How a Ladyboy Found Freedom in the Red Light District

Sometimes it doesn’t take long to change someone’s life. Justin Farmer, of the September 2012 World Race J Squad, learned what God can do in a month when we’re willing to serve. 

His name is Q. He’s about five feet, four inches tall, like most of the Thai men around here, and from the moment I met him, I loved him.

Actually, we met him twice. The first time, he was dressed from head to toe like a woman. Blending in with all of the other ladyboys, he sat behind the bar and smiled at us. We asked for his name, and he replied, Q. Nothing more was said. He left, and we continued to talk with the other ladyboys.

Probably 10 minutes later, a young man dressed in jeans and a tank top sat next to us. From the moment I spotted him in the corner of my eye, I couldn’t stop looking at him. Not because I recognized him, but I believe God was drawing me to him. He looked lonely and innocent -way too young to be in that bar.

We made eye contact, and he smiled at me. That was my confirmation. His smile reeked of the love of Jesus. Innocent joy shot out from between his teeth and captured my heart.

I was supposed to talk to him.

I finally worked up the courage to approach him. From that moment, it was on. He was shy and awkward in conversation, but you could tell how grateful he was to have the company. And every day for the next three weeks, he showed up in the bar within minutes of us being there.

We found out that he works at the gay bar across the street. The ladyboys, women, and men that work at the bars don’t leave. They are obligated to work when they are there. They are to bring in clients and show them a good time. But every single night, he left his bar for the two hours that we were there and sat with us, laughed with us, and kicked my butt in pool.

No English on his end, no Thai on ours. But we loved each other. We found a way to be friends. We fed him and hugged him and loved him the best that we know how.

After the entire month, our time with Q came down to one last night together. We sat in our usual spot and waited, but he never showed. He was nowhere to be found. Our last night, and we didn’t get to say goodbye to him.

I was so disappointed, but I had a strange peace about it. That night was anointed, and we did our best. We loved him in the best way we knew how, and now God could take over. He was there before we got there and he’ll be there after we leave.

So I prayed for Q. I prayed for God to seek his heart and for someone that could speak Thai to offer him the gospel. I prayed that he and his brothers would escape the bar scene and the emptiness that goes with it. I can trust my God.

So we left Chiang Mai trusting in that. We went to our debrief and shared our ministry experiences with the rest of the racers. Q lay heavily on my heart.

That night I got a message from Mitchi, a long-term staff member we worked alongside this month. I was so excited to hear that she’s continuing our relationships. Then I got to the last line of the message. I began to tear up as I read it.

“More good news…Q left the bar…he went home to continue studying!”

I am still left speechless. It was nothing I said, because he couldn’t understand me. God put me in a situation where all I could do was love Q from a distance and pray on his behalf. And he took care of it.

He took my little brother out of the bars. No longer will he have to seduce foreigners. No longer will he have to be used. He can just be a 20 year old, again. He can just be Q.

Q. I will never hear that letter the same again. It’s the letter that now has a face that rests in my heart. The precious face of someone being pursued by my very own father. And I know so clearly that God will continue to work in him. To bring him freedom. I’ve seen it happen, and it will happen again. God is so good. He hears me, and he answers me. As his sons and daughters, we can rest knowing that we are heard and dearly loved by the Father.

While the reality of prostitution and human trafficking is heartbreaking, we know that there is hope. Do you have a heart for the 27 million men, women, and children trapped in human trafficking?

If you’re interested in working in Thailand with ministries that seek freedom for people enslaved by sex trafficking, we have several options:

If you’re 18-22, check out Passport Thailand.

If you’re 21-35, consider our Upcoming World Race routes.

If you’re outside those age ranges or want a shorter trip, check out our 2014 Adventures Encounter trips.