24 hours to Go!!!

Here it is less than 24 hours to go and we will be on our way to Bangkok, Thailand! I would like to thank each and everyone of you for your support, your kind words (and sometimes tears) and your endless prayers. It's hard to describe how I am feeling right now. Such a mix of emotions, I have my moments of excitement and I have my moments of fear. Not necessarily fear of the the trip to Thailand or even of going into the bars, but more just fear of what to say to the girls. These girls have been through so much in their short lives, more than I hope any of us will ever have to know or experience. I fear it's going to be hard to look at their faces and not think of my little girl. From such a young age each girl has been beaten down physically, sexually and emotionally and has had to live with knowing that her life is worth no more than if it were buried underground.

What exactly will we be doing while were there? On wed night and thursday night we will be hosting a Christmas Party at Beginnings. Beginnings is a Christ-centered organization that houses girls that are looking to get out of the sex-trade industry and start over. Beginnings provides these girls with food, shelter and education. It provides them with the means that they will need to get them on the right path. The first day we get there we will be heading out to the GoGo bars, the Pool Halls and the "Clubs" to invite as many girls as we can to our Christmas party. If a girl commits to coming we then pay the mamasan (bar-mom) the $24 fee (hence Freedom 4-24 http://www.freedom4-24.com/) This $24 fee will buy the young women "freedom" for 24 hours. On Wed and then again on Thursday afternoon we will return to these bars and shuttle these girls to beginnings to be pampered and doted upon. We will have the opportunity to just sit and talk with them, to hear their story and to share what the love of Christ can do in their lives and how much they are valued in Christs' eyes!! If that doesn't make you emotional , just wait. I will continue to blog during my stay in Thailand and I am sure that God is going to be doing amazing things and working in wonderful ways. I am convinced that at least once during this week you will read a post that will make you want to stand up and say THANK YOU LORD!!!! How amazing to have this opportunity to love on these girls when no one else will. Please pray not only for safety during this week for the entire team, but that the power of the Holy Spirit will be unavoidable to these girls and that many will make the decision to start anew and be redeemed!!!! I will attach links of the team members that will be blogging so that you can follow along with all of us on this journey.

Love,

Stacey