Discarded — two red packets and Bibles are left on the bench, sitting next to bawdy fliers advertising adult entertainment and cheap alcohol.

Finding this is nothing new for Southern Cross teams, but for some reason, these two red packets left behind are disheartening today. One of the volunteers stuffs them in his backpack, thinking he’ll take them back to the distribution site later. He continues on his way, prayer walking with other volunteers through one of the spiritually darkest parts of town, Walking Street.

The American men walk down the street in a single file line, watching the ground to protect their eyes from the flamboyant debauchery. The women look into the eyes of the prostitutes, silently praying for their safety and courage to break out of this lifestyle. As the group prays, they hear a cacophony of languages — Arabic, Hindi, Russian, Mandarin, Thai and Cantonese — melting together into a swirl of sound.

Something familiar breaks through the chaos.

“Do you speak English?”

Andy Parker, Victory Baptist Church, Henning, Tenn., hears the question but keeps walking. Lifting his eyes means confronting images of prostitution. He dismisses the man with the thought that the end of the street is close, surely the man can find someone else who speaks English.

“I felt convicted as I continued,” Parker says. “I can speak English. I should talk to him.”

Turning back, Parker tries to start a conversation with the man.

A few yards away, a woman stops Southern Cross worker, Keith Kaye. He brings up the rear of the praying group, making sure no one’s left behind.

“Do you speak English?” the woman asks. “Wait! Is that a Bible? I’m a Christian too! Will you pray for me?”

Kaye suggests they get all of the volunteers to pray with her. To join the team, they walk past Parker and the Chinese man. They are trying desperately to communicate but neither understands the other. Kaye hears the man say he is Chinese and stops in his tracks.

“Oh really? You’re Chinese?” Kay asks, motioning for the volunteer to get the Bible out of the backpack. “We have a present for you. We’ve got two Chinese Bibles.”

The woman stops in her tracks at the mention of a Bible.

“You have Chinese Bibles?” she asks. “I have a friend who needs one.”

She disappears into the crowd and returns with another Chinese man in tow. The two men beam as they receive the Bibles. The volunteers tell the two men about God and the many stories of his Greatness and special sacrifice that are found in the Bible. The men nod excitedly and promise to read the Bibles as they rush to rejoin their departing tour group.

“Well, now we know why you’ve found these [Bibles],” Kaye says to the team. “They were left behind.”