I’m back in Thailand this week. No matter how many times I visit, I am always overwhelmed by the impact cultural slavery has had on this country.
There is a great divide here in Bangkok. This city is home to some of the most spectacular malls, the grandest hotels, and the most glittering temples you will ever see. But it is also home to some of the largest red-light districts in the world.
Prostitution is one of the country’s largest businesses. It is an industry built entirely on the exploitation of the poor and the uneducated. Young girls come to Bangkok to earn money for their families but find there are few job opportunities for those who never went to school.
They are told that they have one choice — to join the sex industry. As our partner puts it, “Poverty is the pimp.” But you can help set them free. For just $50, you can help introduce one girl to freedom.
Today, you can help rescue a girl like Lamai. I’ve changed her name to protect her. When I met Lamai in the bars, she said it was her 25th birthday. I asked her if she had any plans to celebrate, but she said no; she had to work. She spent her birthday selling her body — making the equivalent of $17. Her story broke my heart, but Lamai told me she had no other choice.
As I walk down the street, I feel the urge to keep my head down and to turn my eyes away — and I’m not the only one. It’s difficult to watch. These girls face incredible social stigma. They are sacrificing for their families and all they receive in return is shame, abuse, and pain. They believe it’s the only choice they have.
But our God is not a God of shame — He is a God who fights for freedom. Freedom for you, freedom for me, and freedom for girls like Lamai.
That’s why I can’t look away. I want each and every one of these girls to know they are seen and loved by God. I want them to know there is another option — a chance at freedom. And while I can’t rescue every one of these girls on my own, I can tell you about them. And maybe together, we can begin to break the chains of cultural slavery, which has ruled in Thailand for far too long.
Right now, you can help give a girl like Lamai a way out. For $50, you can help introduce one girl to a freedom she has never known! You can provide things like a safe place to live, education, medical care, counseling, outreach, and so much more. But most importantly, you will introduce her to the love of Jesus — a love that can transform her life.