In the Right Place

   This past week we did a prayer walk in the biggest city in Goa, Margoa. One of our ministry partners is trying to start a ministry there working in the red light district, so we came to cover the area in prayer. We first went to a slum on the outskirts of the city and walked through to pray for the tuition kids in the area and for that ministry in particular. After that we headed into the center of the city. Margoa is very crowded and very busy. We weaved in and out of cars and buses and people and motorcycles and finally made it to this wall with a gate. We really had no idea where we were, however this was completely normal. We’ve defiantly had to learn how to go with the flow and be ready for anything. I knew we were in the red light district, and if I wouldn’t have known already then I wouldn’t have guessed that’s where I was. Everything seemed normal, shops were open, men and women walking around. Nothing weird. That is until we entered the gate. Almost as if to warn us, a man missing a leg lay half conscous at the entrance. We walked in. Now we were in a giant field. There were a lot of men around, not unusual. Some were playing cricket across the field. As we observed more of our surroundings we saw more and more men who were injured and a lot of men coming out through a gate close by. That’s when my instincts set in, I was not in a good place. We walked towards the gate where the men were coming from. Out ministry partner then told us we were looking at a brothel. Inside that gate was a yellow house with a large porch. On the porch sat about 4 men and maybe 2 women. The men stared at us, again, not unusual. The women however had their eyes cast down and seemed dead to the world. This was only one of the many brothels inside that gate. Before we had time to respond we were walking over towards the gate. As our ministry partner went forward, closer, two young boys around the ages of 12 and 15 came running up to us from the brothel. They were both eerily smiling and waving for us to come closer. As our leader spoke to them in Hindi I knew things were not right. The boys started yelling “One-Hundred rupees!” and making ‘X’s’ with their fingers. Then they ran back. We left. As we left we were told that our leader was asking for us to enter the brothel area to pray for the red light district. The boys responded that we would’ve been beat up, had our money stolen and the police would’ve been called. I instantaneously thanked God that we had already left.