holding hands

So for the last tenish days of our trip our team traveled from Pattaya to Bangkok. We joined another ministry that works rescuing women from the brothels/bars in the red light districts and then we also spent one day with a ministry that works with ladyboys. It was really nice to be in a hostel that didn't allow sex tourists to stay there and I just loved the cute hostel that they found for us to stay in.
Bangkok is a major city so it wasn't as in-you-face sex for sale unless you were close to by the red light district and then it would get a lil crazy. There is like 10,000 ladyboys (1 of 3 have HIV) in Bangkok and I believe about the same number for women that sell themselves for sex. 2.8 women in Thailand are for sale and interesting face I found out is that the U.S.  contributes 4.3 billion dollars to Thailand and 70% of all tourists come for sex...just sayin.  The red light district that I was in was pretty
much the same experience as it was in Pattaya. Lots of white men and 1,000 Thai women with number tags on them and then our team that stood out like rice on beans. :) The only difference I noticed was the places were more in the open with their shows and the kids. These kids...coming from the slums mostly from Cambodia. There would be little groups of them so young and barefoot that would beg on the street. Their fate? Being asked if they wanted to go up to the hotel room and watch TV or buy a meal for them. The  pedophiles would then pay them for what they did to them and then the child would bring the money home. I'm told that the parents really go into denial about where the money comes from because its too hard to face the reality so the cycle continues night after night. I may have considered kidnapping them once I saw them. What a life to live.
Our team got an amazing opportunity while we are here to do prophetic & prayer ministry to around 60 women (including staff) that were rescued off the streets and now working for a company. I won't lie, it was pretty intense at times- each person usually got 30-40 mins of individual ministry. Our team of 12 would be in two teams spending our mornings and afternoons doing this. We would trade off some days helping
the women make flowers...and then some days we could just plow through. It was so worth every minute. I just couldn't believe we were so blessed to be able to speak into their lives and love on them. My heart just melts thinking of their precious faces. They are so strong and courageous to fight for their lives. Such sweet new friends.
We got to go out into the red light district on some nights and on one of the nights, we actually got to throw a party! We were right on the main street. We had make-up, facial, hair and nail stations, a kids station (we had to keep in the back away from the windows and protected behind another table. The party was open to anyone so when the men would come in, they didn't have access to the kids to try and buy them...who would have thought...) and then we had a dream interpretation/spiritual readings station. Three teams that night went out on the streets, including myself, to handout invites and mini cupcakes. It was so fun inviting the girls. They looked so wary at first but once you gave them a cupcake, all was safe in the world :) After we
got back to the main area that we were hosting, the people started coming. It was a blast. We had people coming in and out the entire night. I got to be in the spiritual reading/dream station. I also had a special surprise finding this one homeless prego girl a couple of us had met on the street the night before in another area. I had a real hard time leaving her and had quite a talk (or cry) to the Father about it. I know He was saying something to me finding her again. I think He wanted me to know that He had her in His hands. I also think He knew how happy I would be having another chance to be with her. She mostly just laid in the fetal position again the wall right by me while I did the prophetic words. I may have made her hold my hand until she fell asleep :) We had a lot of fun stories come out of that night. One of my favs was of these men that walked slowly by the party, left and then came  after a while wanting to know what kind of magic we practiced.  They said that the atmosphere was so different then what else was on the street. Ha...ha.ha.
I just loved the ministry we worked with. They really knew their stuff. When we were being trained in how to minister on the street in the red light district they had so much knowledge and wisdom about what to do and what not to do. I loved that they really develop relationships with the girls and they are looking for the ones that really want/need to leave. Then they tell them about this really good company and have them apply for a legit honorable job. Once they are hired, they sign a contact where they get paid to go to worship every morning, discipleship classes and actually get paid to get healed by going to inner healing classes/prophetic appointments like we did this past week.
Oh and another surprise! You know how in my previous blog, I talked about the first man I ministered to in Pattaya? Well two hours away in Bangkok, out of 12 million people, I ran into him! I was walking down the street and I heard "American girl" over and over so of course, I totally kept walking and wouldn't look over to where I heard the voice was coming but it kept following me so I finally looked up and it was him. So I got another chance to speak life to him and pray for him that he could find the true love that he is searching
for. (ahem ahem...Jesus.)
So what does a girl do to have fun here and keep smiling? Fake falling. It's where it's at. I have never heard of this until I saw my roomie do it. Find a public face...trip over and fall on your face. My only problem is that I fall quite bad. My arms for some reason go straight out and flap like a bird. I need more practice.
Okay, that is it for now! I'll write another blog when i get home!
Thanks for all your love and prayers!
Lovey yous!