If you go back through our route, we have had to
“endure” the bitter cold winter of every country beginning with India and even
throughout the months of Africa. It just so happens that my team stepped foot
in East Asia right smack dab in the middle of rainy season.
I think I finally understand why they call it rainy season because….. yes, it
does rain pretty much every day during the rainy season. And I’m not talking
about a light sprinkle. Oh no.. it’s like a heavy downpour of everything that
heaven has been storing up… crashing on the ground in thick sheets. I’m talking
raindrops that are the size of grapes. I’m talking huge massive amounts of
gushing water that forms a current strong enough to sweep you off your feet.
I’m talking one second it is sunny and bright, then in a blink of an eye it’s
like someone just came and dumped the ocean on top of your head…
The last week of bar ministry, the navy and the marines ended up docking on
Phuket, Thailand. They wanted to give the guys a “treat” and let them have fun
at the bars for a few days since they had been out at sea for 6 months. Oh great,
as if we didn’t have enough to worry about with the girls at the bar.. now we
have to fight off 4,000 men from the Navy and the Marines.
Monday came around, the day that the men docked… and
that night we headed out to the streets to visit our girls and it was
absolutely overwhelming. There were men EVERYWHERE! I had to shield my eyes a
few times because of the raunchy thing that I witnessed. When we would get to the
bars and try to find the girls that we normally visit. It was heartbreaking to
see them wrapped around a guy, completely consumed in his lust for her and
using him to make a few bucks that night. We came back to the house and just
brought the situation back to the teams that were interceding for us and
together we brought it to the Lord.
We knew that if the guys came to the bars, then more
than likely they would end up leaving the bars with a girl.. so the Lord kept
pressing on my heart. “Do you trust me?”.. Yes yes I trust you.. but how do you
stop 4,000 men from coming to the bars? Then it hit me… it’s Rainy
season. We are going to flood them out. So we just sat there and
interceding the entire week for an overwhelming flood from the Lord. We prayed
that his presence would just rain down over Bangla Road and the entire Red
Light District. We wanted to see the Holy Spirit rush like a river and flood
the streets with peace and mercy and make it a place that is no longer dark,
but that worships the Lord instead.
As I was interceding I was listening to Jesus Culture
and I kept praying for a flood to overtake Bangla Road. It was God’s will that
I was listening to them because three songs came on in a row about God’s glory
and how it rains down on us every day. Here are some of the lyrics..
“I
believe that you will come like the rain.”
“You’ll come like the rain, pour out your spirit.”
“I see the cloud, I know the rain is coming”
“Let it rain, let it rain, open the flood gates of Heaven.”
“Freedom reigns in this place, showers of mercy and grace, falling on every
face, there is freedom!”
“I feel the rains of your love, I feel
the winds of your spirit, the heart beat of Heaven let us hear.”
When the teams came back from the bars that night, they
said they were empty and the girls were bored because it rained all night. None
of the men came out to the bars but stayed inside where it was dry instead.
Praise the Lord! The rain continued throughout the next few days… and for the
last few nights that the Navy and the Marines could come out, it rained and
poured! I love this picture of what rain represents. God is showering his love
and mercy on the Red Light District and these girls.. he is literally showering
them with freedom on each and every one of them. I just imagine then walking
about and stepping out into the rain, and the waters just washing over them and
cleansing them making them new again. Rain
brings forth life to all things here
on earth. We all need water to live and survive, to make us clean and new
again. Heaven is opening up and God’s spirit is flooding the place. I love it!
I absolutely love imagining these precious girls walking out into the rain and
just dancing, and the Lord’s love is just soaking them from head to toe.
“Freedom reigns in this
place, showers of mercy and grace, falling on every face, there is freedom!”
