Brooke's Australia Adventures Update #5

Brooke’s Australia Adventure Update #5 – July 22, 2007

Dear friends,
It has been quite an adventure I have been on since I have last written. I have traveled thousands of kilometers, both in my own little car across this great nation of Australia and also by plane, sky train, MTS (Subway in Bangkok), elephant, water taxi, tuk tuk (the Thai tourist open-air version of a taxi with a overhang overhead) and of course the infamous motorbike (yes, I learned to drive this too – manual!). Indeed, I feel as if all my childhood aspirations of being an archaeologist like Indiana Jones and a fighter pilot like Tom Cruise in Top Gun are beginning to be realized in a very small proportion with the amount of international adventure and travel the Lord is allowing me to experience during my 20s. I feel I am really getting to live the life I was created to live and it is incredible!

Philippians 2:13
“For it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose.”

A friend of mine here in Australia, Steve Claire, is preparing to head back to the States as the time he has been here comes to a close. So, he was sharing last Sunday at a house church of sorts the community has and he said, “if you would have told me that following Jesus would have been the biggest adventure I would have yet, I wouldn’t have believed you.” I think it is such a shame that our young people are taught that the church is a boring place to go and fall asleep and that a life of faith is one only of rules and “don’ts”. I would agree with Steve’s statement and say that following God is one big adventure because no longer am I in control, of course I can decide whether or not I will follow where He asks me to go, but truly I have learned in my 27 years, often the hard way, that being obedient to where He wants to take me is actually where I want to be and when I deviate or ignore those plans I end up feeling less than satisfied, and more often than not disappointed, hurt or the worst of all further from the One who created me and has good plans for me to accomplish. I felt like my time in Thailand was a walking out of those plans He had set up for me in advance and I was just allowed to walk them out. Have you ever been to a place that you’ve been dreaming about and praying for? It is an amazing sensation to realize you are walking on that sacred ground; this was how I felt about going to Thailand. Indeed, two and a half years ago, when I was applying for the Rotary scholarship and deciding where I would study, it was my desire to go to Thailand that in part influenced my decision to apply for school in Australia, because of the close proximity.

“Come and see. Let me show you Jesus with skin on.” I usually tell them (evangelicals) that we bring folks like them here to learn the kingdom of God from the poor, and then send them out to tell the rich and powerful there is another way of life being born in the margins. For Jesus did not seek out the rich and powerful in order to trickle down his kingdom. Rather, he joined those at the bottom, the outcasts and undesirables, and everyone was attracted to his love for people on the margins. Then he invited everyone into a journey of downward mobility to become the least.”
- Shane Claiborne, page 127, The Irresistible Revolution
My time in Thailand, though certainly a fulfillment of dreams and prayers was not necessarily easy and it was truly just a taste, a “come and see” what is happening in regards to the few faithful followers of Jesus who have begun organizations to serve the least of these in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Truly, it was the most revealing sex education I have ever had to work with these sexually exploited women and children, but beyond all the shocking statistics and horrific stories, I learned of women and children with the same need for love and lacking it and through economic hardship forced into, or often sold into the most degrading of all “professions.” Some call prostitution the oldest profession, but if it is, I think it is only evidence of the equally historic inequity between men and women and the power structures in place that allow women and indeed children as well to be bought and sold as if they were not humans with families, stories, hopes and dreams. Bangkok is called the brothel of the world and as I walked around Nana Entertainment Plaza and surveyed the 50 or so bars in this little area each with approximately 150 women (and lady boys- men who’ve had sex changes to become a woman, very common in Thailand) contained in them and the brazenness of the western men coming to enjoy the entertainment, I was convinced that it lived up to its reputation. Yet, I found that even the sight of a man my grandfather’s age leading a Thai girl younger than me by the hand around the neighborhood did not cause my heart to become hardened. Perhaps she was his wife, or even his girlfriend, but the more likely scenario was that he had bought her from the bar for the week to be his companion. I ended up not being shocked by these scenes anymore, but also not as angry at the men as I was initially either, but saddened by the deceit of a world system that allows this to occur, saddened by the broken relationships this man might have that would convince him to travel to the other side of the world and live out a fantasy or find some comfort from a completely foreign woman who may speak a few broken English phrases and the poverty that forces this precious young girl to pretend she is really attracted to and glad to be with this generous benefactor… it is an unreal situation and yet one that gets replayed continuously and without remorse on the streets. Walking into my first go-go bar was the shock actually… seeing women in g-string bikinis dancing on platforms with numbers on their chests and the drink servers able to wear a little more clothing but with the same numbers… yes, those signify when you want to take them out for a “short time” (any length of time from under an hour to the whole night or week?) you speak to the mama san and indicate the girl’s number… does this sound more like a cattle call to you? Who says slavery ended? This evil did not again overwhelm me though… why, you ask? Because I was privileged to be going into these bars under the cover of prayer and with other fellow warriors whose mission it is to bring light into these dark corners of humanity.

