December 12, 2011
Inside the Fight for Freedom, Part II: The Girls of the Red Light Districts
Johanna Calfee
Hope. A word so hard to define for the ladies of Bangkok. For a girl who is forced to sell her bodies, often multiple times a day … what hope does she have? She is degraded, dehumanized, jeered and barked at on stage (some of our team actually witnessed this last night at Nana Plaza) and made to feel that she is nothing more than a soulless body, designed only for someone else’s pleasure. When you boil down what her existence looks like–hollow and haunted–it is hard to imagine what must keep her going, day after day, night after night.
Some find a measure of comfort through religious rituals, like the girl above who is praying and giving a drink offering to a Buddhist alter before going into work. However, for most of these enslaved girls, their greatest hope–apart from Christ–lies in their death. Only then will the pain of life as a sex slave be relieved.
But even in the face of despair, there is hope….tremendous hope. I’ve seen it in the 16 girls who now call Beginnings home. These girls who each glow bright with their own Resurrection story. They are the reason we do what we do–to see more like them, once abused, neglected and enslaved–come to freedom, a new life and yes, even to hope.
In the meantime, however, the challenge ahead is a huge one. Let these photos of just a few of the girls and women within this massive industry soak in. This is the heart of Freedom 4/24. This is also for whom we must fight.
***For the complete blog post including images, go to calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com
Monday, December 12, 2011
Inside the Fight for Freedom, Part 1
December 11, 2011
Inside the Fight for Freedom, Part I: The Sex Industry
Johanna Calfee
*The content that follows is somewhat graphic, and not appropriate for children. You have been properly warned. Now, get ready to get mad and motivated.*
When most people think of the sex industry in America, they usually think of the rampantness of pornography, or the sexualization of women through billboards, the media and the like. We often demonize the television, the computer, or the music we listen to as the source of the problem. It is easy to blame an object. It’s much more difficult to admit the true source: darkness through people and spiritual forces at work together (yeah, I went there).
In Bangkok, to say the sex industry is in your face is an understatement. It plasters itself all over every surface imaginable, in this case, in the form of a semi-nude photo behind a bar in Nana Plaza.
It walks the streets at 9 a.m. in the morning on Soi 4, looking for money to feed her family.
It mascarades openly as an old, Western man holding the hand of a young, Thai girl.
It flaunts itself in the form of scantly dressed women who litter the entrance to the red light districts.
And it provides a main source of income to the countless number of street vendors who display tables and tables of items to enhance and pervert the already twisted sexual experience that men (and even some women) seek in Thailand.
Everywhere you look, the sex industry blankets Bangkok in its sludge, from dusk til dawn. At 8 a.m. on any given day, a Western man like the one below is asking a Thai girl for her number so he can meet up with her later.
At 10 a.m., the girls at the pool bars and massage parlors sit outside, bored and waiting on their first customer to show up. For them, work will not be through until 7 p.m. or later, when the next shift of 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. girls comes in to “relieve” them of their daily duties. (Hey buddy, you are so busted…)
By 6:30 p.m., the dinner crowd is starting to transition into the red light crowd. The bars are starting to fill. The girls are starting to dance. Drinks flow. Clothes become scarce. Men ogle, grope and choose a girl for the night, or at least the next hour, by the number she is wearing. With each suggestive move, a girl is victimized. And it’s almost always against her will.
Listen, it may not seem like it, but I’m being tame here. If I could take you inside the bars, where these girls dance like robots–cold, stiff and emotionless–or force your eyes open by the horror of watching one of them being beckoned off stage by an 80-year-old, tattooed ex-military sleeze looking to relive his glory days, I would take you in a second. That’s the only way to truly get kicked in the gut by the pervasive darkness here, vaguely masked by Vegas lighting and head-throbbing music. It hangs heavy as the humidity here, always oppressive, never relenting, even when it’s soaked by torrential rain or sprayed down with a water hose, like the streets of the red lights districts are by day.
As if to give galactic confirmation to everything we were seeing and experiencing last night, even the moon fell dark. The sight of this lunar eclipse seemed appropriate amidst the red light district of Soi Cowboy–one of the darkest, yet most brightly lit place I’ve ever seen.
If all of this makes you uncomfortable (minus the moon), good–that’s the point. And we are just getting started. Next up–Part II: The Girls of the Red Light Districts.
****For the complete post including images, go to www.calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com
Inside the Fight for Freedom, Part I: The Sex Industry
Johanna Calfee
*The content that follows is somewhat graphic, and not appropriate for children. You have been properly warned. Now, get ready to get mad and motivated.*
When most people think of the sex industry in America, they usually think of the rampantness of pornography, or the sexualization of women through billboards, the media and the like. We often demonize the television, the computer, or the music we listen to as the source of the problem. It is easy to blame an object. It’s much more difficult to admit the true source: darkness through people and spiritual forces at work together (yeah, I went there).
In Bangkok, to say the sex industry is in your face is an understatement. It plasters itself all over every surface imaginable, in this case, in the form of a semi-nude photo behind a bar in Nana Plaza.
It walks the streets at 9 a.m. in the morning on Soi 4, looking for money to feed her family.
It mascarades openly as an old, Western man holding the hand of a young, Thai girl.
It flaunts itself in the form of scantly dressed women who litter the entrance to the red light districts.
And it provides a main source of income to the countless number of street vendors who display tables and tables of items to enhance and pervert the already twisted sexual experience that men (and even some women) seek in Thailand.
Everywhere you look, the sex industry blankets Bangkok in its sludge, from dusk til dawn. At 8 a.m. on any given day, a Western man like the one below is asking a Thai girl for her number so he can meet up with her later.
At 10 a.m., the girls at the pool bars and massage parlors sit outside, bored and waiting on their first customer to show up. For them, work will not be through until 7 p.m. or later, when the next shift of 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. girls comes in to “relieve” them of their daily duties. (Hey buddy, you are so busted…)
By 6:30 p.m., the dinner crowd is starting to transition into the red light crowd. The bars are starting to fill. The girls are starting to dance. Drinks flow. Clothes become scarce. Men ogle, grope and choose a girl for the night, or at least the next hour, by the number she is wearing. With each suggestive move, a girl is victimized. And it’s almost always against her will.
Listen, it may not seem like it, but I’m being tame here. If I could take you inside the bars, where these girls dance like robots–cold, stiff and emotionless–or force your eyes open by the horror of watching one of them being beckoned off stage by an 80-year-old, tattooed ex-military sleeze looking to relive his glory days, I would take you in a second. That’s the only way to truly get kicked in the gut by the pervasive darkness here, vaguely masked by Vegas lighting and head-throbbing music. It hangs heavy as the humidity here, always oppressive, never relenting, even when it’s soaked by torrential rain or sprayed down with a water hose, like the streets of the red lights districts are by day.
As if to give galactic confirmation to everything we were seeing and experiencing last night, even the moon fell dark. The sight of this lunar eclipse seemed appropriate amidst the red light district of Soi Cowboy–one of the darkest, yet most brightly lit place I’ve ever seen.
If all of this makes you uncomfortable (minus the moon), good–that’s the point. And we are just getting started. Next up–Part II: The Girls of the Red Light Districts.
****For the complete post including images, go to www.calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com
Stop the Sun
December 11, 2011
Stop the Sun
(Johanna Calfee)
How ugly the exposure of light can be.
It’s hard to imagine a place more filthy than Nana Plaza by night. But, it is in the glare of daylight that it reveals its true grit. Abandoned and silent, the sun’s rays show the red light district’s filth, engrained down to the drywall.
The religious shrine that sits in front of the spread of Go-Go bars is part of the sick irony of a culture of people who sell their daughters in order to elevate their sons. A culture that declares prostitution “illegal,” yet turns its head to the realities of two very profitable, very tourist-driven red light districts. A culture that celebrates “Christmas” at every turn, yet neglects the teachings of a loving, freeing Christ.
It’s been said that darkness comes before the light. But light can only make itself known in the midst of darkness. Perhaps that is why Nana Plaza by day gives the illusion of hope despite of its best efforts.
In Joshua 10, God make the sun stand still to drive out the darkness until the enemies of Israel, the Amorites, could be defeated by Joshua’s army:
3 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,
as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!
My prayer is that God will listen once again to a human–the ones who are rising up to fight against the injustice of sexual slavery and exploitation. May He “stop the sun” until this nation of Thailand, and those who love the least of its people, can avenge its enemies. Then and only then will the true light remain, along with the hope of a new day for those who know no other existence than one filled with artificial light meant to temporarily illuminate and distort the darkness.
God, stop the sun for these girls; these precious girls that were created to be your daughters.
****To see full blog post with images, go to www.calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com
Stop the Sun
(Johanna Calfee)
How ugly the exposure of light can be.
It’s hard to imagine a place more filthy than Nana Plaza by night. But, it is in the glare of daylight that it reveals its true grit. Abandoned and silent, the sun’s rays show the red light district’s filth, engrained down to the drywall.
