Jennifer

On Thursday night, half of our intern team had the opportunity to prayer walk through the red light district in downtown Manila. I was a little nervous and scared about what I might see and experience down there. One of the SP staff here, Cora, guided us through the crowded streets. We took a jeepney and then walked for about 30 minutes. We walked up and down a few streets that were dotted with clubs and hotels. Prostitution is illegal in the Philippines. But there are several clubs where women dance around in bikinis and then get to know their guests. The clubs are often 'conveniently' located next door to an hourly hotel. This gives the girls an opportunity to make arrangements and get some more money on the side. I guess it's not unusual for one of these hourly hotels to rake in around $25,000 per night! A very lucrative business opportunity.
I really didn't see anything out of the ordinary walking up and down the streets. The clubs just looked like innocent karaoke bars from the street. We then walked up and over some of the pedestrian walkways in the area where a lot of the girls and their pimps hang out to find customers. We tried to talk to a couple of the girls, but they were not really interested in sharing their lives with a random group of Christians. But then we walked up to Jennifer. It seemed pretty awkward at first... all 7 of us nervously crowding around her, not really sure what to do next. She seemed a bit confused and overwhelmed, but nice and open to talking. Cora asked her a bunch of questions in Tagalog about her life and her job as a prostitute. She shared with us that she was 20 years old and had a young son that lived with his grandparents out in the country. She would like to have a real job, but doesn't know how or what to do to make more money than she does in her current arrangement. She tells us that she usually has about 1 to 3 clients each night, each paying around 300 pesos (about $7). She's out here every night, trying to make enough money to get by and send to her son. She dreams of a day when she can return to see him. We each ask her a question or two... she's starting to seem a little more comfortable with us. We ask if we can pray for her and then surround her right there on the overpass to lift up her prayers to God. It feels overwhelming and a little scary... but I feel honored to be able to pray for our new friend.
She seems so young. As we say goodbye and walk away to find a jeepney home, I am completely overwhelmed with sadness and anger and confusion. I wish I could just save her! Why does she have to feel forced to earn money this way? Why does this 'profession' even have to exist? Why, God? Please save Jennifer, Lord... pull her from the darkness! I feel completely helpless. All I can do is pray. Lord, I trust that you will bring redemption to this broken world. Thanks for letting me meet your precious daughter, Jennifer.