About a year ago, I found out about the World Race and a couple weeks after that, I sent in my application.
And now I’m already fully funded in my fifth country at the end of my fifth month on the Race! (Try saying that five times fast!)
I’m not even sure how that even happened.
I guess that’s how I know it was God. He likes to do what we would consider impossible or, at least, highly improbable. So then we know it was Him doing it because we couldn’t possibly do it on our own.
For instance, no one would peg me as being the girl who would go bar hopping in the touristy island of Phuket. Not even me!
Nevertheless, here I am.
I didn’t even want to do this kind of ministry. Not that I don’t believe in it; I think it’s awesome and of course we should be trying to offer these women another way of providing for their families other than selling their bodies.
I just didn’t think I was the most qualified to do it.
Now I’m realizing that it’s just about the simplest form of ministry there could be. It’s just talking to these ladies and establishing a friendship. We are most likely the only people in their lives that actually treat them like people and not an object to be stared at and purchased.
So we just love on them. And pray. Lots and lots of prayer.
God is teaching me about the power of prayer. Specifically the power of my prayers and how I can make a difference by declaring Heaven’s truth over hellish situations.
I can’t imagine what going into that place would look like if we didn’t do all the preparation that we do.
It starts with a prayer walk in the afternoon done by the girls on our team who won’t be coming back that night. We take turns being the ones to walk along the sun-filled street and innocently join the tourists perusing the souvenirs. Most of the bars are closed at that time of day. We like to get started on laying down a firm foundation of destruction and bankruptcy for the bars before they even open. We’re tearing down strongholds and speaking life and healing for the hearts of all the pre-Christians on that street.
And in the evenings before we head out we have an hour of worship to set our eyes on Him.
And one of the most necessary and integral parts of this ministry are the prayers that you pray. God isn’t limited by distance and we need all the prayer we can get!
Please pray now, while you’re thinking about it.
Pray later when you tell your friend about that crazy girl who thought she could bring Heaven to Earth.
Pray for the women working here. Pray that God will open their hearts so they can hear what we’re telling them. Pray for God will do a miracle and heal their wounded hearts.
Pray for the kids selling flowers and bracelets on the streets. That God will provide a way out for them.
And pray for the men who frequent the bars and the men who run the bars. They need God as much as anyone and God loves them all.
He loves the lovable and the unlovable.
He loves the innocent as well as the guilty.
He loves us all.
And He calls us to be like Him.
Am I loving everyone God loves? Not yet, but I'm trying.
