What feelings arise when you see Christmas lights? Do you feel the wonder of the Christmas season? Are you reminded of gifts under a pine or feasts that involve turkey? Maybe you think of baby Jesus in a manger and the star of Bethlehem. I will never see Christmas lights the same again.
In Thailand you can ride down any main road and see many buildings lit up with strings of Christmas lights. They shine like a beacon inviting passersby in for a good time. These lights are a symbol. Not a symbol of Christmas time. They are a symbol of slavery. Christmas lights hung from a place of business mean that you can purchase sex there.
Girls and boys are bought for a price every day to perform sexual favors for men. Travelers and locals alike take part in this disgusting process. The sex trade in Thailand is ‘illegal’ but many government officials and law enforcement are corrupt and look the other way. They allow this disgusting business to continue. There are streets you can walk down and CLEARLY see what is going on. It is not hidden. It is not secret. It is blatant slavery that is allowed to continue.
I walked down bar street in Chang Mai, Thailand and was approached and grabbed at by girls who have been selling themselves since puberty. I was yelled at from across the street to come over and purchase a massage with a ‘happy’ ending. The experience was one I will never forget. These girls are someones sisters. They are someones daughters. The experience was one I will never forget. I have not seen bondage like this since God took me out of the gay club scene in America. The parallels of the two lifestyles amaze me.
This month I have had the opportunity to work with an organization that takes children who are at high risk for being sold into prostitution and gives them a sage home. They are taken with permission from the parents and are placed in these homes where they go to school, eat healthy meals, and experience the love of Christ through the house parents. I was able to be a part of laying the foundation for a new boys home. I was privileged to work the farm at a girls home and help put food in the mouths of these beautiful kids. I got to spend time with the kids everyday. The joy they had on their faces was something you would never see in America. These kids are having their innocence protected. They are safe.
God showed me both sides of the sex trade this month in Thailand. He showed me the innocence of His children prior to being sold into slavery and He showed me the results of slavery. He showed me that sad men are looking for happiness in the wrong places. He showed me that sad girls are doing the only thing they know to do to live.
Slavery is REAL! I have seen it. It is destroying lives as I type this. I am grateful for the opportunity to aid in the prevention of slavery this month but i barely scratched the surface. This brokenness is far to great for a few groups of people to mend alone. It will take us all. What is your part in the end it movement? How can you help turn off the Christmas lights?
