Wednesday night we went into the streets to evangelize.
I kinda hate that word “evangelize” though,
So let’s call it “building relationship and bringing good news.”
We split into groups to go out into Penang, Malaysia and visit the homeless and sex workers.
This was quite different than what I did in Thailand.
Thailand was much more…glamorous.
(If that word can even be used to describe the sex industry).
The difference in Malaysia, is that the women I visited are literally on the streets.
They may have been trafficked or forced into this at one time,
But now they are here because it is the only means of providing income anymore.
Our contact called our area “the lowest of the low.”
This is where the older or handicapped or cheap women are.
My heart breaks for them and the hopelessness that I see I their eyes.
To give you an idea of the place we went, here are the prices to buy a woman or ladyboy:
50 Ringit (or roughly $16) if you prefer to have a room.
15 Ringet ($5) if you are willing to do it right there in the alley.
How does it get to this desperate point??
So anyway, my team is walking around visiting the different women.
At the end of the alley we run into Joy and her friend.
They are transsexuals selling themselves to men.
We talk about 2 minutes before it begins to downpour.
So Joy quickly invites into her home and finds chairs for all 5 of us.
I found it ironic that she is more hospitable than many Christians these days.
The rain provided great conversation.
Our leader has known Joy for 3 years and said she was not open to prayer or talking about God.
But one day she asked where she could find a good church.
Several weeks later she is reporting excitedly how much she loved church,
And how an Auntie (elderly woman) quickly took her under her wing and helped explain everything.
And now she talks to us about how she knows that what she is doing is wrong, but she just needs to take this slowly.
After all, she has been a transsexual and sex worker for most of her life.
She knows God loves her and she says that He is going to have to be the one to change her life.
What truth she speaks!
This was an incredible testimony to the Lord at work!
Please pray for Joy that she will continue seeking truth and that the truth will push out all the lies about her identity. Pray that He will change her life from the inside out.
There is always light to be found among the darkness.
Thank you for your prayers! We have two weeks of ministry left here and then will head to another Island for our FINAL debrief (on June 4th)!
Arriving on Penang Island for ministry. This was taken around 1AM, after flying from Cambodia, then taking a bus 7 hours to this ferry. Oh the joys of travel days on the WR
