We are living at the S.H.E (Self Help & Empower) ministry house, run by a wonderful British couple – Mark and Sharon. We will spend the next three weeks working along side their family in various ways- from developing relationships with prostitutes in the bars, to continuing discipleship with the four girls who have left the trade to work for S.H.E. making jewelry; from visiting the Burmese refugee camp, to cleaning and painting the building in which we live and the jewelry making takes place.
Monday nights we will visit the Burmese camp, where refugees from Myanmar (formerly Burma) have fled the genocide war that rages in their homeland. The come to Thailand for work and refuge, but are not welcomed by the Thais, and face beatings and even death if a Thai cop has a bad day, and needs to get some aggression out. The Burmese become transient refugees, hiding and fleeing from time to time, never in one place for very long. We visited this last Monday, brought them dinner, and sat with them. Usually we will share the Gospel quickly with them, with a translator, but last night we simply prayed with them.
Tuesday and Friday nights we will go out to the bars and begin developing friendships with the prostitutes, as most of them speak decent to good English. As we get to know them, we invite them to have lunch or coffee with them, and will continue to visit them. Mark and Sharon have had ongoing friendships with girls for up to 4 months, before they have left the trade, or chosen to follow Jesus. This is a long term vision, but a beautiful one.
S.H.E.’s vision is to provide the girls with another, different income, by teaching them to make jewelry to be sold in the U.S. and U.K. As I mentioned, there are four girls who have begun working for Mark and Sharon thus far.
All the girls we will work with have chosen this ‘vocation’ in order to provide for their families back home, as it is the daughter’s responsibility to provide for the family. Most are from up north, from poor farm families, and prostitution is the quickest way to make money, as well as the most lucrative. They work in the bars, but are not pimped out by bar owners. They are usually given a commission of how much alcohol they sell to customers (they up the sales, so bar owners like them), and the bar charges the male ‘customer’ a bar fee, (usually about $9-10) for taking their ‘employee’. The customer and the girl then negotiate the working price. Some are hired for one night stands, but many make more money more easily by becoming the customers company for the duration of his stay in Phuket, staying at his hotel with him and doing all the tourist things he does.
As Mark and Sharon visit the girls in the bars, they also invite them to lunch or coffee during the daytime to get to know them better. After a few times of chatting, having built trust, they share more about what they do. They offer the job as a jewelry maker, with only one condition – the girls cannot do both jobs. There are four girls who work for them now, who over the course of the last few months, have all chosen the follow Jesus. They are super fun, all about 25 years old, and speak English wonderfully. We will spend most of our days with them.
Tonight is our first night to the bars, and though I am a bit nervous, (I don’t know why exactly- I have made conversation with people in bars before), I am willing and eager to learn to love, and make a difference in a life or two here. The one thing God spoke clearly to me yesterday was this:
“Love them ALL Alissa, those on both sides of the fence. Their sins are no greater than yours have been. You just know Grace now. My grace is great enough for all.”
Other nights will be filled with small groups to visit from the church Mark and Sharon attend, and some discipleship times. I am excited to be in more active, external ministry after nearly 2 months of soaking time with Jesus. (Don’t worry Tom, I haven’t lost perspective!!) We also plan on doing a little bit of ‘beach ministry’, loving the waves!
