walking into one of Satan's playgrounds. It was Thursday, November 15, 2012, and we were headed to the Red Light District of Chiangmai.
We did not know what to expect. I asked Hannah to stay close to me in the hopes of dissuading any unwanted propositions. We had built up the night in our head to be something that would shock our conscience. With this mindset, we slowly walked to the Red Light District. As we approached the alley of bars, our hearts began to beat faster and I felt the need to prepare myself for a shock.
As we rounded the corner, we looked down a long alley with bars on both sides. Lady Gaga blared from the speakers and the air hung thick with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. People milled around the various bars talking and laughing with their friends. Thai women and lady boys were propped against the bars and pool tables. However, to the naked eye, there was no outward sign of prostitution.
At first blush, the bars of the Red Light District did not seem much different from the bars in Athens or Atlanta. Lots of lights, people playing pool and loud music. On the outside, everything appeared normal. However, upon close inspection, it felt as if there was a curtain or a veil over the whole scene.
Everybody was acting a role in the play that was unfolding. Older men were telling bad jokes to young Thai women who laughed out of obligation. Men that could be the girl's grandfathers were giving kisses and inappropriate touches to the girls. Men came to the bars and began ordering drinks…and a girl for the evening.
By the grace of God and the intuition of the Holy Spirit, the veil covering the Red Light District lifted to us and we could see the reality of what was going on. The girls all laughed on the outside, but their eyes told a different story. A deep sadness and disconnect from reality looked back through their eyes. It was if their very souls cried out for an escape from what was going to happen in the next few hours.
We give this description not to be depressing. There was another thing that we saw when the veil lifted. We saw flashes of incredible light spring forth through the darkness. Girls opened up to our teams about their dreams and desires if they could get out of the bars. A bar owner disclosed to a few of our guys that he wants to be different and has stopped employing bar girls. A lady boy asked one of the girls that went with us to continue coming back to see him every night because he enjoyed her presence.
Through this experience, we are continuing to learn that even in the midst of chaos God is still in control. As we sat in one of the bars, we felt Micah 7:8 come to life. “When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” Hannah and I had come to the bars full of apprehension and fear. However, we left full of the glory of God. In the darkest place we have ever been, we still saw His light and felt Him shine down on us. At the end of the night, God had taken our fears and turned them into hope that the day is coming when the bars of Chiangmai will be closed.
There is a way to end the sex trade. However, good people have to take action. The power of prayer is stronger than any weapon formed by man. Thus, we ask for your prayers today for an end to sex tourism and the trafficking of men and women.
