Being on the World Race provides no shortage of surprises and changes. After finishing 3 months in Africa with new teammates than who I had in Europe, there will yet again be team changes heading into Asia.
But before we join our new teams, there will be even different teams for all the guys during our month in Thailand (December). We will be engaging in what is dubbed “manistry” where all the men on the squad (all 13 of us) will be together at the same ministry site and working together for the entire month. This serves a basic two-fold purpose. One, it gives the guys a great opportunity to grow closer together and build stronger bonds that couldn’t otherwise be formed as we are spread thin over 7 teams intermixed with our sisters. It also allows our girls of the squad to more effectively go in to the bars and brothels of Bangkok and other parts of Thailand to build relationships with the women who have been caught up in the sex-trafficking and sex-work business that is so rampant in that country.
I’m extremely excited for this month as the Manistry work will likely consist of living at a children’s home/orphanage where the kids have either been rescued from human trafficking or are at high risk of getting entangled in that sad business of buying and selling of women and children as if they are commodities that are made for a profit. So far my favorite ministry on this trip has been running summer camps for orphans and abused children in Ukraine. But each of those camps were 10 days or less. To be able to spend an entire month and build relationships with these kids is exactly what I’ve been hoping for since that second month in Ukraine. We will in the city of Chiang Mai which I hear is only second to Bangkok in terms of population and touristy things to do. I will update you more on what the sights and sounds (and definitely tastes) of Chiang Mai are once there.
I’m not exactly sure what my internet situation may look like at the Orphanage so I wanted to at least update ya’ll on what I think I will be doing for the next month.
Until next time…
