Even a dim light can shine brightly when it is surrounded by darkness.
Walking through the bars of Chiang Mai riddled with women waiting for a customer and men coming to spend the night with them, I began to question if I would be able to penetrate the darkness that surrounded me. If my light would even be noticed within the bars. As I was questioning this God quickly reminded me that what lies ahead of my team and I this month is not our ministry, it is His ministry. He has simply invited us to join Him in it.
At the same time God also reminded me that it is not through my works that any of these people will be saved, but it is through Him they will be redeemed. He is allowing my team to be His vessel this month for showing these men and women love.
Honestly, before going out to the bars last night, thinking about the men who we would come in contact with who are buying these girls made me angry. My heart would break for the women, but thinking about the men just made me upset. I kept asking God how could they do such things? How could He expect me to also love these men?
Realizing the state of my heart towards these men I prayed for His heart. "Lord, help me to view these men as you view them. Help me to see the women who I will meet as you see them."
Soon after praying this my group approached the bars. As we walked by I began observing the people at the bars and immediately my heart broke, for the women as well as the men. I could sense the loneliness and hopelessness. The men and women that filled the bars are God's children, but they are unaware of their identity. They are unaware that there is so much more for them. And my team and I get to share with them!
Please join with me in covering this ministry with prayer. Pray that God will reveal himself to these men and women as we begin to befriend them. Pray that their hopelessness and loneliness will be replaced with hope and love that can only be found through Christ. Pray for my team and I that we will be a bright light in the darkness. And finally pray for God's freedom for each of these men and women.
The ministry my team is working with this month is called Love Acts. I will be sharing more information about this ministry and our contact Emmi in an upcoming blog, but I would love for you to watch the following video to learn a little more about it now.
Love in Christ,
Lena