The religious shrine that sits in front of the spread of Go-Go bars is part of the sick irony of a culture of people who sell their daughters in order to elevate their sons. A culture that declares prostitution “illegal,” yet turns its head to the realities of two very profitable, very tourist-driven red light districts. A culture that celebrates “Christmas” at every turn, yet neglects the teachings of a loving, freeing Christ.
It’s been said that darkness comes before the light. But light can only make itself known in the midst of darkness. Perhaps that is why Nana Plaza by day gives the illusion of hope despite of its best efforts.
In Joshua 10, God make the sun stand still to drive out the darkness until the enemies of Israel, the Amorites, could be defeated by Joshua’s army:
3 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,
as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!
My prayer is that God will listen once again to a human–the ones who are rising up to fight against the injustice of sexual slavery and exploitation. May He “stop the sun” until this nation of Thailand, and those who love the least of its people, can avenge its enemies. Then and only then will the true light remain, along with the hope of a new day for those who know no other existence than one filled with artificial light meant to temporarily illuminate and distort the darkness.
God, stop the sun for these girls; these precious girls that were created to be your daughters.
****To see full blog post with images, go to www.calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com
December 10, 2011 (Johanna Calfee)
Make no mistake, my friend. No one would choose the life of the girls I saw in the bars tonight. But for them, there is no choice in the matter (there by force) or no other choice (there by force of parents or poverty). The next time you think you’re life is unfair, shut your privileged American mouth and take a good look at this picture of a girl sitting outside a massage parlor, awaiting her first customer. And yes, it is that kind of massage parlor.
So, yeah, tonight I’m straight out of the red light district for the first time this go round, and I’m mad…really mad. Our lives, with all of their freedoms, are so, so good, even when they aren’t perfect. Any one of the hundreds of girls I saw at Soi Cowboy would gladly trade with you. But that’s not a choice they will likely ever get to make. I can only hope we can break through to a few, who will fight and/or flee for their freedom.
Make no mistake, my friend. No one would choose the life of the girls I saw in the bars tonight. But for them, there is no choice in the matter (there by force) or no other choice (there by force of parents or poverty). The next time you think you’re life is unfair, shut your privileged American mouth and take a good look at this picture of a girl sitting outside a massage parlor, awaiting her first customer. And yes, it is that kind of massage parlor.
So, yeah, tonight I’m straight out of the red light district for the first time this go round, and I’m mad…really mad. Our lives, with all of their freedoms, are so, so good, even when they aren’t perfect. Any one of the hundreds of girls I saw at Soi Cowboy would gladly trade with you. But that’s not a choice they will likely ever get to make. I can only hope we can break through to a few, who will fight and/or flee for their freedom.
Choose What Breaks Your Heart (Johanna)
December 10, 2011
Choose What Breaks Your Heart
I remember vividly something Freedom 4/24 founder, Christine Gelatt, told me about Bangkok before I came on the first trip with her back in 2009: “You have to choose what to let break your heart.” She is so right because just about everything here could tug at your heartstrings if you let it, rendering you ineffective in what you’ve come here to do.
For me, one large aspect of that battle against those darn heartstrings are the beggars here. They are on every street corner, shaking cups at you for money. Some use their kids to run up and tug at your clothes. Others rely on their literal cries for help.
Beggars come in all forms here. Some have lost limbs.
Others have been severely burned at some point in their lives.
While others still have just been dealt a bad card in life.
Even to the point that some beg all day in the streets, and when they become tired, lie down and sleep in the very same spot.
As if these visuals aren’t enough to make your stomach hurt, there’s this… a streetwalker waiting on a customer, next to a beggar waiting on a handout to pay for her next meal.
It is almost impossible not to feel the tug. But guarding your heart here means making a choice as to what will break it the most.
For us, that choice is simple: to allow our hearts to break for the girls and women here who are in sexual slavery.
Next up, a visual three-part series showing the massive fight we have ahead to make headway in tearing down the strongholds that exist in Thailand, and around the world, when it comes to the sexual exploitation of women.
For the complete blog post with images, go to www.calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com
Choose What Breaks Your Heart
I remember vividly something Freedom 4/24 founder, Christine Gelatt, told me about Bangkok before I came on the first trip with her back in 2009: “You have to choose what to let break your heart.” She is so right because just about everything here could tug at your heartstrings if you let it, rendering you ineffective in what you’ve come here to do.
For me, one large aspect of that battle against those darn heartstrings are the beggars here. They are on every street corner, shaking cups at you for money. Some use their kids to run up and tug at your clothes. Others rely on their literal cries for help.
Beggars come in all forms here. Some have lost limbs.
Others have been severely burned at some point in their lives.
While others still have just been dealt a bad card in life.
Even to the point that some beg all day in the streets, and when they become tired, lie down and sleep in the very same spot.
As if these visuals aren’t enough to make your stomach hurt, there’s this… a streetwalker waiting on a customer, next to a beggar waiting on a handout to pay for her next meal.
It is almost impossible not to feel the tug. But guarding your heart here means making a choice as to what will break it the most.
For us, that choice is simple: to allow our hearts to break for the girls and women here who are in sexual slavery.
Next up, a visual three-part series showing the massive fight we have ahead to make headway in tearing down the strongholds that exist in Thailand, and around the world, when it comes to the sexual exploitation of women.
For the complete blog post with images, go to www.calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com
Back in Bangkok
These posts are from the personal blog of Johanna Calfee (www.calfeesinthailand.wordpress.com)
And We Are….BACK!
After 24 hours of travel, our little team has been completely reunited and delivered safe and sound to Beginnings.
Last night, we finally arrived in Bangkok at around 2 a.m. local time (which is 2 p.m. in Lynchburg). Megan Smith, our team leader, proceeded to negotiate cab rides with us, which took a good 15 minutes. I was quickly reminded that no one here is in a hurry…we are officially on “Thai time.” Eventually, we were loaded up and whisked 20 minutes from the airport to Sukhumvit Soi 4, where Beginnings is located. Our taxi driver, like many men I know (side eye at my dad), proclaimed that he “knew shortcut” in broken English and started weaving us into the belly of Soi 4. Soon, we were spit out right in front of Nana Plaza, one of the largest red light districts in Bangkok that sits just blocks from Beginnings.
Anne, my poor taxi mate, got her first eyeful of a night in full session at Nana Plaza. The place was packed with Western men and Thai girls, spilling into the street like an overflowing toilet. Many were already “paired up” and leaving for their destination (most likely, a nearby hotel) but at 2 a.m., the night is still young here, and countless other girls in provocative attire lined every inch of the street and the bars, looking for customers. All the scenes, smells and memories of my last time in Bangkok were suddenly condensed in these few moments, which seemed to pass in slow motion, as our cab weaved through the crowds.
Indeed, nothing has changed for the women of Nana Plaza. In fact, by the looks of things, their unwilling masses have only grown.
Tonight, we will go back inside Nana Plaza for the first time this trip. Four women on our team will experience this underbelly for the first time ever. Please join us in praying that doors are opened, connections are made in spite of language barriers and we can tell many about the Christmas party.
And We Are….BACK!
After 24 hours of travel, our little team has been completely reunited and delivered safe and sound to Beginnings.
Last night, we finally arrived in Bangkok at around 2 a.m. local time (which is 2 p.m. in Lynchburg). Megan Smith, our team leader, proceeded to negotiate cab rides with us, which took a good 15 minutes. I was quickly reminded that no one here is in a hurry…we are officially on “Thai time.” Eventually, we were loaded up and whisked 20 minutes from the airport to Sukhumvit Soi 4, where Beginnings is located. Our taxi driver, like many men I know (side eye at my dad), proclaimed that he “knew shortcut” in broken English and started weaving us into the belly of Soi 4. Soon, we were spit out right in front of Nana Plaza, one of the largest red light districts in Bangkok that sits just blocks from Beginnings.
Anne, my poor taxi mate, got her first eyeful of a night in full session at Nana Plaza. The place was packed with Western men and Thai girls, spilling into the street like an overflowing toilet. Many were already “paired up” and leaving for their destination (most likely, a nearby hotel) but at 2 a.m., the night is still young here, and countless other girls in provocative attire lined every inch of the street and the bars, looking for customers. All the scenes, smells and memories of my last time in Bangkok were suddenly condensed in these few moments, which seemed to pass in slow motion, as our cab weaved through the crowds.
Indeed, nothing has changed for the women of Nana Plaza. In fact, by the looks of things, their unwilling masses have only grown.
Tonight, we will go back inside Nana Plaza for the first time this trip. Four women on our team will experience this underbelly for the first time ever. Please join us in praying that doors are opened, connections are made in spite of language barriers and we can tell many about the Christmas party.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Hello!
