My month in Thailand can be summed up in one single word…relationships.
One of the most difficult things about the World Race for me is saying goodbye to the people we meet each month. We are in a country for a month…just long enough to get past the “acquaintance” stage and on to forming strong friendships. Then we have to say goodbye knowing that we might not see these new friends ever again.
Have I ever been tempted to not invest? To keep the people I meet at an arm’s length so it’s not as painful at the end of the month? I’d be lying if I said no. There may have even been a month or two where I have been guilty of this. As soon as I got to Thailand I realized that the ministry was going to be very relational. Thanks to some feedback I received encouraging me to dive into ministry full force, I was determined that I would invest, no matter how painful it might be at the end of the month.
Part of our ministry was going into the bars in the Red Light district and befriending the bar girls, many of whom are victims of sex trafficking. My team and I were able to befriend several of the girls by just spending time with them…playing pool and drinking a coke together. We were able to go on coffee dates with some, Tiger Kingdom with another, and put on a dance class for them. Just to get them away from the bars and let them know that we truly wanted to be their friend…no strings attached. This ministry was tough because I saw a lot of darkness and tough stuff that I will never be able to forget and never want to forget. I also formed some relationships with women that I will probably never see again and who I have to just trust the Lord with. I have to trust that He will continue to send people their way who will love them, care for them, and let them know just how valued they really are.
Another part of our ministry was helping out at the cafe/hostel where we were staying. We worked alongside several Thai girls who were all going through their own struggles and who just needed to be loved. They have so many World Race teams coming through for just one month at a time though, so it’s easy for them to put walls up. It’s hard for them to really want to get close to us because the teams always leave at the end of the month. As I stated at the beginning of this blog, I can identify. I was able to become close friends with one of the girls in particular. From the get-go we clicked. I helped her around the hostel and we talked to each other about our lives. She became so dear to me and I think saying goodbye to her and the rest of the girls was the hardest goodbye I’ve ever had to say on the Race.
I guess the point of this blog is to say that while building relationships on the Race is hard and goodbyes are painful. It is worth it. It is worth it to befriend a prostitute and show her just how much Jesus loves her. It is worth it to love on our hosts and the people we work alongside even though we know we may only physically be in their lives for a month. It is worth it because not only have I ministered to each person I’ve invested in, but they’ve ministered to me as well. And with a little intentionality a lot of these friendships will continue even when I’m on the other side of the world.
So I want to challenge each one of you, right where you are, to truly notice the people you come into contact with each day. Notice them and invest in them. Invest in them no matter what the cost. Because it’s worth it.
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