The month we spent in Bangkok was an incredible learning experience, but was an emotionally draining month as well. The primary focus of our trip was to build relationships with prostitutes, some as young as 12 or 13. We accomplished this in a number of ways.
· Pool Bar Outreach: These young women were pool waitresses by day, with the availability to be purchased by customers. We spent our afternoons each week in the pool bars, building meaningful relationships with these girls.
· Nightlife Outreach: In the evenings, we would take turns going out in pairs to the entertainment districts within walking distance of Beginnings. The level of exploitation in these areas was heartbreaking, and in some places, we saw as many as 4,000 prostitutes employed by various venues.
· English Lessons: Each morning, Beginnings offered English lessons, open to any girl in the city. Since speaking English is viewed as a sign of being well educated and being successful, many of the prostituting women want the opportunity to learn English. We partnered with Puu, a Thai Christian who is bilingual. This gave us an excellent opportunity to expose the girls to the ministry of Beginnings, and gave them an avenue to escape if they should choose to take it.
During our trip, we quickly learned that everything we were encouraging these girls to do was counter –culture. The role of women in Thai culture is to “make face” for the family, and to bring them honor by bringing them money. No job is off limits for this, as we found during our time. Essentially, by telling them to leave their lifestyle of prostitution behind, we were asking them to sever ties with their families and move on from where they are. This was a sacrifice many didn’t feel they could make. However, we gave them a connection to an escape, and we continue to pray that when they reach their wits end, they will go to Beginnings, a place of acceptance and hope.
We also had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with the residents of Beginnings. These girls, ranging in age from 14-30, had all come from either lifestyles of prostitution, or at risk situations that might lead to such. At Beginnings, they are provided with physical, spiritual, and emotional care, as well as given the opportunity to get an education. They are trained to sew, cook, and clean, and are given a weekly allowance that somewhat compensates for the void left by their unemployment. The house operates like a family, and getting to know these girls, and to watch the power of Jesus Christ as He transformed their lives was an amazing experience.
We were able to help the girls with everything from schoolwork to sewing projects. I know each of these beautiful women have left fingerprints on our hearts, and painted the clearest picture I have ever seen of what redemption is.
One highlight of the trip was the night we took the girls to a dinner buffet unlike any I have ever been to. Every cuisine imaginable was offered, on the top floor of the Baiyoke Tower. After dinner, we took the girls onto a revolving deck where they were able to see the entire city of Bangkok. This is an experience these girls have never had before, and it was quite evident they had never seen that much food in their lives! As humorous as it was to watch them consume plate after plate of food, it was humbling to think something like going out to a fancy dinner was such a foreign experience to these girls. This is something I’m able to enjoy on a fairly regular basis, but for these girls, it was a treat of a lifetime.
We were also able to be present as two of the residents decided to follow Jesus Christ. When we left to return to the United States, all of the residents of Beginnings were Christ Followers. What a blessing to watch the Lord literally transform these situations of ashes in to beauty.
Hearing the stories of hurt and devastation these girls have gone through, it absolutely causes me to praise my awesome Savior, because he can take the most destitute, hopeless situation and bring His love, His mercy, His rescue, and His redemption. The residents of Beginnings are proof of this.
I want to thank you so much for making this trip possible. God has absolutely broken my heart for the exploited women of Southeast Asia, but especially the broken women in Thailand, some of who I now consider my friends. Without your financial support and your prayers, this trip would have been an impossibility for me. I know the Lord will richly bless you for making this trip happen, and someday, I can’t wait for you to meet some of these girls in Heaven, because you allowed yourself to be used by God to bring them not only freedom from prostitution, but freedom to the fullest, freedom that only Jesus Christ can give.
Please continue to pray for us as we advance the mission of Freedom 4/24 to raise awareness of sexually exploited women, as well as providing money to supply these women with alternative means of survival. We will be going back to Thailand in December, taking a team of 12. On this trip, we will be throwing Christmas parties for the exploited women of Bangkok, hopefully providing a night of freedom to upwards of 300 prostitutes. If you are interested in getting more involved with Freedom 4/24 or with the ministry Beginnings provides in Thailand, please visit our website http://www.freedom424.org or contact me by email at martha.heinlein@gmail.com. We would love to help you get plugged in to this exciting ministry.
No comments:
Post a Comment