Bailey

Tuesday August 3, 2010

Goodbye Thailand

My last few days in Thailand were filled with many goodbyes. I said goodbye to my time of ministry in Patong. I will no longer be going into the bars each night. I do not have a pretty ending to this story. No complete package. The work is not finished there. We must keep praying, because it is God that is changing hearts. Pray for Git, Oy, and Tiffy. Pray for all the girls that have not been named in this blog. Pray that God will continue to send his people into the darkness to be his light.

I also said goodbye to the many people that I had formed relationships with. Please continue to keep all of the girlsat SHE in your prayers. Pray that they will come to know the Lord if they don't, and that those who do will be strengthened. Pray for Mark and Sharron and their family. The work they do never stops. It is a slow ministry and exciting results do not come every day. Pray the they do not grow weary, and that the Lord will provide what they need for each and every day.

God is moving in Thailand, and I feel beyond blessed that I was able to go and experience life there. I think that God brought me to Thailand to teach me more about himself, and to show his love to a world that is very broken. To be light where there is only darkness. My heart was broken for the people of Thailand. I long for them to know and love God. For those that are in chains to be set free. God is so deeply commited to this world. He loves all of us more than we could ever imagine. He is asking that we turn to him and love him in return. Praise the Lord for his love! Turn to him and be set free! "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord" -Psalms 27: 13-14.

Thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement. In closing, this is my prayer from Ephesians 3: 14-20.

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpassess knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Tuesday July 27, 2010

Philippians 2: 5-11
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Last night was one of those nights that you don’t easily forget. In the evening Sophie, Summer, and I had devotions with Winnie. We have been talking about Ephesians. I am simply amazed at all that we have and the abundance that God gives us in Christ. All the walls of separation were torn down between us and God and between each other. We are one with Christ and one with each other. This love is incredible. God made himself so vulnerable just so that we could know him and be known by him. I feel incredibly blessed that when I turn my eyes to Jesus and simply seek his face that he rewards me with abundant peace and joy and knowledge of just how much he loves me. After prayer and devotion the three of us headed to Patong. When I walked onto the streets, I was amazed at the change in spiritual atmosphere. Because of a Buddhist holiday, the bars were closed for the night. The shops were still open and vendors walked the street, but there was no loud music, no flashing lights, and far less people. Best of all – all the bars were dark. No girls were working, dancing, or entertaining men. As we walked I felt a sense of victory. While this was only for the night, I could finally envision the road without bars. I could see what victory would look like for Bangla Road. Praise the Lord—let it be so! I am so thankful for a least one night of rest for the girls. I pray that this night off drives them to look for something different, because of the small taste of freedom. We completed our walk down to the end of the street and were laughing with joy. At this point Summer suggested we walk to the beach and worship. So we did. I felt God so strongly as I watched the mighty waves crash at my feet, felt a light sprinkle drip on my arms and face and the wind whip through my hair. A God of power and might created the ocean and that same God became vulnerable, even to death. He was broken and died for us so that we might be one with him. That we might know him, love him, be loved by him. To worship. I knew as I stood and sang and danced and laughed and cried and worshipped that everything was in place. This is what I was created to do. My purpose. I felt like I saw a piece of heaven in these moments and the experience was a defining one. One that changes things. Heaven in that moment would be all of the nations of the earth joined together on that shore, declaring in all languages that Jesus is Lord. We would hold hands and worship with every harmony imaginable and every color seen and unseen would like up the sky. We would worship forever and never grow tired because our gaze would always be fixed on the him who the creatures declare “Holy, Holy, Holy”. This is beautiful. I want to be in his presence, sit at his feet, and cry “Hosanna in the highest”. I cannot wait for that moment when the reality of the lordship of Jesus is recognized and declared by all. He is already Lord and King and has won every battle. The time is coming when every knee shall bow. There is no option. As we sat on the beach and marveled at the goodness of God, two Thai girls walked up, Oy and Tiffy. We began to talk to them and soon found out that they had just moved to Phuket and were looking for work! We talked with them about SHE and began to build a relationship. We have their number, and hope they come to lunch sometime this week. We didn’t even have to do anything and suddenly opportunity was in our lap. Praise the Lord! God loves this world so much. I just want to be a part of his redemptive plan. Lord, you alone are worthy of praise!


