Sometimes God’s favor is right in front
of your face, almost undeniable. It’s an incredible feeling to know
that the God of creation is on your side ready and waiting to back
you up with an everlasting love that can move mountains.
This was the revelation that my friend
Nat received this past week. I met Nat while she was working at a bar
in Pattaya, Thailand. She is 24 years old and her reason for secretly
working in the bars was to not be a financial burden on her parents.
The very first moment I laid eyes on her I could see the Holy Spirit
on her, she seemed to glow and peace was written across her face. I
thought to myself, God is awfully fond of this one!
Nat received this past week. I met Nat while she was working at a bar
in Pattaya, Thailand. She is 24 years old and her reason for secretly
working in the bars was to not be a financial burden on her parents.
The very first moment I laid eyes on her I could see the Holy Spirit
on her, she seemed to glow and peace was written across her face. I
thought to myself, God is awfully fond of this one!
I had about 45 minutes to talk with her
before our group was supposed to meet back up… I hardly talked the
whole time, Nat was a little chatter bug. Through my translator, Nat
told me about how she knew about God and how she once ordered
christian books from a television show. She was excited to tell me
that she liked my God. All i could do is giggle with her, she
delighted my soul! I did manage to tell her that I could feel and see
God’s Holy Spirit with her, she blushed.
The usual routine with YWAM’s Tamar
Center is to go to a different street of the bar area every time they
go out trying to simply extend an invitation to their free English
classes and to share Christ’s love. I couldn’t bare the thought of
not going back to see this beautiful young girl again, so our team
(Patrice, Andi, Meredith, Tammy and myself) made sure that we
returned to the girls who made an impact on our hearts. We returned to
see Nat a few times a week. We would show up to chat, and pray with
her. Her face lit up each time we came. We also really felt like it
wasn’t necessary to shove the gospel down her throat but to show her
what a true and loving relationship looks like by being good friends
to her.
Center is to go to a different street of the bar area every time they
go out trying to simply extend an invitation to their free English
classes and to share Christ’s love. I couldn’t bare the thought of
not going back to see this beautiful young girl again, so our team
(Patrice, Andi, Meredith, Tammy and myself) made sure that we
returned to the girls who made an impact on our hearts. We returned to
see Nat a few times a week. We would show up to chat, and pray with
her. Her face lit up each time we came. We also really felt like it
wasn’t necessary to shove the gospel down her throat but to show her
what a true and loving relationship looks like by being good friends
to her.
On our last night visiting the bars,
again we went to see Nat. We invited her to come to church with us on
Sunday and gave her our cell number. After our visit we prayed and
left. I wondered if that would be the last time i see her. Really,
would she step out and come to church? I prayed a lot that night. We
had been there for 3 weeks visiting her, and she hadn’t made any huge
life changes or anything, I surrendered my concerns to The Lord and
assured myself that even if I see no results I cannot forget the
seeds we have planted in her heart and the truths we have shared with
her, she was our friend and she wouldn’t forget what we shared with
her. The rest was in God’s hands.
again we went to see Nat. We invited her to come to church with us on
Sunday and gave her our cell number. After our visit we prayed and
left. I wondered if that would be the last time i see her. Really,
would she step out and come to church? I prayed a lot that night. We
had been there for 3 weeks visiting her, and she hadn’t made any huge
life changes or anything, I surrendered my concerns to The Lord and
assured myself that even if I see no results I cannot forget the
seeds we have planted in her heart and the truths we have shared with
her, she was our friend and she wouldn’t forget what we shared with
her. The rest was in God’s hands.
Sunday morning came, no phone call from
Nat. We jumped on to the back of the truck and headed to church. As I
walked down the street where our church sat nestled among the bars,
there she was smiling from ear to ear. I let out a scream of
excitement and ran to hug her. She joined us in the service where she
began to tell me some details of her life. Come to find out a man had
led her to Christ a while ago, but she didn’t have any discipleship so
she did not understand that this was a choice of a new lifestyle, she
had no answers and no guidance. This was great news and I instantly
saw the Lord’s hand at work. I said to her, “Nat, can you see? This
is God! He heard you that very day when you invited Him into your
life! He took you seriously and He then began the work of getting us
5 missionaries over here to become your friends! He knew we would
love you like He loves you! He knew that you needed some special
people to come and breathe hope back into you! He has plans for you,
ya know!” with tears in her eyes she said ” YES! I know, because
last Friday night after you prayed with me, I decided to leave the
bars! I want to be with my family, I want to go back to school!”
Nat. We jumped on to the back of the truck and headed to church. As I
walked down the street where our church sat nestled among the bars,
there she was smiling from ear to ear. I let out a scream of
excitement and ran to hug her. She joined us in the service where she
began to tell me some details of her life. Come to find out a man had
led her to Christ a while ago, but she didn’t have any discipleship so
she did not understand that this was a choice of a new lifestyle, she
had no answers and no guidance. This was great news and I instantly
saw the Lord’s hand at work. I said to her, “Nat, can you see? This
is God! He heard you that very day when you invited Him into your
life! He took you seriously and He then began the work of getting us
5 missionaries over here to become your friends! He knew we would
love you like He loves you! He knew that you needed some special
people to come and breathe hope back into you! He has plans for you,
ya know!” with tears in her eyes she said ” YES! I know, because
last Friday night after you prayed with me, I decided to leave the
bars! I want to be with my family, I want to go back to school!”
I cannot tell you the freedom that was
flowing through her, you could taste change when talking to her. I
shared more scriptures with her told the importance of
discipleship.
This week Nat goes home. Her parents
live in Cambodia, what a coincidence, our last stop on this trip! We
will try to meet up with Nat and introduce her to the YWAM base
there.
live in Cambodia, what a coincidence, our last stop on this trip! We
will try to meet up with Nat and introduce her to the YWAM base
there.
Our God is good, and He is in favor of
Nat’s future!
Nat’s future!
Please pray for Nat. Pray that she stands firm in her decision to go home, and that the Lord will continue to bring the right people into her life to encourage her and strengthen her, and that the Holy Spirit will lead her through the healing she needs so that she can walk into the abundant life of freedom promised her by her Savior.
