Wow I don’t even know what happened last night!!! It started with my teammate prophesying to me before I went out that I was going to talk to a john (guys that buy prostitutes) and that he was going to get it!! I just took it and received that!!
As I was walking through the alley strip of trafficking bars looking for Ralph who I have ministered to before-this old bald guy sitting at the bar waves his hand up and calls me to come. For a moment I hesitate thinking, oh goodness he is hitting on me, but then I just remembered what Todd White said that if someone hits on you just start telling them about Jesus that will stop it real quick. And it’s true!!
So I walked right towards him with my old street smarts and said what’s up? And he said where are you going? I said I’m looking for someone(in NY accent lol) he said, “oh ok sorry.” I said it’s ok and started asking where he was from he said he doesn’t speak a lot of English, he is from France. He let me get on.
So my friend and I continued to walk then turned around to go to the main road and passed him the other way and I went over to him again and said “do you know Jesus? Do you have Jesus in your heart?” He said, “ohh I drink to much,” I said, “so what Jesus loves you still.” He said he doesn’t talk about Jesus but it’s ok for me to. I just kept telling him God loves him.
So my friend and I continued to walk and see what bar we were going to land in and as we walked down the main road I kept being pulled back to that bar with that man so I had to go back!!
So we turned around to go hang out there. He happily greeted us and took the menu like he was gonna buy us a drink, but one of the prostitutes that worked there took the menu from him to take our order. He came over to talk to us more and I started asking questions-why is he here and so on. He lives 6 months here and 6 months in France. He said he owned the bar we were in. Well he was pretty drunk so we laughed at him thinking he was messing with us. Then the bar tender came and asked him a question and my friend said I think he really is the owner. We were like whaaa? Holy Ghost set up!!!
He then sat down and did some business with another man. He came back over to us I asked him if he was married since he had a ring on his finger, but had his arm around another girl before. I asked where his wife was and he points to the prostitue table and calls her name and she waves. Crazy!! Could this be one of the pimps I’ve been praying for??!!
So I continued to talk to him and plant more seeds of God’s love then as we were bout to leave I asked if I could pray for him he said yes. I asked anything specific he said, “my family that they are ok.” So I lay my hand on him and just start thanking God for his love for Tony and pretty much love, love, love prayers, and that he encounters God’s love and then prayed for his family.
When I was done praying he had glazed eyes like he was about to cry with his hand over his heart saying you speak so beautiful thank you, thank you. Bowing his head in total respect it was as if he literally sobered up in seconds!!! And as if I was looking at a totally different man because his countenance totally changed. It was the most amazing thing to see. Him go from drunk and goofy to sober, serious and teary eyed and thanking me.
Most people would not approach someone like this. He looked like an old jerk hitting on me from the outside. But all he is, is a broken soul needing Jesus. He doesn’t know any better, he is deceived. But Jesus died for him and I refuse to be afraid anymore to share the gospel. I refuse to let religion box me.
It’s true though once I started sharing Jesus with him he started acting different. Religion would say you shouldn’t go into bars because your past. But Jesus said Greater is He in me than He that’s in the world and that my past doesn’t exist and that He has made me a Light to shine in darkness. Purity is greater than perversion and I know that this Light people encounter brings change. So I’m not afraid to give it. I have watched them either be repelled by the Light in me and run from me and not be able to look in my eyes because the Light exposes their darkness. Or I have seen them be so drawn to the Light that they change.
Not only has He given me the Holy Ghost but I still got some street smarts. I know how to talk to a lot of these people. What if I just walked past Tony in disgust thinking this old man hitting on me what a jerk? But I couldn’t just walk by knowing that here was an opportunity to share God’s love to a broken little boy, a man deceived after hurt, disappointment and trying to fill a void that only God can fill. So yeah I sucked it up and boldly approached him and wow little did I know how glorious it would turn out. Tony will never be the same and I believe God will put right people in his path so that he completely surrenders!!!
I haven’t stopped thinking and praying for Tony since I left. How could I love this man so deeply in his trafficking these girls, in his drunkenness, in his adultery? There is no way I could in my humanity, but when the love of Christ burns in your heart you see people through His love. You feel His heartbeat for that person and oh my it’s so deep, unconditional, full of mercy and compassion. I refuse to be boxed by religion. I’m just willing to be a vessel for God to move through and He uses the foolish things to confound the wise. Just like he used me to minister to a pimp and not only that a monk!! Who would if thought!!! I’m like whaaa?!! It don’t even sound right..haha!!
So if you read my last blog I have continued to visit my new monk friend Yom. Which by the way thank you for your prayers!!! I have continually went back to build relationship. Again breaking the rules of their religion where women are dirty and they can’t touch them or receive gifts. He is this adorable old man who was talking about his exercise. This sounds creepy, but it wasn’t you had to be there, but he invited us into his room so he could show off his pull ups. He then takes his robe off to do these gymnastic flips over the bar. I was like what is going on right now? He gives us is little tour of where he sleeps just treating us like we are family.
Then the next time I went to visit him it was just me I’m sure that broke rules of Buddha. But that is the favor that God gives. He invites me to sit like usual and we laugh and carry on like we’ve known each other for years, and we just sit and talk with his Thai to English dictionary, as I just plant more seeds of Jesus, and help him with some more English.
I then invite him to come to eat at the cafe we are staying at that has Christian music playing. I know this is totally against the rules by his reaction to me as he looked perplexed and said, “with you out there in the shop?” I told him others would be there and that he could meet the owner who is our ministry host. He didn’t seem like it was ok because him thinking so long. So I said, “its ok if you can’t I understand.” Well before I left he asked me when will we go eat so I said Monday the 28th. Looks like he accepted.
My friend and I just went back today and the first thing he said was 28 days, 28 days. We didn’t understand then motioning food to his mouth and I realized the 28th!!! We also gave him a Thai bible!! God has just made such a beautiful connection with this man.
And I believe when he reads that bible it will come alive and he will encounter Jesus!!! Please continue to pray for Tony and Yom!!