Friday July 23, 2010

To God be the Glory!

I don't even know how to describe this last week. It has been full in so many ways. The day times have been filled with some office work and projects, but also with many good times of devotion and conversation. We have been blessed with deep relationships with the four girls on the other team here (Cherrie, Stacy, Kalie, and Kalie). We have had many times of prayer, devotions, conversations, and laughter. I have learned so much this week simply by living in community with these beautiful girls. Also this week I have felt content and settled in being here. I have realized that I love my walks for coffee in the morning, the mountains that surrond me, and the small pieces of each day. Sum, a beautiful Thai girl that lives here, and I pretend each day to trade skin and tell each other how beautiful the others skin is. (Thai people want white skin and I would love to have the perfect tan that they have naturally). And each day Rose, another Thai women, smiles at me and asks me how I am doing. It's the small things that make you truly love a place. I have also experienced God this week in dynamic ways. On Monday night we went to Patong and split up into two groups. Cherrie and I walked the streets and prayed while the other group went into the bars and talked to girls. We prayed against the darkness of the street and prayed specifically for certain things we wanted to happen in the conversations the other girls were having. We felt the power of God like crazy. We knew that he was moving and we felt that we were truly walking in the power of God and not being weighed down by the heaviness of the spiritual atmosphere around us. When we met back up with the girls, we found that specific things that we had prayed for had been answered during their conversation. It was so neat to see prayers answered so quickly!! On Tuesday one of the girls we had met in the bars, Git, came to SHE for lunch! A couple of the girls were able to build a realtionship with her during her time at SHE. That night we went to Patong again and Git had the night off, but she came to her bar, because she knew that we would be there. The girls who were with her were able to fellowship more with her and then when they left the bar, she went with them. Then they were able to take her to ice cream away from the bar setting and form a deeper realtionship. I am so excited to see this relationship being formed. I think that God is truly moving in this precious Thai women's life. I am thilled that she visited SHE and has plans to come again, and I believe that she may stay. God is so good! Keep Git in your prayers. Pray that God will give her such an urge to leave the bars that she won't be able to ignore it!!

On Wednesday the other team from Global Infusion arrived. They have eight girls and two guys. It has been fun getting to know them and beginning to do ministry with them. They brough a guitar with them and we have been having worship. It has been so wonderful to have times of praise and worship everyday.

Also, in the last couple days I feel like I have learned so much about who I am in Christ and who he created me to be. In this I am experiencing love for him like never before. God is always there just waiting for us to turn and experience his presence and his love. I never want to ignore this invitation again. It is far to precious.

Tonight Cherrie, Stacy, Kalie, Kalie, Sophie, and I are going out to a Koren restraunt with Mark and Sharron. They have told us a little about it and I'm excited for the experience!

I have one more week in this country and I'm excited for each and every day. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Thank you for all of your love and support!

Sunday July 18, 2010

Day by Day

A new team of four girls arrived on Wednesday. It has been great getting to know them and doing ministry with them. Sophie and I did office work on Thursday and Friday during the day and then went with the group of girls to Patong at night. Being in the office has been good. I am learning to be ok with sitting and working on a project. I have had time to listen to worship music and reflect. I have learned that sometimes missions is not what I would expect, but that is ok. Any task that we do can be ministry and for the glory of God, even if it might not seem as interesting to us. The nights at Patong have been good. We have had opportunites to have many good conversations and a couple of the girls we talked to want to come to lunch on Tuesday at SHE. Praise the Lord! Please continue to keep us and the girls who work in Patong in your prayers.

On Friday night we had an opportunity to go to a dinner with missionaries from all over Phuket. There was a music ministry group that had come to minister to missionaries. So, we had a chance to have dinner, prayer, and worship with a group a people that we only knew because we are a part of God's family. It was neat to be connected in this way and I appreciated having a time of worship. God is so good!

