We laughed together as we started playing, and I started asking her about her life. When I asked if she likes working in the bar, she just smiled and said “it is a job,” all the while looking over her shoulder to make sure her boss wasn’t listening in. But as I got deeper than just surface level in my conversation with her, I began to discover she thinks her life is anything but good.Her English is good, but not good enough for her to start her own business. I asked her if she was interested in taking English classes so that she could improve her English and she said yes. So we set up a time the following Tuesday to meet her to go to the classes. Tuesday came and I tried to call her, but her phone was off when I tried. I was a little discouraged, but decided to just focus on the next time I would see her. We had bar ministry again on Thursday night, and Friday was her birthday, so I made her a little birthday card and spent the day praying that she would be working when we got there that night.
As I was still walking up to the bar she saw us coming and she started yelling “Lala, Lala!” The same beautiful smile spread across her face. I gave her the birthday card and her smile got even bigger. I told her it was for her birthday and she said “oh, is tomorrow!” I said, “I know, but I wanted to come see you tonight!” I asked her if she was doing anything for her birthday and she told me that she was going to the temple. She asked if I wanted to come but I told her that I had to do stuff with my team in the mornings, but I asked if she was doing anything for lunch. She said no, and I told her I wanted to take her out to lunch for her birthday. Her face absolutely lit up as she said thank you several times and excitedly we made plans for the following day.
So Friday came and Anna and I went to Patong to meet her for lunch. We tried calling her cell phone again, and we couldn’t get through. We went to our meeting spot but we didn’t find her. That’s when the discouragement started to set in. But Anna and I fought it and still made our time in Patong productive; we went to pray for a lady we have talked to before in a tailor shop on Bangla Road, and we met some new people while we were there as well.
My prayer for this girl is that her life will live up to her name; that it will be a “good thing.” James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father…” This girl is God’s creation, and as such, He has called her “good.” I ask that all of you reading this will be praying for her this week. Our team only has one more week in Thailand, and while I know that the work is the Lord’s and not mine, my heart’s desire is to see this girl come out of the bar and find her true fulfillment in life by finding the Lord. Pray that my words and my actions will bring truth and life to her. Pray that she will see Christ in me. Pray that the Lord will prepare her heart and draw her to Himself, and that she will respond when she hears about His love for her. Pray for boldness for me and for my team as we go to bar ministry on Monday, Wednesday and Friday night. Pray that the Lord will work in mighty ways to bring His good work to Bangla Road through us this week.
