Urgent prayer

Hey guys,

I know you are already praying for what is going on over here, but I have a specific request. Two girls who have already become very dear to us have some serious stuff going on, and we need such prayer for them. One situation is specifically being handled within the next few days. The stuff you are about to read is pretty intense, so if you do not want to read, it is understandable.

Thank you again for all the prayers you already have put forth! The Lord hears and He answers beautifully.

Because He Chose the Nails, Janette

This is straight from Bonita and Roy's prayer letter:

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Beginnings brushes with trafficking victims regularly. While we work with women in the sex trade, it is inexorably linked to human trafficking. The following is a tale of my experience as a trafficker!

For two years we have enjoyed a young woman (age 12 at arrival – now 14) in our Beginnings family. We’ll call her Pon. She is delightful. She loves Jesus. She is playful. She is creative. And she is illegal.

She was abandoned by her mother at birth and raised by her grandmother who died just before her journey to Bangkok. While we have spent hours searching the internet for her possible homeland and village, it has been to no avail. Her recollections mostly resemble Burma, but we are not certain. She has no ID card, no mother, no father, no siblings, no nationality, no homeland.

Because she is at such high risk of being “caught” and then of being trafficked, we have been vigorously seeking a way to protect her with legal papers. (Both the military and Thai police are notoriously corrupt and have been accused in multiple trafficking cases.)

A friend from Laos who has helped others gain residency said she could help. After questions, prayers, and tears, we sent Pon with our friend on the twelve hour bus ride to Laos. The bus was stopped eight times by police who boarded looking for illegals. Pon hid in the bathroom but was discovered at the last stop. Because she was heading “home” to Laos, she was allowed to leave – not on the bus but on the back of three different motorcycles driven by three different men through the jungle -- alone. God protected her.

After two days of meeting with various officials, it was determined that Pon would NOT be able to obtain papers there – unless we wanted to pay off the officials for their corrupt demand of about $5000.

Now the most difficult dilemma: How do we get her BACK?

After hours of heavy silence, prayer and tears, our plan was to rent a van and driver and travel all night to Ubon (at the Laos border) where we would pick up Pon and, prayerfully, “traffick” her back to Beginnings.

Before Ubon we were stopped twice by police. We all had papers so we were allowed to advance. We counted at least 15 police stops on the other side of the road – we would have to pass through AFTER we had Pon.

We slept in the van for a few hours and then met a tearful, frightened Pon and friend. We determined we would take the northern route, assuming there might be fewer stops. Before the northern turnoff we were stopped twice. The officers looked in each of the van windows, asked multiple questions and even identified our “sleeping” Pon as a foreigner --- and then told us to have a good trip. God protected us!

We were not exempt from stops even on the northern route. We approached the first turnout where the police had stopped a bus and two vans. We were waved on. God protected us!

We came to the next turnout where the bus had been unloaded and passengers were holding up their ID cards. We were waved on. God protected us!

At the next turnout, four police had stopped a couple vans and were busy with the inspection. Two other police were talking, looked at us but did not seem to see us. We drove on. God protected us!

Lunch, back roads and hours later we were approaching the place where the northern route connects with the southern route about 100 kilometers outside of Bangkok. We knew this would be the most difficult. In anticipation, we stopped at a large vegetable stand. There we pondered, purchased, prayed and finally returned to the van. Within minutes an enormous cloud gathered above and it rained torrentially. The clouds seemed extraordinarily full of water. We passed at least four police stops – saw their cones and flags – but never saw them. God protected us. Even the winds and waves obey Him. What a mighty God we serve!!

We reached Bangkok without incident. When pulling off the freeway onto our street, Pon talked for the first time in twelve hours. She was home! We were home!! --- So young, so vulnerable, so frightened, she experienced the protective hand of God in her life. It is a lesson none of us will soon forget.

******* Another of our residents cannot boast the same story. Len was also trafficked from Laos. She, however, was not loved by her traffickers. She was made to wait in the jungle for many hours. While there she was gang-raped by several men and told that if she did not cooperate they would leave her in the jungle to die. When the refrigerated truck came by for the pick up, the back door swung open and it was packed with women and young children. There was no room. They were told to make room. The largest of the women got in first and the lighter sat on their shoulders for the entire twelve hour trip to Bangkok. They were then sold to various labor and sex establishments. Len was sold for sex. We found her in one of the bars we often visit. Pray for Len. The same God who protected Pon, loves Len and has brought her to this place of safety and hope.

Pray for Len, for Pon and for our continued struggle with finances. You are pivotal to this ministry and we love you!!

Blessings, Roy and Bonita