I learned a lot about prayer this month, and the power it can have in our daily lives and those around us. Honestly, most nights I don’t think we would have made it out emotionally sane had we not been in prayer before, during, and after the night was over. Often I was so overwhelmed by the things I would see on Bangla that praying was my only option to get me through. It was a very emotionally- intense month. The women did a beautiful job playing music, and many people people stopped by and listened for a bit. My favorite was when I asked two Korean women if they liked the music and their response was “I don’t know what they are saying (she spoke broken English), but everyone here is so happy, we decided we wanted to stay.” I thought it was touching that in the midst of it all, this music and the people worshipping to it offered a safe haven for these women. It was so awesome to see how God is clearly at work here in the bars. I stood out in the open watching the bars and seeing some of the women we had come to know while listening to music play about God’s love for us and His power. I had never before experienced such contrasting environments. One of the songs that stood out to me was “Your Love Never Fails” by Jesus Culture. It turned into a prayer for the women as I was singing it, that some day soon they would come to know this love that never fails and be gone from the bars forever. Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails
I know I still make mistakes
But You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails
Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Your love never fails
Verse 2:
The wind is strong and the water’s deep
But I’m not alone in these open seas
Cause Your love never fails
The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I’d reach the other side
But Your love never fails
Bridge:
You make all things work together for my good
Month 5 has now come and gone. It is amazing how quickly this year on the World Race is flying by. S-Squad is currently united in Hua Hin, Thailand having our half-way debrief with World Race staff coming to encourage, challenge, and prepare us for the months ahead.
The most common question I have heard so far is “How was your month?”, and I assume many of you back home are wondering the same since I have only posted one blog (oops!). It actually was a really difficult month for me to blog about because I felt like the entire time I was processing what was going on around me and what my place was in the midst of it all. I don’t know if I have come to any conclusions, but here is an attempt to share how the month wrapped up for me, personally.
I wasn’t very clear in my last blog, but our ministry contact offers English lessons and job training in attempts to bring women out of the bars. Our hope was to go to the bars, form relationships and build trust with the women and then present them these options as ways of leaving the bar scene. Once with this program, the family ministers to them in morning devotionals and prayer while also forming deeper relationships.
There are many things I could share with you about what I saw, experienced, etc. while out at the bars, but I am not going to include that in this blog. Instead, I would like to share with you our last night there. Alana, Brandi Jo and Becca (along with some Real Life girls who were ministering alongside us this month) were presented the opportunity to play music at one of the bars. It would be our very last night, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect way to end this month.
“Your Love Never Fails” by Jesus Culture
Because I know that You love me
