On Tuesday July 9th, our squad of 50 finally arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand! An excited and nervous bunch we were, although delirious from a 12 hour flight, a 6 hour flight and a 10 hour bus ride and a whole day lost through time zones. The thought of being in this new country overwhelmed our entire squad with joy. Wide-eyed and bushy tailed, we were ready to CHANGE THE WORLD! Our leaders quickly informed us we would be spending a few days learning about and training for our ministry. We spent the first 3 days having meetings all day long, and just as our excitement begin to turn into thoughts of "is this ever actually going to start?" a women named Emmi shared her testimony, quickly setting our passion for ministry back on fire! She shared her amazing story of a lifetime of tragedy redeemed by God's love. It was breathtaking to see this woman, so surrounded by hopelessness and yet overflowing with hope from the Lord. Her ministry, Lighthouse in Action, is composed of 4 distinct ministries: Xlife (slums/village ministry, Love Acts (bar ministry), WonGeneration (college ministry) and Zion Cafe (coffee shop ministry). Currently, we are living above the coffee shop, and already becoming familiar with this ministry, but the rest all evoked such curiosity. We could not wait to find out what ministry our team would be placed in!
As they began to describe the different ministries, my heart was so drawn to the bar ministry. I have always had a passion for trafficked women, but I wanted to be content with anything towards which I was being called. The days went on, and I became so impatient waiting to see what ministry God had for us as a team. As of today we will be beginning ministry within the bars (yay!), focusing on building relationships with the women who are in the industry. I am more than excited that God has allowed me to physically see and experience something I am so passionate about but until now have only experienced through books and documentaries. I know this month will be hard and I know I will see things that will break my heart. But these girls are lost and need the Lord, and I can't wait to love on them and bring that good news. Please keep my team and I in your prayers this month. We are already experiencing the heaviness of the situation in our hearts. In a few hours, we leave to walk the streets and get a taste of the atmosphere. To read more about lighthouse in action or to support Emmi's ministry visit lighthouseinaction.org. I am so excited about this month and I will continue to update you on everything the Lord is doing.
