A Little Bit About Thailand

We have arrived in Thailand!

I've already eaten Chicken Pad Thai and got an hour foot massage for $7.00…. this place rocks.

So we took an overnight bus from Moldova to Bulgaria, where we spent two nights before taking a plane to Bangkok, Thailand, with a layover in Qatar. That was followed by another overnight bus ride from Bangkok to Phuket, finally arriving to our ministry on Sunday morning.

This travel madness means cankles at their finest, people. Thank goodness for the foot massage.

I must say though, Qatar Airlines far outdoes any other airline with their free hot towelettes, socks, toothbrush, eye mask, ear plugs and delicious food. It was a breath of fresh air to be greeted with a genuine smile and good service for the first time in two months as well… Eastern Europe is not exactly known for their cheeriness.

This month brings crazy new things. For starters, Luke and I have separated for ministry this month. This is something that we knew might be an option for us before the race ever began. The World Race typically does one month where the men separate, its called "Manistry" month.

I am one of 18 women working at SHE Ministries in Phuket (pronounced poo-KET) Thailand this month. SHE helps women who are trapped in the sex and human trafficking industry learn skills so they can find employment/income in other ways. They teach English classes, baking, sewing, jewelry making and train them in hotel services. Any woman/girl that chooses to leave their job in the sex industry is guaranteed a new job with the help of the ministry.

Luke and the other 11 men are on an island somewhere 30 minutes away, working on construction for SHE Ministries’ new ministry location. They are painting, sanding, putting in windows and doors, and helping in lots of ways to get the property up and running. Mark and Sharon (our ministry hosts) are planning to move to the new location, with their 3 children, in the next couple of weeks. SHE is growing and expanding rapidly and they are very excited for this transition, and that the men can be a part of the process.

Another new thing that’s going on is that I am team leading this month. Luke was asked to be the leader of the men for the month, and I was asked to step into a leadership role for half of the women on our squad, along with my lovely co-leader, Whitney Huntley. I was nervous to accept this new role, but God has been preparing my heart for a long time to lead women. It’s been spoken to me several times that I am a leader for women and I have God-given wisdom to pour into them.

Upon arriving in Thailand and settling into our ministry, I began to feel a bit overwhelmed. Saying goodbye to Luke for a month, taking on a leadership role over 16 women, and learning that our ministry for the month would be a bigger emotional and spiritual battle than I realized, were all reasons for my mini breakdown.

Our ministry this month is highly centered around going into the red-light district at Patong Beach in Phuket and ministering to the prostitutes in the bars. We will spend the afternoon praying while walking up and down Bangla Street, which holds over 200 open bars where women sell drinks and eventually themselves to customers each night.

Most of the women who work in the bars come from impoverished areas of northeast Thailand. Many of them either leave their families to find work, or are forced out of their homes to find a source of income to send back to their families.

65% of the men at the Bangkok airport are here to pay for sex.

We will be going out each night from 9pm to midnight, going into the bars, buying a Coke, and building relationships with the women. We will ask them about their family and their job. We will build trust with them and then give them an alternative, an escape from the horror of selling themselves to make money. All of the women who work in the bars that we will go into have the choice to leave. SHE has a place for them to live and ways for them to earn income elsewhere.
*Sidenote for all the moms: We are given very specific instructions for which bars to avoid and which ones we can go into. We stay for a maximum of 30 minutes in each bar, and we stay in groups of three people at all times.

In all of this, I was quickly challenged with the fact that this month is going to be about total surrender and reliance on the Lord. Every single day, before I even get out of bed (or off my sleeping pad, rather) I need to give the day to God. I'm tired of trying to do stuff on my own, using my own abilities and planning everything out so it will go smoothly. I've realized I cannot do this alone. I cannot lead, be separated from my husband, go into a bar and build a relationship with a prostitute without complete surrender to God. He is the only one who can carry me through it all.

I am confident in the fact that God is equipping me each day to do His work.

I am confident in the fact that I don’t have to have the answers to everyone’s questions.

I am confident that the Holy Spirit will guide my interactions with the women in the bars.

I know that my strength will never be enough. It's scary, but I'm asking God to teach me to rely on Him 100%. I asked my team to come up with adventurous prayers for the month, things that may seem impossible. Mine is to learn what full reliance on God means. It seems simple, but yet so difficult to put into action.  

So for all of you reading this, I need prayer.

My team and I need you interceding in prayer on our behalf.

There is hope for this place, for these women. Please pray for divine appointments in the bars, for God’s voice to be clear to us, and for amazing transformation in the lives of many as a result.

In His Love, 
chelsey