These are not your normal prostitutes. They don’t wear fish nets; they don’t stand out on the streets. In fact they look like any normal teenage girl; your daughters, grand daughters, babysitters and neighbors. The latest ones that I met were only 16 and 17 years old.
A few of us “bought” those two girls and another woman in her 30’s the other night. I understand that this is not your normal mission trip behavior, but then again…this hasn’t been a normal mission trip since it started almost 9 months ago!
Let me start from the beginning:
We made our way through one of the red light districts in Bangkok and came to the bar where the girls we have befriended work. Morgan and our contact at Night Light went inside and the rest of us stayed out and prayed that the Momma Son (bar manager) would be in a good mood and let the girls go even though we were obviously not normal patrons.
A few minutes later, everyone came out and we headed out for our night on the town! We got all 3 of them for about $55. We decided that since it was the girl’s night off, we would let them decide what we did for the evening. Of all things they wanted to do, they said dance (which is what they do at the bars, anyway)! I suppose that if that’s all you know that’s what you do.
We piled into 2 taxis and made our way to a different part of town. We got to know the girls a little bit in the car ride…traffic in Bangkok is great for car conversations, nice and lengthy! We discovered that the two youngest (16 and 17) were cousins that came from the north of Thailand. They had been forced into the sex industry by their aunt to make money.
The girls were very shy, but were starting to open up and even smile a little by the time we made it to the open-air restaurant where we wanted to eat. We knew that under those stone faces, normal teenagers were waiting to be given permission to act their age and have some fun. Hannah broke out the body glitter and with it the walls started coming down. The silliness began and the girls started coming out of their shells. 🙂
Ironically, the first club we went to wouldn’t let the girls in…said they were too young! We went to the next club and realized that God had His hand on our night, for sure. The place was practically empty! There were some people playing pool or sitting at the bar, but in the back of the place was the dance floor…without a soul on it! We had a great time and no men ever approached. For at least one night, we could offer a haven; safety, fun, food and dancing. Things that practically all girls love!
My heart breaks for these girls and so many more like them here in Bangkok. They are just babies robbed of their youth and innocence. They dance in those dark, eerie bars every night and never know true love…they get a very poor substitute instead.
It was heart-wrenching to take them back to work. Their demeanors changed when we got back to the red light district. The facades came back on and their smiles dimmed.
It is for girls like these that I love the ministry Night Light has. They have rescued over 80 girls out of prostitution and offered them alternative work and the hope found in Jesus. There are at least 10 on a waiting list as I type this. There is no room for more right now. They are bursting at the seams and need support to help more. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the jewelry! http://www.nightlightbangkok.com/ You can truly make a difference on the streets of Bangkok.
Thank you yet again for your continued prayers and comments. To give you a quick update, we leave for debrief on Tuesday for a few days and then on to Cambodia!
God Bless! ><>
(The pictures are non specific to protects the girl’s identities.)
