I was skyping with my brother and sister-in-law this morning and Tyler asked me, “hey, so tell me about what you’re doing this month?” Well, this month ends on Thursday. I’m leaving this country in 3 days and my family doesn’t know what my life has looked like for September, with only me to blame. I’ve been part of an incredible ministry, doing incredible things and no one knows about it’s incredible-ness…and contrary to popular Generation Y belief, Instagram is not an all-inclusive story-teller. So, my utmost apologies for procrastination.
We arrived in Chang Mai on September 6th to live/work at Lighthouse in Action ministries. Emmi started Lighthouse with a vision of 3 avenues of ministry. Those avenues are:
- X Life-outreach to the children and families in the slum area of Chang Mai
- Love Acts–bar ministry to those working in Chang Mai’s red-light district
- Zion Cafe–a full-service coffee shop and cafe located near 2 of Chang Mai’s vocational colleges intended to reach out to students and general customers
There are 3 World Race teams living here this month and so we each took a ministry to head up. My team has been focusing on X Life, walking to a neighborhood about 15 minutes away from the cafe 3 times a week. Those kids quickly became the highlight of my week. Armed with a soccer ball, badminton, and, most importantly, NEON nail polish, we enter into another world, a green and lush village hidden in the midst of a concrete jungle city.
Just a couple hours a day, three days a week, we go to the slums. While walking down the narrow street twisting through the village we accumulate small Thai children, running in and between us, prying their little fingers into our goodie bag of coloring books, and leaping like little spider monkeys onto Steven’s towering frame.
We love it.
The obvious language barrier doesn’t actually barrier us at all. I want to tell you about Ben, the snaggle-toothed boy who’s normal speaking decibel is at a constant scream level. We have two Far’s, one who is 24 years old and joins us partly to be our translator and mostly to love on the kids. The other Far is 7 years old, attached to Julie’s hip, and who throws her head way back when she giggles. I could go on about each kid for a long time. My nails, as well as every person on my team’s (including the boys), have been “painted” neon pink and orange every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. When we leave, our team has made a tradition of taking advantage of the mirror domes on the path corners to make complete fools of ourselves. These pictures are the source of many laughs, but more importantly, a reminder of the too few days we got to spend with our kids.
My team has also had the privilege of having our hand in the other two ministries of Lighthouse in Action. Three nights a week half of our team goes out into the bars in and around Chang Mai’s red-light district. The other half of our group stays home to intercede, to lift the others up to the Lord for protection and guidance. We have befriended many women and ladyboys who are regular people just like us, but unfortunately live under a degree of bondage. We didn’t approach this month with the mission of getting them out of the bars, we came to make friends, take them out for coffee/lunch/mani-pedis, and ultimately show them that they have utmost worth.
The rest of our ministry days usually involve minor painting/fix-it jobs around here or working an afternoon shift at Zion Cafe downstairs. Don’t get too excited, they don’t let me work the beautiful, red, shiny espresso machine, but I do clear a table quite well. Not to mention I’ve mastered the delightful devouring of their brownie cheesecake. Heavenly.
So, in a nutshell, that is September. I don’t really like nutshells, but I’m quickly approaching 800 words and ain’t nobody got time fo dat.
Bottom line is that besides the mind-melting heat and humidity, Thailand has proved to be fantastic. It has set the bar quite high for our 3 months of Asia and I can’t help but be upset that it’s already over.
Please be in prayer for Lighthouse in Action,
for Ben, Far, Nam, and all the rest of our village friends,
for Loi Khroh Road and the bars that line it’s sidewalks,
for the men who are empty inside and try to fill it with Loi Khroh Road,
for Bing, Neuk, Nok, Gwang, Mai, Dok Mai, and the rest of the smiling staff at Zion Cafe,
for Pi Emmi and her heart and vision for Lighthouse in Action,
for Far Wannapa, who started as our translator and became our dear friend,
and, of course, for Chang Mai, Thailand. 
