“Do you want to stop!” I heard my friend Lacey yelling at me as I was sitting on the back of her bike. I had less than a split second to think about my answer as thoughts were racing through my head.
The crew and I were heading out that night to speak some love and life into the precious women that we’re giving themselves away to the lustful desires of mostly foreign man. It was one of the last nights in Siem Reap as all of our teams got back together and my teammate and I told some of the women on our squad about the relationships we have build during our month in this town. We told them about the young girls in the massage parlors and the women that try to make a living by selling their soul. Our squad mates were eager to experience a different side of ministry, literally did I know God was about to blow my socks of that night.
We had six girls, ready to hit the town for Jesus, but only three bikes. Little did that stop us, as each of us would hop on the backseat of one of the bikes. With a little uncomfortable pain and some sore butts, we started biking away, giggling and screaming through the backstreets of Cambodia.
Pub street was already packed and filled with tourist and locals. Having no curfew that night, we left after worship and filled with Holy Spirit power. We parked our bikes, prayed united as sisters and headed towards the action. We decided to split up into two groups of three, we didn’t want to draw more attention to ourselves. Observing during the whole month there, we already knew the drill. We knew the work space of the “madams” and girls. They positioned themselves smack dap in the middle of the busiest area in Siem Reap. The tuk-tuk drivers also had their hands involved in the evil of prostitution, and so did the ladies who sold fruity drinks on the street. We knew some of the names of the girls and talked to them on a regular bases drawing more attention to ourselves than we planned to. Let’s say we got the dirty look more than once! But we were willing to pay the price to bring Jesus to His lost girls.
We just started connecting and starting conversations when suddenly one of the Racers pointed out a tall white guy who walked away with one of the girls. Not sure what has gotten into me, but I started racing after them, while praying that God would give me the right words to say. I always imagined in my head what I would do, if I would actually ever see injustice happen right before my eyes. And I always knew I couldn’t just look the other way! I don’t believe Jesus ever would.
Now you can argue that I will do more harm than good,approaching a guy, who was just about to have his way with a human being that is nothing more to him than an object of his twisted fantasy. Or you could tell me how dangerous it is to follow someone, not knowing what they might be capable off. But I know I have the God of the universe by my side and I also walk in His discernment. The least I could do is pray and make this man aware of the step he is about to take and the consequences that will come with it. Maybe there is still an ounce of dignity left in him.
I always wondered why no one ever approaches the men. It’s hard enough to talk to the women, especially because the language barrier makes it almost impossible to have a conversation. But the guys, they are 99% white and very familiar with the English language.
I started small talk, noticing right away the Australian accent and the liquor breath. I made him aware of his actions and asking how he would feel if that lady would be his own daughter. It got him thinking and he started stumbling over his speech. I begged him to think about his actions but in the end he made the choice to leave with his “purchase”.
It’s always been interesting to me how we can so easily not care and ignore evil but as soon as it effects our own flesh and blood we move heaven and hell to bring justice. We involve the police and everyone we know. We don’t go to work, don’t eat, sleep and our whole lives are taken over until we can restore was has been taken from our loved one.
So what is the difference with Gods number one command
Love your neighbor as yourself!
Is that just something we do when it fits our schedule. As soon as it is an inconvenience or makes us uncomfortable we just chose to ignore that it exists. I can’t grasp the fact that there is more slavery in the year 2015 than the has ever been and the so called billions of Christians on this earth just continue to ignore their neighbor. There are orphans, human beings that are starving, dying from disease, or don’t have excess to clean drinking water. Rape, genocide and honor killings are true realities for millions of people. Their only hope is a God that sends His willing people.
My answer to Lacey’s question that night was “Yes” as I quickly jumped of the back of her bike. We were on our way back to the hotel and it was getting late. I was excited to get some sleep before we traveled to Thailand.
But my schedule was not Gods schedule.
The reason I had to make a decision in a short second was another tall western man with a beautiful Asian woman. I heard his voice already from a distance and that accent sounded way to familiar to me. Praying again that God would give me the words, I soon was amazed by His divine appointment. A couple seconds later I was talking to a sixty something fella from Germany who was trying to convince me that as long as you treat the ladies nice there is no harm in taking them for the night. So there I was explaining to one of my own country man how he fuels into an industry of evil and that God still loves him, but he needs to make a choice right now.
To my amazement he kissed the girl on the cheek, told me I changed his mind and walked away
What just happened here Jesus?!
I didn’t even had time to grasp what God just did, because I now had to explain to the confused girl, whose name was Linda why I just ruined her “business”. Not only was she slightly mad, but she also didn’t understand many of the things I tried to explain to her.
Again God wasn’t moved by the communication barrier.
A few minutes later a small Cambodian guy walked up to us and started translating all the wonderful things I told her about God. How she is worthy of true love and affection, how she doesn’t need to sell herself and that I am only telling her aIl this, because a big and Almighty God once turned my world upside down.
Suddenly I was reminded that I carried one little card in my wallet that might change her life drastically.
Earlier that week I had a divine, God ordained meeting with a couple from the United States. Ally and Paul just moved across the continent to Cambodia to work with an anti sex trafficking organization called “White Doves”. They help women get back on their feet after they sold their souls to a cruel society, providing them a safe place and education.
Now how did I know about this ministry in the first place? Our host Fay at Eli school wanted to connect me with them after I told her about my burning desire to help women stuck in the sex industry.
I gave Linda “White Doves” contact information, prayed with her and left her in Gods hands, knowing that I will probably never see her again. But I do know that our meeting wasn’t a coincidence. Everything up to this moment was ordained by a wonderful and gracious God who writes the best stories. He made an American couple move to Cambodia and He fired up a simple girl to jump of a bike at 12.30am, to touch a woman He knows and loves.
The girl that jumped of the bike that night is changed, different not because she follows some false religion but because the one and only true and living God that changed her, lives inside of her. She can’t do, see and sense the things without her God. In fact, she can’t do anything without Him. Anything good in her is His Spirit.
I can’t live the life I live because of some behavior modification or a long list of chores. All I can do is be obedient whenever the Spirit calls.
Don’t miss the beauty of His call
Don’t miss jumping of your bike or inviting the boy on the street
Dont miss out on the chance to change a life
Take a leap, trust in Him
It is so worth it
Love Jen
