Monthly Archives: March 2013
This Awkward Day
It’s the day after Good Friday; Saturday, the day before Easter. The day after Jesus died I seriously doubt anyone was referring to it as “Good” Friday. What could they possibly have seen as good about it? We call it “good” because we know the purpose and the outcome. Without that revelation, there is nothing […]
It’s a Gamble
Why couldn’t Ginger accept the offer of a good job when 17 years in prostitution has proven to be road to nowhere? I met a friend today who had read the journal and she was wrestling with this very question. I shared my insights with her and realized there might be others of you asking […]
Empty Promises of Opportunity
“He’s crazy!” The streetwalker at the sign was referring to the young boy dressed in girl’s clothes. I answered, “No, he’s just acting out. It’s not who he really is.” We had been reaching out to this boy for about 3 years already but that’s a whole other story. The streetwalkers had gotten my attention. […]
Dao’s Story Part 3: Finding Love and a Place to Call Home
Apaw was once a drug addict but he found freedom through the rehab program at Operation Dawn. After he finished he was mentored and is now one of the staff at the center. Dating and such is not allowed at the rehab center, but as Dao and Apaw studied together in classes they began to […]
Part 2: From Slavery to Freedom
It was discouraging to us when Dao ran back to her abusers. At times like that it’s tempting to give up. It’s hard to understand why women go back to abusive situations but we all know it happens. Dao’s addiction to the drug Ice was too strong to allow her freedom. All we could do […]
From Slavery to War Zone – Seeking Refuge
I first met Dao in the middle of the Red Shirts protest in Bangkok. Her neighborhood was literally being bombarded with gunfire and grenades. Electricity had been cut off; people were barricaded into their neighborhood while the violence was escalating daily. Dao’s aunt works at NightLight and she asked if she and her family could […]
Glamorized Auction Blocks
“It’s such a shame. She’s so young and pretty!” I’ve often heard this expressed when people see a beautiful young Thai woman in prostitution. I cringe every time. Women in prostitution are routinely paraded on glamorized auction blocks, their bodies exposed, and their sexuality flaunted to get the highest bids. I have watched men examine […]
Good Men at Nana
“I don’t have sex with the women.” I hadn’t actually asked his intentions but a conversation with a man in the middle of the red light area is likely to end up addressing this very thing. The large extremely buff man was curious about who we were and he had approached as one of our […]
Faith Rising From the Flames
Sitting on the floor of a newly built house in a slum community, I had much to celebrate. Yesterday, a team from NightLight and from The Ruth Center had been invited by the family to come bless their new home and dedicate it to God. As we sang and prayed, the grandma and mother kept […]
Bittersweet
“N” has cancer. N is an African woman who was offered a job working in Asia. She left her daughter and mother to travel abroad in search of better work and more money to support her family. When N got to Asia she found out there was no such job and she was forced into […]
Annie Dieselberg 