There is darkness here. It is palpable and hits you in the gut when you walk through the red light districts…even through the streets. It is evident on the faces of some of the “customers,” men who have empty faces and lustful eyes. It is evident through the imagery; neon lights flashing the disturbing names of bars, alcohol freely flowing, menus of girls and what they are willing to do for your American dollar, tickets written up much like you would receive at a specialty shop for a bouquet of flowers or necklace, except it is a ticket for a girl that was “purchased.” All of these things have led us to tears and our knees as we ask God to intervene. All of this has made us question if we can really make a difference. If light can even shine here.

It can. We’ve seen glimpses of it. We see it in the faces of the girls that live at Beginnings. In their remarkable stories of redemption and hope. We see it in our conversations with the girls on the street when we speak about the opportunities that are available to them. We see it as a girl runs to hug us when we enter a bar. We see it as the doors of a bar are closed for the night because all of the girls have gone to a Christmas party in their honor. We see it in the faces of the 34 girls who received Jesus Christ last night. We see it. There is hope. Freedom 4/24…it is worth it.

“Do not throw away your confidence, for it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of Christ, you will receive all that He has promised.” Hebrews 10:34

He is in the darkness. He is in their faces. He is in their stories. He is sovereign over this city and over the hearts of the people here. He is King. He is light.

More pics from Thailand

Another Update

Home of New Beginnnings:

Poverty, gender inequality, and violence has cursed the rural women of Thailand, making them particularly vulnerable to trafficking and the sex trade.  It is through your kindness we are able to offer hope to each of the women and children God brings to Beginnings. 

Christmas has always been an expression of miracles – Christ’s birth, the Star in the East, the immaculate conception, the message of the angels to the shepherds, the wise men who did not report to Herod.  God is still in the miracle business and because of your faithful prayers we have seen them here in Bangkok.  He is still using the celebration of His birth to bring hope to the lost, the forgotten, the poor, the children.  Last week He brought hope to 360 prostituted women and children through our Christmas parties.

There were miracles! – Before and during the parties:

Even the winds and rains obey Him:  The thunder rolled and the lightening filled the sky for two hours before the parties, yet not a drop was spilled on our guests and volunteers who walked to the event.

The global economic downturn: Though the dollar is less than75% of the value it held a year ago, the funds were extravagantly given for the sake of the gospel.

Health issues:  Roy’s surgery was entirely successful (PTL) and Ann’s (my Thai partner) daughter was released from pediatric ICU just a week before the parties and continues to improve.

Generous, loving volunteers flew from the U. S. to help as well as ex-pats and Thais – all praying and waiting to witness God’s miracles.  

We closed one bar by purchasing all the women, the cashier and the mamasan!  At least 8 other mamsans or cashiers joined our celebration this year.

Where else could you gather 360 non-believers (let alone prostituted women) in a Buddhist country to hear about Jesus?

Sixty of these beautiful women prayed, acknowledging their need for a Savior, and left with a New Testament.

One of the girls stood up and then grabbed her friend’s hand.  They picked up their New Testaments together.  When they returned to their seat the first one leaned over to her table host and said, "I met Jesus last year.  He is in my heart.  I talk to Him all the time.  I wish I didn't have to dance --- but my family needs me.  Pray for me."   The host asked her friend if she knew Jesus and she said, "I met Him tonight for the first time, but now he is here." (as she pointed to her heart).  Both the girls read their New Testaments while the gifts were being passed out -- never looked up!

Perhaps the “joy unspeakable and full of glory” for me is the miracle of changed lives.  Transformation from dark to light, from despair to hope, from guilt to glory, from judgment to joy!  All of this so obvious in our Beginnings family.  Our growing family is 14 strong from age 11-33 (some not pictured).  They have all accepted the unconditional love of the Savior and wish for you the joy of witnessing miracles of your own this season. 

It’s not to often that you are able to get 400+ non-believers from Bangkok, let alone Thailand, all together to hear about Christ.  A task that can be difficult in the states sometimes, but in Thailand-where 98% of them are Buddhist, is HUGE!  This week we welcomed these women with open arms, no strings attached, to an event in their honor.  Tonight was an evening of laughter and friendship and love amidst a country of sadness and hopelessness.  All to often these are things we take for granted, things that are so commonplace in our lives.  The soul yearns to have relationships with people that love us and truly care about our well-being, but oddly enough it is sorely missing from the Thai culture.

The girl sitting directly to my right is 16 and has been working in the bars for just a couple months, she is engrossed in a simple foam craft that we had for all the girls, and it dawns on me-she never did this as a child, her mom never sat with her at the kitchen table and spent time with her laughing and giggling while making a craft.  Instead, she was probably being neglected by her parents or hard at work in the rice patties or worse yet being physically or sexually abused by, quite possibly, multiple family members. 

The woman to my left is 21 and has been working in the bars for 5 years!  She has been servicing men since she was 16!!!!!   She wasn’t worrying about passing exams or getting her drivers license, she was more focused on coming out of that hotel room safely with money in hand to send home to her parents.

