So…what happened as we spent our final days in Chiang Mai, Thailand? I don't think I could put it any better than Hannah did on her blog. So, with her permission, I've reposted her blogs here so you can read all about Rika*, Doi*, Gaye*, and Puhn*. (*names changed). Read on to find out how God has used the short time we've had here to change the lives of four women in the red light district…
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(from Hannah's blog "Break my heart as you heal theirs (Part 1)")
Rolling down the streets of Chiang Mai on our double decker luxurious bus I find that my heart is heavy to leave this place. My headache remains as it has for the past few days and I’m sure the Enemy is still fighting hard. Questions flood my mind: am I really on the World Race? Didn’t I just spend three weeks going into bars, having lunch dates and shopping in the market? Was this ministry? Was it effective?
Looking back at all the Lord has done this month I can say with confidence that this has been one of the best months. When I left it was like saying goodbye to the sweet kids at Happy Home Nepal in November; my heart was twisted up and anxious for them to know Jesus, but I was thankful for the beautiful memories.
It would take me hours to sit down and tell you about my girls, Rika*, Doi, Puhn, and Gaye. Those are hours I would gladly spend to talk about the Lord’s goodness and how he gave us favor in gaining their friendship in such a short amount of time. I wrote about Rika in an earlier blog (Conversations with a friend). I remember our first meeting. She was polite in listening to us, but her attention often drifted away to other customers in the bar. She didn’t enjoy Connect Four but she played anyway and smiled emptily. When we left that first night she told us goodbye with a wave and went off quickly after a tall, good looking young guy at the pool table.
Yesterday we went down to the bar around 5:30 to say our final goodbyes and exchange email addresses and Skype names. There was one other man at the bar but her attention was all over us. We shared some new and interesting fruit that she’d bought for us, and laughed about all of our adventures. We took more pictures and prolonged the moment when we’d actually have to leave. It was with the most sincere eyes and conflicted smile that Rika told us goodbye. I got a bit teary eyed on the walk out. Before we left I had given her a necklace I picked up in Uganda. I thought the Lord meant it for me since it had “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” on one side and “with all my heart” on the other. I had been learning about The Greatest Commandment and was happy to find such a sweet reminder. Now, I felt like Rose should have it and after a declaration that she is beautiful and Jesus loves her so much, I gave her this necklace. She said, “I think it lucky that I meet you all. Maybe your God bring us together. Thanks to your God.” (If you only knew how happy I was to hear this. It’s not just a statement tossed lightly to the wind. It’s a beautiful realization that maybe the Lord really does know what He’s doing with us!)
Steph and I as we say goodbye to Rika.
In only three weeks, Stephanie, Anne and I went to breakfast with Rika, took her to open mic night where we dedicated a song to her, met for dinner with another friend, went to the park to feed the fish, visited Doi Suthep – a famous Buddhist temple, walked through the market and finally ate steak, her favorite, for lunch on the last day.
Rika's appetizer before her steak: vanilla ice cream with extra whipped cream and
a watermelon shake! She told us: "Steak take long time. Eat ice cream first!" Smart girl 🙂
We shared lots of conversations in the bar over a game of pool, in the restaurants over a meal, in the taxi riding across town. Rika told us so much of her life, her pain, her dreams. She was once the owner of a restaurant, before her husband left and took all of her money. Now she’s working in a bar where she lives upstairs on the nights that men don’t pay for her to keep them company. Both Rika and the men she accompanies know what they’re doing, and I don’t pretend to say that either party is innocent. Still, there’s a messed up mindset here in Thailand. It’s normal for this kind of behavior. Once a girl finds out that they can earn good money in a bar, they see it as hope, a chance to provide for their families. But there is such guilt and shame accompanying this kind of life. It’s a type of snare that keeps girls wounded and stuck in the bars because they don’t feel worthy to go anywhere else. I’ve noticed the many times that Rika says loudly, “Excuse me, smoking!” as she lights up another cigarette from the quickly declining pack. I catch the comments she tells her other friends, “These my friends. They good girls. No smoke or drink.” With every statement that compliments us, she condemns herself. Basically, they are girls who are waiting on one man while I go out with a new “boyfriend” every two weeks. It breaks my heart.
One night we paid Rika’s bar fee to take her out to open mic night at a café’ owned by our ministry contact. I felt extremely awkward going to the bar to pay for a person. Did you get that? I felt awkward and our group of women was taking her out to dinner! For $12 you can buy a date for the night. We made it clear to Rika that even though we paid her bar fee, we wanted to do what she wanted. It was her night off to be free and have fun. She was completely shocked as no one else has ever invested in her or paid so that she could simply relax for a few hours and go home early to sleep. While we were in the taxi she told us about her hopes of opening her own bar one day. It would be a friendly place where anyone could come and where the girls were not allowed to leave with the customers. Where the men couldn’t touch or harass the workers.
Stephanie and Rika at dinner before open mic night.
Another day we drove up the mountain (with a very speedy Thai driver) to visit Doi Suthep, a famous Buddhist temple that overlooks all of Chiang Mai. After everyone’s carsickness went away, we grabbed some pad thai (noodles) for lunch and headed to the temple. The steps leading up to the entrance were intimidating and never ending. The temple itself was covered in gold and intricate designs. Everywhere there were people kneeling, praying, giving money to Buddha for good luck. There were bells to ring and candles to light. Grotesque statues of elephants with arms and other images lurked in the alcoves of the temple. While I didn’t feel spiritually attacked in this place, it wasn’t one where I’d choose to hang out. Rika decided to take some flowers and circle the main portion of the temple three times for good luck. She invited us to join and we politely declined.
Stephanie, Rika, me and Anne at the steps of Doi Suthep
After the tour and a few 50 cent ice cream cones we started to climb down the stairs. Rika quickly tires with her habit of chain smoking and lack of good food and nutrients. We take a break to finish the ice cream and talk. I start with a simple question, praying silently that it will ignite into more. “Rika, what do you pray to Buddha for?” The reply, “Big money.” I give a small, light-hearted chuckle. “Do you think he can do it?” She says yes and shrugs her shoulders. Then it comes, a tiny spark, “You cannot pray to Buddha because you believe in God?” “Yes,” I say. “We pray to God alone. Do you know Jesus?” “What’s that?” This question breaks my heart and offers hope as I quickly give her the gospel in its simplest form. She nods politely and says that it’s nice. She’s glad we follow our God. I am urgent in letting her know that He is not just a farang (foreigner’s) God. He is the Lord of the whole world. She starts to look uncomfortable, but playfully ends up in a different conversation and we start back to the mountain of stairs.
Rika and me with our ice cream cones!
Rika didn’t choose to follow Jesus, but what a victory…to be able to proclaim his Name and purpose to her on the steps of a pagan temple! It’s the little conversations, the times when we pray over our meals and audibly thank God for our friend Rika and the many pool games where I usually lose that bring glory to the Father. At our first breakfast date we were talking about journaling about our trip so we could remember every detail. Rika told us that all of her days were sad and she did not want to write them down, she wanted the opposite effect, to forget.
After our time in Chiang Mai I have a feeling that Rika will want a journal. I pray that when she says she’ll never forget us it’s the truth. All of this is not something we’ve done, but the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. She’s not drawn to a couple of girls in their early 20s, she’s drawn to the God that created her, loves her and will continue to relentlessly pursue her. Praise his great name for all he’s done and all he will continue to do to make Himself known to the Thai people and the many tourists that visit this land! Unlike many other people I did not come to Thailand to find love, I came because I’ve already found Him and I want others to meet him too.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
– 1 John 4:16
*Names changed for privacy.
