$ how much am i worth? $ (Rated PG-13)

The judging stares haunt me

As i advertise on the curb

Could it be…

That i am worth more than this?

 

Abused,beaten, mocked,violated and spit on

I guess it’s all part of my job

If i get drunk enough i can numb my pain, but for how long?

Thai men and tourist men lust after my body and use smooth talk

The bright lights and crowded bars entice the pleasure driven customers

Some buy me drinks and make empty promises to spoil me …

while others just sneer, grab and gawk

 

I feel so trapped in this hurricane of misery and pain

I want to get out but how will i make a living?

 Tonight i’m relieved because my tears are disguised in the hot rain

Poorly educated,  trusting no one

Disgusted by dancing on poles, feeling cheap

The  rookie younger girls working think this life is exciting and fun…

 Wait until they get raped, contract HIV &  become pregnant..like me.. and are at the end of a gun.

 

I hike my leather boots up and re-apply my lipstick

 Maybe tonight i will actually meet someone who loves me

Would anyone notice if i was gone?

Working 7 days a week, surrounded by a crowd..yet feel so afraid and alone

 I feel like a bird trapped in a cage..

dreaming to escape the captivity and desperate to be free!

 200 bahts, 500 bahts, 1,000 bahts..

 How much am i worth?

 

 An American missionary came and sat near me while i danced

 She didn’t come to buy me for the night, judge me, or get drunk

 She even hugged me and gave me a chance

She actually asked me my name and showed me respect

 I felt God’s love shine through her, a powerful effect!

 There was something different about her than other customers who came

For a brief rare moment , i wasn’t feeling the heaviness of my guilt and shame

 

Jesus loves me, she shared..how could that be?

I have never heard of His name, but tell me more….please!!

I heard from her that He shed His precious blood

 So that i, a sinner, a prostitute, could be set free!

 How much am i worth? For Him to die on Calvary…

 After everything i have done, He chased after me,with arms wide open, and still loves me!

 

 Poem by: Michelle Smith

 

 

 

(This poem was based off REAL stories of  women who i  have met  these last 2 weeks,while they were working at bars/on the street corners.Just to give you an idea of how heart breaking it is, these girls are bought for an hour or evening, or even a week for as little as 10,15-20$ many times.$1 USD=30 Bahts.No amount of $ can capture their worth,of course, because their value is priceless.God’s beloved.But it just goes to show how little they are valued. This month a group of 21 World Racer women & i are partnering with SHE ministries= Self Help & Empowerment for women trapped in sex trade/prostitution/sex trafficking. They provide English classes , jewelry making job trades & hotel training as alternatives for the  women, so they don’t have to sell themselves on the streets/at the bars/clubs anymore.So several days/nights each week we have hit the dark streets of the Red Light District in Phuket , Thailand to LOVE on these women  & men & share with them  how much they are worth & that God LOVES them & has a purpose & plan for their lives. It has been intense but we see His love breaking the chains of injustice & opening up the doors to their cages so they can be set free! Thanks for your prayers. God hears them & answers them. They are powerful! In just the 2 weeks of hitting the streets, we have all connected with many men & women at the bars/clubs/on the  streets. We continue to re-visit them & grow our friendships. Genuine friendship is a foreign concept to these women.  It has been rewarding to see them light up with joy when they see us return back to them, &  realize we respect them & show them kindness & want to get to know them & their stories, without judgment.)

 

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”