Tonight will NOT be just another night on the pole. Tonight they are guests of honor.

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city. We got just a small glimpse of that tonight at our first Christmas party for the girls. For those of you who don't know exactly what our mission is here let me share:). We are back in Bangkok this week to throw two Christmas parties for two of the red light districts here in Bangkok. To give these girls a night of dignity and honor. A night of freedom. A night to be little princesses and play games, receive presents, have the gospel shared with them, and to love on them and pamper them as much as possible. It's the least we can do for these precious girls. The past couple of days we have been doing bar outreach in the pool bars, beer bars, massage parlors, and then at night going into the gogo bars, which are in Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy (two areas of the red light district). The girls here at Beginnings have already been doing an amazing job promoting the parties because so many girls we came across in the bars already knew about it and you could tell by the smile on their faces they were excited to come!

I didn't really know how I would feel coming back after 5 months. I knew I was beyond excited, but to actually be immersed in everything here again was a bit overwhelming at first. A day hasn't gone by in the last 5 months that I haven't thought of these precious girls and the life they have to lead everyday. So going into the bars I was praying that God would take away my fear and my anxiousness. But then go figure, as soon as I walked into the bars and saw their smiling faces coming to greet me and hug me, all I felt was love for them. These girls who live with fear everyday, gave me immediate peace. They lightened my heart. I guess that was God's way of answering my prayer and also telling me I was being silly:). Funny how He puts us in our place sometimes. When I am weak, He is strong.

Soo, tonight was our first Christmas party! There were over 135 girls there! Praise the Lord! We spent most of the day decorating the banquet hall at the hotel and getting everything ready. Seeing the 12 members of our team work together and be so willing to do whatever was needed was amazing to be a part of. We then split up into groups and went to Soi Cowboy to gather up and pay for the girls who were coming to the party. At one point I was sitting outside at a bar waiting for my Thai interpreter, and I saw one of the other groups walking out of a bar...with more than 15 girls behind them! This was quite a sight to see. I had to try my hardest to "save face" as they call it. These beautiful, loved girls were free for a night, and hopefully a lifetime!! Free to be little girls and be filled with laughter, instead of having to worry about pinning a number to their shirt, or dance on the pole. Once everyone was at the hotel, we had games and crafts for the girls to do. Let's just saying playing limbo and musical chairs was quite entertaining:). We then sat down for dinner, which was a feast. An amazing speaker spoke and shared the gospel with the girls and we passed out gifts.

To look around and see all the tables filled with the smiling faces of these girls who were our guests of honor, but are considered nothing but an object in their society, was amazing and a huge answer to prayer.

"The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness, instead of mourning, and a garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." - Isaiah 61:1-4

Thank you to everyone back home for your prayers, your support, and your constant encouragement. Ya'll are just as much a part of everything that the Lord is doing here.

Please continue to pray. Pray for the party tomorrow night, pray for the girls who will be attending, pray that Christ's never failing love would shine through to them, pray for our team's strength, mentally and physically. And most of all pray that God does an amazing movement throughout this city, and this is only a small glimpse of what's to come! Love to you all, and I'll have more updates soon! Also, here's a video of one of the rounds of musical chairs:).

Orphans of God

Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. To be honest, we have been seeing, and doing so much and I've been having so many thoughts that I haven't known what to say on here. The first few days we were here we were waking up 6,7,8 o'clock in the morning ready to go. Lately, there have been a few mornings where it has been so difficult to pull ourselves from bed. We were talking with Bonita and she was saying not to underestimate the emotional toll this is taking on us. To make sure we're listening to our bodies and getting rest. Please pray for all of us to have strength from day to day. Some days I feel like I am just trying to process everything that is happening here; God is revealing new things to me everyday. I am changing. I feel less and less asleep. Made of different stuff than when I began here. I thank Jesus for the lack of distractions here when I do have those quiet times with Him. It's been beautiful, and something I have come to cherish. I am loving the conversations with Him, and His everyday renewal of inner strength, peace, and ever growing love and affection for the girls here.

We began going into the bars last week. The first time I went I was with Bonita, the second with Janette. I had so many thoughts running through my head and was just praying the whole way to the bars. I am not going to go into detail of what we saw while there, because I do not feel it necessary. But going from bar to bar, seeing the girls, all I could think of was Jesus knows all of these girls individually by name. He knows the number of hairs on their heads (Matthew 10:30). He loves them. The girls there are precious. They greet you with a smile and talk to you what little they can. We are able to laugh with them and share joy with them even though it may only be for a short while. Please continue praying that the relationships we are building with the girls in the bars will continue to grow and blossom, through Beginnings, even after we leave here. More often than not, the girls in the bars will tell you that they do not like their job. Some say the men are mean, or that nothing comes from the heart. But they have to make money for their family. Honor to family here is so important that to leave their jobs and not support their family is going completely against everything they have been taught in their culture. It's such an inner struggle and battle for them. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." - 1 John 4:4.

I miss everyone back home, but am not ready to leave the girls here. It's amazing how in such a short time, you come to care about them so much. They are beautiful, and worthy of so much love. I could say so much more right now, but I'll just leave you with one last thing. Janette shared a song with me the other night called Orphans of God. Being a huge Avalon fan, I don't know how I never heard this before, and now I cannot stop listening to it. But the lyrics are beautiful and speak to the truth of God's grace...

