Yeah…that’s right – my hair is pink!
I’ve been in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the past month working with Lighthouse in Action. They do some incredible work for God including bar ministry in the red light district.
A few nights a week, I went to the bars with my sweet friend and squadmate Hayley. Our very first night out we were a bit nervous and unsure of how things would go. We ended up at a bar called the Flash Bar. We sat down, ordered a soda and started playing Jenga with a few of the girls working there. We met *Jay and *thepinklady who spoke little English. We tried to talk with them through broken English and hand movements. Hayley and I had a good time but we didn’t really think that we made a great impression or had started building any foundations to a friendship. We left the bar feeling a bit discouraged about our ministry.
When we went to the bar again a few days later we were pleasantly surprised when our friends ran up to us with open arms and huge smiles! We spent night after night at the Flash Bar with Jay and thepinklady playing Jenga, sipping sodas and laughing until our stomachs hurt.
Thepinklady is the sweetest girl in Thailand and brings so much joy to my life. She has pink tipped hair that she did herself – naturally, Hayley and I asked for our hair to be pink too. She agreed that she would dye our hair for us before we left. After a couple failed attempts at meeting up thepinklady finally dyed our hair.
We were able to spend the afternoon with her outside of the bar and it was perfect. It was just like a couple of girlfriends hanging out and having fun. We had coffees at the café, took pictures, and I even talked to her mom on the phone before we said our final goodbyes.
I had the most incredible month with thepinklady, Jay and the other girls that worked at the bar.
My heart would fill with love and joy when I’d see their smiling faces or when we would do cheesy dance moves together while also simultaneously breaking as I’d see men watch the girls every move and put their hands on my beautiful friends. I found relief and hope though when I learned that my friends are not prostitutes – they make money from the drinks that are bought for them, not by selling their bodies for a night. However, that’s not the case for many of the girls that work at the bars in the strip. The brokenness present in that place is so evident and sad and honestly it makes me feel angry and hopeless at times…
I don’t understand all of the darkness in our world and I hate that I can’t fix it all by myself.
But my hope is not lost on the world and its many flaws.
I find hope in the strong friendships that were formed amidst language and cultural barriers. I find hope in the genuine laughter that filled the bars on the nights we went out. I find hope in knowing that there are people here working for the kingdom of God to spread the truth of the gospel and the love of Jesus.
Yes, there is darkness here and the enemy is wildly at work, but darkness cannot win where there is light. And the light of Jesus Christ is at work here too. Jesus has already conquered sin and He will always be triumphant. The battle has been fought and Jesus won – and Jesus will keep winning for all of eternity.
My sweet friends here are not Christians, but I know they felt the love of Jesus this month through us. Please pray for them with me – pray that they would know the true love of their Savior and that they would know God has more for them in life than working at the bar in the red light district.
My friends are beautiful – beautiful because they are daughters of God – and they are worth more.
I’m praying for revival in Thailand and I know it will come.
– J
*names have been changed
