A big scary man stood in the doorway of her house. Her aunt told her to go back to the bedroom. 13-year-old Pawnim* asked if she could use the bathroom first. Her aunt refused. Pawnim insisted. Her aunt gave in but told her to come back quickly.
Pawnim ran downstairs and told her brother to grab a blanket and meet her at the neighbor’s. She knew what fate awaited her if she went back up to that bedroom and she wanted nothing to do with it.
The next morning, Pawnim overheard her aunt and a friend arranging for Pawnim to be sold to a man who would bring her to Chiang Mai for work. It was a good deal for the family – with Pawnim having lost her parents, she was a burden to the family and would be better off in the big city of Chiang Mai where she could work and send back money. However, Pawnim knew better. She knew that working in Chiang Mai meant selling her freedom and being enslaved to prostitution for potentially the rest of her life. So she sought the village pastor’s help.
Pastor Ehman* just happened to know someone who could take Pawnim in – his sister. Srong* had felt God tug on her heart over the Lahu-Selé people earlier that year. Upon hearing her brother’s request, she immediately obliged. And so Fountains of Hope Home began.
Pawnim and Wanhai* were the first kids to move in to Sri’s home, Fountains of Hope. Wanhai escaped the wrath of his often drunk father who frequently beat him late at night. Over the course of a few months, Srong took in 6 kids on top of her own 2 little ones, rescuing them from either future trafficking or current dangerous familial situations.
This is the wonderful home we moved into in the beginning of December. Srong is the outstanding woman who through her obedience to Jesus rescued children from being trafficked into the slave trade in Chiang Mai.
And these are the remarkable children who are learning what a relationship with Christ means in their Buddhist world.
We had the privilege of teaching English at the kids’ school all last week and stood in amazement as all of their peers bowed down to Buddha each morning while they silently lowered their heads, the words of worship songs to Jesus forming on their lips. Every evening we gathered together as a big “family” (2 parents, 8 kids, and 8 World Racers) and sang praises to God, reading the Word and encouraging one another in faith.
Some of our squad is in Chiang Mai doing ministry in the bars to women who have been trafficked and are stuck in the nasty cycle of prostitution. It’s been a blessing to get to go into villages and bring awareness to the realities of what’s actually happening to their children when they go into Chiang Mai and be a part of the prevention side of human trafficking.
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas this week, please pray for courage for our team to share the Gospel with the 93.6% Buddhist population here in Thailand. Pray that the message of a Savior born in a manger is delivered to open hearts, hearts desiring the power of the One true God to radically change their lives as He has changed ours.
Forever His,
Grace
*names changed for their protection.
