Thailand…the land of smiles.
The land of cheap, outdoor markets, sparkling beaches, and delicious pad thai noodles.
The land of “the wai,” big Buddhas, and incredible ornate wats (temples).
A land of beauty, but a land caught in much darkness, as we all are. Along with the beauty comes the beast. In Thailand, it is a culture filled with Buddism, and spirit worship. There is also the issue of sex tourism, and sex trafficking in Thailand, which is the main reason our teams are here in Phuket, Thailand.
So here we find ourselves, finally back in Thailand. It is a blessing to be here, and especially a blessing to be in Phuket, working with SHE Ministries this month.
Our squad spent a few days of debrief in Bangkok, Thailand, which were filled with life and fun, and a calling up to continue to follow Christ wherever He leads us. It also meant time to explore an expansive outdoor market and taste lots of delicious Thai street foods, and see foods completely unknown and new to me, like fried bugs, cotton candy that looked like hair, and a soft, green, rice krispie kind of treat.
Then, true World Race style, we were told our buses were leaving in an hour one day, and to be packed and ready to go. So off we went, three girls teams to Phuket, Thailand, by a night bus. We drove for 12 hours to the southern island of Phuket, and here we are now!
This month I have the privilege and honor of being called up as a temporary team leader for the girls on my team. All of the men on Y Squad are up north by themselves for “manistry.” And so, I was asked to lead the three other girls on my team this month. It has been a blessing to my heart to walk alongside the girls on my team and lead as well. To facilitate God's heart for us all this month. There are two other girls teams here with us as well, so 15 girls total here in Phuket.
Phuket is a truly gorgeous gem of Thailand. Which also makes it a huge market for tourism. Tons of pristine, sparkling beaches with clear blue and green water, and hundreds of resorts lining the beaches. But, as I said before, along with this beauty comes the beast. The sex tourism and human trafficking industry, which is inlaid with the bar scene here.
Bangla Road is the primary spot for this activity, which is situated right by the highly traveled Patong Beach. There are over 200 bars on this street alone. Each bar has several girls who work there, and can be “bought” for the night. Prostitution isn't legal in Thailand, but it is a huge reality. It feeds into everything, especially the Patong and Bangla Road area.
And that is where SHE Ministries comes in, and the reason why we are here this month. To minister to the women who work at these bars. To go there, meet them where they are, and build relationships with them. To shine Christ's love in their lives, and offer hope. SHE Ministries provides free English classes for girls who are interested, and then the women have the option to come out of the bar scene and get training for other jobs and skill sets like jewelry making, baking, and hotel management.
Most of the women in the bars come from the poorer Northern provinces of Thailand. They come to Phuket, thinking the streets are lined with gold. But their English is usually poor, and they can not find work in the hotels that they hoped to find work in because of it. They end up going to the bars because they can make money there, but then they get stuck in that vicious, evil cycle.
SHE offers hope. Love. Relationships. We speak life and value into these women who are treated only as objects. We bring Christ's love to Bangla Road, and cut through the darkness. God is moving, too. Monday night when we were ministering on Bangla Road, the power went out. We were coming up to the main part of Bangla Road, and literally, everything but one bar section was black. EVERYTHING. The power was out, God had shut it down. It was incredible to witness. People were just standing, staring in disbelief. We wanted to laugh and shout for joy. God is ultimately in control. He is all powerful. It was a mightly display of that power, even for the few ten minutes the power was cut off in Bangla Road and everything came to a stand still.
This is why we're here.
To bring His love and hope to a beautiful place that is hurting and longing for His true beauty and meaning. We will cut through all of the darkness that we can, and bring light and love to as many as we can. Because SHE is worth it.
Some PICTURES of Thailand so far!
(Thai comedian DVD on our double decker bus to Phuket…too bad I couldn't understand it at all)
(Spicy Seafood pizza from Thai Pizza Hut anyone?)
(Mystery meat at the Thai market)
(Yes, ladies and gents, these are fried bugs…pick your size and crunchiness level)
(thai market)
(More mystery…but it looks so pretty!)
(One of the beaches)
(Patong Beach, which is by Bangla Road)
(Bangla Road by day)
(Bangla Road at night)
(In the light…)
(Same view, but during the black out…YAY God!)
(CLP girls at the beach!)
(CLP girls at a mall outing!)