“In 1992, 22 million people visited Southeast Asia. Over 6 million of these were destined for child sex locations.”
-A Global report 1994 Jubilee Action

I would encourage you to pray for the individuals and organizations working to support these women to leave these horrific workplaces. The situations are very complicated for each woman that led them into the bars. 80% of the prostitutes in Bangkok come from the poorest province in Thailand, Isan in the northeastern part of the country and these women face harsh pressure from their families to send money home. In Chiang Mai, the northern Thai city that I spent the second half of my trip in, the women are mainly from the poor Hill Tribes or may be trafficked from Myanmar (Burma). These women, though having different stories, are almost all uneducated and went into (or were forced into, sold into, coerced into, etc.) this type of work very young – average age of 15. So, when they want to leave their options are limited. A woman in Bangkok who prostitutes can make 20 times what she can in the province of Isan, so you can see the financial incentives to keep her in and the barriers to leaving. NightLight, the organization I served with in Bangkok currently has 77 women who have been able to leave the bars and begin to work in a dignified work environment making jewelry. The process of making jewelry is a tangible one, working with beautiful materials and it is in an environment of laughter and joy. Each day these women begin the day with worship and a short devotion led by Thai spiritual directors and are able to read the Bible in their own language and worship. It sets the tone for the day and they are encouraged to join a Bible study group each week, all a part of their paid workday. Not many of them know Christ, or have ever heard the good news before, but many are coming to believe and know that they are loved infinitely. It is beautiful to see, and NightLight has also begun a church meeting every other week for this growing community as well where their children and partners can join them to learn about Jesus. NightLight also ministers to trafficked women coming from Uzbekistan and Russia as well and although they cannot offer them a job since they are not Thai citizens, the love of Christ again is freely given, as is assistance should the women want to leave the profession and Thailand. At the Garden of Hope in Chiang Mai the vision is to begin a culinary training center that would allow these women a certificate they could take to the successful hospitality industry in the city to allow them to earn a living in again a dignified way. Currently this ministry is doing outreach in the bars there to women and also working with Hill Tribe children, which are in danger of getting trafficked into this work as they sell trinkets with their mothers on the streets at night. This ministry is also doing an anti-trafficking work on the border with Myanmar (Burma) with young women who are Bible school graduates to help them prevent young women from getting trafficked and offer support. I was able to travel up to the border myself and meet these precious sisters and can see how vital their ministry is in the Thai town of Mai Sai where the town is making much off the selling of their impoverished northern neighbors.

“The US Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that 600,000-800,000 people are trafficked globally across international borders, while millions more are trafficked within countries. Trafficking provides organized crime with annual profits in the range of $8-10 billion.”
- John Ashcroft, July 16, 2004

I would ask that you pray for NightLight and the women there, and also the women who serve the ministry. Specifically, pray for: Annie, Natalie and Beng – three of the founders and visionaries; Asha and Emily – two beautiful young long-term volunteers and the outreach team. Pray for resources for the work and I also encourage you to consider supporting them through purchasing some of the beautiful jewelry the women make, it is fantastic way to support these women, check it out online at: www.nightlightbangkok.com. Also, please pray for the Garden of Hope in Chiang Mai and the founders Mark and Christa Crawford and for their team. Spiritual warfare is thick in ministries that are on the front line here and one way to pray I would suggest is that they would be protected, hidden from the attack of the Enemy and for their families also to be protected. Pray for laborers to join them and also for rest in the work the Lord has called them to.

