UPDATE:
The squad is all trained up and ready to go! Woot woot! 😀
It has been such a blessing to be here with this new Fusion squad! Everyone is doing really well and enjoying their last week doing ministry in Thailand. Our teams are split up doing different parts of the ministry here in Chiang Mai.
One team focuses on forming relationships with the women in the bars. Our main goal is to befriend them and gain their trust. Ideally after forming friendships the girls are more open about how they feel about working in the bars. (For those that do not know, working in the bars I mean, prostitution. The girls are to entertain and attract foreigners into the bars and to sleep with those who wish to pay for their furthered services. Most women are there because they need the money and feel that they have no other alternatives). Already even after a week some of the girls we have befriended are already sharing with us that they do not like having to work there. Our desire is to encourage them to leave that industry and share with them that God has more for their lives and they have other options. Those that do want to leave we connect them with our ministry host to hopefully find them a job outside of the bar life.
We have two teams doing prayer walks through the bar districts and attending monk chats. Most Buddhist temples have a thing called Monk Chats. In order to practice their English the monks sit down and welcome foreigners to sit with them and just chat. This is a great opportunity for us to build relationships with monks, get to know them, and share with them our faith. Surprisingly many monks are very interested in learning about what Christianity is really about (Jesus!) and ask many questions. One this past week even asked to take pictures of certain passages in the Bible the team pointed out to him and seemed very enthralled.
We also have another team working in a very poor part of the city working with the children. They play games, teach them songs and words in English, and just love on the forgotten children of the streets.
The teams are doing well. Please continue to pray for their safety as they spread the light of Jesus in very dark places. Some have shared with me that they are dealing with thoughts and insecurities internally that they do not normally deal with. This is usually the way that the enemy fights back from the work they are doing for Christ.
Boys and Girls Home day visit outside of Chiang Mai!
FUN JESUS STORY:
My co-squad leader, Emily Rae, has lots of experience in and passion for evangelism. I have been very inspired by some of her stories that she has shared of bold evangelism for Christ. I have found that my passion is for discipleship of the body of Christ BUT I do feel that evangelism should be a part of every believers life!
One day, I was in a songthaews (shared taxi thing) and was going out to visit a village that was 30 minutes outside the city. A young Thai couple also came in and rode with me. The man spoke pretty good English so we struck up conversation. So there I was, sitting in a songthaews and I thought… Hmm I could chat about random things with this couple. I could show them love and joy and peace but in this 30 minutes, I could also do more. I could take a bold step and share the true good news of Jesus Christ.
I said a prayer, Lord if I am to share with them help me know when and how to lead our conversation towards the spiritual. I didn’t know what to do or say but just continued to create relationship with them. And then it happened. God gave me words to say and an open opportunity. We started talking about work and how sometimes we wish we were little kids again because life was easier and simpler then with less responsibilities. I then told him how I felt God was leading me to quit my job and was teaching me that life wasn’t about ‘success’ in the business world (he is a lawyer).
I asked him if in Buddhism there was a way to communicate to Buddha. He was very confused with this question. He understood the question but couldn’t comprehend why or how would he communicate with Buddha. I shared that Jesus is alive and that my God communicates with me. I shared a very brief testimony and how I came to realize that even after being a ‘Christian’ for my whole life I didn’t really find God until three years ago and began learning how to communicate with God. His eyes were riveted on me. He soaked in every word, wide eyed, and intense in thought. He shared that he had a friend who was Buddhist but then became Christian and had told him similar things.
I don’t know where that conversation will take him in the future. But I do believe that God used me to spark something in him. To think, to question, if this thing that is so mind boggling could be true. To wonder, if there really is an alive God out there that wants to communicate with him. I do feel that I will see him in heaven one day. Why else would God send me around the world to talk to him. To begin to impart in him that thought, that possibility, that there is more to this life.
It’s time to jump off a cliff with Jesus!