In my purse I have receipts for some of these girls that are at the party, receipts acknowledging that we paid a bar fee and she is allowed to leave because she had been purchased.  The receipt simply says “Food & Drink” and has the number “221” on it.  Can you imagine life where your self-worth has come down to a receipt and a number?!?!  You have been lumped into the category of “Food & Drink” and no one even knows your name???  It can be absolutely overwhelming if you let it take over your mind, but instead I choose at this moment to look up from my table and look around at the room FULL of young women and girls that have chosen to forego the money from a “customer” and spend their evening relishing in a moment of fun and friendship. 

Overall it has been a wonderful week, we have seen and heard a lot, but in the end we have been able to show a love to our new Thai friends that no one has shown them in a very long time. We had 2 specific nights of incredible blessings, 365 women heard, many for the first time, about our Lord and Savior and how wonderful then to see 57 of those girls, non-believers, “out-casts” of their society, take a step of faith and choose to further the journey of getting to know this Savior on a more intimate level.  Please continue to pray for these women that the Holy Spirit will fill their hearts and that for the Beginnings staff as they continue to reach out and love on them as they continue to learn more about this journey in Christ. 

Team Thailand 2010

A Perfect Circle?????

Today was another day of outreach.  Monday and Tuesday have been days for us to go out into the Pool Bars (Beer Bars) during the afternoon and then into the Red Light District at night.  Personally, I don’t even know where to start about today.  The emotions that were stirred up, the sights that we saw and the words that were shared have all become a blur in my head right now.  This whole industry-no this whole country- just seems to me to be defined as a big circle.  No matter where you start, the girls, the bars, the government, the justice system, the corruption-it all just circles around and around.  There is no end and no beginning.  Every cause seems to lead to another cause never to a resolution.

This afternoon we had the privilege to sit and talk with a young girl who has been working in the bar for 3 months, she is the middle of 5 children-2 older sisters and 2 younger siblings.  She has a mother and a step-father back home (12 hours south of Bangkok) that she sends money to.  She spoke very highly of her mother and step father and how he is a very good man.  She says that she knows of step-fathers that are very mean and “force to have sex” but her step-father is very nice.  Her mother is a wonderful woman but she says that “her mom like older sister and youngest sister best”  you can tell in her face how it affects her, but she calls her mother everyday to make sure her she is ok.  Her mother and father think she is a cashier in a bar, not taking customers.  If they knew that they would think very lowly of her, yet they continue to remind her that they need more money.  She speaks very good English, is very health conscience, knows a lot about fitness and has a bachelors degree in marketing from the university.  I asked her if she liked her job (fully aware of the answer I would get) and she says “No No.” “Then why don’t you work somewhere else,” I ask?  “You could work at the spa or at a store?”  “I make more money here.” she says   What do you say to her?????  When did money become such a God?  How did we ever get to the point that we sell our dignity, self-esteem and pride for big homes, fancy clothes and motor-bikes???  She says she wants to have babies so bad and she oogles over my pictures.  Her desire for true love and a family are enormous.  What she would give (her body and self-worth) to find a husband.    

Evening-Soi Cowboy

The street is lit like Vegas, men in business suits and men that probably haven’t showered in days sit high up on their bar stools sipping on their beers.  Watching these girls (anywhere from age 14 and up) walk by holding signs advertising Girls XXX, beer, music.  We walk behind a curtain with our Thai translator and the girls come running towards us.  They already know we are coming and can’t wait to sign up to come to the Christmas party.  We have a seat between 4 men, 2 to our left and 2 to our right-ALL wearing wedding rings!!!!  The manager comes over to us with her pen and pencil righting down numbers (cuz that is what they go by, numbers not names) as fast as she can.  We look at the list…10 have signed up.  There are at least 100 girls in the bar, quite possibly 200.  They keep coming over…..20 girls on the list now!  The men to our left lean over to us “What is going on over here?” they ask.  “We are having a Christmas party for these girls in their honor” my friend replies.  “Ooohhh, so you’re having a stripper party, huh????”  “Not exactly!”  “Is this a religious thing then?”  “A religious ‘thing’????” We roll our eyes and lose the conversation.  It has gone from simple inquiry to just plain stupid.  I look down at the list 30 GIRLS!!!!”  We look at our Thai friend “Time to go” she says.  We exit the bar getting hugs from every girl on our way out “See you tomorrow” “See you tomorrow”  they say!!  Outside the bar our Thai friend says 60 GIRLS!!!!!  That is 60 girls from 1 bar that our coming to the party to hear about Christ’s love and about a chance at real freedom!

Was this all in one day?  It feels like worlds apart.  1 moment you are so distraught you could cry then next you are so excited you could cry!  My head is spinning and the emotions are swirling. 

Tomorrow we go to pay “Bar fees” to buy out the girls for our first party.  Please pray for God’s hand to be upon the day and ask for favor in the mamsan’s heart  (bar manager) that they will be willing to let many girls go from EVERY bar we have gone into.

Pictures from Bangkok

Pictures from bangkok :o)