During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, NightLight Bangkok partnered with a church in the city to begin giving bags of food to neighbors in need in the red light district. At a time when our usual outreach and ministry activities were disrupted, the food bags gave us a way of providing tangible help to the people around us who were suffering so greatly.
Today, we're still distributing food bags once a month. Why? We discovered something beautiful through this outreach: our relationships with neighbors have deepened and doors have opened that we weren't even aware of before.
A unique aspect of life in Bangkok is the busyness of the city and the diverse group of people that interact each day here. To a tourist, they may see a bustling street full of random people who may never cross paths again. But to our team in Bangkok, everyone from the street food vendors, to the cluster of tuk-tuk drivers who gather under a large tree up the block, to the staff at the 7-eleven store on the corner is part of our larger community. They all have eyes on situations happening around us in the Red Light district, knowledge about the web of relationships here, and influence that may help at specific times. They're also uniquely loved and valued by the God we serve.
Giving food bags has given us an opportunity to bless our neighbors, connect with them in a deeper way, and foster relationships that help NightLight's mission of reaching out to, rescuing, and restoring those being impacted by sexual exploitation here in Bangkok. We're grateful for the continued support from ECB church in this effort.