Saturday was a relaxing day with coffee, good conversation, some air conditioning, a movie, and a dinner date with Sophie, Winnie, and Ice (a 20-something Thai girl who is super full of life) We had a lot of laughs and plenty of good food.

Today we went to church and once again it was wonderful to worship with a group of people. We have plans to go to the night market tonight, and I'm sure it will be a good night. I think what I'm learning the most right now is really what it is like to be dependent on God. And not to live in the future, but to really live in each and every moment. I want to soak up these last couple of weeks. I'll end with quote. It has been a good reminder to me these last few days. "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." -Jim Elliot


Wednesday July 14, 2010

Bittersweet

Monday morning our team got up a little earlier and went to Add's house. Add is an older women that the SHE center has looked after for awhile and she has recently been having some health problems. She needed some gardening done. Which actually means that an area by her house that is supposed to just be dirt so that motorbikes can easily pass, and been grown over with grass and weeds. So we took some hoes and chopped up the weeds and made a new road. It was hot and hard work, but was fulfilling to be able to finish and then pray with Add. Please keep Add in your prayers, because she is still stuggling a little health wise. Then we spent some time at the SHE center with the girls, who have now become our friends. It was fun to laugh and keep practicing our Thai with them as we worked on cards that go with the jewelry that is sold. We then went to Big C, which is a market/mall/grocery store/other things place and got massages. It was a lot of fun, because it is so much cheaper in Thailand than in the states and we were sore from our day of work. We spent more time as a team that night, and really just enjoyed our last night all together.

Tuesday came and went so quickly that it is almost hard to remember it all. We baked cookies one more time as a team so that they could be sold for the SHE center, and the girls began packing and getting ready to go. I went with Mark to the airport to pick up Sophie. I was SOOOO excited for her to come that the wait at the airport seemed to take forever. But she made it! And now she is here, and that is wonderful! I'm so excited for these next couple weeks that we will spend together. On Tuesday night, everyone went out for dinner at the blue hut. Our team that has been here, Sophie, Winnie, Mark and Sharron, and all of their kids. It was a fun time of firsts and lasts. We ordered everything that we had enjoyed, so that they girls could experience it one last time, and at the same time Sophie was experiencing it for the first time. This time was so crazy, because we were only all together for a couple of hours. I felt so torn emotionally. I was so excited that Sophie had finally made it, but so sad that the team that I had come to love so much was leaving. So that is where it is bittersweet. Happy and sad. Hellos and Goodbyes. We took the girls to the airport after dinner and cried as the Thai women said goodbye to them all. It was such a blessing to see how much the relationships had grown with the team. I was just so happy and proud of the girls. We dropped them off and hugged them goodbye. I will miss them very much. It is like the closing of one chapter of this story and the beginning of the next. God has been so good this far, and I know that he has great things in store for the next two and half weeks.

Today Sophie and I started our journey. We helped with some office work and building a database of churches to contact to raise finacial support for SHE. We also caught up and prayed together a lot. Today was an in-between sort of day. Another team is coming late tonight and we will begin to work with them in Patong tomorrow. The in-between time has been a little hard for me. It is like I am past the time of short term, culture shock, and newness and I've moved into really being in the culture. But I don't quite know what my role will look like for the next few weeks. Earlier I was really wanting to be home, but with time and prayer God has shown me that he still wants me here for the next weeks. I know this is where I am supposed to be and that gives me peace. Pray that God will continue to teach me to live day by day and in everything that I will worship him. As Winnie said tonight "Our purpose in life is to worship God...everything we do should be an act of worship. The point of life is not what we do, but that what is do is worship and for the glory of God". I pray that you will find ways to worship God in all that you do today. Thank you for your prayers and support. God truly is worthy of our praise and He is good.

