Rice Grains

Tonight I am a bundle of emotions. The REACH team, Anita, and I went to have orientation with Celeste, from The Well, regarding bar visitation. Then she took us to 3 or 4 streets chock full of bars. She showed us the street known to have more of a brothel set-up, where the men just go upstairs with the woman they choose. And she told us which street had the sadistic-masochistic brothels, where they offer "two for the price of one".

And she showed us a horseshoe shape street that had a 3-floor building full of all kinds of bars, including a few ladyboy bars and sex show businesses. We walked through there in twos and threes and stopped to talk to a few people who were preparing for a busy night in a couple hours. Several girls called us over, and we had a fun little chat with them. Then we walked past a ladyboy being made up for the night. He was very friendly as well, and invited us to his show at the ladyboy bar later on in the evening. These people are hungry for love and are not finding it in what they do. I could just weep for these people.

As far as the amount of bar workers in one of the main redlight districts in Bangkok, they estimate at least 8,000 people. This is not in a terribly large area of the city, but is in one of the sections where westerners like to go....

So anyway, that is my evening, and I am crying as I write about it. The starvation for love and their need for Jesus just gets me. Sorry to have such a sober entry on this special day....