It was a dark Wednesday night as we approached the giant glowing “casino” sign. My team and I were going to minister to women in prostitution. Our ministry host had directed us to this casino, which was popularily known for tourists to come and buy sex. We walked down a long dark ally-way to the casino. We all felt a very dark presence, almost like a pressure or a burden on our shoulders. The enemy was very present and we felt the spiritual warfare around us.
We walked past a row of hotel rooms outside of the casino. There were young women walking into rooms with men. We all knew what was going on behind those doors. We continued past the dark ominous hallway, constantly praying for our nerves to calm down and for the women behind the doors. For a moment, we wondered if this was the farthest we should go, but God gave us the strength to go inside.
We went past the security guards and into the casino room. There were only a couple of people on the slot machines; so I knew that people were not here to gamble. We followed a couple of girls to the outdoor bar area. When I stepped outside, I could not believe my eyes. There were at least a hundred young girls dressed in short dresses and high heels, waiting for men to approach them. Lots of old American men were sitting with the ladies, flirting with them, and taking them out of the bar to their rooms.
I was blown away. I knew prostitution and sex trafficking is a problem and I have worked with women who have been in prostitution, but this was the first time that I saw it in action. It was surrounding us and out in the open for everyone to see.
After I prayed for courage, I began to walk around and talk to some of the women. I will admit, it was a bit awkward. It was hard to walk up to a group of strangers and strike up a conversation, especially since we were the only girls dressed in T-shirts and pants. I resorted to the line “I love your shoes!” as a way to spark conversations, because every girl likes to talk about her shoes. As we broke the ice, we talked with the girls about their lives, where they came from, about their families and what they liked to do. Every girl had a beautiful and unique personality and I loved to see God’s beauty reflected in them. Some girls were quiet and reserved and others were bubbly and chatty. With seeing the beauty and light in each girl, I couldn’t imagine how they survived night after night with this dark job.
As we were talking with one of the girls, an older man walked by. The lady recognized him from the night before and she called him over to our group. This man looked about 60 years old and he was American. The girl we were talking to was 28. The man took a look at the three of us girls and started laughing. He said
“You girls don’t know where you are do ya?“
“What do you mean?” we answered.
“Well this is the place where we gringos come and pick up the working girls!“
As he said this we noticed the shiny gold wedding ring on his finger. He went on to explain how him and his buddies were laughing as we walked into the bar because we looked completely out of place because of our conservative outfits.
“Don’t worry, no man will come up and try to buy you” he said.
I could not believe what I just heard. I froze, didnt know how to respond. This man just casually told a group of strangers how he purchases girls for sex. He said it as if he was describing a normal part of his day.
As the man walked away, I felt a burning sensation in my head. I was ANGRY, Not in a loving way, but downright ANGRY. This married man was purchasing these wonderful and beautiful ladies for sex. He wasn’t interested in their personalities, thier past, or thier stories but he only wanted them for thier bodies. And he talked about it like it was completely normal, almost as if every married American man buys sex on their vacations. I left the casino that night happy that I was able to talk to the women, but sad and upset with the men who were in there.
The next day, I decided to sit alone in my hammock to listen to God. As I sat, I closed my eyes. I immediately heard a soft voice say “open your eyes“.
I was surprised to hear God’s voice because normally I dont hear Him in an audible way. But this voice was clear as day.
Then God asked “what do you see?”
From my hammock I saw the clear blue sky above with a couple whispy clouds scattered about. I saw the big green lush trees next to me. A couple of colorful birds flew by overhead.
“It’s beautiful!” I replied.
The soft voice continued “Do you remember the man you met in the casino last night?“
My heart sank, “yes…” I replied.
“Do you think he is beautiful?” God asked.
I paused. “Honestly.. no…“
I started to think about my encounter with this man and how he talked about purchasing women for sex. I remembered the smile across his face as he described his typical Wednesday night and the golden wedding ring sparkling on his hand. I felt angry and disgusted. Then God said
“Rachel, that man is beautiful in my eyes. He is more beautiful than the nature that you see around you. People are the greatest part of my creation, including that man. I created him in my own image. I died for that man’s sin and he is pure in my eyes. He is wandering far from me right now, which makes me sad. However, I am waiting and excited for the day that he returns to me. He is my prodigal son. Rachel, even though you didn’t say anything to this man, the fact that he had to explain his purpose for being at the casino helped him realize his wrongdoing. He hasn’t stop his behaviors yet, but your encounter with him got him thinking about his ways.“
As God said this to me, I went from feeling angry to sad for this man. I felt sorry that I had so quickly judged him. He is in fact a child of God and I need to view him in that way. I need to show him and the other men in that casino the same love that God has for them. I remembered my own past and realized that these men are wandering from God the same way that I did. But God still loved me and he still loves these men. It doesnt matter how much you sin or run from Him, God still loves you and He will always welcome you back with open arms.
Then Gods voice continued “Rachel, you are going to see that man again. When you see Him, I want you to view Him as my prodigal son. I want you to show him my love and grace.”
Its been 5 days and I still haven’t seen that man, but God has placed it on my heart to go back to the casino. He wants us to go back because just our presence there can have an affect on the women and men. God wants us to be the light in that dark place.
I am excited to see this man again because I want to show him the love of Christ. I think that God is going to change his life in ways that I can’t even imagine. I might not see the change in him, but I know that God can change him. I pray that this prodigal son will return home to his father.
I will update this blog if I see the man and tell you all about it!
