80 girls, 2 stages….XXX Shows….Dancing girls….”Come here, beautiful women!”…”Hello, Hello, Come here for lady boys!”
More than just the neon signs shout at me as I walk past. It is my first night to walk the open bars and I am overwhelmed by a sense of darkness. With each level I climb, I feel more and more heaviness laying on my chest. At points, it is even hard for me to physically breathe. There is really nothing you can do to prepare yourself to see the Red Light district in Thailand. It is even hard to piece together a thought, muchless a prayer for these girls. But I am broken.
Men are scattered inside and outside the bars. Men that look like they could be my father, my grandfather, or even my college buddies. They are there for one reason; to take home a girl to do with them whatever they please. 60% of the men who come to Thailand come for a prostitute. It sickens me even as we pass them by on the street holding the hands of girls who can’t be more than 16 years old. I am skeptical of every man I see on the subway, in the restaurant, and walking by. It is true that it is harder to love them than the girls. But they are broken too.
My prayer is continually drowned by the sound of thumping music. The atmosphere leaves me feeling more like a perverted 50 year old man coming to watch a show than a missionary. But my calling is clear. I refuse to believe satans lies that they are simply having fun or that they enjoy their work. I look up and see a girl whose eyes glisten with tears under the red light thrust on her body, exposing her for more than just her skin. She is broken.
I walk past a man, but he is not dressed as a man. Most likely he went under whole or partial surgery to become a woman and is now prostituting himself to men and women. At first glance he is even more beautiful than some of the girls I see there. But inside, he is incredibly broken.
These girls are just babies. I sat and talked with two 16 year old girls that only started about a month ago. They haven’t been with a man yet, but they are terrified. I befriended a 14 year old girl who lies about her age and says she is 19. Last night for the first time I witnessed her being devouerd by a group of American men who were drunk and there for a party. I talked with a 23 year old girl who has been separated from her baby girl. She says she is happy there, but I can see the emptiness in her eyes.
Baby bottles. Food. Large wooden sculptures of male genitalia. They are worshipped. They appease Buddha…the bottles for all the babies that have been aborted by the prostitutes that work in the bars. The sculputres and food bring luck to the businesses. Broken. Lost.
Back in Chicago, I was involved with a minsitry that reached out to men in prostitution. In my time of volunteering with them, God really put a fire in me for the sex industry. I have never felt as passionate about something as this. And I really believe God has me and our team here in Bangkok for a purpose. I never thought God would allow my love for missions and being overseas and my love for prostitutes to come together. And it is draining, but so worth it.
These girls and guys are imprisoned. I don’t say these things to shock you, but at the same time I do. I am only scratching the surface the evil that lives here. If there is one thing I have observed it is that where there is evil, it abounds. The door has been opened for satan to reign here, and he has taken root. Hosea 4 talks about how God allowed prostitution because of the idol worship and I believe he has allowed this because these people have worshiped another god. We are fighting against more than flesh and blood here (Ephesians 6). And know that this is not a new thing. It happens all around the world…probably even near your home town. It may not look the same, but prostitution is more widespread than you would imagine.
Join us in our battle as we fight for these girls souls. The whole bar won’t evacuate in a day, but I believe we can pray for one soul at a time. What Nightlight does is getting the girls out. Pray for them fervently and that God would speak beauty and truth over these girls lives.
