Before applying for the Race, I remember scanning through World Racers blogs and coming across a blog about a woman who was going with teammates on this thing called “Bar Ministry.” I brought this up to a friend of mine and thinking what a strange and terrible concept this is. I remember a time where I went to bars and clubs and remember that it can really be filled with lust, drunkenness, poor decisions, etc. I just couldn’t see why this would be the place for God’s ministry.
Flash-forward to this month, and suddenly my new team of 14 women is working with a café in Chiang Mai that also builds relationships with men, woman and children working in the sex industry. Lighthouse in Action partners with other organizations to create opportunities for education, healthcare, safe housing and employment for people who are willing to leave the industry. In orientation at Zion Café, I learned that idea of Bar Ministry is to go out with 2-3 other people to the bars, massage parlors and streets of the red light district and form friendships, to show the employees love and that they are worth so much more than what someone asks to pay for them. We’re not here to preach to them, “save” them, or tell them to leave their life at the bar. My first reaction when finding out that this was our host was not “Jessica, what are you doing here”; but was pure excitement. I felt so honored to be staying at a place that helps people here and really cares about them. Wow, how God has changed my heart and opened my eyes.
In this city alone, there at least 20,000 male, female, and child prostitutes during the tourist season. In the off season, that drops to about 5,000. Many of these women come from local villages to make money and to help support their families. Many times the women are promised a fancy job, or don’t understand what the job entails. Other times, children are sold to make money for the families.
The afternoon before I went out for bar ministry for the first time, I was having thoughts about moments from my past and with unhealthy relationships. I started having doubts that I could help anyone or have anything to talk about with the women in the bars. I decided to go to chat with monks with one of my teammates to learn more about the city and culture. On the way, we accidently went into the wrong temple and were looking at a maze with wax figures of monks in it. Another American in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt came up and started chatting with me. Soon the rest of his group came over and met the others I was with. It turned out that they were a group working with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) that would be working with Lighthouse in Action in a few days. While we were taking a group picture with these strangers; one of them said she felt like she should tell me that I am “someone who overcomes; and that God is really proud.” It is amazing how God places people in your lives right when you need them. I went out to bar ministry that night knowing that I am redeemed through God and will be able to go out and spread His joy and love.
The night was so great. Three of us went out to different bars and chatted with women, children and lady boys that worked there. Although there was a language barrier, conversations went well as we played games like Jenga, Connect Four or Jackpot. One thing that I didn’t expect during the night was the responses from the men in the bars. On more than one occasion, men came up to me and asked “What are you doing here?” while looking rather confused. One man even stopped mid-conversation and asked that question. When I responded with “Here in Thailand?” he quickly said “No, HERE in this bar…”
I couldn’t help but wonder what these men must be thinking while watching us drink Sprites with the women employees and playing thumb wars with the children. We must have stuck out. I wondered if we reminded these men of their children, grandchildren or niece back home. I wondered if they were thrown off by our smiles and conversations with the employees. We weren’t touching the women, bartering for a price or forcing kisses—we were asking them how they were and listening to stories they told. Throughout the night I kept thinking of John 15:19 saying: “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” I definitely did not fit into the norm or what the world was doing and boy did people notice.
