Pattaya Thailand (Sin filled City)

Fact::: This City has a population of 70,000 and an estimated 20,000 of those people are prostitutes.

When we first arrived in Pattaya I thought it was so beautiful. Mainly because it was the first time I had seen the beach since Australia. (Fact of life, I have become a beach girl!) Keep in mind we arrived during the day, sun shining and reflecting off the beach, ya know the real deal. Beauty at its best! However, that night when the sun set, the four of us girls saw the dark side of this City.

We took a taxi into town and decided to treat ourselves to a western meal. After dinner we had planned on doing a prayer walk down Walking Street also known as the red light district. This night will always be remembered as the night my eyes were truly opened to how evil and lost this world is. Do not get me wrong, I have always known the world as evil but to see prostitution right in front of your face is an entire different reality.
We started walking down this street with go-go bars on each side of us. Men standing in the street pushing these index cards in your face saying, "you buy, you buy." It got very old people always trying to sale you things. At first we thought they were a menu for restaurants, OH no that's not what it was. They were the age, weight, height, and so on of the women for sale. You can imagine our disgust when we figured this out. The thing is your walking up and down this street so not only are you seeing these prostitutes standing outside the bars wearing almost nothing, you have their "pimps" in the streets trying to push them on you. I have never experienced such evilness before. We honestly could not have made it in Pattaya for 3 days without a TON of prayer!

The next morning I woke up and remembered an awful nightmare still lingering in the back of my mind. Very disturbing and hard to shake off. So I shared it with Jaclyn and she had similar thoughts running through her head. So that morning we prayed for the day and for all the thoughts to be guarded completely. It scared me that evil things could enter into my dreams. I learned something new this day! Guarding your heart is not only meant for in the context of a relationship, which is where I had always put it. Guarding your heart is something you should do on an everyday basis. Meaning guard your thoughts, guard yourself from lies, from all evil in this world. Let only the truth in, Gods word, Gods love and all HE has to offer.

Day 2 was Tuesday afternoon and we had a tour of the Tamar Center. This organization is similar to Destiny Rescue but located in Pattaya. Its all volunteers and was started through YWAM. They offer a three month training program for the women who chose to leave prostitution. The ladies receive bible teachings, counseling, and are trained in hair dressing and baking. However its hard in Pattaya because the women miss the big money and want to run back to the bars.

Statistics estimate that 2 million tourist enter Pattaya a year. Just being their three days most all the tourist we saw were white men. These men come for a holiday or whatever the occasion, and spend money on these women for their entire stay and leave with what... a "good time." This really opened my eyes to how these men really need help too.

We entered into a tattoo shop owned by a white guy, just checking out tattoos for Maria, and ended up having a very interesting and in depth conversation with him. His opinion of Walking Street is and I quote, "The entire street deserves to fall straight to hell." Brutal but true. He hates living in Pattaya and has no mercy for the women their at all. He is in Pattaya for one reason and that is to get this tattoo shop up and running so he can open a second one in Bangkok. He then shared with us how the women have more money than they know what to do with. The women suck the men dry, then move onto the next
guy that has money to offer. Talking with this tattoo man made me get angry at these women for a minute. The verses, 2 Peter 2:14-15 kept popping in my head.
14.having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children.
15.forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.

But then I came to my right mind and kept thinking well every story has two sides. So yet some of these women may choose this others may not. In Thailand culture teaches that the Thai women are to make the money, and support their families. In the mean time the Thai men are off drinking and gambling. Sometimes the women feel prostitution is the only way for her husband to love her again and come back to her when he sees the money she has to offer.

When we left the tattoo shop the four of us started sharing our thoughts with each other. So to sum it up this is what we came up with....
Prostitution SUCKS! Even if we cant fix it, we can at least plant a seed of hope in these girls lives. These women are someones daughter, possibly someones wife and even mother. They do not deserve to be treated like a toy. On the other hand these men need help too. Their eyes need to be opened to the sin they are taking part in. Some of these men honestly believe they are just simply paying for a service, when there is so much more to it then that. At this point I was reminded of another verse in 2 Peter 3:9....
9.The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God is waiting for these people. He loves them so much and we should too. I am reminded that its okay to hate the sin, just not the sinner. These men and women need to know there is more to life than these "worldly pleasures" that leave you empty. There is something everlasting, a love that will endure forever. God offers to us a love that is perfect, and is something everyone can experience, best of all it leaves you satisfied! I treasure 1 Cor. 13:4-7. These verses are something to hold onto. This is how God intended love to be and most importantly this is how God loves us everyday!

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.