Sometimes, we have girls leave Rahab, go back to the bars. Normally it is out of desperation for money. Money controls people and I have never seen it more controlling than I do in Thailand. Nang is one of our ladies. She joined Rahab about 1 1/2 months ago. She is an incredibly beautiful young woman from Isaan. If you'll remember Isaan is the poorest provence of Thailand. She came to be a prostitute in Patpong because her family was in desperate need of money. They were in debt to many people, so they decided to make a deal with a loan shark. Nang became a sort of security on the loan. She would work and pay off the loan, and if it wasn't paid well the loan shark, in a way, would own her. It is a sick situation that happens more often than anyone even realizes. So Nang came to Bangkok in search of work. She ended up in the bars because she would be able to make the most money with her education level. It is unfortunate, but most of the bar girls in Patpong only have up to an 8th grade education. She worked in the bars for a fewmonths before Rahab found her. She decided to leave and make jewelry with us and search out her options for other trades she could do in order to help pay off her family's debt. She was such a joy to have around....every day she would ask me how I was. Always caring about everyone around her. I could tell that she really enjoyed her surroundings.
About 2 weeks ago Nang went to visit her village. We hadn't seen her since, at least not until Tuesday. Every tuesday night is bar night, so we went to one of the bars in the area and she was there. Dancing on the stage. I blinked a few times, trying to focus on what I was seeing. Confusion and denial started to overwhelm my mind. No, no, that could be Nang. As soon as her shift was up for dancing she ran over to greet us. I couldn't believe it. It was really her. She started to explain her situation and how unhappy she was.
This was all translated to me...but you can get the jist of what they are talking about because of their animation and hand movements. It was intense. She was so upset that she had to come back to the bars, but her family had told her that she wasn't making enough money, and they needed more. So, she needed to do what she did before. (just a note: sometimes Thai families know what their daughters, wives, and moms are doing, but for the most part, no one really knows, and if they do, it is ignored) Her family had forced her back into prostitution because of their poor financing and choices. My heart was broken for her. We made it very clear that she was welcome to come back to Rahab and have lunch with us or come and pray with us, whatever she wanted. She was welcome. We were there to support her. She was ashamed though. It was pretty obvious thatwe will have to assure her even more before she will come back even for a visit. It was really tough....really tough. You just want to save them all. Pay off their debt and hope that they never, ever have to sell themselves again, but it doesn't work like that. They will either create more debt or they will then believe that their child, mom, or daughter is now making very good money and so she will be expected to send even more home. It is a vicious cycle.
When you start a week like that, you just want to be with family. Especially on Thanksgiving. This year, though, I would have to settle for the 90 degree humid land of Thailand. I didn't even think celebrating it was going to happen, but I was happily surprised. I ended up getting asked by an American missionary that I had met at church if I wanted to come over and have thanksgiving with them. I have to say it was an incredible thanksgiving. For 5 hours I forgot I was in Thailand. I was submersed into southern accents and good southern cooking. There were about 40 people there. All missionaries. All coming together to support each other and build community. A pot luck to show how much they appreciate each other. It was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better gift. We even had pumpkin pie. It is so neat to see the community and family that some organizations have. They didn't want anyone to be alone on thanksgiving. Everyone was connected. It felt like family in a way. I even got to play 2 rounds of Apples to Apples (one of my family's favorite games) and I even won(for the first time ever).
PhuKradueng:
I ended the week with an adventure. I met up with a thai girl and two girls, teaching at an international school (one canadian, one american) and headed up to Northern Thailand. We took a night bus (2 buses/8 hours) to Isaan to visit a National Park called Phu (mountain in Thai) Kradueng. Okay so I don't remember what Kradueng means. Sorry! Anyways, so we trekked up the mountain for about 6 miles. It was a pretty intense hike. The trails were small and steep and sometimes even had ladders just to get you to the next point. It was funny though, because about every km or so there would be a few restaurant stalls and bathrooms. Thai people are all about their food. They don't really go far without it. haha.
So, even though it was 6 miles and pretty intense, you could break 4 different times along the way. So, not to worry if your tired. Just get to the next resting point and stay as long as you like. It was funny, not at all how we do things in Colorado. There is only one trail up so it took us almost 5 hours. There were many people hiking and another thing about Thailand, you don't carry your stuff up. Someone takes it up for you. They strap many things to both sides of a bamboo pole, put a small pad for their shoulders on it, and hike all your stuff up for you. It was strange and made me feel really bad, but then I had to remember that this is how they make their living. This is what they do to survive.
So you shared the trail with the luggage carriers, the people walking with you and the people headed down the trail. At times it seemed a bit insane.
When we made it to the top, I felt more accomplished than I ever have before on a hike. Amazing how 6 miles can do that to you in Thailand.
We got to the top which is more like a plateau, found the camping area, got all of our stuff arranged, and headed to a nearby cliff on some bikes we rented to see the sunset. It was incredible. The bright orange sun coasting down below the mountains. You could see the mountain range and a large part of Isaan spread out before you. It was beautiful.
After dinner at a restaurant stall near our campsite...haha you will have to see pictures to see what camping in Thailand is really like....it is amusing....so, after dinner we went to bed. It was super dark and we hardly slept on the bus ride there, so
we were all ready for a good night's rest.
We woke up at 5am for the sunrise and walked to another cliff to watch. It was even more beautiful than the sunset. We grabbed a cup of coffee....yes, I know...really roughing it in Thailand, eh?.....and sat and watched the sun come up. It was bright and pink and orange...and the clouds around it were rimmed in the different colors.
We headed back to camp, packed, sent our stuff down, and hopped on some more bikes for a long bike around the top of the mountain. This was pretty much mountain biking with no helmet and a rickety old mountain bike that made you feel like it would fold under your weight. We squeaked along to a nearby waterfall and snapped a few pics, then headed off to the cliffs. Most of the cliffs are connected by trails so you can ride the trails along the edge of the mountain. It is breathtaking. For miles you ride and see mountain ranges and Thai towns down below. Pictures don't do it justice, but that seems to be the case no matter where you go.
After biking for awhile, we headed back down the mountain and spent the rest of the day in my Thai friend's village. I learned that Village in Thailand actually can mean anything for the hut kind of village to a neighborhood. Her village was a neighborhood. It was filled with people that were anxious to meet the white foreigners. We were greeted with a meal from a funeral procession. We met all of her family and learned that she was related to most of her village. They all worked together to make sure everyone was fed and cared for and even built houses and such for each other. They were a real community...looking out for each other. No one was without. It was really neat to see. We even visited her family's rice fields and watched them cut and collect the rice. I felt like I was really in Thailand. Living in the city is such a small piece of what Thailand is like. It was so nice to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and see what life was like for the people in Isaan. To really understand where most of the ladies of Rahab come from.
I arrived home at 4am this morning...thinking about how little time I have left here. Only two weeks. I can't believe how fast it has gone by. I am trying not to think about it too much, but it will definitely be hard to leave these people that have grown so dear to my heart.
Until next week.....
Laura
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