Thailand is a month that has caused me to struggle to find words to tell any of the many stories I heard and was a part of. We saw so much brokenness and sadness but at the same time so much hope and joy. I don’t know how to explain my month without leaving anything out, so here are a few snippets of what happened during my time in Thailand:
Team Changes:
The month began with a team change as the guys on our team went to be on a team of just men while the girls on my team and I became a team with the four girls on the other coed team. Although we were bummed to change teams after just two months we were super stoked about what God would do on our new team, especially once we found out that we would be spending our month in the beautiful city Phuket. Team changes are always a little tricky, but the women I got to serve with made the change easy. We were able to quickly find ways to love each other well as we pursued God together and tried to make Him known in our new community.
Community:
The first day we arrived in Phuket I discovered community would be something I would love most about where we were. After having a full day of orientation to the ministry and the city we went to our first Friday night Nepali bible study that began at 11pm that night. Although everyone had busy lives and crazy work schedules they still figured out a time to meet together as a community, even if that meant starting at 11pm and going until 2am. Friday night quickly became one of my favorites. I loved the community that instantly welcomed us. We would drink coffee, sing songs, share testimonies, and study the bible together before sharing a meal. It was encouraging to be around people who had so much hope and joy and wanted to share that with those around them.
We also were able to connect with others who had previously been on the race who came to Phuket for a variety of reasons and purposes. Especially with my race being more than halfway over it was awesome to hear about other people’s experiences on their race as well as their lives after they went home.
Bar ministry/ Valentines Day:
Thailand is an absolutely beautiful country. There is an abundance of natural beauty everywhere you look. Unfortunately, this beauty often masks the darkness that is found on some of the streets of Thailand. Often we are so focused on the beauty, that we bypass and don’t acknowledge some of the terrible things that are happening just around the corner from that beauty. Our focus in Phuket was attempting to bring light to some of the darker areas.
There is a road in Phuket called Bangla. Bangla is a road that I can’t, and don’t really want, to describe accurately. There are women selling their bodies in order to support their children. There are people shoving flyers in your face of what or who you can buy. There are people buying women and tickets to shows to fill their desires.
As we talked to our hosts about vision of what we could do they told us that many of the women in this industry actually make a decent amount of money in Phuket. They told us the only way many of the women would choose to leave would be if they accepted Jesus. Without Jesus they won’t be able to see how loved and beautiful they truly are. So we went to Bangla road during the day and at night. We became friends with the women, and men. We talked to them and played pool with them. We did all of this so they could get a glimpse of how much Jesus loves them.
We were in Phuket for Valentine’s Day and were able to be part of an amazing event. Our hosts along with all of the other churches in the area worked on an outreach to the women and men working on and around Bangla. Collectively we were able to pass out 1000 roses and 1000 gift bags. The bags were full of make up with flyers for English classes and free hair-styling events which would allow our hosts to continue deeper relationships with the women. We were able to give them something with no expectations of getting anything in return. We were able to tell them that all of this was because Christ loves them the most.
Preparing to distribute the flowers and bags
I Will Listen:
After going to the crazy road Bangla night after night befriending the women there, we realized that the issue isn’t just that women are choosing to work in those places to support their families. The issue is the demand those women are filling. Not only do these women need the hope and love that can only be fully found in Jesus, but the people coming to the street choosing to pour their money into supporting this industry- they need Jesus just as much as the women do, as I do, as anyone does. As long as there are people supporting that road we will never solve the problem no matter how many women we help to get out. So we went out with signs that said “I will listen.” And that’s what we did. We heard stories of people being robbed, fighting for custody of their children, desire for love, a desire for adventure. We heard such a wide range of stories from the wide range of people along the road. We were able to hear other people’s thoughts on the street where we were standing and speak a little bit of truth into people’s lives. But mostly we were there to listen and show a piece of love to the people we were meeting.
Another World Race team was partnering with our hosts this past month and took our same signs to the same road. There are new tourists there everyday; I’m glad that there are people continuing to strive to bring light to such a dark road.
Parent Vision Trip:
At the end of the month my parents were able to come out and join me on my trip! We were in Chaing Mai for the week and had time where we were able to do ministry together as well as just explore Thailand together. While my parents were able to see a glimpse of what my month had consisted of as we also went out to pray for and love the women in the bars of Chaing Mai. Much of my time on the Race can’t fully be communicated in words and pictures so it was a huge blessing that my parents could come out and be a part of my experience and get more of an understanding of what my life has been like while being gone.
