Coming into Thailand I knew that I would see a lot of prostitution and expected to feel a lot of sorrow because of it. My team is staying in Pattaya which is the number one city in the world for sex tourism. One of the famous streets here in Pattaya is called walking street. The other night our contacts took us to walking street to walk and pray. Some of the information that they gave us before we went blew my mind. Like the fact that young boys around the age of 9 to 15 make the most money. Then young girls and then lady-boys. Most lady- boys are the young boys that started in this business and then chose to change into lady-boys because they know they are going to make more money that way, because after about 15 they don’t make as much money as a male. I think what hit me the hardest was when they told us that Bar ministry is not effective here. The problem that organizations run into is not only that it is dangerous but it is so engrained into the culture that even if people want out of the business they don’t have the education to do so. The other problem they run into is that even if they get education the still might go back because they know they are going to make money from it. While walking down walking street I was sad but wanted to see all of the workers and buyers how God see them. I had a hard time when I saw a father and his son. The father let his son who looked to be about 10 go and talk to one of the girls, and he just stood there looking proud. I could not get out of my head how could you. Then I remembered we have no place to Judge, we don’t get to determine who is at fault. No one person is at fault when it comes to this sad reality of sex tourism. If there we’re not people seeking these destinations out then the woman would not have a Job. At the same time if the culture was not set up that children took care of their parents at a young age would their be people providing these services. Sadly this is the reality and no matter how a person is participating in this business they are broken. They all need Jesus, they need to know they are worth so much more, they need to know what it means to have their heavenly father provide For them. I am so excited to be working at blessing home. Their goal is to keep children out of the bars in the first place. I am blessed to learn and start to understand why they run their ministry the way they do. I am falling in love with these children. They are so precious and need so much love. Please be praying for the city of Pattaya and all of Thailand. When you hear the song God of this city think of Pattaya because this is the city it is written for, and like the song says ” greater things have yet to be done in this city”.