Who here among us has not been broken
Who here among us is without guilt or pain
So oft’ abandoned by our transgressions
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

There are no strangers
There are no outcasts
There are no orphans of God
So many fallen, but hallelujah
There are no orphans of God

Come ye unwanted and find affection
Come all ye weary, come and lay down your head
Come ye unworthy, you are my brother
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

O blessed Father, look down upon us
We are Your children, we need Your love
We run before Your throne of mercy
And seek Your face to rise above 

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." - Revelation 21:4

Praise you Lord.

If you want to learn to count in Thai:)...

Bebe gave us a little lesson on counting in Thai. She is precious and quite the actress:)...

some more pics...

I'm in heaven seeing elephants everyday just roaming up and down our streets:).

Our street at night. It gets pretty crazy.

Ann took us to the fish spa, where they nibble on your feet. It tickled so bad, but was such a cool experience.

My fellow baristas:). These guys are awesome and soo friendly.

Joy and Ann (our house mom). They are precious.

My girls:).

I know this is just the elephant's butt, but he was beautiful. I love how they just roam the streets everyday. Please note also Janette's animal voices:)...they are awesome.

It Is Well With My Soul.

Hello dear friends and loved ones:). I pray you all are doing well and that life is good. I am loving Thailand and the people here more and more everyday. We started helping with the English classes yesterday and the girls are absolutely precious. They use the English classes here as a way to get the girls from the bars to come in to not only learn English, but to also be exposed to Beginnings and what it is all about. There were 5 girls yesterday and they were so sweet and eager to learn. We practiced basic conversation skills with them. Some are more outspoken with their english as some of the others were very shy, but all in all they did a great job. 

Today was probably the first difficult day I've had while being here. We will start going into the bars this week, so we met with Bonita this afternoon to go over some things to expect to see while we are in the bars. I won't go into detail about our discussion, but I will say that it was very grim. But I was so thankful to Bonita for sharing with us, and not holding anything back so we have time to process it all before we go in. Bonita told us that when we go into the bars there is no need to feel physically unsafe, but that it is very emotionally unsafe. This immediately made so much sense to me. The whole time I have been here I have never once felt physically unsafe, but I have had to keep my emotions in check on a daily basis. I am so so thankful for Janette, Martha, Tiffany, and Courtney for being that emotional outlet if I feel the need to cry or vent the emotions I'm feeling whether it be sadness, anger, heartbreak, etc. I want to be strong for these girls in the bars. To let them know I am there to be there friend and love them. Janette was saying tonight how usually you don't want to put on a mask and be something you're not, but in this situation, you have to put on a mask and not show emotions or shock in front of these girls. We are not there to feel sympathy for them. We are there to show them love and friendship and trust. Not showing that kind of emotion is a lot easier said than done. And it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. But I know God will be with me and be my strength. "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10

One more thought for the night and then I promise I'm done:). I have been thinking a lot lately the past couple of days of my favorite hymn, It Is Well With My Soul. Being able to interact and watch the girls that we live with in the house has been so encouraging. To know what torture and unspeakable things they have come from, and then to see them on Sunday at church worshipping the Lord in song. To walk downstairs in the mornings and see one of them reading their Bible on the couch and praying. They have truly found Christ's saving grace. This hymn speaks to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth....

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

a few pictures thus far...

So a few of you have been asking to see some pics of our time here so far. Here are a few, and I'll be putting more up later on. Enjoy!....

Ann took us out tonight for shopping and dinner. It was a blast..especially bartering with the people.

This is where we eat meals with the girls. The food is different but soo good.

Every Thai house has an indoor kitchen and an outdoor kitchen. This is

the outdoor kitchen. It's really nice, except for the alien bugs that like

to hang out in it.

The delectable fruit. I swear it's nectar of the gods.

I cannot even begin to describe how good the fruit is here. I don't even know what half of it is called and I don't care. It's delicious.

 

Martha, Janette, and I all partook in some tasty bug goodness today. Surprisingly they tasted quite good. 

monsooning:)

So I had heard stories of the rain in Thailand, but we finally got to experience it tonight, and I am still currently experiencing it. It has probably been downpouring for the last hour, with no signs of letting up and some of the most beautiful lightning I've seen in a while. Needless to say I'm gonna sleep real good tonight with all of that going on outside my window:). 

Today has been an extremely chill Saturday. Bonita and Roy went out of town, and Ann (the house mom) had to go out of town for the day as well, so it was just the girls and us. In the short time we've been here I've already come to love just sitting with the girls and talking, or at least acting out what we're trying to get across in our different languages. They are so open to learning English and so open to helping us learn Thai. These girls are precious. 

Janette and I were talking today about how the culture here is so different in that the people don't feel like they have to constantly be on the go all day. They embrace just sitting, or sewing, or reading. I am definitely guilty of feeling that if I'm just sitting at home I need to be doing something, or go somewhere. In the few short days that we've been here, I've been trying to learn to just sit still and that it's ok. So many times when we're constantly going, we just need to sit still and listen. Just to talk to God, and then sit still and let him answer. It's a two way conversation. And it has brought me so much peace. I have found so much comfort in the quietness and stillness. Psalm 46:10.

Anywho, that's my thought for today. I pray you all are well and I miss you all very much, but not enough to come back quite yet:). Till next time I am off to fall asleep to the sweet lullaby of the rain and thunder outside. Love. Love.