When our World Race teams were being formed way back in May of last year, I really wanted to be on an all girl’s team. I think I was the only girl who wanted this. I say that because pretty much every girl I’ve talked to has told me that she specifically requested to not be on an all girl’s team, and to not have a female leader.
I wasn’t put on an all girl’s team. For a while I was bummed about this, but then realized that God must want to teach me something more about His nature and His character by way of the opposite sex. So instead of wasting my energy wishing that I was on an all girl’s team, I began to try to truly understand why men are from mars.
This month, however, I get the opportunity to be on an all girl’s team…and then some. There are 18 of us living, eating, working and playing together for the next few weeks. We’ve only been here in Phuket for three days and we’ve already experienced so much.
Every night we go out to the bars on Bangla Road, where young Thai women make their living by prostituting themselves to male customers (many of whom are older Western men). We break up into small groups, sit at the bar and order a Cocoa Cola Light or two. As we are there we talk with the Thai women – we hear their stories and we share our own. Tonight a woman told me that she often can’t sleep at night because her mind makes her go crazy. “What do you think about?” I asked her. “My friends,” she motioned to the other young girls standing around her, “my daughter, work, money, my family…” she continued on, but that’s all I can remember.
We’re only out for a few hours each night, but this kind of ministry is exhausting. Each night our hearts are broken for the women before us, and each night we have to fight against hardening our hearts toward the men around us.
Before we leave for the bars we come together at 8:00 for a time of worship. We have two talented musicians who lead us in songs. Often times we confess our judgmental attitudes – against men, against the women’s families, against the government – and we ask God to help us to love more.
On Saturday morning we had a pancake breakfast (we have some incredibly talented cooks in our group as well). Afterward we had a discussion about the global phenomenon of female insecurity – the media’s portrayal of beauty, how we often seek our value via the attention of men, what insecurities we have about our bodies – and what God thinks about it all.
So yeah, it’s going to be a pretty amazing month with the ladies. Like I said, it’s only been three days, so I can hardly imagine what else is in store for us…
