I have been meaning to write a blog awhile now about ministry this month. It has been hard to put it into words what we have done and seen. Thailand is a place in need of freedom and light.
Every night two teams go out to the bars. We go in teams of 3-4 people. My team starts by walking the street and praying for where God wants us to go. He does guide us to where he wants us to go that night. The past few nights we have been building a friendship with a couple girls at a particular bar. We will order a coke or water and sit and play connect 4 or Jenga with them at first. This is a good way to break the ice and start talking. We are trying to show them there are better jobs out there then having to be in prostitution. The ministry we work with offers hotel training and English classes.
The sad part is that many of these girls are here to support their families back home. Majority of them do not live around here and come a long ways to make money. They are here for money if nothing else. Many of them want to leave and go back to their families but do not see any other option. That is why we are there to offer them other options if they want.
One night as we walked down the street my team mate saw a girl that was standing there waiting for a guy to come and take her for the night. Prostitution is very high here. My team mate felt that we needed to pray for her as she had a look of death on her face. We all agreed and as soon as we did we turned around and saw a guy come up to her. They walked away so fast it was sad. Our hearts were heavy for those people and I have been praying for them since.
Just last night as we were doing ministry I had such a heavyness on my heart. I spent a lot of time with another team mate standing on the streets themselves just praying. I was so distracted by all that was around me it was hard to listen and hear God. As I stood there I noticed how many prostitutes were standing on the street right before my eyes. I looked around me and felt so heavy for these girls. They are normal people just like us, looking for love in all the wrong places. I realized how much I could relate to them at times in my life. I looked at them and saw pain, shame, dispair and hurt. I sensed they felt ugly and wanted love no matter where they got it from. I stood there and prayed freedom and beauty over them. I prayed they may feel Gods love and know they are worth more then anything else. I prayed that tonight they may go home to their own beds and not get any business. I was in tears by the end of the night just wanting these girls to walk out of there feeling beautiful from the inside. How many times have we felt bad about ourselves?. How many times have we wanted to find love in all the wrong places? It is what is inside that counts. Unfortunately these woman do not know that and may never know that.
My heart aches for these women, and for the men who feel they have no other choice but to take these women home. I pray against any feeling of rejection when these women do not get any business, and I pray against the lies of the enemy that they are not beautiful and need these men to fulfill them. Gods love is worth more then we can ever know.
Please continue to pray for our team as this month is heavy with a lot of spiritual warfare. We also have seen so much good things happening on the streets that we can`t help but praise God. Continue to pray for freedom and for the love of God to shine through the streets and bars here.
