Last night started out pretty slow. It was a busy night, crowded streets full of cars and vendors. The music was booming and the men showed little to no interest in what we had to say. Finally we were able to get this particular mans attention. We asked him where he was from and in a very sarcastic manner he told us he was from some region that meant nothing to me. Finally we got it out of him that he was from the UK. He started the survey and honestly it was a bit of a shock to discover what he believed about prostitution and the women who were in the area. He was very open and honest, not shy in the least about his intentions for that night and his past experiences in the area. It was at that moment as he began to relate to us his encounters with these women, I had a choice. On one had I could hate this man for how he treated these women, I could judge him for claiming to be a Christian and still engaging in sexual encounters, and I could condemn him for his actions. Or I could choose to do what Jesus did: loving him even as my ears heard his rather disturbing stories.
It wasn't an easy choice by any means and without the grace of God; I can assure you I would have picked the former set of reactions. But once I saw his face, and saw the pain in his eye, only then was I able to see him as Jesus saw him. Only then was I able to truly love him. After making that decision to love him, he explained to us exactly why he was there. As the conversation progressed we found out that this man had been married to one woman for 27 years, and several years ago his wife cheated on him with a drug dealer. He said he stuck around until his kids were on their feet, but then he skipped town and had been living in Bangkok for the last three years. He was there to "get back in the game" as he put it. My heart broke for him as I got a glimpse into the cause behind his actions. As he ended the conversation with a smile, he said he was going to go look at some lady boys. With that he disappeared into the red light district. While we never were able to talk about "religion" with him, I believe that he encountered Jesus through us that night. I pray that in the midst of his pain and hurt that he would turn to Jesus for comfort!
Written By: Ryan H.
