It is 1:30am and I can’t sleep. You see, the other night, I met a little girl at the bars. She is 6 years old. She came up to my squad mate Nicole and I while we were doing our bar ministry near the boxing ring in a ladyboy bar.
She was selling flowers. For 10 baht (30 B is $1 USD) you could buy the white flowered necklace she was selling. The Thai people use these flowers as offerings to the plentiful Buddha statues located in every business/bar/restaurant you find here in Chiang Mai.
When she approached the table and we smiled, and said no thank you, I thought she would turn and run like most of the kids selling flowers do. Instead, we just started talking to her.
My friend Nicole said to the little girl, “You are beautiful…You are a DAUGHTER OF THE KING and Jesus LOVES you” and you would have thought we offered the little girl candy and a million bucks.
She smiled the biggest, brightest most precious smile I have ever seen.
LOVE is powerful.
At most of the bar tables, they have games, so we offered to play connect four with her. We laughed and lost at the game…I offered her some of the snacks they have at the tables- she was eating them quickly and was obviously hungry. I offered her my Diet Coke, she drank it happily. Then, as quick as she came, she was off- to sell those flowers- so she could go home and go to bed.
That is right. She cannot sleep until she has sold all of her flowers. In the bars. At 10pm.
She is 6 years old.
Do you know what happens to these kids? To these little boys and little girls who wander the streets of this red light district selling flowers? They are abused. They are mistreated. They SEE with their precious eyes things that no person should see. They HEAR with their little hears what no child should hear. Their innocence gets taken from them on these streets. In these bars.
Their future? They become the girls who work in the bars. Who deal with the men who want to buy the women. They become objects- for sale.
I can’t stop thinking about her. Praying for her future. Praying that someone can come and take her away from the mess that she is in. Allow her to have a hopeful future.
Later that same night, we stopped at a different bar and we were talking to our new friend there. She is in her early 30’s and has 3 kids. While she was talking about her own kids, she pointed at a few of the girls sitting around who worked there and explained that they are only 13 years old.
Uh, Whoa.
A little while later, in walks a man…wanting those 13 year old girls.
>REAL MEN DO NOT BUY WOMEN<
If we do not stop this craziness from happening- the sweet 6 year old will be the next 13 year old working at the bars- being bought for a price.
We know the truth.
God already paid the biggest price.
He sent his son to die on the cross for us.
3 days later, he ROSE again.
We serve a LIVING GOD.
Whose heart breaks for the kids of this world.- just like mine is breaking here.
Remember this Easter- that Jesus has RISEN!
He is working around the world- bringing healing and restoration to the nations.
