After being in Thailand for three weeks and doing some amazing ministry in Bangkok, we finally made our way to Pattaya, Thailand. It’s the number one city in Thailand, and one of the top cities in the world, for human/sex trafficking. We were all pretty excited to go out our first night. This is what we had been waiting for all month. This is the reason I wanted to come to Thailand. After having my heart completely shattered already from all of the things we’d seen from our previous ministries, I didn’t think it could possibly be shocked any more than it already had been.
I was wrong.
On our drive down to the heart of the Red Light District, I already felt myself feeling sick. I had a growing knot in my stomach, and an even
bigger lump in my throat. I was praying in the Spirit before we even arrived. I felt like we were descending into hell. As soon as we got out of the car, my eyes were already filled with tears. We didn’t go straight into it. We stopped and ate first. I was feeling so sick. I hated how the spiritual atmosphere was effecting me even physically. I made myself eat before we headed out. I didn’t really know what the plan was for the evening. None of us did. We were just going to walk and pray and listen for the Spirit’s direction.
We made our way to Walking Street. It’s the main street/strip of bars and pubs and clubs where most of the “transactions” take place. But it happens everywhere else too. All down the street that ran along the beach, there were women everywhere, and men–mostly old men–shopping for the one that was good enough or pretty enough for their taste. Walking down the road, men would shove pictures of women in your face and the price for what they offer. Music is blaring from every bar and club, competing for attention. There was this one alley that we walked down that was full of Ladyboys. Everywhere I look
ed, I saw Satan’s playground. I can’t describe to you exactly how I was feeling. The best way I can explain is that I felt like a little girl seeing the bad things in the world for the first time. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been ignorant or blind. I’ve known that these things were happening. But until I saw it for myself with my own eyes, I never would have understood the magnitude or the reality of it all. God told me to keep my eyes open. I couldn’t stop praying. It was not an option. If I had stopped praying, I would have been overtaken.
The women were very interested in us…a couple of white women taking a stroll down alleys and Walking Street. They were all very friendly and some of them were excited to see us. They’d wave or make any excuse to talk to us. We handed out tracts and cards for The Tamar Center. (Click the link to find out info.) And we watched. All the time, I just watched. I looked straight into the eyes of every man who passed me on the street, hoping that they could see Jesus looking back at them and feel convicted just for a long enough moment to make them go home. I smiled at every woman whose eyes I caught. And I prayed. Unceasingly.
In just one night, I saw enough of Satan’s power to feel the hopelessness that surrounded me. I felt the spirits of Lust and Perversion like sticky wax. I felt Deceivement and Hatred trying to choke me. I’ve never been in a spiritually darker place than Pattaya. But in the middle of the Red Light District, I clung to the Truth with everything that was inside of me. I know it’s kind of corny, but God gave me a thought. Since He is inside me, and He is the Light of the world, that means that He is shining through me. I am the Green Light. The opposite of Satan’s Red Light. I am Heaven. He is hell. I am good. He is evil. I am day. He is night. God has power. Satan has power. God has authority. But Satan has no authority. That’s the difference.
We’ve only been out twice. And there’s more to say. But I’ll save some things for other blogs. 🙂 Please be praying extra for me this week. It’s more intense than I can make you understand.
Lighting Up the World,
~Eryn
