So,
I just wanted to catch everyone up on what I’ve been doing the past couple
weeks! We have been doing a variety of different ministries…
Our
contact here in the city has been a man named Martin. He and his family have
blessed us more than we could have ever imagined. We truly feel like we have
become part of their family!
contact here in the city has been a man named Martin. He and his family have
blessed us more than we could have ever imagined. We truly feel like we have
become part of their family!
A
couple weeks ago Jordan, Charlotte, and I had the privilege of catching an
early train one Sunday morning to a smaller town nearby. We went to a Methodist
church there and then spoke to a Sunday School class afterwards (they were awesome!) about missions and how we got involved in the World Race. It was
amazing sitting in the church and listening to them worship in their language.
One thing that the Lord has constantly been reminding me of on this trip is
just how BIG He is. It is amazing to go from country to country and be unified
with people there through Christ- to be part of something that is so
spectacular and so BIG. It is one of those things that I always heard about,
but experiencing it makes it that much more real.
couple weeks ago Jordan, Charlotte, and I had the privilege of catching an
early train one Sunday morning to a smaller town nearby. We went to a Methodist
church there and then spoke to a Sunday School class afterwards (they were awesome!) about missions and how we got involved in the World Race. It was
amazing sitting in the church and listening to them worship in their language.
One thing that the Lord has constantly been reminding me of on this trip is
just how BIG He is. It is amazing to go from country to country and be unified
with people there through Christ- to be part of something that is so
spectacular and so BIG. It is one of those things that I always heard about,
but experiencing it makes it that much more real.
Something
that we have gotten to do several times here in this city are prayer walks.
that we have gotten to do several times here in this city are prayer walks.
One
place specifically that we prayed over are the Petronas Towers. Malaysia is
known for them. I walked around each floor in the mall inside praying.
Praying for the people here in this Islamic country, praying for the leaders, praying for the idolatry that takes place, and praying that the hearts of these people would experience FREEDOM!
We
went and did prostitution ministry one night last week with another team that
is also staying in this city. It was very eye opening and a good intro to what
Thailand will be like for us. I’m not really a cryer..but when we walked into
the bar/club I literally had this overwhelming feeling of just wanting to burst
into tears. We made our way over to the bar to collect our “free”
drink..7up! After that we split up into 2 groups. I was with my friend Tyler
and he saw 2 girls sitting at a table and he turned to me and said, “We’re
going to go sit at that table and you’re going to talk to those girls.”
Before I could say anything he had already asked if we could sit there with
them.
went and did prostitution ministry one night last week with another team that
is also staying in this city. It was very eye opening and a good intro to what
Thailand will be like for us. I’m not really a cryer..but when we walked into
the bar/club I literally had this overwhelming feeling of just wanting to burst
into tears. We made our way over to the bar to collect our “free”
drink..7up! After that we split up into 2 groups. I was with my friend Tyler
and he saw 2 girls sitting at a table and he turned to me and said, “We’re
going to go sit at that table and you’re going to talk to those girls.”
Before I could say anything he had already asked if we could sit there with
them.
I tried to gain my composure and think of things to talk about while one
of the girls went and got me a chair. I was shaking at first, but once we
started talking she was so sweet and so open to conversation. She ended up
being from the Philippines and knew exactly where I had stayed there, so
immediately there was some common ground. It was really hard to understand her
accent over the loud band that was playing, so we didn’t get too far in
conversation; however, just from the short time I did talk to her, my heart
broke. I could never tell if she “worked” there, or if she was just
there to have a drink.
of the girls went and got me a chair. I was shaking at first, but once we
started talking she was so sweet and so open to conversation. She ended up
being from the Philippines and knew exactly where I had stayed there, so
immediately there was some common ground. It was really hard to understand her
accent over the loud band that was playing, so we didn’t get too far in
conversation; however, just from the short time I did talk to her, my heart
broke. I could never tell if she “worked” there, or if she was just
there to have a drink.
Either way, the thing that disgusted me the most was
that to my right I saw this white middle-aged man sitting at a table alone.
When I looked over again, I saw a girl sitting there next to him. He had his
hand on her leg….his hand that had a wedding ring on it. Every time I looked
over and caught his eye, he would look down. He wouldn’t look at me and it was
obvious that he felt so much shame and wasn’t even having a good time.
that to my right I saw this white middle-aged man sitting at a table alone.
When I looked over again, I saw a girl sitting there next to him. He had his
hand on her leg….his hand that had a wedding ring on it. Every time I looked
over and caught his eye, he would look down. He wouldn’t look at me and it was
obvious that he felt so much shame and wasn’t even having a good time.
I had
prayed for grace before we went, and it was in that moment when I saw that man
sitting there, that I knew exactly why I had praye
d for grace. It is so much
easier (for me anyways) to extend grace to the girls in there who are working
because they have been trafficked in, or because they can’t get awork visa, or
because their families have sold them. The list goes on and on. It is a lot
harder for me to extend grace to the men who go into these bars. The men who
have wives at home, who have children at home…men who have no business ever
being in a place like that. However, the same grace covers all of us. The grace
of God covers you and I as well as each man and woman in each bar. We are all
in need of God’s saving grace, each and every day.
prayed for grace before we went, and it was in that moment when I saw that man
sitting there, that I knew exactly why I had praye
d for grace. It is so mucheasier (for me anyways) to extend grace to the girls in there who are working
because they have been trafficked in, or because they can’t get awork visa, or
because their families have sold them. The list goes on and on. It is a lot
harder for me to extend grace to the men who go into these bars. The men who
have wives at home, who have children at home…men who have no business ever
being in a place like that. However, the same grace covers all of us. The grace
of God covers you and I as well as each man and woman in each bar. We are all
in need of God’s saving grace, each and every day.
We
head to Thailand tomorrow. The girls in my group and I will be working in the
Red Light District for the month. I am really excited about building
relationships with the girls there and just showing them the love of Jesus-
love that they have never received before.
head to Thailand tomorrow. The girls in my group and I will be working in the
Red Light District for the month. I am really excited about building
relationships with the girls there and just showing them the love of Jesus-
love that they have never received before.
