Five more women went home this week!

Day by day or week by week –

Meeting the women who walk the streets at night.

Meeting again to hear their stories – to learn why they come out when it’s dark

Stories of poverty, deceit, betrayal, fear, abuse, rape, an unending struggle to survive

Feeling honored that they trust us enough to let us in where it still hurts

Feeling joy that while they’ve been praying for a way out –

while their families are praying for them to come home –

God made an opportunity for our paths to cross in this moment,

And we trust that He’s made a way for them to leave the streets.

Meeting them many more times as a friend.

Learning more and more who they are, beyond what I first saw.

Childhood stories. First loves. Joys. Dreams. Their own children’s photos.

Buzzing here and there –

Errands and meetings and interviews and doctor appointments and bills

Writing emails, advocating, trying to fit the puzzle together to send them home.

Hoping and praying and looking for opportunities for them when they’ve returned.

Trusting God to cover the logistics and fill in all the gaps…

Checking the details, again.

Making sure the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted –

Including luggage within the weight limits… yikes!

Trying to keep track of receipts and numbers and transcripts and paperwork

And trying to iron out the budget with my colleagues… in Thai…

Sometimes I’m in a frazzle dazzle fog –

Start speaking in funny accents

Fall off of my chair in the office

Or lock myself out of my apartment

Or… lock one of the women in the outreach center bathroom!

Have to break in and then buy a new doorknob…

(Yes, that’s all happened)

And, often I wake up wondering, “Why again?”

Because we may help a few,

But poverty’s not been fixed

Corrupt systems are yet in place

And since tourists still come here by the planeload to buy sex

Traffickers still have a market to appeal to.

So, neither supply or demand is affected

even if we manage to help another woman out.

But, then, there are those moments

when I speak to a woman’s son or brother after she’s returned home

and he tells me he’s so glad – he’s so happy she’s home safe –

and I can feel his happiness with him.

And then she gets on the phone – and her voice is light  and hopeful again –

not heavy like when I knew her here in Bangkok.

And, in those moments, I know it’s worth it.

SHE’S WORTH IT.

Ok. Wake up again tomorrow.

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Five women NightLight’s been helping returned home this week!
Two of them received assistance because of the birthday fundraiser to which many of you donated! THANK YOU!  They are celebrating their return with their families this weekend. Let’s celebrate with them!