Filled with Love

My hope when writing to you last week was to be filled with love for the women at the bars and my prayer request has come to pass. In just one week, I have developed such a deep friendship with two of the girls who work nightly at the bars in Chiang Mai’s red light district.  My teammate, Steph, and I met Da and Ploy on a Thursday night, over a game of Connect Four.  Our relationship quickly developed over a series of dates including dining on exotic meats at buffet-style Korean barbecue, picnicing at one of Chiang Mai’s many waterfalls, Thai cooking lessons starring Da and even meeting her family and three year old daughter as well!

 

Da has only been working in the bar district for two weeks! Hearing her story, she has been working hard supporting her family since the tender age of 16.  She started out as a cook for a guest house, met a man there and ended up having a child at the age of 20. She continued to work as a nanny and raise her daughter but when the nanny position ended, she needed money fast. She had a mouth to feed and a family to support. She knew bar work would make her the quick money she needed for the time being.  $5,000 baht (equivalent to $150) for one night with a stranger. The first time she went home with a man, her heart hurt and she thought of her family, child, and boyfriend. No one knew her real identity and she had but one friend in her life, Ploy.

 

Ploy, on the other hand, had a much harder childhood. Her father died when she was only 10 years old and she had to quit school and take care of her 1 month old baby brother.  At 16, she was living in Burma, working in a casino as a waitress and eventually, she moved to the city (Chiang Mai) for work.  She, like Da, ended up at the bars. Her dream in life is to open her own grocery store in her village town but right now she needs to raise the money she needs (which she believes will take her 4-5 years of bar work to reach her goal).  Her family depends on her income and she too, hates her job, but loves her family and would do anything to support them! Even sell herself.

 

 

Since meeting Da and Ploy, we have spent every night in the bar hanging out with them; playing pool, encouraging them with stories and laughter and distracting them from any preying men, for a few hours at least. Every night I have to leave them, my heart aches. I see all the potential they have to live out their dreams and all I can think inside is, “how can I help them get out of this place and attain their goals”.  I am planning on giving them both a Thai bible tomorrow night.  I have spent the past week showing them what love I know how, laughing during our crazy adventures, praying with them, and even crying alongside them.  I know that God has more planned for these special ladies and I ask you to join me in prayer to see what all that would be.

 

 

 

 My friends will not be forgotten for they will always have a piece of my heart and have made a huge impact on my life. Just writing this blog brings me to tears at the thought of leaving them alone in such a cruel world, but then I remember other Christians who are working here in Chiang Mai, and it brings me hope.  Hope in the fact that I will be back someday to see them again, hope in the fact that I will see them come to know the Lord and for their dreams to come true. Hope because I have faith that God will continue the good work He has started in their lives.   (He who began a  good work in you, will be faithful to complete it~Philippians 1:6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

                   We love you both!!