Thailand has been such a learning experience. Learning how the rest of the world lives, learning about other religions, learning more about who I am and how Father made me, learning about my squad mates and team mates, learning about the plan God has for the Thai people and always learning to walk in continual freedom through the Spirit.
The reality of the spiritual warfare in Chiang Mai, Thailand is real and I have felt it, along with the rest of my squad. There are buddhist temples on every corner, monks walking down the streets, buddhist shrines with food offering and incense burning in every restaurant, business, and bar. Only 0.7% of Thailand’s population are Christians….. only 0.7%. The sex trafficking here is rampant with women at every bar, and men there to purchase them.
With all this overwhelming stimuli one can loose hope amongst all the darkness here. It could be easy to think “What can I possibly do here? Where do we even begin?” But God, in all of His goodness, in His good and perfect timing, and in His attentiveness to each of His children, there is always hope and there is victory for the sons and daughters of Thailand through Jesus. He is here. He is working. He has a plan.
We have been part of a myriad of different opportunities to live out the gospel, yet all centered under one ministry called Lighthouse in Action. The owner and visionary for this ministry, Emmi, is bold. She really loves Jesus, she longs for others to know Him, she is a dreamer and God is using her as she has strategically placed her hostel and coffee shop in one of the red light districts in Chiang Mai. We have been working with her by helping out at the cafe our first week here in Thailand. Then, last week we went out to the bars to build relationships with the girls working and the bar owners/operators, to be Jesus with skin on and love them as He leads us. I was surprised at how easy it was to build relationships with the men and women at the bar I frequented during the week. I would go during the day, attempt to start a conversation with what limited Thai I knew, and over time, we got to know more about the people working there.
Jesus has been so patient with me as I learn. At first, the bar ministry seemed too intimidating, too much. But as He would lead me He began to remind me that He has already gone before, He is working here in the lives of these sons and daughters, they are important to Him, and He is working something for them. He revealed to me throughout the week that He has already done the hard part, He has already provided redemption for them, He does the work in their heart, all we have to do is follow His lead. How simple. The Gospel is not easy, but it is simple.
Jesus is not too complicated for us to understand, relate to, or converse with. He knows us through and through and all we need to do is go with willing hearts. The Spirit is working in the hearts of people all the time. If we ask Him to lead us where He is already working He is faithful to guide us there. He goes before, He goes behind, He is to the right and left, He surrounds us on all sides. How good is He that He allows us to be a part of the good work He is doing? He could do this all by Himself. He doesn’t need us. But, He chooses and wants to use us. I want to encounter Him in the places where He is working and where His glory dwells, in the hearts of His sons and daughters.
One morning during our prayer walk through the bar district I began to cry out to God. Several people on my team had all gotten similar words from the Spirit during our prayer walks, words about revival in Chiang Mai and seeing visions of the walls in the bar district falling down and a church being raised up in its place. That got me pumped up and I began to pray for that vision to become a reality.
Then one morning I had this realization and began to cry out “God, if you don’t do what we’re asking, if this place doesn’t fall to the ground, if you don’t do something all these lives will stay the same. I can’t bear thinking about the life of these prostitutes, knowing that unless you move here this is the best life the will ever know. Selling their bodies day and night just to get by, that will be the best they’ll ever know. Unless you move here, unless you do something. Jesus, I can’t bear it. What are you doing in this place?” And then He replied to me through a song called “Justice waiting” by Jason Upton. As soon as I had finished asking Him these things I heard loud and clear the lyrics of the song playing in my headphones and I knew he was speaking. Here’s what the lyrics said…
“ A new day is coming and it won’t be long. There’s a fire burning and the wind is strong. There is justice waiting for the child of God. It’ll all go down, it’ll all go down, it’ll all go down. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, the anchor holds.”
I knew He was replying to my cry. He’s moving here. A new day is coming for the sons and daughters of Thailand. The Spirit is moving here and there is a fire in the hearts of the people. And I take it literally that all the walls in the bar district will come down. He’s going to shake this place and bring His redemption. There is justice waiting for the people of Thailand. He hears our cries and He sees their hearts. He’s on the move.
As I wait for that day, God willing, I will remain confident in His goodness and the plan He told me about. I want to remember and share with you something He taught me about His timing. In prayer one day last week He showed me this verse…
“ But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
-Galations 4:4
God’s timing must FULLY come so that we may have the FULL benefits as sons and daughters. His timing is one of His greatest gifts. His timing is for our good. If Jesus hadn’t come exactly when He did we would’ve lacked something. This has given me new perspective as I learn what it is to wait for Him. His timing is perfect, every detail thought of in advance, and each thing taken care of…all that we might receive the fullness of what He is doing. He came that we might have life, and have it to the full. Everything is in His hands and it’s going to be alright.
As we finish our last week in Thailand, would you join us in praying for the people of Thailand we get to know: The monks, the Prostitutes, the Johns. Each of them known by God and seen by Him. Would you pray that His freedom come to Thailand like a flood? That His sons and daughters return to their creator, to know true love, freedom, and relationship with their Father.
Thank you for your prayers. I am reminded of ya’ll often and I am thankful to have you read this blog, be a part of the work He is doing, and for encouraging and loving me so well. As we live and learn to become who He has made us to be, may He be glorified! May we always keep Him as our center, our focal point, for He is the source of life, truth, and all good things.
With Love, Chelsea
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