We have had quite the week over here!! On Wednesday we were able to get some girls out with the help from our friend Liz, from the bar we had gotten kicked out of. It was one of the girls birthday's and we were able to take her and her friend out to eat. We went to eat at a place we hadn't been before, so we didn't know what to expect. We let the birthday girl decide where to go and of all places she picked Italian food! She likes trying new things and she wanted to try this with us! So we ate pizza and pasta a first for both the girls which was great to experience. We then took them to ice cream. We secretly told the women working that it was her birthday, asking if they sang there. Minutes later the ice cream came out with a candle on it and we got to sing to her! She was so thankful for it all. We really were so happy and thankful for being able to hang out with them both!
Friday quickly arrived where it was time for the open house/goodbye party. We invited many girls from the different bars that we had been too. We were super excited to see who would come. We all spread out and picked up different girls.
Some girls waiting to eat!
Girls excited to eat Ann's green curry!
Everyone getting ready to play some games!
Some of the girls playing a game
We had such a fun day. Around 35 girls ended up coming; this was a day for a us to be able to pay the bar fines and get the girls to come. Although some of the girls have heard, this for many of the them was the first time to hear about Beginnings. After playing the fun games, the house mom explained to the girls what Beginnings offers them if they are willing to leave the bars. It was so great to see the girls out of the bars and just hang out with them in this environment. For us as a team it was amazing to see the turn out from all the relationships that we have built here this last month. After all the fun, games, and talking the girls were allowed to leave or hang out. Many of them took a tour of the house and some stayed behind to talk to the house mom about Beginnings. Even though this was a goodbye party we are still excited for the last few days that we have with the girls.
Jess, Amy, Kelly
We have had quite the week over here!! On Wednesday we were able to get some girls out with the help from our friend Liz, from the bar we had gotten kicked out of. It was one of the girls birthday's and we were able to take her and her friend out to eat. We went to eat at a place we hadn't been before, so we didn't know what to expect. We let the birthday girl decide where to go and of all places she picked Italian food! She likes trying new things and she wanted to try this with us! So we ate pizza and pasta a first for both the girls which was great to experience. We then took them to ice cream. We secretly told the women working that it was her birthday, asking if they sang there. Minutes later the ice cream came out with a candle on it and we got to sing to her! She was so thankful for it all. We really were so happy and thankful for being able to hang out with them both!
Friday quickly arrived where it was time for the open house/goodbye party. We invited many girls from the different bars that we had been too. We were super excited to see who would come. We all spread out and picked up different girls.
Some girls waiting to eat!
Girls excited to eat Ann's green curry! 
Everyone getting ready to play some games!
Some of the girls playing a gameWe had such a fun day. Around 35 girls ended up coming; this was a day for a us to be able to pay the bar fines and get the girls to come. Although some of the girls have heard, this for many of the them was the first time to hear about Beginnings. After playing the fun games, the house mom explained to the girls what Beginnings offers them if they are willing to leave the bars. It was so great to see the girls out of the bars and just hang out with them in this environment. For us as a team it was amazing to see the turn out from all the relationships that we have built here this last month. After all the fun, games, and talking the girls were allowed to leave or hang out. Many of them took a tour of the house and some stayed behind to talk to the house mom about Beginnings. Even though this was a goodbye party we are still excited for the last few days that we have with the girls.
Jess, Amy, Kelly
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sorry it has been a little while since we have posted! Since Amy's post a lot has happened. Kelly and I we able to go do outreach at Soi Cowboy also the next night. It was the first time for the both of us to go do outreach at night. It was hard having to sit back and watch, while not being able to fully communicate with the girls. Although there was little we could do, it was good to be able to see the two girls from the home being able to make new connections.
Due to a Buddhist holiday our teaching and outreach was limited this week. We were able to play tourist this weekend and explore more of Bangkok.
We went to the Evangelical Church of Bangkok on Sunday which is an English speaking church. It was great getting to hear a sermon we understood and singing familiar worship songs. We met different missionaries that are here from the States and got to share with them about Beginnings and why we are here. The community was very welcoming and we enjoyed a challenging yet encouraging sermon on Submission using scripture from 1 Peter 2.
Amy and Kelly got to reconnect with the friend Amy mentioned in the previous blog. They paid her bar fine and took her out to dinner. They got stuck in a rain storm which made things interesting getting to the restaurant but they eventually got there after waiting out the rain. Amy enjoyed getting to talk with her friend one-on-one and to get to know her a little better. It was encouraging to see her smile and to get to show her love for one night. She is a sweet girl that we will never forget.
Today we got to pay our first bar fines to take some of the girls from a bar out. We arrived a little early to pick them up, and they were so cute and all ready to go. We originally were going to take 3 girls with us, but another girl there seemed interested when we talked about our outing so we asked her to come along too. When we asked her if she would like to join us, her face lit up and she pulled out her socks showing us she was ready to go bowl! We took the girls to eat lunch at a big food court first where we all had Thai food to a few floors up and went bowling! We were the first ones there so we had the place to ourselves for awhile. With a little difficulty figuring out our sizes we got our shoes, which are totally cooler then American bowling shoes! We went to our lanes, picked out our bowling balls, and were finally ready to start! It started out a little rough since none of us had played in a while. But it was so fun to mess around with each other and joke about our bowling talent (or lack thereof). The girls and us had fun coming up with funny ways to bowl to keep us laughing. We all took pictures and videos to document this experience. Sadly our time eventually came to an end when we all had to leave. Saying goodbye is always the hardest part but at least this time we were able to tell them we'd see them soon : )
Due to a Buddhist holiday our teaching and outreach was limited this week. We were able to play tourist this weekend and explore more of Bangkok.
We went to the Evangelical Church of Bangkok on Sunday which is an English speaking church. It was great getting to hear a sermon we understood and singing familiar worship songs. We met different missionaries that are here from the States and got to share with them about Beginnings and why we are here. The community was very welcoming and we enjoyed a challenging yet encouraging sermon on Submission using scripture from 1 Peter 2.
Amy and Kelly got to reconnect with the friend Amy mentioned in the previous blog. They paid her bar fine and took her out to dinner. They got stuck in a rain storm which made things interesting getting to the restaurant but they eventually got there after waiting out the rain. Amy enjoyed getting to talk with her friend one-on-one and to get to know her a little better. It was encouraging to see her smile and to get to show her love for one night. She is a sweet girl that we will never forget.
Today we got to pay our first bar fines to take some of the girls from a bar out. We arrived a little early to pick them up, and they were so cute and all ready to go. We originally were going to take 3 girls with us, but another girl there seemed interested when we talked about our outing so we asked her to come along too. When we asked her if she would like to join us, her face lit up and she pulled out her socks showing us she was ready to go bowl! We took the girls to eat lunch at a big food court first where we all had Thai food to a few floors up and went bowling! We were the first ones there so we had the place to ourselves for awhile. With a little difficulty figuring out our sizes we got our shoes, which are totally cooler then American bowling shoes! We went to our lanes, picked out our bowling balls, and were finally ready to start! It started out a little rough since none of us had played in a while. But it was so fun to mess around with each other and joke about our bowling talent (or lack thereof). The girls and us had fun coming up with funny ways to bowl to keep us laughing. We all took pictures and videos to document this experience. Sadly our time eventually came to an end when we all had to leave. Saying goodbye is always the hardest part but at least this time we were able to tell them we'd see them soon : )
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Last night I was able to do outreach at Soi Cowboy, one of the main red-light districts here in Bangkok. Although I had been to this red-light district before over the Christmas trip this past December, the scope of depravity and sexual brokenness I witnessed last night still shocked me. Seeing women and young girls being prostituted & exploited by bar owners, pimps & western men isn’t something I’ll ever get used to seeing. Although it was pouring rain last night, business did not slow down like I had expected it would. As I walked down the soi in the pouring rain with one of the Thai girls from Beginnings, the reality of the situation really hit me. The reality that in just that very night nearly 3,000 women & young girls were being exploited & prostituted in that 1 red-light district alone. The reality that women & young girls were being forced to stand on stages or street corners “selling” themselves for a mere $24 for 24 hours to Western men seeking to fulfill their twisted desires. I was hit with the overwhelming sense that in the face of such an enormous & complicated problem with thousands of men as devoted “followers”, what good could 1 girl from America & 1 girl from Thailand really do? If comparing numbers, the odds were stacked against us. As I was praying & walking down the soi, God reminded me of what he always reminds me of when I start asking this question…That my mission isn’t about the large numbers at all, it’s about “the one”. As Sharon Kohn, a lawyer from IJM so perfectly states:
“While there are millions of women & young girls victimized every day, our work will always be about the one. The one girl deceived. The one girl kidnapped. The one girl raped. The one girl infected with AIDS. The one girl needing a rescuer. To succumb to the enormity of the problem is to fail the one. And more is required of us.”
