It's been almost two weeks since arriving in Thailand and I just have to say that God is so good! I absolutely love it here! I haven't been able to write a blog because there has been so much going on and I don't know what all to say. I love this ministry, I love Thailand and I could honestly stay here for the rest of the race and be perfectly fine….but I know that's not the plan.
I can't even begin to tell you what all our ministry here is. We are staying with an organization that deals with getting the women out of the sex industry here in Patong, Thailand. So if my team goes out at night doing bar ministry, we walk Bangla Road during the day praying and preparing for the night life. Then we go out at night and walk the street of Bangla Road praying as well as going into the bars and talking with the women. We play games with them and get to know them and their stories a little more. Once we feel like we have established a relationship with them we invite them for lunch or a movie outside of the bar. We try to get our relationship out of the bar because these women are constantly being watched and we can't talk to them any longer than 30 minutes because they are working. If they don't like their jobs and want out…that is where we come in the picture. There are people who have jobs and housing set up for these women and if they wanted out of the bar that night…all they have to do is say so. Then in the process of all of this we introduce them to Jesus! Which is cool to hear some of the stories about who they think Jesus is…only for us to show them who He is. SHOW them, not only tell them.
Within my two weeks here in Phuket, we have had a woman already come out of the bar! But that is a story in itself for another blog you will have to wait and read!
I realized day one that my ministry was going to be more than getting prostitutes out of the streets and the bars. My ministry was to not only love the women…but the men, the families walking down Bangla Road, and the ladyboy prostitutes. My job is to love God and love my neighbors…so easy to say..but to put into practice, now that's a different story. I can love the women who are dancing on the poles disrespecting and selling their bodies for money. I can even love the men who come to buy them and treat them as an object of sex. But what I didn't expect to see and have to love was the families with their children walking down the road laughing and pointing at the women dancing on the poles. The eight year old child looking around and seeing nothing but half clothed women walking around with men twice their age. Their innocence is being stolen by their parents! The people who were suppose to protect them the most…the people who were suppose to guard them was leading them down this disgusting road filled with nothing but sex. I was enraged and found it hard..very hard to love those people. Also what I didn't expect was to have to love the ladyboy prostitutes who have literally changed their sex to be what they were not created to be. These men/women are the main attraction I feel like. Crowds form outside of their bars to watch them dance and to take photos with them. And since they aren't technically women they can flash you and show all of their body parts in every area. I can't wrap my head around it and I have to fight the spirit of judgement all down that road.
But I'm getting the big picture here. I love God, and I love my neighbors. Not the ones that I can handle and agree with, not the ones who have the same beliefs as me, not the ones who are easy to love…but everyone. Love is the biggest picture here….it's the most powerful tool to use against satan and his evil schemes. So what do I do on bangla road?? I love everyone, I boldly love everyone. And anyway that looks, whether it is a simple smile to the mom holding her little girl walking down the road or giving the ladyboy a rose and telling him is is loved…I love them. Not that it is easy, because it isn't and I will struggle with loving everyone during the race and after the race…but I am striving for perfection. I am striving for perfect love…God's love.
