Thailand has been an experience I will never forget. Not only did i get to experience the Nee Year water festival, play with some beautiful, majestic and joyful elephants, anf teach 3 phenomenal teenagers English… I got to see a man live a life dedicated to living like Jesus. If I thought I was sacrificing and abandoning alot coming on the world race.. i sure got a slap on the face when I met my dear friend Pat!
Pat lives on a farm in the mountains of Chang Mai Thailand. He is very open about his past mischief and trouble with drugs, gangs and sex. A man who hit rock bottom, on his way to kill his ex wife and her new boyfriend, stumbled into his daughters christian camp counselor while going tobsay an emotional goodbye. This guy told Pat to go home and read his bible. Drunk and strung out, he listened. And from that day on his life was changed. A man who was on his way down a destructive path was saved, redeemed and called into a life of sacrifice over night.
Pat started to go into youth detention centers and prisons to share the gospel and provide hope through life experience and passion for Jesus. After time of doing this he heard the Lord tell him that if he truly wanted to live like Him, he had to live life with these kids. And that is when Pat not only continues to visit the detention centers and prisons, he now welcomes youth and young adults who get out of these facilities after their time for dealing drugs, rape, sex trafficking, murder, theft, and any other crime you can think of into his home! Would you let a rapist live with you and your family? Well, this man does. He provides a safe place, a place of worship and building relationship with the Lord, teaches them new life and tech skills. He gives these kids a chance at turning their lives around, an opportunity to start over.
Pat is a prime example of redemption, love and living like Christ. Every day we would hear new stories, new life lessons and a constant reminder to die to yourself and be obediant. I think I have learned more in the 10 minute car rides everyday this month than I have learned the last 3 months on the race. Pat helped me realize that love saves.Love heals, and love crushes the enemy. Love those whobare hard to love. Would I let a rapist live with my family? I honestly couldn’t say, but I can tell you that I will now second guess my gut reaction to say no… because this farm has shown us the fruit of the trees Pat is planting and the lives he is saving , not just these youth but the community in which these kids would be returning to, and sadly probably back to their old stomping grounds if Pat and his family didn’t love the really hard to love !
Would you risk everything to save just one?
Matthew 18:12
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
