At the end of our time in Thailand we had a few days to travel before we needed to be in Cambodia. As a team we decided to use this time to visit some of the most famous spots along the coast. Many of the travelers blogs we read recommend Patong Beach, it was said to be bustling with activity, flooded with young travelers and have a fun night life! So, we booked a hostel and made plans to venture out for a night on the town.
We got dressed up (as much as our World Race wardrobe would allow) and did our makeup, ready to hit the town and find somewhere to show off our American dance moves.
Instead, we were presented with a heartbreaking reality. The girls here are introduced to a culture of sexualizing themselves to provide for themselves and their families from an early age. Phuket’s nightlife has made an industry out of these women, and the majority of their customers are Westerners.
Every ten feet as we were walking down the street, men came up to us with “menus” of what we could “order” and what “shows” were available. I’m actually finding it hard to talk about without making this explicitly inappropriate or watering it down.
Our host told us that it was so common for this culture to see womens’ bodies as purely profit that even girls’ boyfriends don’t mind their profession as they pay for college. In contrast to American society where parents traditionally take care of their kids, in many Asian cultures the kids are expected to take care of their families and sometimes entire communities.
These traffickers are smart and manipulative; they use the Buddhist religion to help them trap these girls. They trick girls by telling them they will be waitresses, take them hours away from their homes, and then tell them they have to sell themselves to pay for the transportation so they don’t have “misfortune” in their next life. In the Buddhist faith it brings bad karma to owe someone a debt and not pay it back, so for fear of recieving this bad karma the stay in this horrible situation.
Many of these girls also take on financial responsibilies at a young age. In some traditional families the eldest son is given over to monkhood and is sent to study at a monastery. in some communities families sell their daughter to traffickers in order to pay for the eldest son’s fees to study and live at the monastery. These young girls have the weight of their entire family on their shoulders, and many of them see prostitution as the only way to provide for those they love.
Many of these women are also devalued to the point of not even having a name. When men walk into a karaoke bar, resturant, or club they are surrounded by these women and they have numbers taped to their shirts. When the man decides who he wants to “buy” he just calls out a number. The thought of this makes me sick. The thought that some of these women feel like the are not even worth enough to be called by name, that they are just a number to a man that wants just her body.
As I think about the brokeness these women must be feeling I am reminded of Matthew 10:29-31.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
It was hard to leave, knowing how much brokenness exists in the hearts of these men and women and feeling so helpless to do anything about it. But my payer for these women is that they would know their value to their King, their Father, thier Creator. To Him they are not a number, no, they are immesurably more. He created them, knows the number of hairs on their head, and is with them through all the pain. Everytime they are abused, misused, and mistreated His heart aches.
I pray they would hear the Lord so vividly say, “My beloved, you are not just a number. You are so much more. You are loved by me. You are valued beyond measure, and I treasure you. I never created you for this, and I am sorry for all hurt and pain. Find refuge in my wings sweet daughter.”
We invite you to join our team in praying for these girls, that they come to learn they are valued and loved; for the men, to love these women in a way that is honoring to the Lord; for the World Race teams and missionary groups serving in this city and in this industry internationally; and for Phuket, that it is still seen for the beautiful creation and the smiling faces that make it what it is.
Blog coauthored with Janine Brannis
