Jackie and I were stranded on the side of the road trying to get a ride into town. There was nothing coming. So we prayed, “Jesus if you want us to go to the bars make a way”. I turned around and up pulled a taxi.
We laughed as we rode a reclining suped up Tuk Tuk with our hair blowing in the wind. Adrenaline was pumping through our veins as we approached the city not knowing what the night would hold. It was just us two pursuing our passion for rescuing women trapped in prostitution/sex trafficking.
We arrived to the bar filled street. As you walk there are hundreds of girls on display for the man’s choosing. It is an interesting scene. Much like a bar, men come to drink, flirt and maybe have a one-night stand. However, here it is all set up for him. He doesn’t “get lucky” he simply gets. He merely pays 8 dollars and is led to a pre-reserved room for a 20-minute session with a girl he just met. It is sickening.
On New Years night we got to go to the same area. I couldn’t stop looking at the men. Such emptiness. Such depravity. It made me nauseous. I wanted to tell each one that they were created for so much more than this.
This night we were sitting at the bar playing connect four with these beautiful girls and some lady boys. I tried talking to one but the pimp behind the counter saw her and called her over to him because I was taking her away from business. Another girl was alone and a man came up to purchase her, quickly and smoothly my new guy friend from Texas swooped in and pretended to be with her. The man left. He had rescued her. With all of this going on I still couldn’t help but look at the men. Earlier that day the Lord had laid them so heavily on my heart. I couldn’t shake it.
Our Texas friends left and we were alone. What do we do now? Next to our table was a group of three men. The girls knew one of them it was obvious he was a regular. He was there to show his friends a good time and hook them up with “dates”. Everything in me wanted to go talk to them. I was struggling with the anger and fire of God in me to yell at them “GET THE HECK OUT OF HERE!!!” and then my mercy side that wants to kindly talk with them to see where their hearts are at and lovingly discourage them from buying my girls.
I didn’t have peace about going and Jackie didn’t either. We sat and individually prayed. On the other side of our table was another man with my girl. He didn’t look like the other men. He was well dress and put together. You could tell he didn’t belong. “What can we do?” I though to myself. I grabbed an old receipt and started writing:
“You shouldn’t be here and you know it.
Leave now!
She is worth more than your money.
You will never be satisfied.
Jesus is all you need.
John 3:16 Jesus loves you.”
Jackie had the idea to pray for a name. We both individually prayed and both got the same name, John. So I wrote his name at the top. Now what? If we needed to give it to him the Lord would make a way. We didn’t want to cause a scene or hurt the ministry our Texas friends were doing. We thought maybe if the girl got up we could drop the note off to him and then leave. We gave the Lord five minutes to do that. Nothing happened and it was getting late so we decided to leave.
As we walked down the street I had the strong urge to go to the bathroom. Jackie reminded me that the bar had a nice one. Perfect! We went back and as I went into the restroom someone tried to come in after me. As I got out Jackie came running up to me quietly screaming, “John tried to come in!” It was perfect! I gave the note to her and she went in and planted the seed (note) as I prayed like crazy. As we walked away we saw him walk in… PRAISE THE LORD! The Lord had the perfect plan! You see the pimp had his eye on us the whole night. He would have seen us slip the paper to John along with anyone else but this way no one saw it but John.
We were elated! God’s plan works every time! As we debriefed what happened on the way home the Lord began to speak and stir a passion in my heart for freedom, freedom for men.
For so long I believed the lie that I couldn’t minister to men. My best friend and I use to ask the Lord why He didn’t make us men because we so badly wanted to minister to them. We saw the need in Bryan/College Station area for godly men to minister to other men. I have seen the need not only in the United States but in each country I have been to so far. There is a desperate need for godly men leaders. In the Guatemalan church it was maybe 10 men to 40 women, in Honduras 4-50, in Nicaragua 3-20, Philippines, 4-70, in Thailand, 15-60. In my World Race squad 15-45. Where are the men? In Guatemala they were drunk on the side of the road, in Honduras, Nicaragua, Philippines, and Thailand all the same. The bars are filled. The brothels are at capacity. Satan has a stronghold on our men.
But not for long.
The Lord showed me that by ministering to the men it will not only bring them freedom but the women as well. It is simple economics really (thanks Mrs. Presley). If we decrease the demand the supply will decrease. Simple enough. Right now when we rescue a girl another girl is taken to replace her. So, as long as there is a demand, sex traffickers will find any way possible to get the supply. We just heard a story of them buying a 2-year-old girl. Yes you read that right a 2-year-old. There are countless stories of kidnappings, drugging, grooming etc. They won’t stop getting girls until the demand stops or decreases.
So that is where I come in. My new focus in ending sex-trafficking is the men. I will intercede for them, I will talk with them, I will share the gospel, I will love them with the love of the Lord and call them to the greatness the Lord and I see in them. I don’t totally know what it will practically look like but Jesus led me to it so He will lead me through it. For that night it was a note. Maybe next time it will be a conversation etc.
I am so pumped! I might even start a ministry when I get off the race where I take men and women, train them, and then send them into bars to minister to men. It is ironic that the man we gave the note to was named John because in sex trafficking lingo we call men that buy girls “John’s”. Maybe the name of my ministry will be “Rescuing John”, or something to that affect. Ideas?
Big picture. If the Lord uses me to rescue one man, then that is hundreds of women that won’t be bought by him therefore decreasing part of the demand. If two, the demand decreases even more. With less demand that means less income which means less need for women. Maybe just maybe when a girl is rescued a pimp won’t replace her. Maybe just maybe the girls won’t be used as much because there are less and less men coming in. Maybe just maybe things would change. Maybe men would be satisfied in Jesus alone. Maybe my girls would feel worthy of love. Maybe just maybe we would see the end of this darkness as the Light ignites freedom for all captives, male and female.
This is a God-given dream that only God can take to where He wants it. Each ministry in the fight against sex-trafficking has a purpose and place. We need each part, each passionate heart, and each willing spirit to take a stand to say no more! Ask the Lord what your part is and do something now! Don’t sit by as babies, toddlers, girls and boys, women and men are taken and trapped in hell on earth. You have a voice… use it.
For my men
“Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don’t follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they’d follow you. And so would I”- William Wallace
We need you. We need you to step up into freedom. It starts with you. Find freedom at the cross from sexual impurity. Don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking pornography or messing around with your girlfriend doesn’t affect you. It kills you. It kills your passion, dreams, mind, soul, and body. It will eat you from the inside out. Don’t you know you are at war? Put your armor on and set up a defensive strategy so that you are guaranteed to win every time. Where is it that you find yourself the weakest? Set up backup to come fight when you need a break(friends that come hangout with you and your girlfriend). Make a list of your weapons(scripture, accountability, prayer etc.). Just like in Call of Duty certain guns are best at certain times. Take your magnum42grenadelauncherM60K490Idon’tknowgunnames and use it! God has given you all you need for victory. Stop making excuses. The time is now. Your destiny is waiting. Rise up men of God! I believe in you. Jesus is calling you to more. In the words of my brave hearted friend FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMMMMMMMM!
Boomshakalaka.
Jesus first always
