“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” Ephesians 3:20
thailand is a country that is known for its beautiful scenery and amazing food, but unfortunately also it’s booming sex trafficking industry in The Red Light District in Bangkok. this past year my heart has really been drawn to wanting to work with anti sex trafficking ministries to fight this injustice.
i was really hoping that being in Thailand meant we’d get work with an anti sex trafficking ministry – specifically hoping to go into the bars to offer Jesus’ hope and gift of freedom or work on the restoration side of it with the rescued women. So when we found our ministry schedule for being in Thailand didn’t have that planned, i was a little disheartened. I prayed that the Lord would create some connection or encounter to still have an impact in that area here in Thailand.
and this week we did get to work with an anti sex trafficking ministry!!
we taught english in one of their primary schools!
i’m sure you’re thinking “wait what? anti sex trafficking doesn’t have anything to do with teaching english to 7 year olds?”
that is at least what I was thinking 4 days ago. but,
i surprisingly found so much purpose in teaching english to these kids. i surprisingly found that it is so much more for them than just to learn english.
most coming from broken families, being in school means a totally different lifestyle path than the path they could take if they weren’t in school.
having an education means having a good job to be able to provide. and by these kids learning english, they’ll be in demand for an even higher quality job.
they will feel important, they will feel smart, and they will dream bigger dreams for what they want in life.
for these boys, they won’t need to turn to drugs for money.
for these girls, if they have an education, they will be able to get a good job- a job that isn’t selling their bodies at night. they will feel that the truth that they are worth more! they will be able to see more of how valuable each of them is.
so my eyes were opened: this is an anti sex trafficking ministry. we are on the preventive side of it. the ministry we are working with here is how the pattern of sending the girls to Bangkok to work in the bars can be stopped. we’re offering pieces of hope. hope for a better life, hopefully Real Life with Jesus.
with everything in me, i want every woman involved in sex trafficking- here in the Red Light Districts and all over the world- to be rescued and find Freedom. also though, a whole lot of me wants no woman to ever resort to selling her body and to never be involved. so let’s fight to rescue and restore, and let’s also fight to prevent!
today being our last day in this school we’ve been teaching english at, i was praying this morning for MORE. i didn’t want to only talk about english. i prayed that the Lord would provide ways for more depth in showing His love and more of Jesus.
and as we taught these 7, 8, & 9 year olds the colors in english, we used the rainbow to tell the Bible story of Noah’s Ark. which was incredible enough being able to incorporate God into our lesson in this dominantly Buddhist school.
but the kids wanted more! they asked to hear more about Jesus! they asked for a story about Him. so our friend Jasmine, who speaks Thai, shared the Gospel with these kids. while there was a picture of Buddha hanging in front of the classroom, we drew a picture of the cross on the board. bringing Light to the lost. they asked lots of questions -wanting more!
my heart melted and my jaw literally dropped in class a couple times as the kids were so evidently drawn to talking about Jesus. seeds were planted in the hearts of those precious kids that i know the Lord will continue to water and grow in the years to come and will draw them to Himself.
when you ask for more, the Lord will give you more. more purpose in the sometimes seemingly meaningless things. more questions to answer for the curious at heart.
i know there’s even so much more to all of this than i can even see – that our Creator knows exactly how His design is working so beautifully
i pray for more of Him!
!!happy moment to be shared: during lunch time at their school, they have karaoke dance parties with a stage and all! and our team danced our hearts out and sung loud into the mics and dripped with sweat and danced some more with those kids, sharing so much joy with them. they treated us like we were superstars, loving us so well! felt like we were really able to give Jesus’s love. felt like i was truly thriving in those moments. i’m loving this life 
