I am now officially in Niarobi, Kenya. Our travels here started on Monday, and for the past few days we have been enjoying our time relaxing at a hostel. We will be here until this coming Monday, February 13th. Today or tomorrow I will find out where I will be doing ministry until I return home in May. I am really excited!
One of my friends, Mae, made a video about our ministry in Phuket. I wanted to share it with you all. The following words are the description she posted along witht the video on her blog.
The reason why Bangala Road is doing so well (is crowded every night of the week and is visited by so many wealthy Americans and Europeans), is because people don't really think it's wrong. They don't think prostitution is wrong. They don't think buying women is wrong. They don't see a problem with taking their kids to Bangla. It can be fun for the whole family.
The people who go there have a veil over their faces, that has not yet been lifted. They are deceived. And reality is not something they perceive on Bangala. i made this video in hopes that it will cause you to pray. And pray and pray and pray. For Truth to break forth on Bangala Road and crush the façade.
The reality is…
Those little girls selling flower necklaces up and down the street, are not allowed to go home until every one is sold. They don't get the money and they aren't happy -they just smile because "cute, happy girls sell more necklaces". The men and women selling flowers, they work for someone too. And they don't get most of that money either.
Thailand is one of the sex-trafficking hotspots in the world. When you see signs on Bangala advertising shows with European women in them, it's because men have trafficked white girls and brought them to Bangala because they sell. The white women in the clear boxes above the bars, trapped like birds, are not there because they chose to leave their comfortable first world country, to be prostitutes in Asia. That's why none of them look sober… they're drugged up and threatened, so they'll "work" with less hassle. It's slavery, and it's flourishing because of the men and women who frequent Bangala Road.
Bringing your kids to Bangala Road is like taking them to a brothel or a child sweatshop. All of the same injustice is taking place, just with fancier and brighter lights and fun techno music blaring.
…Despite the fact that people are missing all of this, and enjoying Bangla's entertainment on a nightly basis, something beautiful happened while my women's team and i were there. We listened. In the middle of all that noise, and sadness, and pain, and deception, God let some truth be spoken. Women shared their stories of brokenness with us, one little girl told us about her love for Jesus and her desire for Thailand to know Him, and even a couple of men admitted to us how miserable they truly were and their desire for redemption.
In the middle of all the show, and cheap smiles, and empty laughter, our girls listened to the hearts of some of Bangala's victims. And we got to share the love of God with them.
The beginning of the video is of the last night we were there… my friend Angela sang a song to Jesus, competing with the amplified bar music. And we competed with the lies being told on Bangala, and prayed for the redemption of the one true God to fall on that road. We're still praying.
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