As we walked into one of the gogo bars to do outreach, I knew more was required of me at that moment. As we sat down in the bar, I scanned the room & prayed God would give me an opportunity to reach out to just one girl while I was there. After nearly 20 minutes & several unsuccessful attempts to connect with different girls, I was about to suggest we go to a different bar when I suddenly locked eyes with a girl in the bar whom I recognized from the Christmas party this past December! I knew she remembered me because as soon as she saw me she literally jumped off the stage she was standing on, ran to where I was seated & hugged me! It was such a beautiful moment of hope & light in the midst of such a dark night! To see such a strong response from one girl I invested in, for just one night over 6 months ago, made me realize the power in allowing Christ to show his love through us to just “the one” person he has placed in our path. The girl & I talked & reconnected & other girls I recognized from the Christmas party eventually came over as well! I hope to continue to build on these relationships with the women at this bar as I allow Christ to show His love through me!
Please be in prayer for these relationships! That God will continue to build & strengthen them & that He will continue the good work He began in their hearts over 6months ago.
- Amy
“While there are millions of women & young girls victimized every day, our work will always be about the one. The one girl deceived. The one girl kidnapped. The one girl raped. The one girl infected with AIDS. The one girl needing a rescuer. To succumb to the enormity of the problem is to fail the one. And more is required of us.”
As we walked into one of the gogo bars to do outreach, I knew more was required of me at that moment. As we sat down in the bar, I scanned the room & prayed God would give me an opportunity to reach out to just one girl while I was there. After nearly 20 minutes & several unsuccessful attempts to connect with different girls, I was about to suggest we go to a different bar when I suddenly locked eyes with a girl in the bar whom I recognized from the Christmas party this past December! I knew she remembered me because as soon as she saw me she literally jumped off the stage she was standing on, ran to where I was seated & hugged me! It was such a beautiful moment of hope & light in the midst of such a dark night! To see such a strong response from one girl I invested in, for just one night over 6 months ago, made me realize the power in allowing Christ to show his love through us to just “the one” person he has placed in our path. The girl & I talked & reconnected & other girls I recognized from the Christmas party eventually came over as well! I hope to continue to build on these relationships with the women at this bar as I allow Christ to show His love through me!
Please be in prayer for these relationships! That God will continue to build & strengthen them & that He will continue the good work He began in their hearts over 6months ago.
- Amy
Saturday, July 9, 2011
God is in control
As you know this week we started our outreach. It was great in the beginning of the week where we had great connections with different girls so quickly. Thankful as we are for those, we did encounter some challenges too this week. We went to two different bars we had not gone to yet. We quickly started conversation at the first one and ended up staying for a while. One of the girls that Amy was talking too had an interest in stopping by Beginnings and seeing what it was all about. When we went back to get her the next day she didn't come to work that day at all. As disappointing as we are, we realize that it is out of our hands and God can still use the initial connection that we had with her. We went to just stop by at a bar we made connections at a few days before to just say hi to some of the girls. Although we had been well received for the first few days we visited the bar, this time the bar owner was there and was confrontational in asking us to the leave the bar and not return. We were all caught off guard and a little discouraged because this was a bar we had strong connections with.
Even though it was a slightly discouraging and disheartening day, God gave us the encouragement we need through fellowship with other believers. We were delighted to go to the opening night of a coffee shop that's owned by Bonita's American friend, that ministers to transgenders. This ministry is unique and much needed here, as most organizations reach out to women. The environment was warm and welcoming as if it was a piece of home right here in Bangkok. We are excited to see how the Lord will use this ministry.
On the way home, Bonita took us on a detour down Soi Cowboy, one of the main red light districts we have seen here. Even just walking down the street we were confronted with reality of how vast and explicit the sex industry really is here.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." Ephesians 6:10-11
We are excited for tomorrow because we are going to church with the girls from the house. Please be in prayer for us as we encounter different challenges and that we may be strong and stand firm in the power of the Lord.
Even though it was a slightly discouraging and disheartening day, God gave us the encouragement we need through fellowship with other believers. We were delighted to go to the opening night of a coffee shop that's owned by Bonita's American friend, that ministers to transgenders. This ministry is unique and much needed here, as most organizations reach out to women. The environment was warm and welcoming as if it was a piece of home right here in Bangkok. We are excited to see how the Lord will use this ministry.
On the way home, Bonita took us on a detour down Soi Cowboy, one of the main red light districts we have seen here. Even just walking down the street we were confronted with reality of how vast and explicit the sex industry really is here.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." Ephesians 6:10-11
We are excited for tomorrow because we are going to church with the girls from the house. Please be in prayer for us as we encounter different challenges and that we may be strong and stand firm in the power of the Lord.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Outreach and Teaching Has Begun!
We began teaching English and Outreach yesterday and already have seen God at work in so many ways. Elizabeth and Bethany, two women from California are here helping us teach English so we each have one student we are focusing on at the moment. This individualized attention has been great for the girls as they each have different needs and are on various levels of understanding. We are all discovering the challenges that arise when you are dealing with a tonal language that doesn't use punctuation or articles. We have eagerly been trying to learn Thai while helping the girls with their English which has given us a way to connect with them.
Our first outreach led us to a bar where Amy was able to reconnect with a girl she had built a relationship with on the December trip. This initial contact made for a smoother connection to meeting other girls in the bar. I don't foresee any of us having a career as professional pool players but there is still hope for us before the end of July : ) It was challenging at first coming up with small talk that could be understood but thankfully Amy's friend knew English fairly well and could translate for us.
Today Jess and I explored another bar in which no connections had been made yet. We were nervous at first but we knew God had us in His hands and would show us the way. As soon as we entered we were approached by a girl who knew English very well. This is a fairly new bar and many of the girls had just begun working there. We were relieved to not have to experience much awkwardness as two girls quickly connected with us and started in on what led to a very pleasant 2 hour conversation. God was able to break down many barriers as we felt like we had already known these girls. We all joked about being terrible at pool and laughed at our mistakes. Conversation and interacting came very naturally with these girls and we left feeling so encouraged. We learned so much about them in just a short time and have already planned to take them out for one of the girls' birthday in 2 weeks.
We are finally experiencing true Bangkok weather as it has felt over 100 degrees the past couple of days. We are praying for rain as that tends to cool things down here. But until then we try to stay near our fans as we try to acclimate to the heat.
Thank you for all your prayers! We feel so blessed to be here.
Please continue to pray with us as we further the relationships we have begun forming with these girls.
Kelly (with a little help from Amy and Jess)
Our first outreach led us to a bar where Amy was able to reconnect with a girl she had built a relationship with on the December trip. This initial contact made for a smoother connection to meeting other girls in the bar. I don't foresee any of us having a career as professional pool players but there is still hope for us before the end of July : ) It was challenging at first coming up with small talk that could be understood but thankfully Amy's friend knew English fairly well and could translate for us.
Today Jess and I explored another bar in which no connections had been made yet. We were nervous at first but we knew God had us in His hands and would show us the way. As soon as we entered we were approached by a girl who knew English very well. This is a fairly new bar and many of the girls had just begun working there. We were relieved to not have to experience much awkwardness as two girls quickly connected with us and started in on what led to a very pleasant 2 hour conversation. God was able to break down many barriers as we felt like we had already known these girls. We all joked about being terrible at pool and laughed at our mistakes. Conversation and interacting came very naturally with these girls and we left feeling so encouraged. We learned so much about them in just a short time and have already planned to take them out for one of the girls' birthday in 2 weeks.
We are finally experiencing true Bangkok weather as it has felt over 100 degrees the past couple of days. We are praying for rain as that tends to cool things down here. But until then we try to stay near our fans as we try to acclimate to the heat.
Thank you for all your prayers! We feel so blessed to be here.
Please continue to pray with us as we further the relationships we have begun forming with these girls.
Kelly (with a little help from Amy and Jess)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Sa-wat-dee-ka (Hello)!
We thought it would be nice to let you guys know what we have been up to since we have gotten here. We have somewhat adjusted to the time. Although we have been waking up a few hours before our alarms!
Since there is a big election here, most of the girls had to go home to vote. So although we are fortunate to have some of the girls here to talk to, most of them have been absent.
We met up with Jessica's friend from school that is from Thailand. Ben and his sister took us around to see different parts of Bangkok and to eat some great food! When we got back we were tired from all the walking and shopping so while we were sitting in our room talking some of the girls at the house came into our room and we all ended up talking for a long time. We were trying to help them with their English while they were trying to teach us some Thai words. We learned practical words like Hello, good job, good night, you're welcome and we also learned fun words like pretty, crazy, beautiful, cold, hot, and sleepy. It was much enjoyed but we need to keep up with our Thai vocabulary to remember! This was our first opportunity to get aquatinted with the girls and learn more about them and their interests. We really enjoyed it and are so excited to hang out and learn more about them!
Today we were all excited to experience Leena and Ben's church. It is a Thai Christian church, but they fortunately have an English translator. Since we are not completely able to find our way around Bangkok, Ben came to the house to pick us up. We ended up walking which is always fun. We took a "short cut" through the park which ended up taking a lot longer then expected. We ate quickly and headed to the church. We had to sit in the section where there were headphones for us to listen to the translation of the service. Despite the different languages being sung during the worship service, we were all worshiping the same God. It was amazing to experience such a welcoming community of believers. We all felt so blessed to be there!
