Being in Phuket, Thailand this month has been one of the most surreal experiences of this whole trip for me. I am surrounded by so many things that I have heard about and read about- except now I am actually seeing them. Human trafficking and sex tourism is real. And it is taking place all around me.
Except it has been dressed up and made to look like a fun filled tourist attraction. Patong, the district that we work in, is filled with markets, malls, movie theaters, and Starbucks- all right around the corner from the beach. There are tourists from all over- America, Europe, Australia, and everywhere in between. Not everyone has come for sex tourism; some have simply come for a vacation on a tropical island. But the reality is that this place, while it may feel like a vacation spot at times, is filled with great darkness and despair.
Our contact warned us on our first day here that it can be easy to become numb and cynical towards all the evil here. I have prayed that wouldn’t happen to me. Honestly, it is easy as a westerner to get so excited about a cup of Starbucks coffee that I don’t really notice the young Thai girl on a “date” with a middle aged white man at the table next to me. But that is a very common scene here. I see so many disturbing images over the course of a day, that it is easier than you may think to start hardly noticing them. They can just become a part of the scenery.
But I have prayed that God would keep me alert, that I would see what is really going on. I can’t say I always do- but when I do, it breaks my heart. I see young Thai girls, around my age, being told that they are only worth how much a man will pay for them. I see little girls in the streets selling flowers, with no sign of parents anywhere (which we all assume means they are the victims of some form of child labor). I see hurting, broken men walking around looking for intimacy in all the wrong places. I see sin being celebrated, but the party is one of the darkest, saddest things I have ever seen.
We spend alot of time praying for the girls in Patong. I have been reminded this month of the power of praying God’s word, reminding Him of his promises. Isaiah 61:1-3 is the scripture that has been on my heart:
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion-
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirt of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.”
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion-
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirt of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.”
I love praying scripture, because I know I am praying God’s will. And I love that God’s will is to take everything in this world (and inside of us) that is full of sin and darkness and penetrate it with his light. Jesus desires FREEDOM for all of the girls in Patong. He desires take their ashes and turn them into BEAUTY.
Please continue to join us in praying for the girls of Patong. If you have a moment now, I encourage you to pray these verses over the girls.
Your prayers are so powerful and we appreciate them so much! Much LOVE!
