We’ve been spending our month in Thailand in a small fishing village at the edge of Phuket. At the beginning of the month there had been a small festival there that we would go to almost every night- it was the most happening thing around at the time! One night while we were there we were approached by some people who asked us if we were World Racers. It seemed kind of random and crazy that we would be able to be identified that specifically by these strangers! It turned out that they were part of YWAM, and had recently opened a base not far from where we were staying. We’re in an area that really isn’t touristy (so there really aren’t that many white people), and apparently what tipped them off was our Nalgenes! They knew we must be either YWAMers or World Racers!
It was through this total God connection that we were invited to be part of an amazing event on Valentine’s Day called Buy Flowers Not Girls!
We spent the morning running an event for the kids in our village which was amazing to see all these kids that we had started to build relationships with come out and participate!
After the event we made the trek to Patong, on another part of the island. We didn’t really know how long it would take and we were hoping to explore a bit before the event as well. The way it worked out (with traffic, slow sung tao drivers, transfers, waiting for buses to be filled, etc…) it ended up taking us around 3 hours to get there. I’ve got to say learning to sleep in a sitting position is an essential skill to have on the Race!
We walked down Bangla Road (the red light district and home to something like 200 bars, and where the event was happening) in order to meet up with the YWAMers and the rest of the group. Just quickly walking down the road was hard enough- my heart broke time and time again. There were girls dancing on bars, dancing on poles, dancing behind glass windows as if they were Barbies, people pushing ping pong shows and live sex shows. The road was packed for this “attraction”. There was such intense objectification of these girls, and I just couldn’t comprehend how people could do that. I had no idea how I would be able to spend a night on this street doing ministry if I was this overwhelmed from just walking down it quickly?
We met the rest of our group (which include World Race alumni Ashley Huber who’s now doing long term ministry in Thailand!) and learned more about what we would be doing. We had something like 500 roses and 100 gift bags to give out to people on Bangla in order to use them as a means to start conversations and bring hope. Having to be that blunt with the good news downright terrified me. I sat there thinking that I barely know how to function on this street never mind talking to someone about the love of Christ. I was so afraid of being “awkward”. There was no way I would be able to do any of this without some supernatural boldness!
I was reminded of something that I heard God speak at the beginning of the month: “Your weakness is my strength”
There was no way I could do this on my own.
Before we went out, we spent some time on the beach worshipping. There were fireworks going off and people sending paper lanterns out, and one of the neatest experiences and just what I needed to take my focus off of me and back on him. As we sat and sang, we drew a crowd of people who came to watch or join us, I believe that they were drawn to the light of Christ.
We set out on the street and had a briefing about where to go and where not to go, as we were on it this second time I was on the verge of tears. I wasn’t sure if I could go on, and prayed my hardest for strength.
My team leader started us off with the first interaction (which I’m so grateful for), and after that strength and boldness grew each time I talked to someone. Handing out these small things did something bigger than I would’ve imagined, it was a small act of bring the Kingdom. I knew I was fighting on the front lines in enemy territory and I came armed with roses and gift bags. (and you know a whole lot of prayer and spiritual armour!)
The girls would tease and ask if the flowers or bags were for them, and then be utterly shocked when we said “yes”.
Sometimes all I could do was hand a flower and tell her that God loves her, and sometimes we would chat and I would ask to pray for her.
The Kingdom of God is made up of these acts of hope and love.
There were moments when I was incredibly disturbed but most of the time I couldn’t help but feel this great love for these women. I didn’t know them, but I loved them. It’s so odd to love a stranger; it’s definitely a God thing.
We had the opportunity to go back to Patong about a week later. We were hoping to be able to see some of the women that we interacted with on Valentine’s Day. We got there and I had this pressing feeling that I HAD to be on that street that night. I had no idea why, but any anger and fear that was in my heart last time had dissipated.
We were walking around and praying but I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing other than be on that street. We decided to go see if the one lady who we talked with and spent the most time with last time was still there.
We didn’t see her but we kept on walking down that same road when all of a sudden a lady came up to me and gave me a giant hug and greeted me with the warmest smile and “hello”. It caught me by surprise, and took me a second to register who it was. It was a lady who I had met last time and I had briefly chatted with her and gave her a gift bag. I honestly didn’t even remember her name. I had felt super awkward during that entire interaction and had no words to keep the conversation going, and it happened again this time.
She had left a customer to come and say hi to me, and was so excited to see me again. It made me realize that I have no idea what God is or isn’t going to use. Who am I to know what’s going to make an impact?
I had thought that my first interaction with her had been, if anything, slightly awkward, and didn’t mean much, but here she had seen me and remembered me. It was more than just another person she met on Valentine’s Day, and it had made way more of an impact than I had imagined.
I was reminded that we are sowers, and we don’t know where our seed will land, but all we’re called to do it sow them. Sometimes we’re called to care for the seeds that others have planted and others are called to harvest. In 1 Corinthians 3: 7-9 where Paul talks about how there are those who plant and there are those who water, and we working together for this common purpose.
What I think is so key from this passage is that neither one of these is anything. It’s only God who gives the growth. It’s to him that all the glory and honor go. He’s the one who takes the things that we do (no matter how big or little) and does something with them. Without him all that we do doesn’t amount to anything.
This helps me to put my pride in check and take the pressure off myself. It always has been and always will be all him.
