For months my team has been looking forward to Thailand. We could not wait to immerse ourselves in the lives of the natives. We desired to get dolled up, change out of our 'missionary clothes' and head to the bars.
World Racers know that Thailand means bar ministry.
We expected that our ministry for the month would be to go into the bars every night and build relationships with the girls working there, trying to find someone to buy them for the night. Unfortunately, having expectations never turns out well. We found out while we were still in the Philippines that our ministry this month would be in a coffee shop rather than the bars.
After flying to Bangkok and then driving 12 hours to Chiang Mai we arrived at our home for the month. Considerably better accommodations than last month! We were briefed on the Thai culture, religion and norms, then sent off to our ministry.
(Amanda, Mary B, Kaitlyn, Abby and I at a Buddhist temple learning about Thailand's culture and religion)
The first thing that we did after catching up on sleep and adjusting to another new country was celebrate the New Year. On the 31st a number of us piled into the back of a jeep taxi which took us downtown. Surrounded by floating lanterns and fireworks, we welcomed 2013 along with thousands of Thai locals and tourists from all over the world.
We learned that our job in the coffee shop would be to teach English and build relationships with students attending CMU, the university across the street from Wongen, the coffeeshop we live in. Every day we eat lunch on campus with the college students and have been able to form a few friendships. In the evenings I tutor a wonderful 2nd year student named Dia. In both situations I struggle through conversations, trying to understand despite heavy Thai accents and a frequent inability to pronounce the letter 'l' in words. With much rephrasing and repeating, great relationships are being formed!
Accepting that our ministry is not in the bars, I settled in and began to get comfortable in the college life, one I had perfected prior to this year. One day, however, I was asked to fill in for a sick squad mate who had made an appointment with a girl she had met at one of the bars. With much hesitation, my teammate and I headed out one afternoon in search of a bar that we did not know.
We arrived in the red light district in the early afternoon. The streets, which at night are filled with people and flashy lights and loud bar noises, felt eerily quiet and vacant. There were no jeering men or flashy women in the bars that we passed. We found the New Moon Bar and went in. There was no one in the small room other than the woman who got up to take our order as we came in and the lady boy napping on the couch.
Explaining our purpose for being there, we ordered cokes and sat down to wait for the women we were supposed to be teaching English to. The woman serving us our drinks, Mai, explained to us that the girls were still sleeping and could not attend the lesson we had prepared to teach them. So, instead, we spent the next hour talking with Mai. She told us about her life, her son being raised by her parents, the numerous bars she had worked at previously, her switch to working days instead of nights as her age has increased. My heart broke for her.
(My squadmates and i with our new friends who work at the bar)
Mai told us about her little motorbike that she drives to and from work. She does not have a license, but she doesn't really need one because she lives close to the bar. And she never goes anywhere other than the bar. She is such a kind, friendly, wonderful woman, but her life is so empty. Her job leaves her unfulfilled and fills her head with sadness and materialistic inadequacies.
After our cokes were gone and we no longer had reason to remain in the bar, we paid and prepared to leave. Mai hugged us and asked us to return again soon. We promised to try and said goodbye.
It is such a blessing to be in this country, building relationships in the strangest places and ways, loving the beautiful people I come into contact with daily! I love seeing the friendships develop and feeling bonded to the most unlikely individuals. I look forward to seeing how these relationships develop as we continue to serve here in Thailand.
I also love the elephants and crazy Thai pants.
