by Hattie, DTS alumni (2008), outreach co-leader
You know those people you just click with? They’re easy to talk to, they make you laugh and put you at ease right away. The girl I met Wednesday night was definitely one of those people. She was almost like my twin on the other side of the world. And that’s why my heart is so broken for her and others like her.
I was out with some teammates, hanging out in a touristy part of Pattaya. I ran into this girl and found out she spoke very good English.
Like me, she is 21 years old. She told me all about her last job on an island off Thailand. She even convinced me to face my fears and go scuba diving sometime. She told me about her family–they are Buddhist and live in northern Thailand. They grow rice and corn on their farm and raise chickens. A waterfall is only a 10 minute walk from their house.
Like me, she has one younger sister. She likes her coffee strong with a lot of cream–just like me. I told her all about my upcoming wedding and she listened intently. We talked about school, our jobs, our friends. Before I knew it, an hour of chatting and laughing together had sped by.
This girl has the makings of a best friend, I thought.
Then reality hit me. This girl works on Walking Street. She works in a bar, but not as a bartender. She is dressed in tight clothing. She is young and beautiful. This girl, who is like me in so many ways, is a prostitute. She most likely sees several customers a day. She can’t come back to the States with me and hang out at my apartment. We can’t sip coffee at Starbucks or go see a movie. Can she ever look forward to her wedding day?
Sometimes life is very unfair. Sometimes I want to scream and shout. But, that is why we are here. Because when God sees the life of my new friend, He also starts to scream and shout and weep–like me. He never wanted anyone to survive by selling their bodies. That’s not the world He created. God was with me in the bar that night and I pray that He will save my new friend. I pray that this Wednesday, he used me to do just that.
So many girls like my friend are tricked into this dark trade, or told there is no other way they can support themselves. Please pray that people will stop going to Pattaya to buy sex. These girls and women (and boys, too) are too special to be bought, sold, and used. Will you pray for my friend and for others like her?