The Call for Restoration
I walked into the kitchen area of our Center this morning and found *Nan leaning over the sink, whimpering and sobbing. She hasn’t showed up to work for the past three days and I was concerned about her. I touch her arm and she flinches, then turns around. As she shows me the inside of her mouth, I see her back molar is cracked and swollen with infection. “I want it out” she says to me as she turns back to the sink and I realize I walked up on her trying to pull it out with her bare hands. Yikes. I go get Jim and she starts explaining to him more detail in Thai. We decide that she needs dental attention stat and I offer to take her. Off we go to catch a song tau down the street to the clinic. After being examined, Nan is told she cannot have anything done today b/c the infection is too swollen around the tooth. We get her some pain meds prescribed by the doctor and I think that is it for the day. But it was only the beginning.
Nan’s story is incredible, in that horiffic sort of way. Trafficked into the Chang Mai bar scene at age 12, Nan spent many of her formative years pouring drinks and becoming the object of lust for the western men that frequented her bars. Before being trafficked, her home scene wasn’t the Brady bunch either, from what I can gather. She has four young children, one fathered by a French boyfriend that is now long gone. Drug addiction, sketchy boyfriends, and poor health are permanent fixtures in her life. We want to move her and her children over to Center 1 to live, but are afraid she might have TB and need to get her tested before we expose our other students. Jim says her story and background is the worst he has encountered after 5 years working with this population. She is a hard worker, but comes into work late (or not at all) with explanations that just don’t add up. Today, after we were done at the clinic, Nan was told not to come back to work, that she needed to rest and she had no showed the three days prior anyway. She proceeds to become semi hysterical saying she can’t go home, that she owes people money there, and that she has to work today so she could earn that money. Bea (the Thai woman that is one of the head staff here at the Well) was firm in her stance, but asked me to give her 150 baht so her kids would have food that night. She could show back up the next day. I stood outside the dentist office with Nan, uncertain of what to do. She was pretty inconsolable and adamant about not going home. She speaks pretty good English, but between the language barrier, her hysteria, and not knowing the whole story, I didn’t know what to do. I finally allowed her to come back to the center with me to talk to Jim. I left her with him, hoping he could get through to her. When I returned from lunch, Nan seemed to be gone. About an hour later, Jim motioned for me to come outside. “This would be good for you to observe”, he said.
I found Nan out under one of our covered benches, looking almost catatonic. Jim told me she went over to one of our student’s houses and pretty much broke down. Now, she just looked exhausted, sprawled on the bench not responding to anything I said. I sat with her for awhile, just rubbing her back, praying in the Spirit-words were few at that point. Jim came and sat down across from us. “This is exactly why we need a place for some of these girls to go. To rest, heal, and just be. Right now, we are just setting her up for failure, because at this point she is not capeable of living up to the expectations we have set for our students. She needs something more.” “Like a restoration home?” I replied. “Yeah, I would kill for a place like that. It is a great need that is just not being met here.”
I am at this weird place of discovering need, while in the midst trying to decipher what God’s intentions of showing me this need is. Is it for me to pray? That I can do. Make others aware? Likely. Start a restoration home for the most broken women of Thailand? Umm….
I am asking you to join me in prayer. For a remnant in the Body to rise up and be Isaiah 61 to Nan and the many, many other women that need time, space and grace to pick up the pieces and be restored.
*name has been changed.
UPDATE: We ended up giving Nan the 250 baht she said she desperately needed to repay her debt. She promised to be into work the next day (today). She has yet to return. Pray that she will.
ahhhh….this story kills me. what a day…
I’m glad you were there Jess…though I know it seems futile, it’s not. God’s showing you this stuff for a reason.
I’m praying for clarity and for Nan and the millions like her that need something more than the Christian programs we have that just aren’t quite cutting it.
Love you dear friend.
wow. this distills the urgency of our task. i’m working to get you more help. if anybody wants to help, pls get in touch with me.
Man, what a story. Slaps me across the face with what I have to be thankful for. Jess, you are there to serve the Lord. You can do that in both “small and big ways.” Who knows, perhaps you are there to start a restoration home or perhaps you are there to tell people about Jesus. Neither one a simple task. Just as you do at home, take one day at a time and simply do what you came to do. Show love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. Sounds like you have been given many opportunities to do that. God Bless you and I am praying for you and the people you are trying to reach. Love you, love you, love you.