We’re gonna rewind it back a bit and share some stories from the field from the not-too-distant past. The following took place in Thailand, two years ago in April; this was originally written by Tiffany Berkowitz (with a few edits).
As the night began, I gazed down the row of familiar bars that we have frequented over the past few weeks. We sat in front of the entrance to the line of bars that make up what is considered the red-light district in Chiang Mai (one
of many).
of many).
The stretch of neon lights, concrete, dancing women, and
lonely men caused my heart to drop. I could barely breathe. It is heavy,
and it is hard being there every night.
lonely men caused my heart to drop. I could barely breathe. It is heavy,
and it is hard being there every night.
There is nothing cool about
women selling their bodies to be used in any way that their customer
sees fit just so they can make a living for themselves and their family.
women selling their bodies to be used in any way that their customer
sees fit just so they can make a living for themselves and their family.
There is nothing acceptable about the deep, sinking loneliness and
sadness screaming from the silent hearts of every man that walks through
that entrance.
sadness screaming from the silent hearts of every man that walks through
that entrance.
There is nothing cute about 4-year old’s bar hopping to
sell strings of flowers so that they can survive. And there is nothing
exciting about empty people filling the void with more darkness.
sell strings of flowers so that they can survive. And there is nothing
exciting about empty people filling the void with more darkness.
Yet as I beheld what was in front of me, I smiled.
God spoke. “I am so much bigger than all of it.”
My eyes swallowed the glory that He was revealing to me. His name
needed to be praised in that place. So Hannah, Leigh and I set up across
the street, and stared the enemy straight in the eye.
needed to be praised in that place. So Hannah, Leigh and I set up across
the street, and stared the enemy straight in the eye.
We began to sing,
dance, and pray all over that place. People walked by and laughed at
us. People stopped and stared. People did double takes… triple
takes…
dance, and pray all over that place. People walked by and laughed at
us. People stopped and stared. People did double takes… triple
takes…
We were weird. I loved every second of it. With each strange look
we got, my smile only got wider, my voice only got louder, my dancing
only got wilder, and my heart only beat stronger with His love. We
probably sang about God’s holiness and glory more in 30 seconds than
anyone had ever before in that place. Hannah said she felt like we were
supposed to move across the street and sit right at the entrance, where
everyone had to walk by.
we got, my smile only got wider, my voice only got louder, my dancing
only got wilder, and my heart only beat stronger with His love. We
probably sang about God’s holiness and glory more in 30 seconds than
anyone had ever before in that place. Hannah said she felt like we were
supposed to move across the street and sit right at the entrance, where
everyone had to walk by.
Minutes later, a security guard came by and told us that we had to
move. We were not allowed to sing there, in front of an empty building.
move. We were not allowed to sing there, in front of an empty building.
The one place he did give us the go on… (after Becky so politely
asked) was right at the entrance to the bars. Go figure! What security
guard asks you to move more into a public place? The kind that God
sends.
asked) was right at the entrance to the bars. Go figure! What security
guard asks you to move more into a public place? The kind that God
sends.
So we did. We sat right at the entrance and worshiped our hearts
out. An old man walked by and told us to stand up. Heather and I stood
up and we all worshiped God with no shame, no fear of man, and nothing
holding us back from seeing the love of God invade that place.
out. An old man walked by and told us to stand up. Heather and I stood
up and we all worshiped God with no shame, no fear of man, and nothing
holding us back from seeing the love of God invade that place.
We were in and out of the bars that night, making sure to visit
with our friends that work there. As Marissa came out, she told me that
the women at one of the bars had been asking about me all night. I
walked in through the entrance.
with our friends that work there. As Marissa came out, she told me that
the women at one of the bars had been asking about me all night. I
walked in through the entrance.
When I ran into Kristin and Jess, they
told me that the women at one of the other bars were asking about me,
and wanted me to come say hello. I was blown away. Who am I, Lord, that
your beloved daughters would see your love in me?
told me that the women at one of the other bars were asking about me,
and wanted me to come say hello. I was blown away. Who am I, Lord, that
your beloved daughters would see your love in me?
They see His love.
They see it in us. If they didn’t see it, there would be nothing
different about me.
They see it in us. If they didn’t see it, there would be nothing
different about me.
There are a ton of tourists that come in and out of
those bars all night. They see the difference. They ask about us, they
have given us their phone numbers to hang out after work or on their
days off, they notice.
those bars all night. They see the difference. They ask about us, they
have given us their phone numbers to hang out after work or on their
days off, they notice.
God is glorifying Himself and His church in the
middle of the darkness. I knew a church would break out there.
middle of the darkness. I knew a church would break out there.
