We have been gaining familiarity here and decided to try a different area to canvas than our usual street.? As we walked along the bars are much less glamorous than the ones we have been visiting.? There are no beautiful women out front to greet you, just a guard or a pimp that is not very pleased to see our group (Rebekah, Jess and Pastor Rueben).? We stopped in front of a bar sandwiched by two vacant, dilapitated bars.? My first though was this place does not look safe.? We paused for a moment and decided to go in.? Inside it is tiny with a small stage in the center and a bench around the wall to sit and face the stage.? A group of women are dancing in unision to american? music.? Long story short this bar could not have been safer as there were no managers or pimps on site.? With in a short time we have all of the girls huddled around a tablet looking at the Wipe Every Tear website and no one was on the stage anymore.?
One of the girls in particular I spoke with for some time.? She was young twenties, beautiful face and long hair.? She kept smiling at my eyes as they don’t often see blue ones.? The look on her face as I asked her if she would want to go back to school was such sadness.? She says yes of course I already have two years of college but, could not afford to finish.? As we talk the tenderness of her heart is so obvious.? She is not callous and I wonder how a heart this tender survives in such a place.? I asked her if I can pray for her and she meekly agrees.? As I tell her God has made her on purpose, she is not an accident the tears just well up in her eyes.? She is being sought by the most High God as she is His daughter and she is my sister.?
The next bar is not so easy.? The owner is sitting at a table by the stage and annoyed to see us walk in.? We play some pool in attempt to spare some time for Rebekah to speak with the waitress who has only been working here for less than a week.? One of the owners friends comes to speak with? me.? He is a retired white over weight man from Australia. The story is the same as most that I have encountered, they have a deluded idea that they are helping the girls because, they give them money.? The next bar is the same story and we are not able to talk to as many girls as we like.? The managers and pimps keep the girls away and tell them that what we are offering is just a trap.? I think some of them actually do believe we are trying to deceive the girls, which happens quite often.?
After two bars with not so much luck we take a moment to pray.? Nothing fancy, we just take a moment to remember that we are instruments of Jesus.? Then Bekah suggests we stop by a bar where the sunday school teacher Susan knows a girl.? Just as we arrive the bar is closing becuse, there is little business on a Tuesday night.? This means that all of the girls are out front loading onto Jeepneys (filipino buses)? to go home.? We have a captive audience on the Jeepney and are able to speak with all of the girls freely.? Not only that the last girl to come out happens to be none other than the girl we have gone to see. She knows the Pastor and can tell all of the girls what we are saying is true.? In side I’m doing cartwheels, God has just brought all of these women to US!
As we prayed before heading out tonight this verse came to mind when someone prayed for God to use us as his instruments:
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. [16] Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord , and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. [17] When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. [18] I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
When we can walk into a bar and in moments speak to the heart of a scared, abused and lost women, God is moving a mountain.? I’m nothing special and I certainly have volumes to learn about love but, I am aware that God does the work in the hearts of those he brings us to.? We are in a dry and thirsty land but, God is making springs of water here.?
