So far on our World Race, our living situation has varied from month to month. In Bali, we had our own private room with a bed, but it was open to the outdoors so we put our tent on the bed to protect us from mosquitoes and slept in that at night. And our bathroom there consisted of a “squatty potty” and bucket shower. In the Philippines, we had our own room at the ministry site for part of the month, and then bunked up with the other 2 married couples on our squad for the second part of the month. The fan there didn’t really help with the mugginess that somehow always filled our room, and we did have a few encounters with the roaches and mice that felt like being roommates with us from time to time.
As for this month, we were so surprised when our hosts showed us where we would be living during our time in Thailand, and we feel incredibly blessed with the many luxuries we have at the apartment that we are staying at that we haven’t had in previous months (A/C, a washing machine, a refrigerator, an overhead non-bucket shower with hot running water, A COUCH, and access to a pool!). With that being said, Alyssa and I have found it harder than the first 2 months to spend time alone together as a married couple since we don’t have privacy and are sharing a small space with 5 other people, with most of us sleeping on the floor on mats at night.
So to help remedy that (and to celebrate my 27th birthday), we took a few days away from Bangkok and our team to go spend some intentional time together in the beautiful Phi Phi Islands. To get there, you need to fly into Phuket and then take a ferry ride over to the islands. One of the other teams on our squad is doing ministry work in Phuket, so we decided to all meet up for a night while we were in the same area as them!
After dinner, the guys on the team took me to visit their friend Jerry, a local tattoo artist in Phuket that they have been discipling who is very close to becoming a Christian. As for the girls on the team, they took Alyssa to the main street in the red light district of Phuket where they have been building relationships and sharing the love of Jesus with the women working in the bars and brothels there. Alyssa shared her experience with me later, saying that it broke her heart to walk down that street and see the sights that she saw.
One of our squad mates, Katie, who is currently on the team working in Phuket, shared a recent journal entry of hers on her blog about her thoughts when she first arrived in Phuket. It’s a powerful entry that she kindly let us share with you all. Scroll past the group picture to read her thoughts below about doing ministry in Phuket…
“Preface: This is a journal entry from night three in Thailand. I only ask of one serious requirement to reading this: I don’t care to know if you followed through, but my team and I need your prayers heavily this month. Pray for us. Pray for Jesus to protect us. Pray for the women. Pray for the men. Pray for our hosts. Pray for revival. Just pray!
Mark 4:39 ‘Peace! Be Still!’
God my heart feels the chaos. My heart feels the hopelessness. My heart feels the brokenness and it’s overwhelming to the core.
When we walk down Bangla street, we know we carry the light in this darkness. We know we carry the one thing they can place their hope in. We know we carry the only thing that can bring them peace. We know we carry your authority, Jesus.
Yet all I feel is frustration.
I’m frustrated when I can’t take 3 steps without men and women shoving signs of naked women promoting sex shows in my face. I’m frustrated when I see tourists of all ages and genders filming and taking pictures of the REAL women on the poles in every bar down that street. I’m frustrated when I see men of all ages whispering into the ears of these noticeably younger Thai women. I’m frustrated when I realize how normalized it is to choose this lifeless life-style.
Every step taken down that street is a step of utter reliance on you Jesus, for my strength. I need you. We need you.
As my eyes skim from pole to pole, bar to bar, face to face, my heart hurts for those women with complete emptiness in their eyes. My heart hurts for the tourists who come seeking their worth in the payment of women. We walk through and wonder how this street got this sad. I wonder what possessed someone to create such a place. I wonder about all the movies that glamorize this life-style and I cringe knowing I have watched and supported not thinking twice about the reality of these women.
When you walk down Bangla street, it wreaks of despair and hopelessness. It reveals eyes of broken, tired and lost girls who are just trying to support their families. Believing the lies that the best/easiest way is selling themselves, objectify their bodies and hiding their pain with shots of whatever they can get their hands on NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.
There’s more to their life right God!?
God calm the overwhelming storm in my heart. God I know you are faithful. I know you bring hope and peace. I need it more than ever right now. I need your strength to walk down that street with nothing but a smile and radiating joy. I need your love to see the brokenness for what it is and see and love these people for who they are.
God, Peace Be Still my heart PLEASE.
I trust you and I love you.”
