A day in Chiang Mai, Thailand
We have multiple ministries here that each team participates in, whether it be playing with the children in the slums, teaching English at the school, leading worship, bar ministry, or working at Zion’ cafe. Our team is part of the bar ministry.
Before I go into what bar ministry looks like let me tell you a vague description of my days in Chiang Mai.
Sometimes you wake up sweating and sometimes you wake up content, depending on whether or not it rained that night. Either way you wake up feeling abundantly blessed because usually at least one of your teammates will already be up and greet you with a sweet, beautiful good morning smile. Blessings…
After you get nice and woke up it’s time to wait for your shower. Sometimes you end up just waiting until before lunch because missing out on a hotdog, mashed potatoes and eggs for a shower just isn’t right. Walking downstairs to eat breakfast you are instantly welcomed and loved with great conversation and the body of Christ. One morning one of my squad mates went out of her way to tell me that she thinks I’m so beautiful sometimes she just comes in my room and watches me sleep. I think she was kidding (Yes, she was kidding). Who needs a mirror when you have 39 girls who constantly remind you how beautiful you are? Blessings…
This was our first meal in Chiang Mai, before I got use to the heat. Notice the sweat in this pic?
Breakfast ends at around 9:30 and then, it’s time for our prayer walk. My team and I pray from around 935-11 am as we walk around the red light district where we have made multiple friends who we love dearly! I am still learning how to stay focused during this hour and a half, but it has definitely shown me just how powerful prayer can be when you put your heart and soul into it.
We get about a two hour break to spend quality time with our team and express any feelings or thoughts that we’ve had throughout the day or week. This has been a time where we grow together and call each other up into greatness and what God has called us to be as women. God knew exactly what he was doing when he put our team together; I’ve already grown so much from the wisdom in my team and hearing their hearts for the Lord.
After lunch we make time to hang out with the friends we’ve met from the bars in the red light district outside of the bar environment, or other people we've met through divine encounters. Whom, might I add, are awesome! When God gives you a passion you get this creepy loving feeling for everyone you meet. It’s crazy. It’s like “Lord, I’ve only known these people for 2 weeks and I’m in love with them..?” Only Jesus…
These are our friends from the technical college. They invited us to come watch their dance performance. Be praying for more divine encounters to get to know them more and love them more.
(photo credit: Ricci Emmons and Mary Timaeus)
Dinner time comes fast. When your days are busy, your days are short. That’s ok because night time is when it is really time to get out of your comfort zone. From 830-1030, before the bars get too wild, we go in, grab a Sprite and talk to the women/men who are being sold, the gentlemen who are buying, and sometimes the bar owners. We just sit and talk to them and try to love them like Jesus does.
We try to be like Jesus with skin on, the one who loves EVERYONE regardless of what sin they’re living in. And in return, we are blessed with new friendships and ultimately they will hopefully experience Jesus through us.
