Last night I walked through an area of Bangkok that had prostitution occurring. It is believed that Thailand has 2 million or more prostituted persons. 1 in 4 Thai women between the ages of 15 - 29 are being prostituted. There are up to 800,000 Thai children being sold in the sex industry. With statistics like this and things like what I saw last night, you may ask: what keeps me going? Is there any hope? Well, Jesus keeps me going, and I know there is hope.
I am blessed to have had the privilege of first working with survivors of sex trafficking a couple years ago in Cambodia in a restoration home. I saw the joy on their faces everyday as they discovered more of their value and worth. They had scars, but they wore them beautifully, just like their King. By His stripes they were healed.
I met a woman last fall in Minneapolis who had prostituted herself for years of her life. She was addicted to drugs, and felt worthless. As I prayed the blood of Jesus over her past and victory over her addictions through the power of the cross, she looked at me and said she felt power through my prayer. It is because there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain.
I am currently blessed beyond words to be involved in a ministry in Northern Thailand that reaches out to the tribal children and seeks to keep them out of human trafficking. I see their smiles everyday and get to play and laugh with them. It is amazing to see people intervening in the lives of the vulnerable and needy to prevent a tragedy from even occurring.
Though I cannot say there is no darkness in the streets of every city, as statistics show that sex trafficking is tied for being the second largest criminal industry, I can say that there is light and it's worth fighting for that it may shine all the brighter. Videos like the one posted above share the light that is being released as rescued ones are loved and brought into a place of holistic restoration.
I am blessed and humbled that I can be on mission with God to see hope restored.
"I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." -Psalm 140:12
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