After church we went to a thai restaurant, owned by one of the church members. We not only got to eat with some of the members of the church, but we got to cook the food right in front of us. We ate a lot, including some cow tongue, intestines, raw fish, and seaweed salad. We are now prepared to be on fear factor!
We are excited for what tomorrow entails for us: seeing all the girls and to begin teaching english.
This is us at the church
This is us in front of the church
Jess, Kelly, & Amy
We thought it would be nice to let you guys know what we have been up to since we have gotten here. We have somewhat adjusted to the time. Although we have been waking up a few hours before our alarms!
Since there is a big election here, most of the girls had to go home to vote. So although we are fortunate to have some of the girls here to talk to, most of them have been absent.
We met up with Jessica's friend from school that is from Thailand. Ben and his sister took us around to see different parts of Bangkok and to eat some great food! When we got back we were tired from all the walking and shopping so while we were sitting in our room talking some of the girls at the house came into our room and we all ended up talking for a long time. We were trying to help them with their English while they were trying to teach us some Thai words. We learned practical words like Hello, good job, good night, you're welcome and we also learned fun words like pretty, crazy, beautiful, cold, hot, and sleepy. It was much enjoyed but we need to keep up with our Thai vocabulary to remember! This was our first opportunity to get aquatinted with the girls and learn more about them and their interests. We really enjoyed it and are so excited to hang out and learn more about them!
Today we were all excited to experience Leena and Ben's church. It is a Thai Christian church, but they fortunately have an English translator. Since we are not completely able to find our way around Bangkok, Ben came to the house to pick us up. We ended up walking which is always fun. We took a "short cut" through the park which ended up taking a lot longer then expected. We ate quickly and headed to the church. We had to sit in the section where there were headphones for us to listen to the translation of the service. Despite the different languages being sung during the worship service, we were all worshiping the same God. It was amazing to experience such a welcoming community of believers. We all felt so blessed to be there!
After church we went to a thai restaurant, owned by one of the church members. We not only got to eat with some of the members of the church, but we got to cook the food right in front of us. We ate a lot, including some cow tongue, intestines, raw fish, and seaweed salad. We are now prepared to be on fear factor!
We are excited for what tomorrow entails for us: seeing all the girls and to begin teaching english.
This is us at the church
This is us in front of the church
Jess, Kelly, & Amy
Friday, July 1, 2011
July Team is here!
Hello everyone!
Well Kelly, Amy, and I are all here and safe!
After a long journey of interesting airports, tunnels that look like aquariums, Kelly getting sick on the plane, Amy handling the sickness of Kelly, airplane food, long delays in the Tokyo airport, trying to get in touch with people in Thailand with the lack of a phone and internet, getting to Bangkok where Amy lost her computer cord, hearing and seeing a beautiful thunderstorm, waiting for our luggage for longer then an hour, finally after our long adventure we got to the house.
We were welcomed by the sleepy house mom, since it was 4:00AM, and headed up to our room. We were not that sleepy, naturally, so we all decided to unload all of our stuff. We finally decided by 5:00AM, that is was time for us to get some sleep. So with our fans on we fell into a deep deep sleep. And by deep sleep we didn't wake up until 2:00 PM. We all felt a little bad as we wasted the day away. We all quickly got ready and went out to talk some of the girls in the house. After a long trip it was so great to see the reason we are here. We all have talked and all mutually know we are blessed to be here. We got to explore the streets a little and exchange our money. We then walked to Bonita's and Roy's apartment for some time to talk and a great Mexican soup. We also had Dragon fruit, Mangosteen, Mango, and Watermelon. After a fun night and great talks we had reached the lateness of night and were off again to the Bangkok streets. This time we walked alone on the streets which made us feel adventurous and a little just a little nervous, but we made it back safely. We are all blessed to be here and can't wait for what opportunities God has in store for us next.
Jess
Well Kelly, Amy, and I are all here and safe!
After a long journey of interesting airports, tunnels that look like aquariums, Kelly getting sick on the plane, Amy handling the sickness of Kelly, airplane food, long delays in the Tokyo airport, trying to get in touch with people in Thailand with the lack of a phone and internet, getting to Bangkok where Amy lost her computer cord, hearing and seeing a beautiful thunderstorm, waiting for our luggage for longer then an hour, finally after our long adventure we got to the house.
We were welcomed by the sleepy house mom, since it was 4:00AM, and headed up to our room. We were not that sleepy, naturally, so we all decided to unload all of our stuff. We finally decided by 5:00AM, that is was time for us to get some sleep. So with our fans on we fell into a deep deep sleep. And by deep sleep we didn't wake up until 2:00 PM. We all felt a little bad as we wasted the day away. We all quickly got ready and went out to talk some of the girls in the house. After a long trip it was so great to see the reason we are here. We all have talked and all mutually know we are blessed to be here. We got to explore the streets a little and exchange our money. We then walked to Bonita's and Roy's apartment for some time to talk and a great Mexican soup. We also had Dragon fruit, Mangosteen, Mango, and Watermelon. After a fun night and great talks we had reached the lateness of night and were off again to the Bangkok streets. This time we walked alone on the streets which made us feel adventurous and a little just a little nervous, but we made it back safely. We are all blessed to be here and can't wait for what opportunities God has in store for us next.
Jess
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
goodbyes :(
I am excited to see my family but I'm not excited to be leaving all these girls behind. They have became my family for the past 30 days. They have been the ones that I look forward to talking to, or seeing that day. They have been my life for the past 30 days. We had our going away party today! We got them all out of the bar very easily, that was one of our concerns. that is such a God thing. And we had 26 girls here! 26, CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! We did dessert, gave out goodie bags, and took lots of pictures. This has been the hardest good bye EVER. Not knowing if you are going to see them again, them saying "I hope you dont forget me" or saying "I WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN". What am I suppose to say? "I dont know if Ill be back", "I WONT FORGET YOU". Are they really going to believe that I wont forget them, are they going to remember me IF I come back? Everyone left after a few tears were shead. Then a little while later 3 of the other girls came back. This time with bags. We didnt know anything about this. They brought us a shirt that has a heart and says "I AM THAI, I LOVE YOU" or something like that. They also brought us a sheer shirt that one of them hand made it. Its beautiful. Me and Kalyn got back from doing our last evening outreach and we walked in to 16 girls from the house in our room. They didnt know we were actually leaving in the morning. They wanted to sit here while we packed. We gave them all the things that we didnt want and they were all thankful. we had to once again say goodbye. goodbye, again? really this word is starting to be my least favorite one. I dont know how tomorrow is going to be, or how next week is going to be. I dont know how I'm going to react to things now. I dont know how I am going to even talk about Thailand.
this has been a life changing trip. I'm so glad I got this opportunity. I just hope that I will get to come back, and see these wonderful girls again.
thanks everyone for the support and prayers. means alot <3
Savannah
this has been a life changing trip. I'm so glad I got this opportunity. I just hope that I will get to come back, and see these wonderful girls again.
thanks everyone for the support and prayers. means alot <3
Savannah
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Helplessness
To recap, the girls are there to earn money for their parents, their siblings, their children, and even extended family. They are expected to send a certain amount home each time they are paid. So, even though they do not want to be there, they are being forced to be there. Their minds want to get customers because they need the money, but their hearts and souls do not want to get customers because it destroys them in countless ways. As I have been observing and analyzing everything while in the bars, I have realized that most of the girls begin their jobs being very conservative, very timid, and obviously not wanting to be there. After they have been there for a while (it is very easy to tell the difference), they begin to become much more aggressive, more revealing, and seemingly wanting to be in the bar. I have noticed this numerous times in various bars, and I have realized that the girls begin competing with the other girls in the bar for customers. In order to get the customer and earn money, they feel like they have to throw themselves at the men. Along with competing for customers, the girls are comparing themselves with the other girls in the bar and in other bars. They begin to take things personally; feel rejected if men choose another girl over them. They begin to feel like they are not as pretty as the other girls, not as fun as the other girls, not as skinny as the other girls, etc. As much as they do not want to have customers, they want to feel wanted and accepted. I think that this usually happens after the girls have been in the bars for a while, but either way, it is a sad reality.
Last night, as we were walking down the street to Bonita's and Roy's apartment, I saw a white man and a Thai girl, hand-in-hand going down the street. The man kept stopping at the sexual things that are for sale on the streets. The girl continuously shook her head "no" while trying to pull him away from the many things he was picking up. It was disgusting. What kind of person would do that to someone that they just met?! What kind of person would do that to anyone?! She obviously wanted no part of what he was wanting to buy in order to enhance his own pleasure. I was horrified, but I could not do or say anything about it. I am getting tired of not being able to say or do anything about anything. Helplessness sets in very quickly.
