1 Month, 200 Bars, and 2,000 women. - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

~~~ Welcome to Thailand~~~

The view from my room. ( I share a room with 13 girls…and theres only one bathroom…Yikes!!)

This month our squad of 36 people are located in the red-light district of Phuket Thailand, ministering on Bangla road. I have heard that it has over 200 bars and 2,000 women. We have partnered with SHE this month which is a organization that helps girls out of the bars and offers them other opportunities. Their website describes perfectly what they do… “SHE (Self Help and Empowerment) is a Christian charity committed to helping women and children at risk in Thailand, many of whom are trapped in the commercial sex trade. SHE is dedicated to providing employment, vocational training and counseling for women who want to help themselves out of this industry. All proceeds go directly to helping them find employment, community, friendship, restoration, and above all restoration of their own value.”

At night we head out in small teams, buy drinks from the bars(non-alcoholic), play simple games from the bar, and chat with the girls. We build relationships with the ladies and ask them to lunch at SHE. The girls are usually willing to open up once we visit them a few times and make them feel loved and important. We also speak to the men drinking at the bars when God calls us to.

During our afternoons we are helping fix up the property where SHE will eventually be moving too. So far we have been working on building a staircase in the side of a hill and making a fence line. We come home sweaty and quite tired out.

Some afternoons my team (Ryan, Jordan, Bethany, Carmen and I) take a turn to prayer walk Bangla Street during the daylight, asking God for divine appointments later at night. While the other teams go out at night and we stay in, we join together in intercession, praying desperately for God’s presence and hand on the entire night. If you would ever like to join in from home, we pray here from 9p.m.-12a.m, which I believe is 9a.m-12p.m. at home in Michigan. We pray for miracles to happen, for God to be completely glorified amidst the anger, lust, and sin. We pray that he puts the words in our mouths and the people in our paths. We pray for change of heart, and of mind.

And then other afternoons when we’re not on the field we help the ladies who have left the bars and live at SHE bake cookies or make jewelry. It has been an intense month so far with the ministry in the bars, and talking to the girls and men. I will continue to fill you in when we’re not busy out and about. Here are a few pictures to enjoy from this month.

SHE (Self Help and Empowerment)