I want to tell you about my friend and roommate Rose. She gave me permission to post this blog and a picture of her (my English-speaking Thai friends helped translate…). Actually, she started out as a girl that came into the SHE shop crying, desperate to leave the bars, seeking employment, wondering if the job offer from a couple months ago was still valid. That day, she sorted out the details with the British missionary couple (Sharon & Mark). 
The biggest issue: housing. Many of these girls have housing provided by the bars. So when they leave the bars, they also abandon their current housing. And since Patong is a tourist area, housing seems somewhat expensive relative to typical income.
As a temporary fix, Mark and Sharon allowed Rose to live above the shop, where we currently reside. So on our second day in Patong, the WR girls in my room received a fifth roommate.
Rose is a sweetie. She is a hard worker, taking few breaks during the workday. She always tries to clean after meals; we often have to kick her out of the kitchen, encouraging her to relax for once. She gave me a hat that’s really popular in Phuket. (See the picture…The hat is actually for a closed-door bar in our ministry area; it’s kind of like Hard Rock Café attire popular in America. A very sweet gift from my new friend.) Our biggest challenge: Communication. I speak about 7 words in Thai. She speaks just a few words more in English. So the “Easy Thai” book that Kim (January WR’er) lent to me has come in handy many times. And I’m becoming an expert at charades.
The first evening Rose was staying with us, one of the WR girls stayed behind from the bar ministry and watched movies (in English) with Rose. The next evening, before heading out, I found a Thai and English New Testament down in the SHE shop. Rose had seen me reading my Bible earlier. I handed her the book, encouraging her to start in the first chapter of Matthew (after the “begats”). Usually I have people read John first. But I felt like the Lord wanted her to start in Matthew.
I was just finishing Matthew in my daily time with God, so we both read our own Bibles for a while.
When I went out to the bar ministry the next evening, Rose told me (using charades and our Easy Thai book) that she was going to read more of the Bible that evening while I was out. She flipped open to her bookmark. Rose was in Luke 9! She had already read Matthew and Mark. Later I found out that she had declined watching a movie, stating that she wanted to read instead. I pointed out John 4 as a good chapter: It’s the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, who was an outcast by society due to heritage and sinful lifestyle, yet loved and saved by Jesus. I know we are all like the Samaritan woman–in need of the Savior.
I also have been praying that God will provide housing for Rose. I asked her if I could pray with her, using pointing and Easy Thai book to show her that I was praying that God would provide for her needs. I prayed over her. She said, “God, I don’t know God.” I think she meant the English vocabulary word God. But it’s also true spiritually. Rose, like 99% of Thailand, is Buddhist. The next time I prayed for her, I briefly explained in broken phrases who God is, that He’s bigger and stronger than everything, including Buddha.
Please pray that God will clearly speak to Rose and woo her to Him. Pray that Rose will come to know Jesus’ love, that she will enjoy working and make friends at the shop, and find appropriate affordable housing. After all, I told her how my God provides for her needs. I can’t wait to blog about how He proves it to her!
And my God shall supply all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philipians 4:13.
Pictures explained: The group of girls are my girls at the SHE shop during our girls’ night. One of the girls (Kung) painted our nails with pretty decorative flowers….she’s such an artist! My nails are the green ones with pink flowers (bottom right).
