We went to Nana Plaza for the first time on Tuesday. Being that I turned 21 on this trip I never actually spent any time in bars back home. The bar scene alone is unfamiliar to me so as it was, I was a little, actually very nervous for outreach.
I have read books about the sex industry, mainly about trafficking,
The Natashas and
Terrify No More, but the books just can’t prepare you for what it looks like before your very eyes.
After prayer time, we started walking across town towards the Red Light district. On the way we passed groups of girls getting ready for the night wearing miniature school girl outfits and doing makeup and hair. I was shocked at how young some of them were but the reality had yet to set in. Closer to the location I noticed the number of Western Men increasing. I was trying so hard to pray my way in there but I was so distracted by trying to observe and process what my eyes were seeing.
When we entered the 3 story courtyard plaza I was shocked. It was like a mall for sick Western men. But the men did not look like those from a mug shot, yah there were a couple of those but most would resemble your business class, middle aged successful man. It could be anyone from Adam to Robert, the guy in the pew next to you at church, your bank manager, or Real Estate agent. These are real people and this is a real thing. I still can’t wrap my mind around that.
Split in our small groups, we entered separate bars and sat down in the booth facing the girls. The music was loud the place was dark and I was stunned, lots and lots of numbered women, nearly naked, dancing on a stage with poles.
I spent the majority of my time observing and running question after question through my head. First I was concerned how to act. What should my face look like? If I smile it will look like I am enjoying this, (I was certainly not!). If I frown, I will look like I am disappointed in them, and I don’t want to convey that either. If I make eye contact, they start dancing for me while making obscene gestures, but I don’t want to be looking else where. So then I began looking at the men and observing their actions and expressions. I was disgusted and ashamed.
Then a sense of shame fell over me. I was ashamed at what the people who saw me perceived. The dancers thought we were lesbians and the customers thought we were there for pleasure. It was so out of my element and so uncomfortable. But it takes uncomfortable situations to understand reality on hand.
I would rather hang out with the recovering girls and get to know them and hear their stories. But now my heart can truly break for their stories and I can see the pain first hand that they speak of.
I am going out again tonight, and this time we will have an opportunity to sit and buy the girls non alcoholic drinks and talk with them. I feel a little more prepared this time to go into battle with the proper armor.
Please pray with me and for me for a spirit of brokenness and boldness. I will go in not caring about how I look or feel but caring much more for the girls and how they feel. I will not fear man, lack of comfort, pain or shame. “for the creation its self will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” Romans 8:21
I know this is heavy material and most of my blogs from Bangkok will probably continue to talk of the sex industry. Please pray BIG this month!
