Over the past 8 months, I’m constantly faced with the question…”Ok, so what DO you DO on a daily basis as a missionary?” Well, I thought it was about time that I stopped telling you and decided to SHOW you what I do while here on the World Race. I hope you enjoy this picture blog about my life here in Phuket, Thailand. During my month 8 on the World Race, my teams and I are volunteering with SHE ministries, an organization that reaches out to the 100’s of prostitutes in the red-light district. If you can imagine – it’s QUITE the interesting day! =)
Thanks for following me on my journeys! It means so much!
Blessings!
8:00 AM
WAKE UP and Breakfast!!!
9:30 AM
Hang out in my “office” with my partner in crime, Evan, to workout and catch up on emails, facebook, and blogs.
11:00AM
Say goodbye to our house dog Winston for the day and attempt to find one of our shoes that he has misplaced and/or eaten. Bad Winston.
12 PM
My FAVORITE place to visit is a little lady down the street that sells the BEST Teriyaki Pork on a stick I’ve ever eaten.
You can get one whole stick for just 15 cents.
Needless to say, I eat here every single day. =)
1 PM
Head out for the day for manual labor on the new property of SHE Ministries. Their goal is to have housing for the women, classrooms, a coffee bar, and so much more. We’ve been pouring concrete, planting banana treas, weed-eating, and so much more. Man, I miss yard work!
For those who don’t go do manual labor, they stay back and work on mosaics to be put in the concrete at the new property. Check out some of our work!
7 PM
After we return in the late afternoon, we shower (didn’t picture document that one), eat dinner then worship and pray before heading to the bar ministries for the night.
9 pm – 12 am
Each night, we head out in groups of 3-4 to the bars in the red-light district. At the bars, we build relationships with the hundreds of dancers and prostitutes who work there. Sometimes we play games like Jenga, Connect Four, or this really fun game where you hammer a nail into a huge block of wood. It sounds simple, but honestly the girls are happy to be able to talk with people who don’t want anything from them. We show them they’re more than just a sex object or a piece of meat. We just love on them as much as we can. Our job isn’t necessarily to introduce them to the gospel, but rather invite them to SHE ministries where they receive the gospel in full while receiving English lessons and opportunities for careers in the tourism industry. We also get the chance to hang out with them outside of the bars when we invite them to the movies, to lunch, or to go shopping. The girls really are just looking to be loved. Often times God will open doors for us to share His Word during one of our outings. Although the red-light district can be scary and often times intimidating, each girl we’re able to share with makes it all worth while. God is moving in the red-light district and I’m just blessed that he’s chosen me to move with him.
One of the streets that has many of the girls we minister to.
A Girl dances in one of the windows in the red-light district.
Another street on the strip. The girls we minister to are in the bottom left corner.
Another bar with the women sitting out front.
Two of the sweetest girls I know – and probably the best Jenga players in Thailand!
An awesome woman that I could have put in my pocket and taken home! Plus, her and I whipped Vinny at the hammer and nail game. Sorry Vinny!
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support this month while we’re in Thailand! Please continue to pray for me, my teams, and the men and women we meet each night at the bars. You guys are awesome!
“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
2 Corinthians 5:20
