Our First Night Bar Hopping.

Its 5:16 A.M Sunday morning and I can’t sleep. I fell asleep around 11:30 exhausted and now I’m wide awake. I can’t stop thinking about what I saw last night in Nana Plaza. Nothing extreme. Just faces of miserable girls doing the Junior High Shuffle (Bonita describes it as a middle school girl with a hand on her bouncing hip, nail biting as she’s chatting with her friends), some topless and some in skimpy bikini’s, two-stepping on a stripper pole to the music the DJ’s playing and waiting for the night to be over. And I think what's really sitting heavy on in my heart is that when I leave Nana Plaza and go out to eat dinner with the New Beginnings team, my night is over. I get to go home, jump in the shower, and lay in bed. These girls, well, they’re probably still working while I’m complaining that I can’t sleep. Where’s the fairness in that?

I was able to visit a few pool bars and go-go bars last night. It’s ironic how Thailand designs Nana Plaza for its Western costumers. I guess its one owner, an American Mafia man, knows what his customers want. Some of the bars are called Hilary’s (1-4) and Hanahans. The only American thing about them is the men that occupy the bar stools. I was able to take a few pictures last night, not as good a Jo, but I think the message gets across. In respect to the people here, I have blurred any faces of the men who are in my pictures. 

Photo Cred. Jo Calfees

This is the Entrance of Nana Plaza, as Jo likes to call it "The Belly of the beast", where the majority of the go-go clubs, strip clubs, sex on the spot bars, lady-boy bars, and so on are located.

This man and Thai woman sat down right next to us at the same high top table. She used him for drinks, beer after beer. He looked over at me a couple of times and I couldn't make eye contact with him because I knew my face would give away my disappointment and disgust. 

This man had about 3 Thai women around him early in the night. He looked over at us a few times as well. I don't know if because we look American, these men are looking at us wondering if we're judging them, or maybe they're looking for approval? I just try to avoid eye contact all together.

These 3 pictures were taken from the back of the bar to the front. There were groups of men just sitting around and playing pool, either flirting with the staff or girls walking by.

I thought that I would develop a sense of anger towards these men in the bars, but my heart aches for them. They do not know what they’re doing. And my heart aches for these Thai women, because they don’t have any other choice. Yes they smile, all Thai people smile, it’s their culture to always smile. Doesn't mean they like what they do and when you see that brokenness in their eyes, right before they go on stage, or you catch a glimpse of how miserable they are strutting around on the stage, how can you not want to reach out to them. I prayed this morning, “Lord, what am I doing here? I know I’m here for support, but WHAT am I doing here for you?” I don’t want to fall into the feeling of helplessness, because all I was able to do last night was just sit at these clubs and look around, and that makes me feel guilty. Like I’m a part of the male population, just eyeing these girls, and I want to do so much more. I know it’s only the first night out and I know that I shouldn't expect anything less of just planting a seed of love, but I wish I could just go in busting down doors and saving these girls, Wonder Woman style. But I’m not the savior, and Jesus can do so much more of a better job than I could ever dream of and I know that he will be able too.

Please keep praying.