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Sometimes I feel like I just walked out of the airport and felt the sticky, humid heat of Thailand for the first time…but now I’m looking back at the month…and feeling like it was like a blink of the eye.

THE MINISTRY

This month we have served with Samaritan Creations, which is an organization that focuses on providing a way out for women who are working in bars as prostitutes.

The women are invited to come and work there, where they can learn to sew dolls, make jewelry, and make skirts and purses. In addition, some of the women have been provided with housing, but most of them travel from their homes every morning to work.

We lived at the ministry site, which was a building with a coffee shop (much to the delight of our team!), a church, sewing rooms, a parsonage, and rooms for several of the women.

Every day we had English class and Thai class with some of the women, and then helped make the dolls, which meant sewing on hair, gluing on hats, and putting clothes on them.

Once a week we also went to one of the main “bar zones” of Bangkok, and talked with women who were working the bars. It was sobering and eye-opening. But also, in a sense, simple and normal. These women are, first of all are women–created in the image of God. And in the midst of the loud music and the dancing, we felt like we had found new friends.

If someone would ask me the highlight of the time here, it would be spending time with the women. Not a hard question. 🙂

They have blessed and challenged my heart. Hearing their stories…and seeing how God has brought healing and restoration…seeing how God is still bringing greater depths of joy and renewal, even on the hard days…it is humbling to be part of it for a month.

These women find joy in every day. During sewing days , I loved listening to them chatter their way through the afternoons in their musical Thai language. Every once in a while, they would interject an English word and laugh at their attempts to pronounce it.

I have seen them learning how to be honest and open about their feelings. To cry, express frustrations and hurt, and then move on, with their beautiful smiles lighting the world once again.

I saw them work hard and stretch their minds to understand English, while encouraging us to stretch ours in Thai class.

I watched them hug and kiss their babies even when they had been crying non-stop while they were trying to work. I watched them get their kids ready for school and greet them with a smile when they returned in the afternoon.

I danced and silly-laughed with them while listening to music and sewing hair on yet another doll.

I felt their hugs when I missed my family…I heard their singing in worship to Jesus, our Savior.

I heard them ask good, insightful questions, and patiently answer many of mine.

I giggled along with them as we talked about boyfriends and marriage, and sighed wistfully at the end of a pizza and movie night…and yet smiled because I knew we are all being pursued by our Heavenly Prince.

I felt love when one of them braided my hair while I sipped orange soda. and I laughed as she gingerly dipped her toes in the fish spa tank and squealed as she felt them nibble.

I felt relief when I hugged their precious little ones and knew that, by God’s grace, they were being raised in a safe place, with Jesus’ love as the center.

I caught a glimpse of the risk it takes to love well, and yet see a friend return to the past world of pain.

I felt honored to pray that their hearts would follow God’s leading, as one of the women expressed this was her desire.

My heart ached as I hugged my beautiful friend, and saw the tears pooling in her eyes, but there were no words.

I was humbled by their prayers when it was time to say good-bye.

We came here to serve and to love and give of our hearts.

But I found that they gave us so much instead.

My heart is humbled by my beautiful sisters in Christ.

They are breathtaking.