A night with prostitutes

A view from our boat ride while in Bangkok

         

             This is my last blog.......I think we visited here (not picture above, Rahab ministries) on our first or second night here but I have not had time to write about it, but it deeply touched me.
           While in Bangkok we visited a place called Rahab ministries.  Rahab ministries sits in a small insignificant building in the middle of a street that in the day looks like any other street, but that at night turns into a street filled with bars.  These bars are filled with women dancing center stage for the men that are pouring into the bars to be with them.  The girls are half naked , dancing provocatively around poles, and the men are wandering around the room looking to see which girl they will decide to be with.  Once the customer decides whom he likes the look of, he or perhaps she, records the number that the girl has pinned on to her bra and then pays the owner for the girl belonging to that number.  Customers pay  500 baht, the equivalent of about 15 dollars, to the establishment for the girl’s services.  Whether or not the girls themselves get paid is between the customer and the girl.  Sometimes, they are paid nothing. 
What Rahab does is provide these girls with the opportunity to start a new job, offers them a place to live, and food to eat. In essence, they offer these girls a new start on life.  I don't know if you remember, but in my first blog, I questioned how one gets involved in the sex trade.  It is not as if you just walk right into a brothel and say hi, how are you? can we help you in any way?    That is exactly what Rahab ministries does.  Two nights a week  two or three women go into those bars....please understand I am using the term bar loosely. It is like no bar you or I know. The name of one of these bars, for instance, says it all  THE PUSSY CLUB......Anyway these women from Rahab Ministries go into the bar and befriend these women.  We went with them.  Now there is something I never thought I would do.  Nothing could have been easier. These women were so friendly.  For me a little to friendly at first and way beyond my comfort zone when I started to receive the most sensual of back rubs. However, I was quickly rescued by one of my companions who said she would actually like a back rub. There were 4 of us there. Within five minutes 7 girls had quickly joined us.  They sat in between each of us and we bought them a drink. They happily chatted away to us, at first because they thought we were potential customers, and then because we were all just having a nice time getting to know each other.  The girls spoke limited English, but we used hand signals and lots of smiles to communicate.  The girls from Rahab do this twice a week. They get to know the girls, and  invite them to drop in at Rahab any time they would like for a visit. Once a month the staff at Rahab invite the girls they meet over for dinner. They invite about 10-15 girls and on average 8-10 come.  The women of Rahab, when the girls visit, are first of all, just kind to them. They treat these women with respect and dignity, they talk to them about love. The love of Christ.  They provide them with an opportunity to change their lives if they want. Many do and many have.  If one of these girls decides they want to get out of prostitution they are given a full time job making the most beautiful jewelry.  This jewelry is sold by rahab ministries and all the money goes to support these women.   It is quite amazing. Another thing that Rahab provides these women with is the opportunity to participate in a missions trip.These transformed women go on missions trips to refuge camps where children are living in terrible conditions. They people in these refugee camps have little in the way of food or basic necessities.  Did you know, by the way, that there is such a thing as substandard rice?  Apparently there is not just brown and white rice.  In fact there is a rice for the poor.  It doesn't really look like rice or have the shape of rice it is a bit more like slop.  That is what these refugee children eat.  It is very sad.  These women took some form of bulk food to these children, that to me looks quite slop like as well, but to those children it was a delight.  That is how little they have and how easy it is to make a difference in their lives.  We, the three of us from Victoria, were so touched by the needs in this camp that we felt  we should use money that was given to us before we left to support it. We were asked to take 400 dollars with us and if we found something or someone that was in need to donate it on their behalf.  That money, so generously given to us, is going to help feed those children and provide these beautiful women, who have changed their lives, with yet another opportunity to help others as they themselves have been helped.
        I think Rahab ministries is wonderful. The women in these bars, so often the recipients of disrespect and abuse, are shown love and respect and are given a chance to get out of that lifestyle, if they want to. What a difference they are making.  Another revelation for me is how Rahab ministries is embraced in this community. My assumption was that these bar/brothels would not allow us in. I assumed they would be afraid of our presence.  They are not.  They have enough girls.  If we steal some away they are not threatened.  In fact when we finished our visit to the bar we were by then recognized by some and as we walked by they smiled at us and guided back toward the Rahab building.  It is wide open. If any have a heart to help these women they won't stop you!

I am actually in Hua Hin today it is very nice here.  Yesterday I rode an elephant and held a baby tiger.  That tiger was a feisty little thing and growled at me and took a swipe at me, but I got a good picture though. I am about to go and sit by the pool.  A first on this trip. tomorrow we head back to Bangkok and then home.  I can't wait to see you all.  I miss you very much.