Love One Another

We are on Day 2 here in Thailand and I feel like we have already seen and experienced so much.  Saturday and Sunday was the elections here so the bars are closed and most of the girls are not working, so we will start outreach on Monday.  In the interim we have had time to walk around and experience Bangkok.  Even though the bars have been closed it has been overwhelming already the amount of Thai girls and "Western " men that we have seen together.  It has been especially difficult for me so far to Love as Christ would love.  I walk down the street before lunch and already I have been overexposed to the culture that enables this prostitution and corruption and sadness 24 hrs a day 365 days a yr!  Little girls sold by their families at the age of 10, young women sleeping with different men (sometimes multiple men) each night, the inescapable sadness that is in each of these women's eyes is just maddening.  It is so each to want to cry out to God.."WHY?!?!?" "Why do you let this go on?"  But then I come back to the realization that the Lord does not allow this but rather has given us the freedom of choice and in this choice the evil one can take hold.  He died on the cross to forgive us for our sins and offer us eternal salvation if we only choose to do so.  We, as a team, were selectively chosen, by him, to be here to share with them God's love and hopefully be able to share with them the value that they have in the Lord's eyes.  It is so common for them to feel worthless and of such little value because that is what the world tells them each day, but because of the Lord's blessing we are here today to hold a Christmas Party and honor them and look them in the eyes and tell them they are loved by a man so much more important than a "customer."  And so it goes, tomorrow is a big day for us and I am so excited to get out and talk with these girls and invite them out for evening of love fellowship.  It is absolutely amazing how with the support of all of our friends and family back home with Run 4 their Lives and "Frocks 4 Freedom" and individual contributions at how many girls you have all given a chance to hear of God's love and opened up a door for freedom.  Thank you to all of you that have helped in some way! Last yr 400 girls were given an opportunity to hear of God's love and I can't wait to experience an other yr with these women and girls and love on them once more!!