Hello for Thailand–where we eat noodles all day and sweat all night.
The World Race has their own vocabulary and one of those terms is Manistry: when all the men get put on a team to do ministry together and they mix up all the girl teams for one month of the race. It also means that team leaders step down for the month and new leaders lead for one month. And this is that month!
My team and I are at an organization called SHE–Self Help and Empowerment. They help girls in the red light district get out by offering jobs, teaching English, and offering room and board. It is a beautiful ministry and I feel so blessed to be here! We go out about 3 nights a week to talk with the girls on Bangla Road. It's Bourbon Street meets Las Vegas. There are 200 bars on a half mile strip with about 6 girls x per bar. That's about 1200 girls who are caught up in selling their bodies and are stripping for men who are trying to fill a void with something that will fade when the sun comes up. The bars that we go in are open bars, meaning the girls are free to leave if they want but most feel trapped by their circumstances. We go in and order a few cokes, play some games with the girls and just get to know them. Most are beyond willing to share their lives with us.
There are also a crazy amount of lady boys who work on Bangla and my heart breaks for the amount of men, women, and children we encounter. The Holy Spirit has guided us each night and we have meet some wonderful girls. If we are scheduled to go out at night, we spend the day prayer walking the street. If it's the other team going out then we stay in and intercede in prayer for them the entire time. During the day we help out around SHE doing manual labor. It makes for long days and long nights but it's so worth it!
Also at the me of this month we have the Parent Vision Trip! This is a time that racers parents can join us on the field for a week to get a glimpse of what we do! Both my parents are getting to come and visit which I am so thankful God provided a way for. I am excited see what God has in store for all of us that week! We will end the month with a debrief with our squad coaches and mentors and will even start talking about REENTRY. Yikes. Scary word right there;) Can't believe it's already time for those conversations!
