Here is the last blog of my parent perspective series…Thanks again for sharing your insight and wisdom, Dad!
“As part of the Parent Vision Trip we engaged in ministry with Megan. One assignment was to do a prayer walk along the Red Light District, a street known for prostitution and sex trafficking. We were to pray for the girls who were trapped either by force or by choice. As the Spirit prompted, we tried initiating conversation with the girls in hopes they might be open to hearing about Jesus and ways in which they could be set free from their entrapment.
However, the cold reality is that Thailand is 98% Buddhist and they speak very little English. We were approaching these girls on their turf and unable to speak their language. It was clear we were a spectator of this sub-culture. Every bar we passed had its own clever strategy to invite you into their space to explore what the flesh desires. I saw one poor guy just casually walk into the establishment and he was briskly greeted by two very attractive and gregarious young women. He was toast. Even if he wanted to refuse, the trap was already set for him. Alone and most likely empty, he walked into a snare that was certain to temporarily gratify the flesh but not satisfy the soul.
Nevertheless, our fearless daughter immediately started to engage with some of these girls hoping to make a connection. She tried everything. She asked good questions, gave out flower necklaces, and prayed for a crippled woman. I was so proud of Megan for being bold and loving. She has clearly chosen to take a stand on what it means to be involved in community with Jesus.
Walking down that street with Megan was an eye opener for me, but not in the way I expected.
I was struck with how difficult it is to translate what God has done for us if we aren’t living in the same culture or community with one another. It was evident that courage alone is not enough to bring the Kingdom to earth. We need knowledge, skills, language, and time. I know God can do amazing things with a brave 24 year old who goes boldly into the conversation. I believe it. I am so for that. Yet, I am also aware that if I am to be effective in being bolder in my own faith conversations with the “red light district” in my own back yard, I must be willing to do the hard work of becoming a translator of His Good News. We need simple transcendent action, stories, and messages for us to be the hands and feet of Christ. With the language barrier, Megan instinctively knew to share a simple flower necklace and a prayer. What a great expression of planting the seed of God’s love. I’m left asking myself this question: What ways can I begin the conversation with others who live their life seeking what they think they want, rather than what they truly need, a relationship with a loving and forgiving Savior.”
