Thailand was a whirlwind. The month began with our final debrief before Final Debrief and it was quite possibly the least restful four days of the Race. That doesn’t mean it was without value, though. A bunch of my squad-mates were baptized, which was an incredible experience to be a part of. We were staying in Pattaya, which I was told is the sex trafficking capital of the world. You could sense the darkness just driving down the street. Thailand is often called the “Land of Smiles.” However, in Pattaya, I saw more blank faces and empty smirks than genuine happy smiles from the people I encountered. One night of debrief was spent on “The Walking Street;” a street dedicated almost entirely to the sex-trade industry. Women dancing in glass boxes. Other dancers ushering tourists into their bars. Men and women alike living out their lives being treated as an object with which to be bought. Hundreds of tourists from all over the world roaming the streets, intoxicated, grinning ear to ear, relishing in the opportunity to dive deeper into their lostness. A large part of you seeks to avenge the marginalized being sold at the expense of these “men” and other tourists.
But Jesus had different plans for our squad. Instead we prayed. Fervently and unenthusiastically. Expectantly and hopelessly. Joyfully and mournfully. I can speak for myself, but not for everyone. I experienced a myriad of reactions to seeing with my own eyes the very thing I hoped to never witness. Every part of me wanted more for these people, but I felt powerless to procure any sense of betterment for them. That was never meant to be my job, however. I was meant to witness it. I was meant to become aware. To share the experience. To shed light on brokenness. I was meant to pray, whether it was passionate or obligatory. Regardless of the circumstance or any long-term change being brought to that area, I know for certain that the Lord’s name was spoken on a street in Thailand that the enemy claims as his own. That’s big. And I was able to partake in that. God is good.
At one point, while on the Walking Street, I was stopped with my former teammate Mason who was conducting an interview with a bar doorman. While standing there with him, I looked down the street. Empty faces were shuffling up and down, enamored by the lights and the women. But there, in the midst of it all, was a pocket of men who looked drastically different. You could read it on their faces. These were my men…the men with which I have been sharing life for the past 10 months. Joey, Zack, Luke, and Drew stood in the middle of the street, others bustling past them on their way to the night’s next event. They literally shone against the darkness on that street. Their eyes weren’t fixated on the women as lions seeking out prey. Their eyes weren’t coated in drunkenness and hurt in the same way many others looked. They were sons of the Father witnessing what breaks their Father’s heart. I cannot accurately describe to you in written word what I mean here. It was just so obvious that these men did not belong in that place. It was beautiful and infuriating at the same time. We later left feeling defeated, but not for the right reasons. A victory was won that night in our hearts. Our collective awareness forced the enemy to continue losing any footing he previously had in our hearts.
The rest of the month was less eventful in some ways, but still equally fulfilling. My team, along with another team, worked in the city of Mae Sot, which is located on the Thai-Burmese border. We worked with Outpour Movement, which seeks to help Thai teens and Burmese refugees grow in their relationships with the Lord. In the middle of the month, our teams actually had the privilege of going into Burma for a day to share the Gospel in a small brick-making village. This was easily the highlight of the ministry for us. It was not, however, the highlight of the month…
Rather, that award goes to Parent Vision Trip (PVT). PVT is a time during which racers can invite their parents to come out into the field and experience the Race for a week. I had the incredible experience of serving alongside my parents for the final week of our month in Thailand. We were in Chiang Mai working with the Lighthouse, a ministry that seeks to end sex trafficking in Thailand. During the stay with my parents, we were able to go into the slums and spend time with kids, participate in monk chats, and work on the restoration of a home that the Lighthouse owns. We also had the chance to go into the bars in Chiang Mai and talk with some of the women working there. This was, without question, the hardest thing I’ve done on the Race so far. I sat at a table with my parents and two other parents with three Thai women seeking to be purchased for the evening. How do you even approach ministry in that situation? Fortunately, the Holy Spirit guided that experience and we were able to quickly make it known to these women that we were not there for the same reason that many others have graced that very table. Instead we wanted to talk about Jesus and offer a life that might be better and more fulfilling for these women. It was a great experience. I have no idea what will ever be borne from that evening, but I do know for sure that those women were loved well by us, and that’s what the Father calls us to. It’s His job to do the saving. All I’m responsible for is loving well.
Needless to say, Thailand was a big month. I grew exponentially in so many ways. I got to do ministry alongside my parents. The same parents who grew me up in the faith and exercised their trust in the Lord by supporting me through this whole process. What an incredible honor.
To give you an idea of what the month looked like, check out this video!
