Return to Rahab

It’s been over eight years since we left Rahab.  Coming back is “same, same, but different”.

 Patpong looks very different with the night market being replaced by a morning market selling food and a few clothes.    I like to grab my Kah-Feh Yen or iced coffee on my way in and sometimes sticky rice and grilled chicken if I haven’t already had breakfast. 

Very few bars are open due to Covid with only a few beer bars open in the afternoons.  They are open onto the street and safer as Covid continues to be a threat in Thailand.  One Go-Go bar has a sign on its door stating it will open on the 30th April.  There are few foreigners currently in Thailand and it is difficult to see where the bar’s customers will come from as Patpong is a sex tourism area. 

Being back at Rahab reminds me of the importance of building relationships with the people you work with and the larger communities we are all part of.  It's humbling to be recognized and welcomed back by not only Rahab people, but others in the Patpong community.  Prai and Sasitorn maintain  relationships with Rahab women messaging them daily and encouraging their walk with God. We do not know who will return once the bars reopen, but it is important to build enduring relationships in preparation for when they do.