Just a little update about what I am doing this month! L squad have been in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the last three weeks serving all together instead of breaking up and serving all around Thailand. Our squad is working with the Lighthouse Ministries Organization. There are three different things each team can do with Lighthouse Ministries.
This is straight from their site:
Love Acts
Love Acts is the red-light district and slums outreach ministry. We go out into the bars of northern Thailand and build relationships with the girls, and ladyboys. We also have a new sponsorship program in the works for the ones who are ready to leave.
Zion Cafe
Zion Cafe is a place where students, missionaries, tourists, bar workers, and families can come to delicious meals, coffee, and smoothies and hang out in a safe, loving, and godly environment.It’s where we hold our English classes, meetings, open mics, concerts, and even a church service!
X-Life
X-Life is the village outreach/prevention ministry. We want to see the villages of northern Thailand transformed with the truth of God. We work alongside, laugh, cry, sleep, and do life with the villagers in hopes that our lives will show the characteristics of a Jesus they have yet to meet. We also hope to educate them on the evil truths of the commercial sex trade in the cities, so that they do not sell their children into a life of prostitution. These teams are also going out to Monk chats to talk with the Monks in the Chiang Mai area.
Our team, team Anathallo, is working in the Zion Cafe. Here we have been establishing relationships with the women who are working in the cafe. They come from all different backgrounds and places of life. It has been really cool to see the friendships that have been developing each day as we try to love on them and help them. I have learned about the hard times they have had and where they are now.
On top of working at Zion Cafe, I have felt called to do intersession with the teams that go out to the bars during the day and night. So while 3 to 4 of the girls go out 3 to 4 girls stay at Zion and pray for these teams. I have been able to be apart of of this once or twice of week to be able to just support the girls going out. Great things have happened out at the bars and I am excited to see what happens by the end of the month!
While most of our ministry has focused on the red-light district, three of us girls on our team have actually found ministry in the coffee shops in the area. We have met a Thai women who has been working for 8 months in Chiang Mai but her family does not know. She had run away from her family due to abuse directed at her. She is Indian but has lived in Thailand for many years. She is having problems of not being treated fairly at the coffee shop she is working at right now in Chiang Mai. She is so sweet but is hurt, scared, and lonely. We are hoping that we can love on her and help her during this time. I hope that you all can keep her in your prayers.
Overall, Thailand has been an amazing experience so far and I am excited to see what the next two weeks go before we leave!
