Girl's don't just line up on the street corners here, they line up on the entire side of the road. They don't come out around mid-night, but they were lined up by the time of 7. I saw the desperation in their eyes...15, 16, 17, 18, 19 years old. They are still children themselves, and they are being forced to offer their bodies for money. If they do not show up with a certain amount of money the next morning. Their pimp will beat them! Prostitution has changed in Cambodia. There are less brothels, and more "entertainment centers". This has greatly complicated things. Men can now show up at an entertainment center, buy a girl, and then he has to take her off the premises to use her. This is bad because of two reasons. The first is that it has become much more difficult for the brothels to be raided and stopped. The second reason is that now a man can buy a young girl and show up at a hotel where 6 of his friends are waiting. She is not only used, but gang rapped. This is much more dangerous for the victim.
The night after we explored the red light districts of Cambodia we went to a village that is world wide known for child trafficking. 100% percent of these little girls are sold. Girls are actually brought up in this village in order to be trafficked for money. It is a terrible terrible terrible thing. We had the chance of walking this street, handing out candy, and showing the Lord's pure love. These little girls are absolutely beautiful, and their eyes were filled with such emptiness. They had a glaze over their eyes that no child should ever have. They have seen and been through more thn I will ever see or go through in my whole life. I wanted to pick them all up, make a run for it, and rescue them from the deep dark danger that they are living in, but all I could do was pick them up, look them in the eyes and say "depwa", which means, "you are BEAUTIFUL." Upon returning to the car Amanda and I cried out to the lord with tears of sadness. How could someone be so cruel? My life calling is to these children. With the Lord's help I AM going to help them! I have seen the need and now I must help. God we cry out for your children.