Her name was Meem - By Jenna Gilbert

Tonight was the first night I helped with the kids ministry. I have done

children’s ministry before but never in a red light district so I was unsure what to

expect. As we sat outside the bar one of the tauts brought her daughter over and

said her name was Meem.

What drew me to Meem was not only that she was an adorable two year old

but that also she was so innocent. Her mom, who was the taut stayed around us and

would say, “Meem, Meem” and then show a gesture she would want Meem to mimic.

At first it was cute things like doing their traditional Thai greeting, but as time went

by the gestures get more and more flirtatious like puckering her lips and putting her

finger to her cheek… Which was also the pose she would do when anyone had a

camera. The thing was that she was, as two year old, so oblivious to what she was

doing. She has no idea that she is being groomed to work in the very bars that we

were sitting outside of.

It broke my heart in ways I can’t explain to see this happening. Not only was

it happing to Meem but thousands of other children around the world. The grow up

thinking this is normal and at the same time feeling the emptiness inside that can

only be filled by Christ as their Lord.

Although it broke my heart to se Meem as a young puppet and not knowing

it, it has also been a good experience. It has reminded me of just how much

influence we have on younger generations and why God says train up a child in the

way they should go and when they are older they shall not depart.