Picture of a young girl…in the Red Light

Have you ever witnessed something that you know will become a lasting memory for someone?

My second trip to the red light brought such an experience. I was walking with Nouie to the Rahab Ministry office, down the “soi” (small road) of Patpong (the night market doubling as a red light district). In front of us was a family, not sure if they were Thai or not. A mother, father, elementary-aged son, and a young daughter, maybe four or five years old. I watched the daughter taking in her surroundings.  There would have been a lot to see, from her perspective. On the left, as you walk down the soi, there are countless stalls holding merchandise. Almost anything you would want to buy as a tourist in Thailand: intricate 3D postcards, colorful scarves, name-brand (perhaps knock-off) handbags and shoes, unique wooden toys….

I saw her look to the right, the side of the street lined with bars. A much desired breeze stirred the curtain-door of Thigh Bar, the first one I went in with Maneewan and Nouie. I knew what was inside without even following her gaze. Her eyes lingered inside, curious, not quite understanding. When she couldn’t crane her neck anymore, she turned back ahead to catch up with her family.

As I watched her take in the view of the dancing women, my heart sank. I had just witnessed a part of this child’s innocence being stolen right in front of me. I just saw her become a little more desensitized, at the age of four, to sex right before my eyes.

We see a lot of families walking the street of Patpong when we go on Thursday nights.  To many of them, they are going to a night market. They aren’t even aware that alongside the t-shirts, they’re selling Viagra. Next to the handbags, they’re selling condoms. Within an arm’s reach, they’re selling women.

That night, in a different bar, I spoke with a woman who didn’t look much older than me.  She told me, through her broken English and my broken Thai, that she has three sons, the oldest 15. As is typical for Bangkok prostitutes, she is from Isaan, a northern province. She moved to Bangkok with friends, who also became prostitutes, about a year ago. She sends her earnings to Isaan to her mother, who raises her boys for her. She was going to visit them the following week, the week of Songkran (Thai New Year/Water Festival) when most businesses are closed. The red light doesn’t close, though, as the holiday draws many tourists. But, she was taking a week off to visit her boys, who she hadn’t seen in a year.

As I debriefed later that night, I asked him: “Is the objectification of women something every man deals with?” He answered, “Yes. Every man has those thoughts cross his mind. For men who don’t know Jesus, why would they ever dismiss those thoughts?” I said, “I’m sure her sons, or at least the oldest one, knows what she does for a living. Parents try and hide that stuff, but kids are smart. They always know. What do you think that teaches them about how to treat women? If she’s not there to teach them how to treat women, how will they learn not to objectify them?” Objectification of women is rampant in today’s society, not just in Thai culture, but throughout the world (including America!). Society makes for a terrible teacher.

I shared my heartache for the women working as prostitutes. He shared heartache for the men paying for sex. He said, “No one leaves there feeling better than when they went in. I’m sure if you hung out there late into the night and early morning, you’d see a lot of empty men leaving. No one leaves there feeling good about themselves, happy about what they just did. That emptiness they came in with leaves with them as well. I doubt any of the guys leaving the red light have a spring in their step when they go to catch a cab home.” Sex is powerful, but so is shame. There is so much need for Jesus.

The focus of Rahab is not to deliver women from prostitution. It is to share Jesus with them. Obviously, the ideal would be for these women to fall in love with Jesus and leave that work, but the focus of Rahab is solely focused on sharing the Gospel. They will help any woman who wants to leave, but that’s not their main focus, and they don’t talk to the women about helping them leave. I think that’s why the bar owners and mamasans respect Maneewan and her work. They know she’s not trying to take away their workers, she’s trying to share Jesus with them. (That is a question I still have though, because if you’re Thai, you’re Buddhist. So if you’re Thai and Christian, that’s one thing, but if you’re Thai Christian trying to make other Thais Christian, that’s not so great. So I wonder how that dichotomy works for Maneewan and the bar owners.)

I have too many worship songs that speak deeply to me, but one is by Elevation Worship. The bridge is so powerful:

Sin was strong but
Jesus is stronger

Our shame was great but
Jesus, You’re greater

I pray that one day I’ll be able to stand next to the former prostitutes who have found Jesus, and sing of He who is stronger than our sin and our shame.