Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Kenya, Uganda, Romania, Ukraine???

The most common question I receive:  Which country are you looking forward to most?  Well, all of them really.  God has given me a passion to go into the Nations several years ago when I first visited Ireland and then went on my first mission trip to Alaska.  However, every World Racer has that one country makes their heart race, that one country that their heart breaks for, that one country that they can’t wait to go to!

Mine is Thailand.  Which, if we follow our race route, would be one year from now in December 2010.  Ever since I’ve started to follow World Race blogs I’ve read countless stories of various World Race women and their time in Thailand.  Our ministry in Thailand will be to reach out to the women trapped in prostitution.  The women in my team will go out to the streets, into the bars, or wherever they are to develop friendships with these women.  The ministry we will work along side has a vision of bringing these women out of that lifestyle.  Once a woman decides to leave the bars, she will be offered a job and place to live in order to begin a new life for herself.  
 

I once read a blog about children that are sold into prostitution; often by their very own families.  This blog was about a young woman of 16 who was sold into prostitution at the age of eight.   This breaks my heart more, as I have taught 8 year olds for the past three years.  My students (and former students) have the incredible privilege of attending a Christian school where they are safe, loved, and protected.  They go home to families that love and protect them.  They don’t have to worry about being sold.  I’m sure most of my students aren’t even aware that there are children their own age being sold all over the world.  They are doing what an 8 year old should be doing: going to school, playing with friends and siblings, doing homework, and having fun.  As an 8 year old, I was attending Southwest Chicago Christian School and completely oblivious of how blessed I was to have a family that protected me and a safe place to live.  Another blog was about a group of World Racers that were working in a orphanage in Cambodia.  The missionaries they worked alongside of said that approximately 80% of the young girls living in that home would eventually end up being sold into prostitution.   (I’ll continue looking for these blogs and pass them along when I find them!)

 
I’ve never been to Thailand.  Never even been to Asia, but God has used past Racers blogs to break my heart for these women!  Over the past few months I’ve wondered how my heart could break, how a passion could develop, or have a longing to go somewhere that I’ve never been.  All I know is that it is God!  He has given me this desire to go to Thailand, to hear the stories directly from the women, and to share the Gospel with them.  We can’t change a worldwide problem like prostitution in one year.  We CAN change one life.  My team may bring one woman out of the bars….Doesn’t sound like a huge success, does it?  But think, we lead that one woman, she leads another, that woman then leads two more, those two each lead two more, and so on….That, my friends, is allowing God to use my team to change the world!
Please check out the blogs of current and past Racers in Thailand.  These stories introduce you to specific Thai women you can be praying for.

http://haleysmith.theworldrace.org/index.asp?filename=beautiful-women  (Currently in Thailand)

http://lindsayhoogendam.theworldrace.org/?filename=filled-with-love  

http://kimberlydaniels.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-whole-world (This blog post has a video that shows two girls coming into a new lifestyle.)

You can encourage the Thai women.  You can be a part of a team of Christian women who will be going into these bars exactly one year from tonight and bringing the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST to them!!!  First, I encourage you to pray for these Thai women.  Pray that they have the courage to get out, the financial means to stay out, the dignity that they deserve, and most importantly that they find the love of Jesus Christ!  Pray for the current World Race teams as they are in the bars TONIGHT developing relationships, bringing hope and encouragement, and hearing the heart-breaking stories of the Thai women.  Secondly, you can donate $20.09 in the $20.09 in 2009 challenge.  World Racers live on approximately $7 (usually less!) a day, which means your special one-time gift would provide for THREE days and nights of ministering to the beautiful women in Thailand.  

All gifts are tax-deductible.  You can click on the Support Me! Link on the left side.  My goal is to find 30 people to participate in the $20.09 in 2009 challenge before 2009 is over!  This will jump start my support account with an additional $602.70 before the month is over!