I am convinced that some realities were never meant to exist. Many of these tragic realities can be described in two words. Untouchable people. Abandoned babies. Sex Indsutry. Our first few days in Bangkok have been educational, to say the least. Last night, we prayer-walked the three red light districts of Bankok. Amanda Petersen, who has spent the last three weeks simply loving the bar girls here, describes the scene in her blog.
To many, Nana Plaza is a paradise. On any given night, there are over 2,000 workers present in the three story high courtyard complex, approximately 300 being lady-boys. The establishments feature anything from go-go shows to live sex, playing to the fantasies of the hundreds upon hundreds of men (and several women) who flock here to partake in the most well known sex industry area in the world, competing only with the red-light district of Amsterdam.
The majority of our conversations have taken place with the girls who sit in the beer bars on the bottom level, waiting for a man to come in, buy them a drink, and proposition them for a night out. Prostitution is illegal here, but the men can pay a “bar fine” to take the girls out, and then a deal is usually made regarding what kind of sex will occur and for how much. They make no money off of their bar fine, only from whatever deal they make with a man. Aui told us, “1500 baht ($45) for short time. 3000 baht for long time.”
Every night we leave once again with a knot in our stomachs, realizing how much these men resemble our fathers, professors, and co-workers. Yes, there are the few who give off the creepy mug-shot vibe, but most look like they walked straight off any busy American boulevard.
Our nights at the bars have been disturbing, but definitely not void of joy. To sit and talk with these girls is one of the best feelings in the world. As we talk, the hell that surrounds us seems to fade away, as they tell us about their children, favorite foods, best places to shop, and why they are working at Nana. Every single answer contains the need to feed children and support parents. They do not enjoy the work, but I dare say that it becomes addicting and seemingly necessary. As we take the opportunity to enjoy their company, I once again realize that this is only
simple love. It is not big or courageous or fancy. Ultimately, we would love to see these girls come to The Well, but in the meantime, we pray each night that we would leave Nana with these girls feeling the love of Christ, even if they cannot name it.”
Many of the bar girls are
not victims of sex
trafficking. This does not mean that they’re not victims. Almost all of the women are from small rural villages outside the city. The burden of providing financially for the family is culturally upon the
women here in Thailand. Every girl I have talked to is working at the bar to send money home to support their families (children and parents). For more information about the bar girls of Bangkok and the Well ministry, check out the amazing blogs and pictures from Salvaging Simplicity, the Unpolished Thoughts of Amanda Petersen.
Human trafficking does occur in Bangkok (and in the United States). A recent newspaper article described a recent police raid in the nana district that rescued several women from Uzbekistan. From what I understand, women are either 1) deceived into believing that a legitimate job awaits them (waitressing, retail, etc) 2) deceived by someone pretending to be their boyfriend, or 3) abducted. Once they cross the border into another country, they are beaten and raped. They are told that they have accumulated a debt (cost of transportation, fees, etc.) and will continue to accumulate debt (food, “lodging”). They are told that they are obligated to pay off their (exacerbated) debt. The girls are captive to this debt and to fear, as the traffickers oftentimes know where they came from and where their family lives. Crafty traffickers will keep moving the girls from country to country, so as to continue to accumulate debt and make them harder to track. The victims live in captivity as sex slaves, indefinitely.
At first, I was overwhelmed by the darkness here. It is satan set up camp with big florescent signs. I feel like he’s screaming “Look! I OWN this city!”
But he doesn’t own the city. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all who live in it.” Psalm 24:1
What the powers of darkness tend to forget is that Christ took the keys back, and He gave them to us, the Church.
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16) The good news is that Christ is victorious and He has given us the keys. We have the keys to Thailand.
I still find myself asking the Lord, “What are You doing here? How do you want to bring your Kingdom to this place? Where are YOU working, and what part do You want me to play?” It is comforting to know that darkness flees in the presence of Light. Stay tuned for more updates from the red light districts on Bangkok.
I’m yours for the Journey.
