Country #5- an unexpected stop

Looking back at the Central Train Station in Amsterdam

  Amsterdam was a completely unexpected stop for me...well, I knew that I had a layover, but I didn't remember that it was a long layover, long enough to explore a bit. When I realized that I had a five hour layover and that I could get to the center with just a 20 minute train ride, and that the train departed right from the airport, well, that settled the matter for me. I put my backpack in a storage locker and headed right out without a map, having no idea where I was going, and hoping that I wouldn't lose myself in the process. Well, losing yourself would be quite a difficult task, but you know what I mean. I digress.

It seems like everyone rides bikes in almost every country in Europe(except Ukraine)

So, by the time I got off the plane, pottied, went through security, got a train ticket, put my backpack in storage, and got on the train, I calculated that I would have approximately an hour and a half to explore before getting back on the train to head back to the airport, collect my backpack, and go back through security again. I needed breakfast, also, since I had left for the Warsaw airport at 4am and arrived in Amsterdam at 9am- so that cut into my time, as well.

The beautiful old church from the 13th century

As is normal for my wanderings, they don't always turn out as one would expect, and this one was no exception. When you wander without a map, occasionally you see things that you wouldn't normally see. In this case, I headed out of the Central Train Station in Amsterdam and immediately saw a beautiful old church in the distance. Well, that seemed like a no-brainer for me to go check out, so I set off, taking pictures along the way. After some time, I started to wind my way back through little cobble stone streets chock full of beautiful old buildings, with gorgeous flowers hanging in the windows. What was incongruous with what I was seeing in the buildings was what I was smelling, and attempting to walk around. Filth covered the ground, and the odor of alcohol and urine was all around. Small street sweeping machines were busily brushing up all the evidences from the previous night's events. I realized that I was obviously in an area that was known for partying- bars abounded and I began to see gay flags, sex shops, and other stores dedicated to debauchery, basically. As I turned the final corner to the old church, I saw two well worn women in their underwear standing in doorways under redlights that were turned off. And it instantly hit me...I had wandered right into Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District- the district famous the world over for legalized prostitution.

The main street of the Red Light District

But, since it was 10am, and nice and sunny, and seemed fairly safe, I kept exploring. The main street of the district runs along a beautiful canal, and if you didn't know what the red lights on the buildings signified, and you were only there during the daylight hours, you'd really have no reason to suspect what occurs there at night. I wandered for about 15 minutes before the thought came to me that I was alone in an area famous for sex trafficking, and that there were many more men wandering near me than women. At that point I made a hasty exit for the main streets to continue my wandering.

Back out in a more mainstream touristy part of Amsterdam

As I was recounting my wanderings to someone, I was asked how I felt upon seeing the women standing in those doorways under the red lights. Here are my thoughts: I was heartbroken for these women, who for various reasons have found themselves in this position of needing to sell their bodies to support themselves. They may have possibly entered this trade willingly, but most of them enter by force. Their bodies are sold and traded by men and they're seen as nothing more than a means of gratifying a man's usually deviant sexual needs. They're stripped of their humanity, and told that their only value is in pleasing the paying customer. Even if they wanted to escape this life and had the ability to do so, where do they go from here? How do they start a new life? How do they believe that they can do anything else than be someone else's slave? I thought of all these who are out there all over the world, seeking to help free these lost souls from human trafficking and sexual slavery. And while I respect all those who work so hard to free these lost ones from sexual slavery, I particularly thought of those who know Christ and desire to bring these dear ones to know the Only One who can truly bring them ultimate freedom and healing from all that they have experienced. Please pray for those workers out there who serve everyday in much danger- to free those without any hope and bring them to know the One who loves them so incredibly much that He gave everything so that they might be truly set free.