There we found a woman waiting to be bought standing in a doorway, hiding her face for the tear running down her cheek.
A middle aged westerner smugly sat next to a five year old Thai girl at a restaurant table.
Walking under signs advertising "Fetish," "Super Pussy," "Hot Males" et cetera, we declined countless offers for "ping pong shows."
Streets of women, men, and young people for sale. Some kind and inviting. Some blank and upset. Some happy to talk about life and Jesus. Some looking at us with distrustful stares.
(Rahab Ministry in Thailand is actually located in that building as well. It's an awesome, innovative place for healing and a safe place to build relationships. Hallelujah!)But God is in those darkest places. His power and force to bring down these strongholds are much greater than any foothold man or demon has on that place.
While prayer walking with my partner/leader, Sami, we felt an extra heaviness on the road for the guys working in prostitution and otherwise. We felt God calling us to walk up and down the road several times - bearing in mind the walls of Jericho. We felt God telling us that He's going to bring down the walls Satan has put up in that place. Hallelujah! So, we did. We felt quite ridiculous, and I don't think we were alone in feeling ridiculous. The street wasn't very long, so the same people watched us pass back and forth. I could see them looking baffled, and almost uncomfortable to be there. With every step, we began to feel the place lighten up.
Many people came up to us and asked us to come get a massage, go into their bar, take a look, etc. Our hearts yearned for these people to truly know love that isn't bought and abandoned.
We talked with a kind fellow who gave massages as well as a bar owner. The Thai culture is a lot more relational than American. The worker was very sweet and spoke very good English. We talked a bit about where he was from, what he does, etc. He talked with us about what he likes to study and do. He said this is a part time job. The bar owner has two kids and recently wrote a book. He said he is first Buddhist and secondly believes in Jesus. He asked us to pray with him for the success of his book. We prayed for God's fatherly love, vision, and blessing be revealed to him and his family. He said he felt better after we prayed for him.
Each of these people are real people. They are not just a label - prostitute, pimp, etc. They have lives, hopes, dreams, families, stories, a life. And man, my heart is just growing for them... Ah, that they might find life and love to the fullest and purest as it was meant to be! Oh that God could speak and breathe life, truth, freedom, and vision into them. Oh God, my heart aches and yearns for them, how much more does Yours! God, may Your love and redemption explode all over Thailand and blow these people away. All for Your glory and love.
