Where do I begin…?
We have moved three times this month, and I am praying that this last time was our final move until travel day, which is in a week!
This week, we are in Pattaya, Thailand. For those of you who don’t know, Pattaya is the human trafficking capital of the world. Walking down the streets, you see more old foreign men than Thai men. Many of them have a young Thai woman on their arm.
The first night we got here, we went on a prayer walk downtown and saw firsthand how big prostitution is here. There are women everywhere. Prostitution is seen as a good thing here. Women who sell themselves are praised because they have money to take care of their families.
Another thing you see a lot are what they call “Lady Boys.” These are men who have gotten sex changes and dress like women. There are times when you can’t even tell that they are naturally men.
Last night, we went out to do ministry in downtown. We are connecting the women with the Tamar ministry. We hand out cards for free english lessons, but while giving them cards, we also start conversations with the women and pray for them if they want it.
Last night, I met a woman named Anna. She was so sweet, as many of the women are. She just smiled at us the whole time and talked to us about life. I got to ask her about her family and where she is from. As we were talking, we asked if she needed prayer for anything. She gladly accepted prayer for her health and family to be safe. She then started saying that she liked God a lot. I asked her if she had ever heard of Jesus, since many people here have no idea who Jesus is. She said she has a friend who tells her about Jesus all the time and that she believes in Him and that He died for her. As we prayed for her, we knew it was only a matter of time before she would fully come to know God.
She was one of the many women we got to talk to and pray over last night. These women are so sweet and truly believe that what they are doing is okay since their society teaches them from a young age that being a prostitute is prestigous and the more loving thing to do for your family. They see it as a job, just like you and I would go to an 8-5 job everyday.
I realized that all they want is love. They want security and they won’t be getting it from a man on the street. Especially a man who could care less if he gets her pregnant or gives her aids. The Lord is calling this nation to Himself. “Thai” literally means “FREE.” I proclaim that this nation will be FREE from the bondage and slavery of men, women and children.
You would think that people would realize they are in bondage when they are selling themselves, but they don’t. They don’t yet know that there is hope for them, but they will; when we tell them.
