Hey, Everyone!
I just want to thank you all for praying for me while I was in Thailand. Now that I’m back, I’m having a hard time with jet lag (#thestruggleisreal). Right now it’s Monday afternoon, and I leave for the Dominican Republic next Friday. I’m excited for this next trip… the ministry we’re partnering with seems incredible and the team I’m leading sounds awesome!
But first, what God did in Thailand!
Being able to return to Bangkok was such an incredible blessing! This was my 8th time to Thailand, but while I used to go every 6 months for about 4 years, it was my first time back in almost a year and a half. There were so many people there I’d missed so much! Being able to catch up with them, to see them in person and ask how they are, was so great.
It made me realize just how powerful it is to be remembered.
In a city powered by tourism (although most people travel to Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, or other popular cities, most have to travel through Bangkok), it’s not uncommon to see Westerners. It is more uncommon to see the same Westerners returning again and again (and who don’t partake in the Red Light Districts as about 60% of foreign tourists do). And when those people return and remember who you are, it makes you realize there is something different about them… and that’s when we are able to point to Christ. It’s led to some great conversations over the years. And that makes all the difference, because in the Buddhist religion, all gods and faiths are accepted.
To stand out as someone who cares (using the vehicle of relationship), can mean the difference between someone wanting to know more about Christ or not.
*Photo by Connie Rock
I was a part of a team of 17 that grew to 19-20 by the time the week was over. As we expanded and moved throughout Bangkok, it was so cool to see all the people and situations God led us to. Our days were different depending on what we were doing: meeting with Rahab or another local anti-trafficking ministry, visiting various markets, and even an outreach where we took a group of women to a movie before they went to work at the bars.
Our evenings were spent in the Patpong, the Red Light District I’ve come to know and love as “my hood”.
It was so interesting being back—seeing the businesses that have changed and the bars that have shut down, half empty booths, and even more empty bars. They say that this is the slow season because of the heat (it got up to a “feels like” of 108+!), so that allowed for us to move about with more freedom. Between walking the night market and praying, re-connecting with old friends (and making new ones, like a magician who had some awesome tricks!), sitting at the garden bar and talking with the waitresses over a Coke, to even going inside a bar and talking with two women, one 19 and one 22, on their breaks, hearing of their lives and laughing with them… there were many opportunities to share the love of Christ.
One of the highlights for me was catching up with two of my dear friends who are long term missionaries there. One, Constance, came on the first STM trip there in 2011 and ended up going back full time. She’s been there 3 years. The other friend, Tana, has been in Mae Sot on the Thailand/Myanmar border for over a year. It became my mission to connect them so that the other would have a new sister in a different part of the country. We had a lot of fun talking, laughing, and eating together, just catching up on life. When we said good-bye, we all said we felt more refreshed. And since they are there doing the hard, long term work, that made everything worth it to me.
Being able to see them and hear their stories was priceless, because it gave me better insight on how to pray for them.
I really believe that the most powerful ministry any short term team can have is encouraging the long term workers on the field. Being able to do that with friends I consider sisters was such a gift!
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Thank you SO MUCH for praying for me while I was there, for your encouragement, and for giving towards this trip. I am so thankful I was able to go!! Hopefully this post gives you a glimpse of how God is moving in Bangkok.
I’ll have another post in a few days with some more information on how we can be praying about human trafficking.
Then, it’s off to the DR! Please be praying for me as I go—for wisdom in leading, for good health and safety, for understanding of Spanish (both hearing and speaking it!), and just an increased sensitivity to listening for God’s voice.
I am excited to see what God is going to do!
