Yesterday’s emotions ran the full spectrum from being really excited to finally arrive in Bangkok to being a little bit scared of the unknown.
Towards the end of our flight from Tokyo to Bangkok I looked at the monitor on the plane and it said we had an hour and a half until we landed. Cue the second end of the spectrum of emotions. The nerves kicked in. But then I remembered that a good friend of mine had given me a card to read on the flight and I hadn't read it yet. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I want to share part of it because it is my heart and my prayers for this trip and these girls:
"Their story is yours to tell. You have read the book(s), now you enter into the chapters. You will witness first hand their pain, their sorrow, their loneliness and their captivity to their lifestyle. Your emotions will run high and low, they will also run deep. There will be times you will have questions without answers, but remind yourself that you go as his faithful servant. You go to share his love with these girls and maybe be a piece to the puzzle that changes their story forever.
Don't be misguided by how some of them may play the part so well. Deep down we are all girls/women that seek love and respect, not to be bought and sold for empty acts of pleasure. Their honor to their family is strong and all they do is for them, I pray that for you that you will be able to share with them that Christ's love is stronger and deeper than they will ever know.
I pray that you get many opportunities to just sit and talk with these women, to be their friend.
Despite the challenge of the language barrier I pray that the Holy Spirit would fill those voids of words."
Towards the end of our flight from Tokyo to Bangkok I looked at the monitor on the plane and it said we had an hour and a half until we landed. Cue the second end of the spectrum of emotions. The nerves kicked in. But then I remembered that a good friend of mine had given me a card to read on the flight and I hadn't read it yet. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I want to share part of it because it is my heart and my prayers for this trip and these girls:
"Their story is yours to tell. You have read the book(s), now you enter into the chapters. You will witness first hand their pain, their sorrow, their loneliness and their captivity to their lifestyle. Your emotions will run high and low, they will also run deep. There will be times you will have questions without answers, but remind yourself that you go as his faithful servant. You go to share his love with these girls and maybe be a piece to the puzzle that changes their story forever.
Don't be misguided by how some of them may play the part so well. Deep down we are all girls/women that seek love and respect, not to be bought and sold for empty acts of pleasure. Their honor to their family is strong and all they do is for them, I pray that for you that you will be able to share with them that Christ's love is stronger and deeper than they will ever know.
I pray that you get many opportunities to just sit and talk with these women, to be their friend.
Despite the challenge of the language barrier I pray that the Holy Spirit would fill those voids of words."
We met Bonita today and talked with her about what things will look like for us as far as teaching English here at beginnings and doing outreach in the bars. We won’t start either until Monday.
We covet your prayers as we begin outreach on Monday, as there will be much to process.
My heart has already felt heavy since we’ve been here. The darkness is so pervasive. It’s everywhere. From overhearing explicit conversations on the plane between men discussing the “one reason” they come here, to looking out my window tonight to see a young Thai girl walking hand in hand with an older western man, I have finally seen it firsthand. It is one thing to read the books and hear the stories about everything that goes on here, but it is completely different to be face to face with it.
We covet your prayers as we begin outreach on Monday, as there will be much to process.
My heart has already felt heavy since we’ve been here. The darkness is so pervasive. It’s everywhere. From overhearing explicit conversations on the plane between men discussing the “one reason” they come here, to looking out my window tonight to see a young Thai girl walking hand in hand with an older western man, I have finally seen it firsthand. It is one thing to read the books and hear the stories about everything that goes on here, but it is completely different to be face to face with it.
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