Sunday July 11, 2010

Blessed

Friday night was our last night in Patong as a group. The girls leave on Tuesday to go back to the states and Sophie will arrive on Tuesday and begin her time here. Today also marks my half-way point. So, I just want to reflect on the first half of the trip. It has been a time of great learning. I am the team leader and God really used these weeks to show me just how to do that. I've learned more about the power of prayer than ever before in my life. The Bible has also never been more real to me. I've learned to walk in God's strength when I am really weak, and that I really can do nothing apart from him. I am just a vessel that he is using. He is the one who changes things. Not me. I feel blessed that I have been able to be here. To see the things that I have seen and to experience a little bit of what breaks God's heart. He loves the people here more than I ever could, so I know that the sin and brokenness that surround Patong must grieve the heart of God. I'm also learning the value of rest. My soul finds rest in God alone. I know that I must rest in him if I ever want to be used by him. Simply put...I'm falling in love with Jesus. More than ever before. I'm excited to see what God does in the next few weeks, and I'm glad that I get to continue ministry, but more than that I'm glad that I have more time to just be with Jesus and seek his heart. He is the one that helps me make it through each day. I desire to have that same dependence for the rest of my life. May God Bless you and keep you today, for God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.


Thursday July 8, 2010

Lizards, ants, rats, and bats

The Fourth of July was really good. We did celebrate with Mark and Sharron, who are from the UK. He kept saying that it was the day of rebellion of a minor colony. It was funny. We also had a chance to go to their church. It was really nice to worship with a group of people. God really used it to refresh us. Then we went to the kid's school and had some American food, then went to one of Mark and Sharron's friend's houses that has a FANTASTIC view. We had a chance to just sit and talk and enjoy God's creation. Later we went back the kid's school for fireworks. It was the perfect way to celebrate.

Monday morning we went to see the big buddah. This is a HUGE statue of buddah that sits on a mountain and overlooks Phuket. We went up there to pray for Phuket and pray against any power that this idol has over the people. The view from the buddah was incredible. I couldn't help but stand in awe of God's creation. I didn't have a desire to look at the big buddah much because it was just stone. Just created by human hands. But God had created everything else I was seeing. (Check our Pslam 115... it describes exactly what I was feeling when looking at an idol in comparison to the true God). It was simply amazing. Our group prayed and sang worship songs on that mountain. We declared that God was bigger than and idol man could make. Monday night we went to Patong. It was a good night. We were able to have many good conversations, and we even went to a new bar and were able to begin to form relationships there. It was the kind of night that makes me want to keep going. Our spirits were lifted and we thanked God for all that he made possible that night.

Sidenote: We have learned that it is not good to tell stories about animals, because then they show up in our room... we have gotten used to the ants and lizards that regularly make themselves home. But one night Emily told a story about a bat that had been in her house once, and guess what? The next night and then again a couple nights later a bat flew through our room! And then one night at dinner we briefly saw a rat run across the ground (it is outside so it didn't seem too horrible). So anyway, we aren't going to mention any more weird animals because we don't want to see them around.

Tuesday we went to Patong again, and it was good to continue relationship building. It sometimes seems as if we are not making any progress, but we have to trust that seeds are being planted and that options are being given. Sharron has told me that sometimes the girls are just not ready, but they will hang on to a flyer we give them for months and then one day decide that they've had enough and will show up at SHE. I am trusting that God is using everything that we have done for good. I know that he loves those girls way more than I ever could, and so I will trust that he is drawing them closer to him.

Wednesday we did a lot of work around SHE. We painted, cleaned, and picked up trash on the street. The trash clean up was part of a community outreach thing that we did with the girls who work at SHE. It was good to do ministry with them. We did not go to Patong on Wednesday night. We have learned that it is best for us to only go a couple nights in a row, so that we don't become emotionally exhasted. We went out to an area of the island that has a great view of the sunset, and were able to get a lot of really good pictures. It was once again amazing to see how beautiful God's creation is. I do believe that I am in one of the most beautiful places on Earth!

Tonight we will go out to Patong. Please be praying for us. It is always hard to go into a place that is spiritually dark. Pray that we will be lights and that we will be filled with God's love. Pray that we will be used and that God will continue drawing the girls who work there closer to him. Pray also for SHE. Pray that this ministry will continue to grow and that the girls here that are not Christians will come to know Jesus.

