“You were made for more.” That’s the phrase that I couldn’t stop thinking as I walked through Bangla Road. God didn’t create you for the sole purpose of selling your body and being seen as an object of pleasure for the men around you. He wants you to have a relationship with Jesus, to walk in the freedom of living without condemnation and casting all your worries on Him. Bangla Road. The road that has countless of men looking to buy a woman for the night, tourists going for entertainment, families that come to find a place for vacation, and missionaries hoping to share the gospel to anyone that is willing to hear.
This month my team (Abundant Pursuit) are in the city of Phuket in Thailand! As excited as we are in finally arriving to the grand place of Thailand we were very quickly in shock as we saw the reality of what went on in this city. Phuket is known for Bangla Road, the Red- Light District. A road filled with unique souvenirs in daylight and an outlet for finding pleasure at night. Walking for the very first time during the nighttime left me shaking my head in disgust, sadness, ready to evangelize, and completely heartbroken. The lies Satan has filled our minds with are far too many. Chasing after all the wrong things and seeking to satisfy the temptations of the flesh. As I walked through this road I saw women dancing on poles, women calling after men to lure them towards their bar, families walking with strollers, and men asking me to purchase a ticket for the next “Ping Pong Show.” These women were giving themselves away to provide financially for their families but, at what cost? I couldn’t wrap my head around the amount of people that saw these things and were completely at peace with all of it. I couldn’t understand how far our world had gone from the Gospel message and how much Satan has deceived us. I couldn’t look at a man without feeling disgust thinking what if he was another one that purchased a HUMAN BEING. That the men looking at these women weren’t being seen as a person with feelings but solely as an object. Yet, I had to remind myself of GRACE. God loves the men as much as he loves me.
As crazy as it sounds most of this road isn’t half as bad as I pictured. The real darkness happens in clubs called “Devils Playground” or “Nice Girls are Naughty” with pictures of Satan’s tail on letters. It shows how lost this world is and how desperately we need to preach with an urgency. I thought about Jesus befriending prostitutes and how much it must’ve hurt Him to see the women in bondage knowing the abundant life He had for them. Even through all that I saw and the emotional roller coaster I was going through, my heart was ready to evangelize. Ready to proclaim the good news to anyone that was willing to hear. Willing to hear, because who in a place like that would care to hear of God and His thoughts on this whole situation? Our team is praying for some big, wild things to happen in Phuket. The demand to decrease, women to see their value in Christ, and Bangla Road to be closed. Although, this may not be until a long time from now, we trust that God is an all-powerful God who wants His people to turn away from bondage and find Him. Our prayer is that they’d encounter His love. So, as we continue doing ministry in Bangla Road, I ask that you would pray protection over us and God to break the chains of lust in this city. YOU WERE MADE FOR MORE, isn’t just for His daughters- it’s for everyone. He has called you for a life of abundance in Him and through Him. It’s for the women giving of herself for money to the man that is lonely and seeks to fill the emptiness in his soul through buying time with someone. It’s the Gospel message at the core.
For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.
Psalm 107:9
FUNDRAISING UPDATE:
Have Fundraised:$13,637.00
Need to be Fully Funded: $2,924.00
WOW. THANK YOU all so much! God has financially provided more than I could’ve ever imagined. Your continual support and prayers are making a big impact on my life and those around me. I am in awe of the amazing work God is doing and I know it really is just the beginning!
YOU ARE LOVED!!!
