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I know everyone is probably wondering what I have been up to….so here is a blog by my friend and teammate Tiffany Berkowitz! Enjoy “Just ’cause she dances go-go…”
Music filled the hot, sticky air as the neon lights widened my eyes to see all that surrounded me. We turned the same familiar corner, bringing us to our usual spot in the Red Light District in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Previously our team had spent time in prayer crying out for God to move. We were all so tired, and not really wanting to go out for the night. But as we sought Him in prayer, we knew that He was ready with an incredible plan and purpose for the night. He is big. He is love. And He transforms lives. We were ready for a big God to do big things, so we strolled down the string of bars with a heart rooted in Him, eyes ready to see through His, and the mind of Christ prepared to fight in His name.
The women were lined up in a row in front of
 each bar, looking absolutely stunning in their mini skirts and flashy tops. Still their smiles out shined any of their glitz and glam. We were welcomed to sit at one of the bars that we had been to the night before. Fon sat down with us to challenge us to a game of connect four. (Side Note: women working the Red Light District in Chiang Mai are expert connect four and jenga players.) A pool game began soon after. Becky and Fon on one team, Heather and Nitnook on the other. Our laughter overwhelmed the noise coming from the bar beside us where 6 women were dancing on the bar for a man probably somewhere in his sixties. The men here are just as in need of a savior as the women.
Near the end of the game of pool that Marissa and I were playing with a couple other women, Heather asked me how much money I had on me. Our team gathered and pitched in everything we had.
Because of the way things are run, in order to have time with the girls outside of the Red Light District, you have to pay for their time. It’s difficult to sit and talk with the women in the bars. They are doing business. When a man comes around- they are all over it. They have to be. Having their full attention is impossible, and hearing their hearts can be quite the task (between the accents, the loud music, and the horrible atmosphere.) So we payed for an hour. We were all pretty sure that they were under the impression that we were paying for their time- for what people usually pay for- for their bodies. We could not WAIT to see how God was going to rock their world when they realized a bunch of dorky Christian girls just wanted to hang out with them.
 Heather, Becky, Marissa, Hannah and I piled into a small Tuk Tuk (their little taxi carts) and headed to our next destination. The whole way, all 7 of us were breaking out in random songs. I can honestly say it was one of the best times of the entire Race for me. I was just thinking of Jesus, and I realized that this is EXACTLY what He would be doing on a Friday night. Hanging out with prostitutes. Loving them. Judgment free.
We arrived at the karaoke restaurant and I can hardly express how the night progressed. I don’t think a minute passed by where we were not laughing hysterically. Fon and Nitnook are girls, just normal girls that I would hang out with any day of the week. They reminded me so much of friends back home. They told us that they hated working at the bar. Nitnook is raising her four year old son on her own, and Fon is a brilliant young girl with so much potential. We sang and danced on the dance floor, we talked about what their lives are like outside of work, and we became the best of friends. Our team has fallen in love with these two.
 So we get ready to pay for the food and drinks, and the card doesn’t go through. We literally have no other way of paying. We begin to design an elaborate plan of having two girls go back to the bars (we only had Fon and Nitnook for an hour), having two girls run home and grab the cards, and someone going to an ATM. In the midst of all of this, Fon volunteers to pay until we can pay her back. I was in awe. She trusted us. At that moment God spoke to me “She sees something different in you girls. She sees me, she just doesn’t know it yet.”
After we left the restaurant, they walked with us back to the house, we payed them back, and they sat for a bit before heading home. They wanted to take us out during the day to show us the best places to go for Songkran (The Tai New Year- and the Worlds largest water fight! It starts on the 13th). We exchanged numbers, and were all so excited to see each other again. After they left, the team got together to end the night in prayer.
 We could not stop talking about how amazing God is. He is so faithful. He says He is a big God, and He really is. We were blessed with the opportunity to treat these girls to a real night out. Where they could be free, where they could be safe, and where they could be loved. The best part was- they decided not to go back to work after leaving us 😉
Who knows what God has for the next couple weeks here in Chiang Mai. I believe a church is going to break out in the middle of the enemies territory- and I am ready to go to battle for it. |