Thank you for all of the encouraging messages you have sent me. I appreciate your encouragement more than I can say. Continue to seek God in your own life. His love is bigger than you could ever imagine :) Peace be with you all and God Bless!



Saturday July 3, 2010

Rain clouds, rain jackets, and rain checks

Rain. rain....rain, rain, and more rain. On Thursday and Friday we barely had a break from the rain. And I'm not talking about small showers but literally like constant downpours. Rain has a little bit of a greater effect on my life here than in the states. You see we wash our clothes in a machiene, but they have to hang out to dry, but when there is no sunshine...they don't dry. Also, when your main source of transporation is walking then it makes travel a bit more interesting. Let's just say that the rain was getting all of us a bit down. Then our roof started to leak. So we got a mop and began cleaning it up a few times a day. We moved the bed and hoped for the best. Then on Friday afternoon some of the girls heard a big thud in the room next door and we found that part of the roof had fallen in. Now I have to tell you, this felt like a lot for one day. We were definitely thinking that we were experiencing a little bit more of life on the mission field. Then we went down stairs and Winnie announced joyfully that she had wonderful news. She had just finished an English lesson with Oar, a precious Thai women who we have gotten to know. Winnie told us that Oar had just asked Jesus into her heart. We celebrated. This was sunshine. This is our reason for coming. Our purpose. It was a big deal for us to be around when someone became a Christian, because it doesn't happen often. Like in America, Thai people do not just decide quickly to change what they have believed their entire lives. It takes time, prayer, and relationship building...and love. A lot of love. Because of the love of Jesus, Oar's life has been changed. I am so excited to see what God is going to do in and through her. Please keep Oar in your prayers.

We have continued going to Patong. Every night is different. Sometimes it is easy to strike up conversations and other times it is not. Sometimes we feel welcome at the bars and sometimes we feel like the door is shut. We are learning to listen to God and go to the places he wants us. On Thursday night, it was raining (i don't know if I have mentioned the rain yet ;) ) At first we were really upset that we were having more trouble talking to the girls and getting around, but then we realized that if it was making it hard for us then it was also making it hard to the other western tourists. If it was harder for them, then maybe there would be less men in the bars. This is good. So we praised God for the rain and asked that he would use it to change the evening for the girls. On Friday, we got down to Patong, but then realized that several of our team members were just feeling completely exhasted. Emotionally, physically, and spiritually. So, we had a couple converstaions with girls, we prayed, and then we went home early. We spent some time praying with Mark and Sharron, the missionaries, and it was good to lean on them for support. We have seen God work so much while we've been here. We have had some very high highs, but also some very low lows. We have had to learn to rest when we need to, and not to push ourselves so hard that we burn out. I think that this is a good lesson. At times I have placed my value on the amount of things I accomplish during the day. The number of items and I can write on a to do list and then check off. But that is not what brings me value. My value is in the Lord. He is not concerned with whether I do 20 things in one day or just 1, just as long as I am following his leading and depending on his strength through it all. So while we are learning to really battle for the Lord, we are also learning how to rest in him. Both are good.

So Saturday we rested. We spent the day together as a team and we went to a few places to shop. It was good. It was a way to rest our minds and emotions, and have a little fun :) One of our stops was a weekend market, that has more little shops than you could even imagine. Tomorrow we will go to church with Mark and his family and then go to the children's school for a 4th of July celebration (which they don't even celebrate because they are from England :) ) Then we are going to one of their friend's houses for more celebration and BBQ. We are excited. Please pray for us to be refreshed throughout the rest of this weekend, so we will be ready to go back to Patong on Monday. Pray for the girls who work in Patong. Pray for good conversations. Pray for the SHE center and the work that is being done here. I hope that as you read these posts you get a glimpse at the goodness of God. That is my prayer. May God bless you today.


