The moment I set foot in Thailand it felt different. I loved Africa; I loved the people and the children there. The time we spent there was definitely a time of growing, learning, stretching and being refined. But Thailand stirred something inside of me. The people immediately stole my heart and God instantly burdened my spirit to pray for the people and the land.
The people are beautiful. They always greet you with a smile, usually accompanied by a wai. The wai is used in situations where we would shake hands. It is a prayer-like gesture of hands held together in front of the chin coupled with a slight bow of the head. They smile so much that Thailand has been coined the “Land of Smiles.”
Our time in Thailand will be spent working in Bangkok with a ministry called The Well. The Well was started by Jim and Judy Larson, an amazing couple from the Chicago area. The Well’s mission is to love Thai bar girls and sex workers in the same way that Jesus loved the woman at the well (John 4) and others like her. The hope is that the woman will see and experience their true value as God’s daughter. We want to introduce her, her family and her village to the love of Christ. The Well provides discipleship, counseling, training, education, job development and other services to women and their family members. Jesus showed the woman at the well her true value. He spoke to her with respect, and offered freedom from the inner emptiness that drove and was fed by her behavior. She was so excited to meet someone who brought her past to light in an affirming, non-condemning way that she went and told her whole village about him. That is the vision of the Well.
The Well is made up of three centers with 10-15 girls at each center. In order to make money, each center has set up a business. Center 1 (where I spend my time) makes beautiful greeting cards (http://girl33.com/shop), center 2 makes exquisite jewelry, and center 3 makes lovely purses and clothing.
The ministry here is incredibly relational. That is one of the things that I love most about what we are doing. It is important for us to build a relationship with the women before they will share their story or listen to the story we have to tell. Most of them have such broken pasts that it is hard for them to trust people, particularly foreigners that come to the bars. And it is not part of their culture to open up about their feelings. They will always have a smile and let you think everything is ok. It is not until you earn their trust that they will truly open up, sharing their past and their pain.
The Well is literally a drink of fresh water for these women. There are only three ministries in all of Bangkok that seek to love the bar girls. There are so many people desperate for a true, fullfilling love. The women are searching for more. Thailand, and specifically the bar scene, need more people to spread the love of Christ. So if you are looking for a place to come, I definitely recommend Thailand. I have fallen in love with this place.
