We realized we couldn’t escape from this dark place. As I stood on the deck praying and trying to process everything I just experienced, I noticed the first “couple” return for the night. A man who appeared to be my grandpa’s age walked into his hotel room followed by a girl who looked younger than me. My heart ached. I noticed myself growing angry so I prayed for grace. God opened my eyes to just how broken that old man was. He reminded me of my sin and brokenness. He assured me the way he redeemed me, he can redeem them too.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24
1:00 am, round two, we knew what we had to do…. Find the Russians. This time as we walked down the street everyone was more intoxicated and grew more desperate. We saw both young and old men leaving the street with women hanging on their arms. The men’s eyes were glazed with lust as they walked away. It wasn’t long before we saw the Russian girls with their dresses flowing in the breeze. We prayed and then approached the girl in the pink dress. She spoke perfect English. Her boney body was tense. Her name is Atalia and she hasn’t been there long. She refused to answer any other questions. She kept looking back at a large man dressed in a black suit, he was intensely watching her every move. We realized just how unsafe us talking to her was so we said our goodbyes. I have never seen such fear before. It was very clear she was not there by her own will.
Our hearts couldn’t take anymore. We went to Starbucks, yes it made it to the center of this hell. We sat outside to pray. Children repeatedly walked up trying to sell us bracelets. These bracelets had the most degrading, disturbing words on them. I grew sick to my stomach. Gina decided to ask one of them to make her a band that read, “Jesus loves you.” I followed. Not only did they have to focus on this truth for 15-20 minutes but we also had time to spend ministering to these young men. A few others came and watched. We were able to leave them with tracks and a Bible.
A small 7 year old boy named Miguel sat on the steps, we said hello. A man named Aladin revealed to us that his mother works in the Starbucks. Aladin told us his father is from America but he doesn’t know him. There he was being exposed to this darkness for hours upon hours night after night. The entire time he sat there hiding his eyes behind his homework. My heart hurt for him and his mother but I was comforted with hope; for the darkness cannot consume the light.
More to come…..