Wednesday June 30, 2010

Patong

After I wrote last we went out to Patong. Words can not describe the intensity of evil that walks, breathes, and moves throughout those streets. It was instantly hard to see past it to focus on our purpose. We did get to talk to some girls that worked there and begin to build relationships with them. We would order some juice play a game of jenga or connect four with the girls at the bar and ask them if they ever wanted to learn English or if they liked what the did. We got some positive responses, but I think that we were so overwhelmed by all that we saw and felt in that dark place that when we returned to our home, we were heartbroken. We prayed for the girls, the streets, our thoughts of judgement, and all the brokeness we felt. It was enough for us to sleep, but I woke up with such a great sadness that I almost didn't know what to do. This is when I truly realized the reality of spirtual warfare. I was being torn down by the enemy. I was allowing him to cripple me. Our team gathered and we called out to Jesus. We asked him to fill us with his power and strength. We prayed for peace and a balance of feelings. Then we read verses about the power of God. Passages like Psalms 27 have never been so alive to me. I am living it. We sang songs of praise and victory. "The Enemy has been defeated...Death couldn't hold you down, I'm gonna raise my voice in Victory, I'm gonna my make your praises loud." When we went out for our prayer walk on Tuesday, we prayed through the power of God. And then later when we entered the dark streets again, we entered with a knowledge that "greater is he that is in me than he who is in the world". This time I never stopped praying long enough to be distracted by the evil around me. I was going to battle this time, not be walked over. As we walked the streets we would pray out loud as if we were having a conversation with each other. When we went to talk to a girl if one of us was not participating in the conversation, we prayed. We learned to pray without ceasing, because it was our only weapon. And guess what happened? God came through. We went to visit each of the girls that we visited the night before and they were thrilled to see us. We had converstaions and each girl showed interest in visiting the SHE center. Some are planning on coming for lunch tomorrow. Also when we left, although we were tired and sad, we were not defeated or overwhelmed. So please know that when I ask you to pray I am asking you to do the most valueble thing. This a tool that changes things. This is the only way that anyone on this team is able to stand against evil. So please, keep praying...it is not a last resort or a meaningless act.. it literally has power that changes the atmosphere of the streets we walk, the receptiveness of the girls we talk to, and our ability to stay strong.

Wednesday we decided not to go to Patong so we could take time to rest and reenergize. We spent some time helping with practical things like painting and cleaning around the SHE center. Also, today Beckum, a sweet baby boy who is the son of a women who works at the center, turned one. We had a birthday party and made a cake. We had dinner for the 3rd night in a row at a little place just down the street called the blue hut (which is neither blue, nor looks like a hut :) We have been happy to find that each time we eat there, no matter what we order, we are pleased with the result. Later in the evening we took some time to talk with Winnie, a precious, wise 74 year old women who is here for a year to teach English. She facinated us with her stories of travel all over the world. She truly has lived a life of adventure with the Lord. And can't wait to fly to Singapore to celebrate her 75th birthday in few months. She has been very subtly and wisely instructing us this week. Whether it be a moment that she stops to see how we are doing or to remind us that we absolutely have to clean up all crumbs after breakfast or else ants will attack the table. We watched a movie with her tonight, and enjoyed building a deeper relationship with her. Tomorrow will be a full day and we will go to Patong at night. So all of you in America be praying on Thursday morning from 9-11. Thank you for your support and concern (I promise that I am safe, just wanted to remind all of you at Culpepper that I recently learned are reading printed out copies of my blog :) Also, I just wanted to let you know that the rest of your day will be nice. Sunny and hot, with a chance of rain every couple hours. You can trust me...I'm in the future.


Monday June 28, 2010
Days 2, 3, and 4

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

On Saturday morning we grabbed some iced coffee at a street kiosk then started our journey into Bangkok for a day of touring temples and prayer. First we got on a city bus, then the skytrain, then a boat, then we walked a bit, and the we rode tuk-tuk's, and then a van (and later we rode a double decker bus) adding up to 7 modes of transportation in one day. It was a very interesting experience and it was really neat to see downtown Bangkok. We were given a Bangkok prayer walk guide to use as we visited the Buddist temples and as we walked around the city. The temples were absolutely beatiful, but there was a heaviness to walking through them because it wasn't truth. An idol is an idol whether it was in the Old Testament or whether it is today. I could sense a deep spirt of darkness and oppression as I walked around the temples and watched people worship, give money for the monks, and burn incense. It made me sad for Thailand, because as the saying goes "To be Thai is to be Buddist". It is hard for Thai's to be Christians. There is not a lot of support and the spirtual atmosphere makes it hard to seek God. Pray for the people of Thailand that they will be able to learn about and know God.
Later in the day we went to the bus station to travel to Phuket. There were some funny miscommunications about how long we thought the trip would take. We were thinking that it would take 4 or 5 hours and that we would be in Phuket that night, but come to find out the bus left and 7:15 pm and arrived in Phuket the next morning around 8 am. So, we spent the night traveling on a bus and were very glad to reach our final destination.

