May 14, 2013 | Human Trafficking

Are You Ready for Your “Yes”?

In May 2012, Lexie Saxion packed her bags and left on a mission trip to Thailand. Immersed in the redlight culture of Bangkok, she found herself questioning the reasons God led her there. Was her presence actually making any difference? Why did she say "yes" to this trip?

The first in night in Thailand, we walked the noisy streets of the redlight district and prayed. We prayed for freedom from oppression and strength for our own hearts.

The next night was our first time in the bars. We sat and talked with girls, buying them drinks and giving them bracelets. I left the bar exhausted; drained of my faith and confused about my purpose there.

The third night we got ready for our ministry, knowing we would probably leave feeling defeated. Our decision was still ‘yes.’ So again we went back into the Redlight. Some of us played with children outside the clubs, while others went back to the bars. We sat, bought them drinks, and prayed for a miracle.

We asked ourselves the question: "Should we even be going into the bars? Is our presence making any difference? Is it really worth it?"

Today, we got our answer.

Walking into a room of ex-prostitutes, we saw her. One of the women from the previous night was sitting in front of us. When we talked to her, she said in broken English, "I no more go go dancer."

She was an answer to prayer. She was the miracle we've been waiting for.
Before traveling the thousands of miles Thailand and meeting this woman, we said yes to God in our hearts. Yes to raising money, praying hard, packing bags, and traveling alone. Yes to resisting fear, fighting insecurity, and learning to love. It's that initial yes that keeps us going into the bars every night. And it's the same yes that grows our faith as we hope for what we do not always see.