Hi friends and family,
I am writing something a little different this time. I want to share with you an entry from my journal this past month. I thought it would be neat for you to get a peek into what a typical day looks like for me; but most importantly, I wanted to share something I experienced that has deeply stuck with me. I would love for you to read it and hear about the stories of the ladies who are left wanting to escape the horrible realities of sex trafficking.
February 22, 2017
- Today I went to the refugee school early in the morning and taught there. I got to talk to the two older girls a little bit about who the Holy Spirit is during their science lesson! They wanted to know what a spirit was, so I explained who the Holy Spirit is!
- During the school day little boys and girls gave me little flowers made out of toilet paper, hahaha so cute! Their little gifts are so special.
- The only bathroom at the school is a squatty potty.
- Came home and walked to the beach with Sarah, met a cute older couple from England who travels all over the world, went running, had dinner with the team and listened to Sarah’s testimony then we headed out to homeless ministry.
HOMELESS MINISTRY AND SEX TRAFFICKING
During homeless ministry I experienced something I had never experienced before. Ellen and I went with a man who worked for the ministry and he took us to a street where a lot of prostitution happens.
We began walking the street and right away saw all the women (actually men who were dressed as women) standing outside of buildings. The man who was with us encouraged us to start our night by making eye contact with the ladies to see if they would receive us, and then go and speak to them.
Suddenly, I felt so intimidated and didn’t have a clue what to say. We had all prayed the Lord would lead us and help us, and so we trusted the Holy Spirit to guide us. Ellen and I walked up to a lady at the brothel. She was standing there with the door half open, peering out, and was intensely watching the streets before her. This lady was known as the “mother” of the brothel.
When we walked up to her, she didn’t really look us in the eye and barley responded as we tried to talk to her. We asked her about her day and if there were any nice places to visit in Penang. I told her that I liked her hair and she seemed super shocked that I would say something like that to her and confused that we were talking to her. She told us that she didn’t speak good English and we should talk to her worker girl standing to our right. We tried to continue talking to her because we both felt like she needed someone to show interest in her life—someone to show that they cared about her life—but she was not having it, at all. She straight up told us she was working right now to have men come in to hire her girls. She was so bold and out in the open. Not afraid at all.
We listened to her and then went over to the working girl she told us to speak to. The girl was standing with another girl from the brothel and said to us, “Why did my mother send you over here!?” We told her that her boss said she spoke English and we should talk to her! She was so surprised but smiled so big! The other girl didn’t speak English but listened, stood there, and also smiled as she listened in.
She started right away by telling us that she works selling sex and that she doesn’t like her job and kept repeating over and over that her job is really bad and she is so embarrassed about it. We listened to her tell us about how she loved to do hair and if she could, that is what she would be doing.
I didn’t know what to say. What do you say to someone after they say that? I wanted with every fiber for her to be able to also live out that dream, but what can I do? I can’t just say to chase after that dream when I don’t know if she is even able to leave the brothel???!
Throughout our conversation she kept repeating how she was so embarrassed but was so happy we were talking to her. We told her we were so happy to make new friends and they replied the same!
We asked her questions about Penang and what she liked to do in this area. I was saddened even more as she told us that she never really gets out. She tried to explain to us that she has to work from her room a lot. She gets off at 10pm and then had to start work again at 3am. I don’t know how to express what was going on inside of me as I listened to her, but all I know is that I was I was so so sad. I just wanted to rescue her and didn’t know what to do.
A taxi with two guys pulled up. The men rolled down their windows in front of us with a horrible dirty look in their eye for the girls. I felt sick. These men had clearly pulled up to hire these girls and I have never experienced a feeling like that in my life. I looked at those men terrified of what the girls would have to do. I imagined my life in their shoes and how nothing within myself could ever force myself to get in the car with them.
My head was spinning… how could this be real?! Two strange, weird men just pull up to you to get your services and you have to go with them and do what they ask. You have no say.
I was disgusted with the men. And there I stood in between the girls and the men not wanting to step away, but knowing the girls were working and were going to do their job regardless of whether I was there or not. Eventually, Ellen and I knew we had to walk away even though it was incredibly difficult to do when we were grasping the gravity of it all. We reluctantly parted ways, as we left they told us how happy they were to meet us and we all said we hope to meet again.
I was amazed. Thank you Lord for that opportunity to meet them. Please, save them from this and let them see light!! Your light JESUS! Free them!
Next we walked a bit further and saw another women sitting on a stool in a dark street corner. Ellen and I walked by her as we were going to meet the rest of our group. We both stopped after passing her, feeling compelled to talk to the girl. When we turned around to walk back we saw a man had already come in that short amount of time and was talking to her. We were so sickened.
“Oh no, if we would have just talked to her we could have prevented that guy from coming up” –Ellen. We watched the woman signal for him to go around the corner and when he walked that way we swooped in to talk to her. We asked her if she knew a good place around the area to get dinner (to start a conversation). She was friendly and said; “I just got here 1 month ago for work, so I don’t know!” It seemed as if she literally had never ventured out. She said she was from Singapore, and was here for 3 months to work and then she was planning on going back.
We chatted for a minute with her, and then her boss came up to where we were and said she had to go work now (I am assuming for the man that had previously just talked to her). I just can’t explain how sad I was watching her walk that way.
We sat down on the curb and just prayed. Prayed for their freedom. We prayed she would turn around and walk right back to us leaving her job and wondering how to come to know Jesus! We prayed that this industry and that brothel would be shut down and that Jesus would have the victory there!
I left the night hurting because I had the privilege of going home to safety and just go on my life, while they are trapped in a vicious cycle. Jesus be with them and help me to know how to help, if that’s what you have for me. Send someone to help free them, and show them your love!
“No one dreams when they are little of growing up to become a prostitute”
Thank you for reading.
Love,
Cherish