On Sunday we got settled in to our beautiful dorm style room. We were able to meet several girls that live and work at the SHE center (Self Help and Empowerment). We also rested and had a chance to get out and explore the area. We stopped and 7/11 for drinks which has become one of our favorite stops because they are on almost every street. Then later in the day we had a chance to go to the beach with the missionaries and the kids. It was nice to relax a little and get to know them. Later, we discussed our schedule with them. At the SHE center there is Jewelry making, baking, and English lessons that take place Mon-Fri. We may spend some time helping out different things during the day at the center. Our main ministry with be to the red light district of Patong. We will take time in the afternoon to pray and walk around the area and then go back later that night to talk to women and build relationships with them and tell them about SHE. Our team will also be helping with morning devotions, by taking turns sharing a few thoughts each morning with the women. Our team also had a chance to talk about the spirtual warfare that some of us have been experiencing. We are finding that since the atmosphere is so heavy here that many things easily distract us, tire us, or stress us. We had a chance to pray together and really see God change our perspective and give us scripture to fight the enemy. It was truly incredible to see God move in our lives. Pray that we will continue to seek God in our weakness and know that he is fighting our battles for us.

This morning (Monday) we joined the women for devotions, helped with baking, and some office jobs and then had lunch at the center. After that we went down to Patong for the first time and saw the areas that we will be at. We had a chance to pray for tonight and have asked God to help us be bold as we talk to the women in the bars. Tonight will be our first night out and we are excited to see how God will move. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.





Friday June 25, 2010
Day 1


Sawatdee Kha friends and family!


After about 30 hours of being on planes and in airports (including a mad dash during our 30 min connection in Houston), several movies, a book, card games in Toyko, and many different interesting conversations....we are here! We are in Thailand! I can't believe that this will be my home for the next 37 days! Our plane arrived at 11:00 pm Thai time, which is 11:00 am our time. As tired as I was last night after all of the traveling, my body still didn't seem to think it was time to sleep when we got to our rooms at the YWAM base. So, after a few short hours of sleep we got ready and headed out to see the area of Bangkok where we are staying for a couple of days. We ate at a breakfast cafe and had waffles. Not very Thai, but wonderful. I also had a wonderful iced coffee drink and am excited to learn the Thailand is a coffee drinking place! We visited a market and picked up some fresh fruit that I have never even seen. Then we had cultural orientation for a couple hours. A few key interesting things. The head is the most honorable part of the body and so therefore you should never reach over someone's head or touch them on the head (like we might do when praying for them). The foot is the least honorable and should never be pointed at people when sitting. After orientation we went and had our first authentic Thai meal. Lots of vegetables, rice, curry, and crispy pork. It was all very good. We all really enjoyed everything and are excited to see what is next. I am still very jet lagged and hope that soon my body will be on the right schedule. Typing this post is keeping me from going to sleep, which I desperately want to do. In a couple of hours we will have dinner and then be finished for the night. Tomorrow we participate in a temple tour and prayer walk in Bangkok. Thailand is 95% Buddhist so it is very important the we learn and see the role that religion can play in the lives of those we will be coming in contact with. Then we will be getting on a bus and heading further south to Phuket, where we will spend the next few weeks. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I am so excited to see what God is going to do and all that we will learn over the next weeks. Please pray especially right now that we can get over jet lag and really sleep well tonight. Pray also that our team would be unified and that we would bond quickly. We greatly appreciate your prayers and support!



Until next time, God Bless!