Nightlight Blog: "A Few Good Men, Part 1"

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2

Annie Dieselberg, founder and CEO, heads the staff at NightLight, a ministry in urban Bangkok, Thailand, that reaches out to women and children working in the bar areas of the Nana-Sukhumvit district. Located in a neighborhood with a growing sex trade, Nightlight’s vision is to share the Light of the world in both word and deed to those who live in darkness, and to combat the sexual exploitation of women and children, both Thai and foreign,

One of the means Annie uses to share her observations and experiences is her blog, a document of Nightlight's's mission to see women and children freed from the sexual exploitation of prostitution and trafficking, and to see the global church and community working together to free, heal, and restore all who have been broken and wounded through the sex trade.

A Few Good Men, Part 1

We at NightLight believe that men are part of the solution in regard to the issue of sexual exploitation. We are committed to reaching out to the men who come to Bangkok to participate in the sex industry. These following stories will highlight “a few good men” that we work with or encounter in the Nana red-light district in Bangkok ...

“I don’t have sex with the women.” I hadn’t actually asked his intentions, but a conversation with a man in the middle of the red light area is likely to end up addressing this very thing. The large, muscular man was curious about who we were, and he had approached as one of our team was doing Thai sign language with the deaf streetwalkers. He made a few signs to the women and then tried to ask questions of our team member. She was deeply involved in hand signs with the deaf, so I engaged him in conversation instead.

“Thank you. Thank you for respecting the women,” I said sincerely. His response took me by surprise. “I respect myself,” he said. “Why would I do that when I respect myself?”

I’m pretty sure that is the first time I have heard these words in the red light area. It made me stop and think ...

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