“I don’t want to have sex with him!” she said to us as she ran into our arms.
We had been going to “Crow’s Nest” bar since day one and Apple was one of our first relationships we cultivated. Now, three weeks later, she sought more than just a laugh or two with us—she wanted hope.
It was 10:15PM and Apple still had four hours left in her shift, but she wanted to leave in that instant. What would that man say if she refused sex? What would her boss say if she left her shift and came home with us? What would we do with a runaway bar girl at night?
While two of us tried to reason with Apple, the other two were covering the night in prayer—standing in the middle of the strip, with thousands of tourists, bar girls, lady boys, and their bosses in each direction.
In the hopes of keeping suspicion under wraps, Apple asked us to pay her bar fee so that she could avoid having sex for a night and instead have a sleepover with 20 American girls.
300 Baht = 10 Dollars
Was she really selling herself for $10? My heart was hurting, yet I couldn’t contain my excitement that she was really out! She had made the decision to leave her job and find hope!
Apple and my teammate, Alysa, walking out of the bars.
Apple and my teammate, Annee, celebrating her night of freedom with cheeseburgers!
Apple, my teammate Ruth, and me getting ready for our sleepover.
Update:
Apple went back to the bars the next night because she couldn’t shake the commitment she made to her boss to fulfill her duties. She told us that she would only work in the bars for one more month to gain enough money, and then she would pursue our ministry in search of a job. Since our time in Phuket is ending on Monday, April 9th, we have passed her name and information on to the staff of this ministry who will be checking up on her once we leave.
As we leave, please be praying for Apple and the rest of the girls who we met here in Phuket. I know the Holy Spirit will continue to do his mighty work in these girls’ lives once we are gone.
