It’s crazy to me that our first month draws to an end, meaning that our trip is halfway done. Flown by is an understatement. What blows me away though is how much I’ve seen God move. Our ministry looks different everyday and it has been a lesson on being flexible and trusting that in all things, we are serving our Maker.
I came with the idea that we were going to go in bars and ask women if they wanted to leave this life then take them to a safe house and teach them about the freedom in Jesus. But that was not God’s plan and He’s faithfully showed me why the past month. We started ministry by doing bible studies with people from so many different nations including Pakistan, Iran, Burma, Nepal, Thailand, and the states. We got to know Yaya, a woman with a story of incredible redemption through Jesus. We played with little kids, talked Jesus often, taught English, scrapped paint off of floors, painted walls and ceilings, prayed, cried, laughed, and smiled often.
It’s funny how God changes what you think something will be like to remind us that He is in control not us. And our faithfulness to His plan is greatly rewarded. On Sunday after church and Thai bible study, we went to a pool in the lush green mountains overlooking the Indian ocean. What did we do there? We got to talk about how Jesus has worked in our lives to a member of the church from the states whom God is working in big time. He is in his 50s and came to Patong for the same reason most men come, the sex tourism.
While I’ve been here and witnessed Bangla Road, the offering of women everywhere, prostitution and the selling of women, I have prayed for eyes like Jesus. Not only for the girls who are chained in modern day slavery, but for the men that go in to purchase the women and keep the places in business. This might not make sense to most, but I have realized while it is so easy to be filled with anger towards these people, they are also held captive by sin. I’ve prayed for compassion and begged to have a heart for these people, and it’s no surprise that God’s timing is perfect and I got to chat with this man after I have sat with Jesus for a long time on this.
We got to sit in His beautiful creation and marvel at His intricate design while Victor told us about his life. He came for girls but told us about how empty and alone he felt within a short time. He found out about the church through world racers talking on the beach one night a few days before they left, and waited awhile to try it out. When he came, the racers had already left for the next country, but Victor found people at the church. He started coming often to hang out and talk to different members of the church and learn about Jesus. During bible studies, it’s so apparent that God is working in him and moving those wheels in his brain. Sitting on top of a beautiful city with a breathtaking view, Victor asked us questions about what it looked like to follow God, why did we say yes to leaving comfort and go across the world to do missions, why we say yes to God, how we are obedient, and lots more. He told us that he is going back to the states to join a church and get his friends connected with a church and live in community for the first time ever.
God is working big time here. He walks before us and after us. He leads us to people from our home who are lost to equip them to go back and share His goodness. He gives us strength to witness the brokenness of the world and have compassion on the ones the world tells us to be angry at. He builds our faith in Him day after day. He shows us constant grace. He is boundless.
