You’d think you’d find this sign on a “happy street”. Perhaps a nice, peaceful main road, full of shops and homes with nice families, children playing games on the sidewalk and pets running around in the mix.
Not a street full of bars, dark alleys, and guesthouses that can 
be rented by the hour.
Some of the most emotional- and powerful- hours of our time in Cambodia were spent on this street. Alli took us there, pointed out popular bars for western sex tourists, and shared her dream of a ministry nearby, a place where the girls can learn about freedom, find hope… and hopefully, begin to seek healing.
You’d think something so seedy as sex tourism would be in the dark corners of Phnom Penh. But that isn’t so. It’s printed in flyers, advertising bars and clubs with women (or men) to suit desire. It’s posted on the back of tuk-tuks (public transportation), advertising “hot spots” for western tourists to visit… on the signs of the “establishments”. The picture to the left is of a handwritten sign on a balcony of a room, advertising its rates for certain times. You find yourself assuming that every white male you see is only there for one reason- and for the most part… you’re right.
We went to one bar in particular that I will never forget, called the Candy Bar. Instructed by Alli to act as tourists. We were able to do that easily with our Nikons, snapping away as if we had no idea what was going on. From the street, we could see a man groping a girl inside. Then we walked in. A man in the corner, surrounded by half a dozen women, waved us over. I didn’t know why he was waving at us and I looked away. But Connie realized he was asking for us to take his picture.
We left, and continued down the street, but neither of us could forget the Candy Bar. It was hot… high ninety-degrees in the middle of a sunny day. So Connie and I walked back into the bar and ordered drinks- a Coke and water.
The man in the corner, this time with only one girl at his side, waved Connie over and asked for a picture. She asked the girl’s permission, who nodded as well. Then she snapped this picture.
**Photo below by Connie Rock**
Ugh. And yet… Christ died for him too.
When our drinks arrived, we had one girl assigned to serve us. She refilled our glasses and picked up things if we dropped them. We tried to talk with her, to learn her name and something about her. To let her know that she mattered. For the record, we weren’t entirely convinced “she” wasn’t male (ladyboys are common there and her body looked quite masculine). We learned that she had two children, a boy and a girl, and she was 28 years old- one year older than me. Our conversation was limited because she spoke little English and we spoke no Khmer, but hopefully she felt loved in those few moments. She allowed me to take a picture of her and Connie, so I did (it’s below)… notice the western man in the back of the photo. So sad.
Trafficking is everywhere… and anyone can be trafficked in Cambodia. 
Women, teens male and female, children… even babies. They are often sold by their own parents, told that it is the only way their families will be able to eat. While we were there, we met 3 children who were being taken every night to a guesthouse by two men–one who preferred the girl and the other who preferred the boys. If you think about it, please pray for these three specifically, as well as for the thousands of others who are enslaved across the world.
You might have a lot of questions. I know I did… and I still do. Hopefully, in the next few posts I will be able to address those questions. Tomorrow we’re going to talk about how all this started. The next day, I’ll tell you about anti-trafficking ministries/NGOs you can be praying for. Friday will be more lighthearted, with fun stories and pictures from our trip.
For now, I just want to close this asking for prayer. Prayer for those mentioned above. Prayer for those living in Southeast Asia as missionaries/aid workers. Prayer for strength, protection, wisdom… for freedom.
This is a picture of a brothel on the streets of Phnom Penh. (Photo by Connie Rock).
Until tomorrow….
**All photos, unless specified, by Kristen Torres-Toro.**