We only have four full days left in Thailand. This is unreal! Each day is filled to the brim with busyness and activities in which we will take part. The days are packed but will be exciting!!! We are planning out every minute of every day that we have left, trying not to focus on the actual leaving part of the equation. Wednesday will be a sad day for us all.
Current prayer requests:
Please pray that we can control our emotions during our last few days; it is so hard to tell the girls we have met that we are leaving and to see them immediately become saddened. Pray that God will use us to the max for the next few days. Pray for the leadership of Beginnings; they have a lot in their hands. Pray for the girls in the house, as well. One girl in particular is having trouble with her eyes, and the surgery that she needs in order for her to be able to see, read, and learn English will cost $2,000. Beginnings does not have this money available for her, so they are trying to figure out where to get the funds.
Thank you all for your prayers and support!
Kalyn
Last night, as we were walking down the street to Bonita's and Roy's apartment, I saw a white man and a Thai girl, hand-in-hand going down the street. The man kept stopping at the sexual things that are for sale on the streets. The girl continuously shook her head "no" while trying to pull him away from the many things he was picking up. It was disgusting. What kind of person would do that to someone that they just met?! What kind of person would do that to anyone?! She obviously wanted no part of what he was wanting to buy in order to enhance his own pleasure. I was horrified, but I could not do or say anything about it. I am getting tired of not being able to say or do anything about anything. Helplessness sets in very quickly.
We only have four full days left in Thailand. This is unreal! Each day is filled to the brim with busyness and activities in which we will take part. The days are packed but will be exciting!!! We are planning out every minute of every day that we have left, trying not to focus on the actual leaving part of the equation. Wednesday will be a sad day for us all.
Current prayer requests:
Please pray that we can control our emotions during our last few days; it is so hard to tell the girls we have met that we are leaving and to see them immediately become saddened. Pray that God will use us to the max for the next few days. Pray for the leadership of Beginnings; they have a lot in their hands. Pray for the girls in the house, as well. One girl in particular is having trouble with her eyes, and the surgery that she needs in order for her to be able to see, read, and learn English will cost $2,000. Beginnings does not have this money available for her, so they are trying to figure out where to get the funds.
Thank you all for your prayers and support!
Kalyn
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Opened Eyes
Good Morning,
Today we had the privilege of taking the girls at a pool bar whom we had formed strong relationships with out to lunch and get ice cream. We paid each of their bar fines and four of the girls and the three of us road the sky train to a huge mall with a Thai food court, which was very nice! The girls loved it, and just giving them a few hours off to just be out and share Christ love and friendship was a huge privilege for us! I am learning that Bangkok is so much more than a dirty looking city full of sin on display. Within it lie the heart and soul of Thailand, whom I believe are the girls working 28 days a month in a bar, selling themselves to support not only themselves, but their children, parents, brothers and sisters. They endure so much and pay such a high price so their families and siblings never have to sell themselves.
The day out with the girls was so nice, and we have formed such wonderful relationships with them. Kayln, Savannah and myself laughed as we walked down the street and literally had the bar girls shouting hello across the street, then we saw the bakery lady where we get our coffee from waving us down also, just to say hello and give us a big smile. And then a little further down, we ran into some of the girls from the house, and other girls from the bars. It felt oddly homey! And to think this was a place I originally came and wondered "why would anyone come here?" And now, the bar girls look for us, hug us (HUGE in Thai culture) and even the bakery lady and the street venders go out of their way to say hello and smile. It is such an honor and I am learning that if we open our eyes, and look beneath the surface of our surroundings and even the people we meet we will see the light God has placed!
Current prayer requests: The thought of coming home is so bitter sweet. We all miss home and our families, but these girls and this red light district has become another home. And the friendships we have formed, well what now? I know my stomach sinks when I think of leaving and maybe never returning. So please pray that God will help us, that we will rely on His strength and timing and trust that He is and will continue to water the seeds He has allowed us to plant. Also, I know the emotional exhaustion is really hitting us, as the reality of leaving these girls physically behind is beginning to set in. Will you pray that we have greater faith and trust in that God will provide and finish the work He is doing here regardless if we are physically here in Bangkok, or half way around the world back home. I would also ask for everyone to continue to pray for protection; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. And that we would remember and trust that Christ is in this city and that He is bigger and stronger than anything we see or feel!
I want to thank you all for your prayers and support! We love and miss you all and are having a hard time right now.
Blessings and love,
Trisha
Today we had the privilege of taking the girls at a pool bar whom we had formed strong relationships with out to lunch and get ice cream. We paid each of their bar fines and four of the girls and the three of us road the sky train to a huge mall with a Thai food court, which was very nice! The girls loved it, and just giving them a few hours off to just be out and share Christ love and friendship was a huge privilege for us! I am learning that Bangkok is so much more than a dirty looking city full of sin on display. Within it lie the heart and soul of Thailand, whom I believe are the girls working 28 days a month in a bar, selling themselves to support not only themselves, but their children, parents, brothers and sisters. They endure so much and pay such a high price so their families and siblings never have to sell themselves.
The day out with the girls was so nice, and we have formed such wonderful relationships with them. Kayln, Savannah and myself laughed as we walked down the street and literally had the bar girls shouting hello across the street, then we saw the bakery lady where we get our coffee from waving us down also, just to say hello and give us a big smile. And then a little further down, we ran into some of the girls from the house, and other girls from the bars. It felt oddly homey! And to think this was a place I originally came and wondered "why would anyone come here?" And now, the bar girls look for us, hug us (HUGE in Thai culture) and even the bakery lady and the street venders go out of their way to say hello and smile. It is such an honor and I am learning that if we open our eyes, and look beneath the surface of our surroundings and even the people we meet we will see the light God has placed!
Current prayer requests: The thought of coming home is so bitter sweet. We all miss home and our families, but these girls and this red light district has become another home. And the friendships we have formed, well what now? I know my stomach sinks when I think of leaving and maybe never returning. So please pray that God will help us, that we will rely on His strength and timing and trust that He is and will continue to water the seeds He has allowed us to plant. Also, I know the emotional exhaustion is really hitting us, as the reality of leaving these girls physically behind is beginning to set in. Will you pray that we have greater faith and trust in that God will provide and finish the work He is doing here regardless if we are physically here in Bangkok, or half way around the world back home. I would also ask for everyone to continue to pray for protection; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. And that we would remember and trust that Christ is in this city and that He is bigger and stronger than anything we see or feel!
I want to thank you all for your prayers and support! We love and miss you all and are having a hard time right now.
Blessings and love,
Trisha
a little adventure!
today is was the day that we were going on our first outing with the girls we have been building relationships with in the pool bars. we will have a going away party for the girls in the bars and their friends but we wanted to do something special for the ones that we have grown close too. with the help of Bonita we decided to take the girls to the Thai food our at Siam Paragon. yesterday we went to one of our usual girls and asked 4 of them if they wanted to come with us, they all were very excited and said yes. we told them the time we would come to get them, so today we went to that bar at that time to get the girls. Only one was there, I started to get nervous and think that they were not coming. But she told us that 2 of the girls were running late but that they were coming. And another girls didn't come in till later so she was not coming. 3 out of 4 is great though. Two of the girls that went with us, Kalyn had known from the first time she came a year and a half ago. One of the girls asked if her friend from another bar could come because she really wanted to. Since we only had three we agreed and went and paid her bar fine also. We were very nervous about the bar letting us take 3 girls out at the same time. That is something we prayed about big time as we were walking to the bar. And God ANSWERED OUR PRAYER. Because we walked in waiting on the girls and then paid all their bar fines. No questions asked and we left. We 7 had a wonderful time, we ate Thai food, walked around, and then got ice cream. These girls are so precious, and mean alot to us.
Thank everyone for the prayers!
Keep praying for the girls that we have built relationships with them
Pray for Beginnings, and the girls living here
Pray for us as this is our last week and we are having to start planning our goodbye party
<3 Savannah
Thank everyone for the prayers!
Keep praying for the girls that we have built relationships with them
Pray for Beginnings, and the girls living here
Pray for us as this is our last week and we are having to start planning our goodbye party
<3 Savannah
Saturday, June 18, 2011
So Many Thoughts, So Many Feelings
"By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth
We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We'll walk by faith and not by sight
By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name..."
These were some of the words that we sang in church this morning, the words that touched me the most, and the words that I felt God was speaking straight to my heart. It is so easy to look outside a window or to walk down the street in Bangkok and get very discouraged because we see poverty, we see lust, we see shame, we see dirtiness, we see brokenness, we see pain, and we see sin. We see through the eyes of our flesh. It does not look like God is doing anything in this city; it looks abandoned by Him because there is so much sin, so much evil, so much sadness and misery, so much shame, and so much of Satan's presence in this city. We forget that God works in mysterious ways, many of which we cannot see with our human eyes. The lyrics to this song reminded me that God is working, and we must have faith, knowing that this city is in His hands. Even though we may not be able to see the effects, God sees them, and He continues to work in this place.
