Thailand.
If anyone asked me before I left which country I was most looking forward to on my trip, I most definitely responded Thailand. I can’t tell you why, but something about it has been pulling at my heart since I first found out about the world race. And not only did the country itself appeal to me, but I was most excited about being able to partner with an organization that ministered in the realm of human trafficking and the sex industry. This was an area of ministry that I had yet to get involved in, and I was eager to discover ways in which I could help.
A shot from above of Soi Cowboy, one of the most popular red light districts in Bangkok
And yet after all this anticipation and excitement, I sit in front of my computer screen, like I did all month, completely at a loss for words. Many would assume that this means I left Thailand disappointed, but that’s not true at all. Part of my dilemma was that there was just so much to do and experience in Thailand that I didn’t want to sit around on my computer. But more so to blame was the fact that so much of what I was seeing and doing was so high and low and new and surprising and moving and shocking and beyond what I could comprehend. So for a month, I stopped processing with words what was going on, and instead just lived it and prayed/worshipped my way through it all. But for the sake of all my supporters, I figured it’d be good to give it a go at relaying my best month yet on the race.
Winding up in Bangkok, the biggest city I’ve ever been in, after three months in Africa was wild to say the least. Great culture shock practice for when I get home – one of the American volunteers from our ministry even commented that we were like talking to aliens! I wasn’t even offended as I sat teary-eyed in our air conditioned meeting room. But Dton Naam felt like home for way more reasons than the Western amenities. From the moment I walked through the door I knew it was going to be a good month as warmth filled my heart and joy spread across my face.
Dton Naam’s name comes from a Thai phrase that’s closest English translation is “source of water.” They are a ministry that hopes “to see Christ pour His living, pure, eternal life into the adults, teens and children involved in prostitution in Thailand.” Specifically, Dton Naam is a ministry that focuses on reaching out to the ladyboys of Thailand. They desire to walk alongside these boys and men as they reveal to them the love of God, the hope of Jesus, and the truth that their lives are of worth and value, and that they can rise above their circumstances. Practically, this is done by offering jobs to those in need at Dton Naam’s coffee shop/bakery, providing fun and free learning opportunities through a variety of classes, and incorporating community and fellowship through daily time in worship, prayer, and studying the word.
So what did that look like for me this month? Well, in words that might be a bit easier for you to relate to…
Dton Naam has this AMAZING coffee shop and bakery right off of one of the busiest main streets in Bangkok. The second floor of this building is home to a kitchen, for baking cookies and cupcakes, and “the green room,” where we joined students and staff each weekday to worship, pray, share testimonies, and study the Word. The third floor was where we lived for the month – yes, I spent a month living above a coffee shop/bakery. So obviously I had to do a lot of sacrificing and try every cupcake and iced drink offered, just to make sure that things were satisfactory for the customers, of course. (And yeah, they were DELICIOUS!)
Each member of my team had different projects that they worked on during our time there. Dton Naam is a farely new ministry, so we did a lot of ground-up type stuff, helping to type and organize orientation packets, resource binders, red light district maps, and other research projects. But the fun stuff was working with all the students. Savannah taught dance classes, Rachel and Michelle taught health & exercise classes, Julie taught sewing, and I got the privilege of teaching English again!
We also helped decorate some things in the café and painted then varnished an upstairs balcony area (Dad, I really could have used your help with some of this!). At times we even got to join in and help with the baking!
The time with the students was so incredibly sweet. The café currently has a handful of students, both men and women, each with his/her own story. Some used to work in the bars, while others had lives that were headed in that direction before someone stepped in and offered God’s love and help. I don’t want to say too much about them individually, in order to protect their identity and ensure their safety, but I can assure you that they are beautiful men and women with worth beyond what I can put into words, who I came to love so quickly, and who shine so much brighter than the circumstances the world tried to hand them. Their newfound joy and love is magnetic, and the hardest part of leaving was saying goodbye to my new friends. I’m still missing their genuine hugs, laughs, and smiles.
The final part of ministry for the month was bar outreach. Twice a week, we would head out to one of the most well-known red light districts in Bangkok with the intentions of forming relationships with the workers there and letting them know that they are loved. Of all the places I’ve been, of all the experiences I’ve had in my life, this was the heaviest battleground I have ever stepped into. So much darkness and wickedness, and yet I guess that is what made bringing the Light so much sweeter. I’m hoping to write a blog specifically about my experiences in the red light district, so for now I’ll keep it at an overview. Savannah and I (occasionally accompanied by one of the American volunteers from Dton Naam) visited the same ladyboy bar each week, forming friendships with some of the workers there. More than anything, we hoped that our presence there would be a beacon of peace, trust, acceptance, and REAL love. Sometimes we would play pool with them, other times we would just sit and talk about our lives over drinks, and once we brought them cupcakes! By the end of the month, we even got to have a night out with one of the workers who had come to call us friends.
So I guess that’s the best I can do at the moment for summing up my month in Bangkok. The city may be known for busy streets, sex tourism, darkness, and hot weather, but there is also a thirst that resides in so many people there that is brought on by more than just the heat. There is a thirst for something greater than what the world has to offer, and with ministries like Dton Naam, streams of living water are beginning to flow through the streets of Thailand, refreshing and nourishing the souls of the lost and weary. I was beyond blessed to get to spend a month being a part of this ministry so rich in His healing and love.
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” -John 7:37-38
To learn more about Dton Naam or to be a part of what they are doing in the city of Bangkok, click here.