“We choose to be poor for love of God. In the service of the poorest of the poor, we are feeding the hungry Christ, clothing the naked Christ, and giving shelter to the homeless Christ.”
- Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Matthew 25:35-40

This trip for me was one on a mission – to discern if at some point the Lord would bring me to Thailand for a longer time period. What I was reminded of on this trip is that ministry is all about relationships and that it is wonderful to have a glimpse of what ministry looks like there but without the value of speaking the language and seeing the relationships grow with these women, I can’t really understand what it is like. Friends of my friends, Ryan and Jill Jensen from Washington, DC – put me in touch with James and Jill Peddie who are long-term missionaries there. The have a gorgeous 5 month old baby – William, and are my age and it was a great glimpse for me into what life could look like for me there. Truly, I am so grateful to them for their hospitality, the talks we were able to share and being able to process with them. What I heard God speaking to my heart during this time away was that my mission is not complete in Australia and I need to fulfill that first before knowing where He’ll send me next. Truly, Thailand is an amazing country filled with needs, but I need to know I am being sent there before going. I also was reminded of the lonely place it can be for a single woman and to stay with a young family I saw the joy it could be to do it that way… I also got completely immersed in learning all about the sex industry and different organizations and places that have needs – as diverse places such as Cambodia and the Philippines in regards to the child prostitution issues and yet also that the funding comes from western nations – including Australian tourists. I was reminded that the needs are everywhere and I need to be faithful where I am currently. I hope to begin to take what I have learned and present them in my speeches at Rotary clubs and also begin perhaps befriending and learning from the women I notice on runs in Newcastle that are also working the streets of this town, in the Islington neighborhood. This is not a victimless crime, rather I believe all involved are in part in bondage to the Enemy but I have been encouraged that I can give love to these women and I have seen lives transformed.

“The market for sex has made daughters a valuable commodity in some poor communities. A Thai official in an non-governmental organization (NGO) explained, “What it comes down to is that Thai country women are just another kind of crop.” The whole community accepts sex work – and this includes officials and religious organizations because, ultimately, they all benefit financially from the trade. Providing the money is substantial enough – and in a poor community it need only be a modest sum – the girl’s shame is ignored because she has been successful and her money eventually buys her acceptance.”
Louise Brown, Sex Slaves, the trafficking of women in Asia, pg. 53

So, here I am back in Newcastle and starting again already the second and final semester of my master’s program. I am taking this semester: Social Program Evaluation, Capacity Building in Human Services, Sustainability and Ecosystem Health and Environmental Issues and their Social Context. I am again in classes with some of the same lovely students I got to know last semester from Laos, Eritrea, Uganda and Lesotho and joined by others from Zimbabwe, Thailand, China, Germany and of course Australia. I am glad to be back at International House with a new crop of study abroad students from nations such as Denmark, the US, Canada, Mexico, etc. and glad that my time is not up here yet. I am re-energized and motivated to accomplish what God sent me here for and believe it does have to do beyond my classes and degree (though, praise be to God I did end up doing very well academically last semester) and has to do with relationships with youth in some way. Since being back I have helped with another youth leadership experience, the Rising Generations youth camp in Collaroy – a northern beach just out of Sydney and have gone to a YWAM Youth Street service in Newcastle. I’ll keep you informed of the direction the semester goes, but right now I am glad to be back.
Thank you friends for your prayers for my trip and if you would like more information on what to read to learn more about these issues I have presented, please let me know.

2nd Thessalonians 3:5
“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Together on this journey,
Brooke

As always, for photos, please see: www.brookesintladventures.blogspot.com