Recently, each of us has struggled with our feelings. It is so hard to recognize feelings here, and it is so frustrating to not know how you feel; one minute, feeling like everything is going fine, but the next minute, being filled to the brim with sadness, helplessness, and anger. We are on an emotional roller coaster that never halts to a sudden stop; will we feel like this forever? Everything going on in this city is so painful to think about, that you almost want to be able to cut it out of your thoughts, out of your memory, but at the same time you never want to stop worrying, never want life to go back to "normal," and never want to allow thoughts about anything except what is happening here. How can we continue to live in luxury while these girls are struggling through each day, wishing that they did not have to go to work that day, not because they are lazy but because their work is damaging physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Think about it...how insignificant are the things that consume our lives? Cleaning the house. Watching a football game. Voting for our favorite contestant on American Idol. Complaining about EVERYTHING. Trying to reach the top of the ladder at our job. Being the best at whatever we do, just to give ourselves glory. Getting the newest electronic device, just because we can. Searching the world for our "one true love." Finding out the latest gossip by stalking people on Facebook. Putting in extra hours at work instead of being with our families. What does any of this get us? Where will a life like this lead us? Why are we not focusing on what God wants for our lives and on what we can do to better His kingdom? Isn't our purpose to bring glory to Him through our every thought and action? Sure, I am guilty of some of these insignificant things right now, and yes, some of them bring joy to our lives, but I feel like we are all missing the bigger picture. As Americans, we plan out every minute of every day to be consumed by something that probably will not matter in the end. All I am saying is that we should spend less time with what needs to be done next and more time serving God.
So many thoughts and so many feelings are battling for our attention; there is always too much for us to process. Please pray that we will give our thoughts and feelings to God to help us handle them and to prevent them from intruding on our mission here. Pray that we will continue to build relationships with these girls and that they will be susceptible to what we have to say about Beginnings and about Christ. Please pray for the girls in the house, that they will be able to work through their struggles and that they will become closer to God and allow Him to swallow them in true love. Pray for the leadership of Beginnings, that they will be united in decisions and that they will be uplifted by God daily.
Thank you all for your support and prayers; they mean so much to us.
Love to all,
Kalyn
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth
We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We'll walk by faith and not by sight
By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name..."
These were some of the words that we sang in church this morning, the words that touched me the most, and the words that I felt God was speaking straight to my heart. It is so easy to look outside a window or to walk down the street in Bangkok and get very discouraged because we see poverty, we see lust, we see shame, we see dirtiness, we see brokenness, we see pain, and we see sin. We see through the eyes of our flesh. It does not look like God is doing anything in this city; it looks abandoned by Him because there is so much sin, so much evil, so much sadness and misery, so much shame, and so much of Satan's presence in this city. We forget that God works in mysterious ways, many of which we cannot see with our human eyes. The lyrics to this song reminded me that God is working, and we must have faith, knowing that this city is in His hands. Even though we may not be able to see the effects, God sees them, and He continues to work in this place.
Recently, each of us has struggled with our feelings. It is so hard to recognize feelings here, and it is so frustrating to not know how you feel; one minute, feeling like everything is going fine, but the next minute, being filled to the brim with sadness, helplessness, and anger. We are on an emotional roller coaster that never halts to a sudden stop; will we feel like this forever? Everything going on in this city is so painful to think about, that you almost want to be able to cut it out of your thoughts, out of your memory, but at the same time you never want to stop worrying, never want life to go back to "normal," and never want to allow thoughts about anything except what is happening here. How can we continue to live in luxury while these girls are struggling through each day, wishing that they did not have to go to work that day, not because they are lazy but because their work is damaging physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Think about it...how insignificant are the things that consume our lives? Cleaning the house. Watching a football game. Voting for our favorite contestant on American Idol. Complaining about EVERYTHING. Trying to reach the top of the ladder at our job. Being the best at whatever we do, just to give ourselves glory. Getting the newest electronic device, just because we can. Searching the world for our "one true love." Finding out the latest gossip by stalking people on Facebook. Putting in extra hours at work instead of being with our families. What does any of this get us? Where will a life like this lead us? Why are we not focusing on what God wants for our lives and on what we can do to better His kingdom? Isn't our purpose to bring glory to Him through our every thought and action? Sure, I am guilty of some of these insignificant things right now, and yes, some of them bring joy to our lives, but I feel like we are all missing the bigger picture. As Americans, we plan out every minute of every day to be consumed by something that probably will not matter in the end. All I am saying is that we should spend less time with what needs to be done next and more time serving God.
So many thoughts and so many feelings are battling for our attention; there is always too much for us to process. Please pray that we will give our thoughts and feelings to God to help us handle them and to prevent them from intruding on our mission here. Pray that we will continue to build relationships with these girls and that they will be susceptible to what we have to say about Beginnings and about Christ. Please pray for the girls in the house, that they will be able to work through their struggles and that they will become closer to God and allow Him to swallow them in true love. Pray for the leadership of Beginnings, that they will be united in decisions and that they will be uplifted by God daily.
Thank you all for your support and prayers; they mean so much to us.
Love to all,
Kalyn
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Teaching and Reaching
Hello all,
So, today was a jam packed day! We began the day working with a group from California who have been practicing teaching English for several weeks, just for the purpose of coming to Thailand and helping the girls in the house! I have the privilege of working with a lovely lady who is extremely funny and they nick-named her the "trouble maker," which I have also been nick-named since I was a child.
Today we taught the girls how to use "Is, are, am, she, you, I." We also taught them the difference in placing a period at the end of a sentence verses a question mark. Then we would give them either a question or a sentence and they had to tell us whether the sentence was a question or just a sentence with a period. I LOVE these girls!!!! When I began teaching them just a few days ago, I actually taught a 31 year old woman to read her first word. The word was remember, and when she read it, she stopped, looked wide eyed and said that that was the first word she had ever read! And now she is reading sentences and speaking sentences in less than one week!
I am learning that these girls have as much to teach me as I do them. It is awesome because I get to tell them I am learning with them!
Today we also went to afternoon outreach. We got to play pool and establish better relationships with the girls at the pool bars! One of them now, will hug me and give me high fives!
Then we ended the evening by having the group from California do a Bible study. They read from Numbers 6: 24-26. The passage states: "The LORD will bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
It was a great message and was a much needed reminder. I learned one thing new. Keep means: 1) To provide for 2) To protect 3) To watch over. The part of the message that really hit me was when one of the ladies said this "keeping us" means that God holds on to us. Because to keep someone you have to know them, so yes, we hold on to Him, but when we struggle, He holds onto us!!!!!!
Current prayer requests: We all seem to be feeling exhausted for one reason or another. I personally attribute it to our bodies way of working out what we see and feel. So, for us (Kalyn, Savannah, and I) is for us to really lean on one another and seek the LORD intentionally! Also, pray that we continue to trust that the LORD has a plan for these girls who are seemingly trapped in this sex-trafficking industry and also trust that He is working and watering the seeds He is having us plant. Additionally, for protection, and just for us to hear Him more than the outside world which is visibly full or hurt, pain, sin, and poverty.
We are really missing everyone and love you all! And thank you so much for the prayers! I would love to hear what is goin on back home as well as any prayer requests.
Blessings,
Trisha
So, today was a jam packed day! We began the day working with a group from California who have been practicing teaching English for several weeks, just for the purpose of coming to Thailand and helping the girls in the house! I have the privilege of working with a lovely lady who is extremely funny and they nick-named her the "trouble maker," which I have also been nick-named since I was a child.
Today we taught the girls how to use "Is, are, am, she, you, I." We also taught them the difference in placing a period at the end of a sentence verses a question mark. Then we would give them either a question or a sentence and they had to tell us whether the sentence was a question or just a sentence with a period. I LOVE these girls!!!! When I began teaching them just a few days ago, I actually taught a 31 year old woman to read her first word. The word was remember, and when she read it, she stopped, looked wide eyed and said that that was the first word she had ever read! And now she is reading sentences and speaking sentences in less than one week!
I am learning that these girls have as much to teach me as I do them. It is awesome because I get to tell them I am learning with them!
Today we also went to afternoon outreach. We got to play pool and establish better relationships with the girls at the pool bars! One of them now, will hug me and give me high fives!
Then we ended the evening by having the group from California do a Bible study. They read from Numbers 6: 24-26. The passage states: "The LORD will bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
It was a great message and was a much needed reminder. I learned one thing new. Keep means: 1) To provide for 2) To protect 3) To watch over. The part of the message that really hit me was when one of the ladies said this "keeping us" means that God holds on to us. Because to keep someone you have to know them, so yes, we hold on to Him, but when we struggle, He holds onto us!!!!!!
