How much is a single life worth to you? $800? $100? An infinite amount of money? How about 50 cents?
I bought a Pepsi at a “restaurant” today in Nepal for 40 cents. I don’t even drink Pepsi- actually I don’t even drink soft drinks. However, I bought one today at a brothel that uses a restaurant as its little front for the illegally run business in the back.
So as I sat there quenching my thirst with my 40 cent Pepsi, I watched as a man payed 50 cents to take a woman into the back to quench his own thirst.
This was our ministry for the day: go to a place like this, buy something, pray for the girls and the place, and if possible talk with the girls.
Two of our hosts- both are women who spend their daily lives doing this kind of work- took 10 of us to this restaurant. It was their first time going to this particular location as well as ours.
Our hosts will be back. It’s what they do; they go in, build relationships with these girls, tell them just how much they are loved by God, and eventually get some of them out. So, even though I might not be, our hosts Will be back to see those girls.
Several other groups from my squad went with different hosts to different locations with the same purpose. All day today I heard different squad mates talk about what they saw and how they felt after what they saw (most of us are new to this kind of work). So I want to share just a handful of different perspectives from different squad mates:
Jordan- I did not talk to her about what she saw and felt, but it was pretty obvious when she was openly crying on the bus ride back to our house that her heart was broken.
Graham- He questioned whether or not we did any good today. He was dissappointed he did not get the opportunnity to talk to the girls, and made the valid point that he felt like he was supporting the business by purchasing a Pepsi. I’d say this was even harder to swallow (pun intended) when he realized the girls were only 10 cents more than his sugary refreshment.
Julie- She completely trusted that God was moving and working the moment we stepped into that place. She believes that God’s kingdom goes where we go. Matthew 28:18-20
Kalie- She understands God can move in big ways even if all she can see is the hurt and the filth. That being said, after dinner tonight, Kalie put in her headphones and stated, “I’m going up to the rooftop to spend time with Jesus. I’ve been angry with him all day.” Kalie looked at Jesus, looked at what was happening, and just wanted to say, “Stop it!” It didn’t work that way though (it’s something that is going to take time, trust, and diligence because there is some serious, deep rooted hurt going on in those places- for both the men and women). So Kalie spent the entire day angry with Jesus, and that’s okay.
Me- It’s going to sound strange, but I left there full of hope. The women there were seen as more than just a product to be bought that day. We smiled at them, and they KNEW why we were there (they actually didn’t want us there at first because they thought we were there to try to take the women away). However, we were allowed to stay and purchase our drinks. In this simple act of showing up and staying we were showing the women that they are seen, not forgotten, and loved; we were showing them that we see value in them and so does Christ. Who knows what kind of a ripple effect this can have!?
I was filled with even more hope when I realized that God wanted us there to pray and start relationships with these women. To me this means that God wants to change lives in that place, and us going there was just the beginning- why else would He start something there?
Matthew 21:31-32
Once we finished our drinks, we headed out. Before leaving, I pointed to the earrings of the woman who was waiting on our table and gave her a thumbs up. It was my attempt at communicating to her that I liked her earrings…and it worked. She gave me a big smile, touched her earrings, then laughed.
When we first arrived at the restaurant, I saw the same woman smiling and laughing with some men- probably “customers”.
On our way out, Julie was able to give this woman a bracelet that matched the earrings I had just complimented her on (we had made bracelets for “bar ministry” the day before). The bracelet matched her earrings and outfit, and she seemed to truly love it.
While walking back to the bus, I started to wonder. How often do men compliment her on her beauty, looks, and earrings in a broken attempt to flirt and flatter all the while knowing the end result of their visit with her? Does that flirting leave her feeling seen as nothing more than a prize to be won then bought? Or has she forced herself to try to find value and identity in the flattery offered by her purchasers? I really do not know. I just hope that my compliment and Julie’s gift allowed her to experience true flattery with no other objective than to let her know she is seen, loved, and worth more than her circumstances.
So how much Is a single life worth to you? Does the value change if the person is a man, a woman, a child? How about if you know the person? Does the value change then?
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
