The Ministry Begins...

OK Day two of Ministry. Wow God has been so generous and gracious to us these last two days. Yesterday was our official first day of "ministry work". We went to the Slums that are behind where we live and walked around and said hi to people. It was fascinating. I was talking to Boy, our translator who is from Chiang Mai, and he said he didn't know Chiang Mai had slums (he said he only thought they were in Bangkok). So yesterday was his first day in them too. I thought that was really interesting and a really neat experience for him as well as for us. If you are my parents you are probably thinking, WHAT?! you walked around the slums, is that safe? But actually I felt really safe and comfortable. It's not like walking around in the "ghetto" in the US. It is a completely different dynamic. Within each little area there is a Village. They all live as a family. They are truly living in community. It was beautiful. The kids were playing on the dirt road and a few road bikes. Their parents sat in the doorway watching them as they worked. Some preparing food, some sewing, some just sitting enjoying. Everyone seemed so peaceful and happy. Everyone says hi (well Swatdee kha) and gives you the "y" (Hands in a prayer position and a slight bow). They were in such poverty but so happy and kind. One thing about Thailand I've found that is very unique is that everything is very open. Most of their houses had rolling gates similar to store fronts you'd see in a city. That was their door. So their entire living room was on display. Not every house but quite a few. One thing I love about Thailand is they work off the Honor system. In Bangkok no one even locked up their bike! They are a very trusting culture. Something I think we could all learn and bring home :).

After our walk we ate dinner and went home to change. At 8pm we headed to the bars. Also know as the red light district. Scary right? But no it was the same thing. Everyone was so sweet and nice. It felt so safe. Before we left we all went off and prayed. Brynn and I sat on our bed and prayed and then prayed Psalm 91, which is a prayer of protection http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2091&version=NLT (click here to read). God was so faithful and his protection was so evident. I really saw why the power of grounding ourselves in prayer was so important. We split up into groups of 2-3 and each picked a bar. What you have to understand is that probably 95% of the girls in the bars are prostitutes. So Brynn and I prayed and asked the holy spirit to direct us to a bar. We walked into "Kooky Bar" and ordered a RedBull. Two girls that didn't look a day over 16 greeted us; their names were Mae and Mean Mean (everyone in Thailand goes by nicknames, not their real names). Their english was very limited but they invited us to play Jenga. We played and laughed for about an hour but then they were asked to go somewhere so they left and we played with Pancake a boy that was working there as well. As we played a little boy came up and poked me in the back and then hid behind a chair. He was selling flowers and I realized we had met him in the slums earlier that day. He went up and started playing with the knocked over Jenga blocks. He was probably 7 or 8, but I was enamored by his precision and artistic ability as he stacked the blocks in patterns. Then he put them together and played Jenga (he didn't want us to help). He placed each block in perfect precision on top. I was speechless. I wanted to bring him home and send him to art or architecture classes. He was soooo talented, but in reality will probably never see college or hold a paint brush. It broke my heart.

We then walked and met up with some others in the group. Noke (who is the caretaker where we are staying and part of the Light House ministry) introduced us to some of her friends that she had met on previous trips to the bars. The bar was called "Kat's Bar" a bit ironic. Especially since I taught them to play tick-tack-toe and we had a Cat's game with Kat at the Kat bar...lol We sat and talked and laughed with them for hours. They had been given English lessons with teams before us. They asked if we would continue and teach them during the week. One of the girls informed me that it was her last week of working at the bar and that she was going to start working at Wongen Kafe (the cafe the ministry we are working with works with). It was so incredible to see how those that went before us had really made an impact in a place where there seemed no room for Hope. We got to see the fruit of a seed that was planted, but Christ harvested. That is one less girl having to sell her body to support her family.

I think what struck me the most was their ability to bring so much joy to the conversation. When we left I felt like we were already friends. I couldn't see these girls as prostitutes. God crushed my former thoughts of these women. I realized these were God's children and even though they were probably so broken inside they still were overflowing with joy, His joy. Psalm 30:5 says "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." There is no way anyone that experiences what they do should be able to continue to be so joyful in life. I had envisioned these girls that were numb and scared, but they were laughing and so excited to talk with us. God is so much greater than I give Him credit. He continues to shine His joyful light into their darkness.

We will go back to night. I ask for your prayers as we do. Pray for these women, pray for us, and pray for the men. Pray for our hearts toward these men, that we can remember that God has extended the same Grace to them as he has us. We are all covered by the same savior and by the same love. It is so hard not to look at these men in disgust, and instead with compassion. An older gentleman, 72 to be exact, sat with us while we spoke with these girls. He had kids and was from France. He sat with his hands on a beautiful and incredibly sweet Thai girl, we knew his intensions and so did she. Everything in me wanted to tell him to go home and ask him if his kids knew where he was. I was so frustrated. He wasn't the only one. We met others, saw others. It was heartbreaking, but I know God is greater than all of this. Please continue to pray.

On a lighter note, today we hung out on campus and met a ton of Thai students. It was SO fun. I now have Thai friends on facebook!!! I'm hoping we will continue to get to hang out and speak truth in their lives while serving them.

I'll tell you more later, but I have team Dev-o time (devotional) so we can prepare for tonight. Love you all!

xx Kat