I was going to do a follow up of my most recent post “When God says to Wait” but I felt that I needed to share this post first.
My squad is a group of 23 people. 3 from Korea, 1 from London and 19 Americans. We also have 3 squad leaders who will be with us for the first 5 months of the trip.
We’re split up into four teams. I’m on a team with five other girls.
I am so incredibly blessed to a part of “Team Overcome!!!” God has prepared each and everyone of us for this team and the ministries we’ll be doing! We have been able to challenge, trust and encourage each other so much these past few weeks!
Our ministry this month is in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is a prominent place for human trafficking and prostitution. We’re joining “Lighthouse in Action.” Check out their website at www.lighthouseinaction.org
“Lighthouse in Action” was started by Emmi. She grew up in Thailand and has such a big heart for Chiang Mai. She also owns and runs “The Zion Cafe and Hostel” (which is where we’re staying.)
“Lighthouse in Action” serves in several different ways.
Love Acts
Bar ministry is where we’ll go into bars and simply talk with the girls there. Build a relationships with them, get to know them and to show them love through our actions. To show them that they are worth more. We can invite them to join us for coffee somewhere when they’re not working or go do something fun with them. A lot of these girls choose to be in prostitution because they think there’s no other option for them. Some were pulled in without knowing.
Slum ministry is where a team will go and talk with them, play with the kids, love them through our actions and pray for them. There’s a lot of kids from the slum working in the “red light district.” (prostitution and trafficking zone)
Monk Chat is where a team will go out and simply talk with the monks. They love to talk about other religions. And again, we show them love.
Prayer walk is where a team will walk around in the red light district and simply pray. A team is not allowed to go into a bar unless a prayer team has walked through that area earlier that day.
X-Life
Teams will go out into the surrounding villages and experience the Thai culture and work life. We will work along side the villagers and build relationships with them. Sex brokers are around often looking to buy children. The parents are either unaware of what they’re sending their kids into or they view it as a source of income. We want to show them the love of Christ through our actions. The Gospel will change their mindset and they can begin to combat the sex trade.
We have to be careful how we share the gospel. Buddhism is ingrained in the Thai culture so much that “to be Thai is to be Buddhist.” My team went to the temple yesterday and we found someone who spoke English and we learned about the culture of Thai/Buddhism. The why’s and meaning of what these people were doing for their god. I felt that we were able to pray for the Thai in a different way because now we know more about the culture of Buddhism.
So our main objective is to show love through our actions, build relationships and simply be ‘Jesus.’
There has been many teams before us and many will come after. To continue building those relationships. And there are full time staff here as well.
A couple of days ago, my team went to Tha Phae Gate in the city where we hung a poster of a skeleton tree with the quote “He makes all things new” on it. We had green and blue paint for people to paint with their thumb. The tree was representing the new life God gives us because He loves us. We wanted to show them that love. We also had worship music playing. It was a huge success! At first it was a struggle for me because I couldn’t hear much of what was going on and I wanted to be able to talk with the people there. I was standing by the painting, holding the paint and wipes. Some of my teammates were out inviting people to help us paint and talking with them. I was getting discouraged. Earlier that day I was challenged to be the eyes. To look for things that others might miss. So I prayed about it on our walk to the gate and God had something He wanted to show me. While I was standing there I kept asking God to show me what He wanted me to see. He kept saying wait and keep looking. I was getting frustrated and impatient. I didn’t want to stand by the wall. I wanted to go out and talk to people. I wanted God to hurry up. As I was complaining to God, He told me that I was standing where He wanted me.
I thought, ok then, just keep looking, God isn’t going to rush things for me. So I waited awhile longer.
Then it hit me. God opened my eyes and I saw everything.
I realized that I was looking for something physical. Something that I could touch and hear. But I had it all wrong. God wanted me to see the things that weren’t physical.
I noticed that the atmosphere had completely changed from the quietness that was here when we arrived to joy, happiness and peace. I saw joy and excitement on faces. I saw happiness. I saw so many smiles. I saw love. I saw people debating about which color paint to use and where to put their print on the tree like it was the most important decision in their life. I saw people concentrate as they signed their name next to their print without messing up the wet paint. I saw kids running around with joy. I saw strangers talking to each other like they’ve been friends for forever. I saw a man’s face light up with pure joy as he saw a long lost friend. I saw people giving hugs and laughing. I saw my teammates and other squad mates (who were there for prayer support) boldly walk up to strangers and talk to them. I saw that bare tree come to life. I saw how God can take someone’s life and make it into something so beautiful!
But the most beautiful thing I saw that night was Jesus. I saw Jesus in every one of my fusion family that was there that night. I saw it in the way they approached people with love and compassion. I saw it in their smiles as they talked. I saw it in the hugs, handshakes and high fives they gave. I saw Jesus in them, shining the light.
And it was beautiful.
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:5
