Each night when you set foot on Bangla Road you really don’t know what to expect…. when you combine adults, alcohol, immorality and lots of broken hearts you can imagine how much chaos can and does ensue. We have been here for a few weeks and we have seen the rollercoaster that you can walk into.
Last thursday we hit the plummet of the roller coaster. We hit walls where we had seen open doors so far. We were completely ignored by girls that had normally beckoned and pulled us in. We saw the heart breaking site of parents leaving their terrified 8 year old with a bar girl to watch while they got plastered at another bar. We were confronted with the reality (that had been hidden up to this point) that the girls that we have grown to genuinely love only make a living by hanging all over strange men, get them to buy them “lady drinks” and get them to buy them for the night or weekend or however long their customer would like.
We left Bangla frustrated, hurt and discouraged and unable to see God’s glory through the perverseness that is Patong beach. We came back shared our heartache and then took time to process and be reminded of the glory of God.
Then Monday came…and things changed. Monday was a day of victory! We met an amazing woman named mo*, an open male bar manager, set up a date with two amazing bar girls, met some super nice promoters on the street, we were excitedly welcomed at a new bar on a street that is known for lady boys, and the glass boxes were empty for the majority of the night. Needless to say we left that night with smiles on our faces and the joy of the Lord on our lips!
As a team we are learning that God is working even when we can’t see the fruit and that his timing is not our own. We are learning that we can walk with his victory as soon as we set foot onto Bangla because the road is his and the enemy has simply perverted it. God is doing amazing things on Bangla road, through our team and in our team.
*Names have been changed for the girl’s protection
Debbie with a new friend of ours after winning her first game of connect four
