I stepped off the bus and the heat and smell of the metropolis surrounded me. I stepped off into the smells and the sounds of a major metropolis. I was in Bangkok this time Alone. I left Man time, because for starters I really felt the Lord calling me to go to Bangkok and just trust in Him to get me a place to stay and a contact to do ministry with. We prayed about it as a group and despite most of the guys feeling not real great about the idea. We all decided that we would pray and leave it up to leadership if we got the go ahead then we would know that God was behind it. So we called and leadership said it was ok. So we went to the waterfall in the morning. It was one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen in my life. It is a river made up of 7 huge waterfalls all about a mile in total apart. Then they dropped me off at the bus station and I arrived in Bangkok.
I had no idea where I was so I prayed the Lord would guide me and I hopped the first bus that came by. I rode that til it ended which conveniently was by the sky train that runs through the city and a internet cafe. I went to the internet and found a hostel that looked good. So I jumped on the sky train and ended up at my hostel. I decided to only get two nights there. I went to sleep.
This morning I was feeling a little like nothing was going to happen. Although I had only given it an hour I hadn’t met anyone or anything. So I needed some jeans so I decided to go to the big weekend market. I should have known by the name that it would not be open on the weekday, so I got there and it was closed. I found an internet place close by and realized there were a couple hostels near there. I got directions and took off walking to find them. They were a lot farther away then I had planned. I finally found one and thought it was pretty nice, but decided to go check out the other one. I started walking again, but I was getting tired of walking. I started thinking I should get on a bus. So that was my new plan get on a bus. But no buses would stop for me, so I continued walking, by now I was hot and my legs were really tired. I kept going though. And I found the road I needed to keep going down but off to my right was a huge building that said Thailand Bible society I figured a bible society would have something to do with christianity so I went inside. The man behind the counter spoke English so I asked him if there were any churches or mission organizations nearby. He went to check with his boss who then got another guy and they sent another worker with me and we walked down this other road and ended up at this ministry called house of blessing.
I was greeted by a Thai and an American. It was kind of an awkward greeting because I was just standing in their office, and I stumbled through something like, Hi well I am here, and I am a missionary. Mark the American took me into a side office and explained the ministry to me. It turns out there were a few factors involved. They run a prison ministry and a halfway house for the men or women when they get out of prison, the do art classes at the prison and they have huge prison choirs that they do big productions with.
I asked if they needed any help and they said they did and that I could come along with them next week and see what they do. They then asked if I wanted to stay there at the mission site. I agreed and so I Will be staying there. Then Mark drove me back to his house at a mission complex. He brought me some fresh Ice Tea that was really good. I was there for about 15 minutes when his wife Charlotte came home. It turned out that another ministry bsc Baptist student something was having a program that night. Bsc is an english school. Where anyone can come and learn english and then groups go and talk chat with them during a break and ask them about God. IT is pretty cool. Anyways I went there and watched a magic show by roy another guy who works at the Prison ministry.
I watched that and then decided to head home. I jumped on a bus and headed out. I realized I had gotten on the wrong bus. I saw a bunch of neon lights down a road and thought oh that looks like fun. WRONG!! I soon realized after exiting the bus and walking down the road I had stumbled across a major Red light district with lots of clubs and girls running through the streets. I walked through the street which was not very long, but considering how much was going on it was way to long. I got to the end and went around the corner I found some stairs and sat down. I was just trying to process what on earth I had just walked through. It was weird it didn’t leave me feeling anything but sad and perturbed. I saw men walk by, most looking sleazier than ever, a few would come by with beautiful Thai women. I was almost paralyzed. I got up after about 20 minutes. I walked back near the street and this guy stopped me to ask if I wanted a taxi ride. I told him no. He offered me a seat I sat next to him and he began asking me what I wanted. I soon realized that he meant in terms of a girl. I told him I was not interested and that what he was asking was bad. He then changed his tactics and told me he would take me to a place where the girls are good. I said I did not want any girls. He then said oh you like boys. I told him no I like girls, but I respect them and do not want to do anything bad with them. I asked him about his family and if he thought what was going on was wrong. He said he would have to leave his family for months to go to bangkok to make enough money and that he would from time to time get girls. I asked him if he would want his daughter doing it, he said it didn’t matter because everyone needs money.. there is no other choice for work. It hurt. There was no reasoning, but the fact that they needed money and this was a way to get it. I talked a little about my faith and why I felt like what was going on was wrong, but I knew nothing was getting through to this guy, because he would consistently interupt me to ask me what I wanted. I left there and walked all the way home. It was a long way and my feet hurt, but I didn’t care. I was fed up, I was trying to figure out what gets in peoples heads to go to such low extremes. It isn’t all the sleazy people I passed, some looked like businessman, dads, sons, coaches, husbands, it grieves me. I hate the fact that people here think that every american is just interested in sex and I want to change that I want to just sit and talk to these girls, and let them know there are normal men out there. It is just one of thos things that there are no answers too. I am thankful there are people like Nightlight and the well that are girls are working with this month to reach out to these girls. And hopefully tonight for at least a couple of them won’t end in heartbreak and being used.
