A good friend of mine passed a man on the streets of Bangkok and hasn’t lost thought of him since. This man has no legs, and with one hand, pulls himself up and down the crowded sidewalks of the shopping district every night, led by an empty bowl for change. He is kicked, stepped over, ignored, and rejected by many of the thousands that pass him daily. I was asked to find him, listen to his story, tell him about Jesus, and offer a wheelchair from my friend. Easy enough, right?
As suspected, this man is under the control of a gang. He was trafficked from Cambodia at a young age, then disabled (had his legs cut off). Everyone knows the worse you look, the more money you’ll bring in. What he earns is immediately pocketed by the gang leader, who has total control over these peoples lives. This man was one of oh, so many, and was hesitant to share details. If anyone were to find out he talked to us, he’d be beaten.
I brought my closest friend from work to translate, and the three of us sat on the filthy pavement for about half an hour. Before we left, I asked if we could pray with him – ALL eyes on us. He gave a sincere nod, and held our hands. My friend prayed, and I must say… I was SOOO proud of her! It’s one thing for me to lie on the sidewalk holding the hands of an exile – I’m foreign, so these things are expected. But for a Thai woman who is normally so reserved and concerned about everyone’s opinion, she was incredible. He knows about God, and said he prays when he needs help.
I left feeling… uncertain. How am I supposed to truly help this man? If we give him money, it goes back into the hands of monsters. He was willing to accept the wheelchair, but I honestly believe it will get sold. Wheelchair = less desolate appearance = not as much income. Please keep this man in prayer, but if you have ANY ideas on ways we might be able to help him, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE share them. I’m genuinely at a loss.
When I talked about this with Marcus, he asked about the feeling of helplessness… why God put this situation in my life… and if there’s anything to be learned from it. I guess it reminds me that in many ways, we’re almost always helpless. But through God’s grace, and learning to depend on it, anything is possible…
Photoless posts should be illegal, but I didn’t feel it was appropriate to photograph the man. Therefore, I’ve included a pic from my shoot with Manny. I could be corny and say something like… “what do you really see when you look in the mirror”… but I’d rather not say anything at all. Ha.
Leaving at 7am for a three-day youth camp outside of Bangkok, then I’m off to Cambodia. Looking forward to sharing the deets. Love.
Tags: AIDS relief., Bangkok, Gina Meola Photography, Missionary work, Missions, Siam-Care, Thailand
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