Hollow eyes stared back at us as we continued our prayer walk down the Red Light District. It was a young Thai woman, straddling the back of a white man’s motorbike. Her light sweater was pulled loosely around her shoulders as she continued looking at me. Her eyes spoke volumes she would never voice. Pain…anger…fear…shame; all of that wrapped below the surface of a nice smile.
Those unspoken words haunted me the rest of the day. How could any man buy a woman for pleasure? How could any woman be enslaved not only physically and sexually but also by their own shame? How can we as a team even make the slightest difference in the Red Light District of Thailand? How can I think about making an impact when I can’t even speak the Thai language?
As these questions began to drown out the rest of my thoughts, I started to feel the stifling pressure that we would never be able to actually change this side of the world. The walk to the slums later that day put an even heavier burden on my heart. Filth surrounded us as we walked on a dirt path towards the cement soccer court. We were instantly greeted by a handful of young boys playing an already intense game. After several goals on their part, and a few on ours, I noticed a young Thai boy with an American shirt on. The giant red hearts contrasted the white tee, leading to a simple yet truth filled sentence on the back.
As he turned around to receive the soccer ball, the very seams of my heart began to split as I grasped the full reality of what that shirt said. “Love Will Find A Way.”
It’s as simple as that.
Love will find a way. Christ will find a way. A way into the hearts of the tourists lusting for sex…A way into the broken pieces of every rape victim in this country… A way to transform this nation for His glory and to fill His lost people with love. It isn’t up to us to change the world. It isn’t up to me to save each woman trapped in prostitution. It all comes down to the fact that Christ WILL find a way. And for now, He chose our team of 9 women to be His hands and feet to this country. Let’s make it count.