Current prayer requests: We all seem to be feeling exhausted for one reason or another. I personally attribute it to our bodies way of working out what we see and feel. So, for us (Kalyn, Savannah, and I) is for us to really lean on one another and seek the LORD intentionally! Also, pray that we continue to trust that the LORD has a plan for these girls who are seemingly trapped in this sex-trafficking industry and also trust that He is working and watering the seeds He is having us plant. Additionally, for protection, and just for us to hear Him more than the outside world which is visibly full or hurt, pain, sin, and poverty.
We are really missing everyone and love you all! And thank you so much for the prayers! I would love to hear what is goin on back home as well as any prayer requests.
Blessings,
Trisha
Monday, June 13, 2011
This morning we taught English for the last time for 2 weeks. A team from California (Roy & Bonita's home church) sent a team of 4 women. They will be teaching English and doing some Evening Outreach. We went to afternoon outreach. We went to H2 because we had not been there the last few days. We saw the girl Kalyn met the first time she was here, but she was with a customer. Kalyn and Trisha then played pool and you could tell that she was embarrassed for us to see her talking to a customer. She did not want to look at us, and put her back to us. We knew her birthday was sometime this week but today she told us it was tomorrow. So Kalyn is going to buy her a piece of cake from the bakery. We left there and went to H1. We talked to our 2 friends at H1 for a while. But then a girl we had spoken to before a little bit came over to me and asked how I was. I told her I was good, but tired and then asked her the same. She got BIG tears in her eyes and said NOT GOOD. I asked her if she was okay, and she said im not. I felt so bad, I asked her if she wanted to talk and she said No. Thai's bottle up their emotions alot. I knew there was nothing I could do because she didnt know much English already. But seeing those big tears in her eyes KILLED me. I felt so bad for her. Our older friend at the same bar told us a few days ago that she was always happy, and we asked her if she could be sad. She said you can be sad for a second but then happy again. Meaning you should not stay sad for long. Thats sad because by doing that she is bottling up her feelings which alot of Thai's especially the bar girls do. After she walked away, I was watching a VERY beautiful girl play pool with a customer. When she came to our side of the table I look down and her legs had cuts and bruises on them. I showed Kalyn and she said that she bet that she had been beat. You never know what these girls stories are. But to them EVERYTHING IS OKAY. But they need to know the difference, someone bumping you on the street is ok, but not being raped, or beaten.
These girls dont feel like they have a purpose, or have a future. Many want to get out of the bars but just cant. Some like being in the bars because they feel wanted by the men. But these girls are worth so much. The girls we have already made friends with already mean so much to me.
These men need as much prayer as the girls do.
Pray for the girls in the house, pray for their safety and well being.
Pray for our emotionally state, as we are getting very emotionally tired.
Pray for our friends in the bar, that they understand what they mean to us.
Pray for us as we are doing outreach everyday, pray for our safety.
love and thanks,
Savannah
These girls dont feel like they have a purpose, or have a future. Many want to get out of the bars but just cant. Some like being in the bars because they feel wanted by the men. But these girls are worth so much. The girls we have already made friends with already mean so much to me.
These men need as much prayer as the girls do.
Pray for the girls in the house, pray for their safety and well being.
Pray for our emotionally state, as we are getting very emotionally tired.
Pray for our friends in the bar, that they understand what they mean to us.
Pray for us as we are doing outreach everyday, pray for our safety.
love and thanks,
Savannah
Friday, June 10, 2011
Hey everyone!
We are starting each day off with teaching English to the girls at Beginnings. The girls are broken into groups based on their skill levels, and we have worked with the same girls for three days now. On Monday, however, a group of ladies from Roy and Bonita's home church in California is coming to teach English. We are going to observe them, take notes, and form a manual of some sort for future interns who teach English at Beginnings.
We have been doing afternoon outreach and are involved in three different bars. We have a couple of girls in each bar that we are forming relationships with, but we are hoping to expand that circle of friends throughout the next few days so that we have more opportunities to share God's love. I was so excited to find one of the girls that I met last year, and I was so surprised that she remembered me! (I was not expecting her to.) Unfortunately, she was not at the bar yesterday during the time that she is supposed to work, so she was most likely with a customer. I was really hoping that this was not the case, but when she told me that she was at home sleeping, I knew it was true. I know that she cannot leave work to go home just to rest. Of course it is hard to see any of these girls be with a man who has purchased her as if she were a piece of meat, but it is so much harder to see a girl that you are friends with be with a man that does not truly love her. We have to be prepared to see girls that we are close friends with be with a man while we are there; it is inevitable.
Tomorrow, a team of 35 people is coming to visit Beginnings for a couple of hours. This is a great opportunity for Beginnings, so pray that it goes well!
Tomorrow night, Savannah and I will head into the go-go bars with Bonita and one of the girls from Beginnings. It will be Savannah's first time into these bars, and it will be my first in over a year. This is a completely different world than the types of things we see every day, so pray that we will feel God's presence and that He will keep us strong.
Thank you all for your prayers and support; it means so much to us!
Love to all!
Kalyn
We are starting each day off with teaching English to the girls at Beginnings. The girls are broken into groups based on their skill levels, and we have worked with the same girls for three days now. On Monday, however, a group of ladies from Roy and Bonita's home church in California is coming to teach English. We are going to observe them, take notes, and form a manual of some sort for future interns who teach English at Beginnings.
We have been doing afternoon outreach and are involved in three different bars. We have a couple of girls in each bar that we are forming relationships with, but we are hoping to expand that circle of friends throughout the next few days so that we have more opportunities to share God's love. I was so excited to find one of the girls that I met last year, and I was so surprised that she remembered me! (I was not expecting her to.) Unfortunately, she was not at the bar yesterday during the time that she is supposed to work, so she was most likely with a customer. I was really hoping that this was not the case, but when she told me that she was at home sleeping, I knew it was true. I know that she cannot leave work to go home just to rest. Of course it is hard to see any of these girls be with a man who has purchased her as if she were a piece of meat, but it is so much harder to see a girl that you are friends with be with a man that does not truly love her. We have to be prepared to see girls that we are close friends with be with a man while we are there; it is inevitable.
Tomorrow, a team of 35 people is coming to visit Beginnings for a couple of hours. This is a great opportunity for Beginnings, so pray that it goes well!
Tomorrow night, Savannah and I will head into the go-go bars with Bonita and one of the girls from Beginnings. It will be Savannah's first time into these bars, and it will be my first in over a year. This is a completely different world than the types of things we see every day, so pray that we will feel God's presence and that He will keep us strong.
Thank you all for your prayers and support; it means so much to us!
Love to all!
Kalyn
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
An amazing God moving day! He is at work!
Hello everyone!
Well, tonight, I went with a girl in the house to Nana Plaza to a GoGo bar. There we had a Jesus filled night as I got to speak with a lot of Issan girls...it was one of those nights everyone needed and was getting talked too! We spoke with 5 girls and out of the 5, 1 is planning on coming to beginnings tomorrow night, and another is "thinking about it." And one 22 year old who spoke English very well said she couldn't come out of the bars because she has to support her brother through school and her sisters (not uncommon in Bangkok's girls). Anyways, God totally led our conversation and I ended up sharing the Gospel with her and she is planning on coming to church THIS Sunday!!!!!!! How amazing! In the midst of seeing so many girls being numb, God allowed us to keep talking and HE only worked this out.
Savannah and Kalyn went with another girl in the Beginnings house to a pool bar. They actually got drinks for free because they loved the girl at Beginnings so much!
My night was mind blowing! God is TRULY hearing your prayers, my prayers, and is being actually attentive to them.
Prayer requests are the the 2 girls actually come to Beginnings, and deciding to get out of the Industry would be the best! Also, that my new friend would show up at church this weekend! Our bodies are so tired, and I am pretty sure we can all tell its mental stress. However, we are all grateful to lives the lives we do...Serve the LORD, and be attended for His voice!
I will send more later! I sincerely cannot thank each and everyone of you who have been praying for us! I am praying for the El Savador team also!.
I do miss home!!!!! But clearly meant to be there!
Love,
Trisha
P.S. if you know any uplifting Bible verses, please send us the verse! I appreciate all my family, church and best friends who have help this com true!
Well, tonight, I went with a girl in the house to Nana Plaza to a GoGo bar. There we had a Jesus filled night as I got to speak with a lot of Issan girls...it was one of those nights everyone needed and was getting talked too! We spoke with 5 girls and out of the 5, 1 is planning on coming to beginnings tomorrow night, and another is "thinking about it." And one 22 year old who spoke English very well said she couldn't come out of the bars because she has to support her brother through school and her sisters (not uncommon in Bangkok's girls). Anyways, God totally led our conversation and I ended up sharing the Gospel with her and she is planning on coming to church THIS Sunday!!!!!!! How amazing! In the midst of seeing so many girls being numb, God allowed us to keep talking and HE only worked this out.
Savannah and Kalyn went with another girl in the Beginnings house to a pool bar. They actually got drinks for free because they loved the girl at Beginnings so much!
My night was mind blowing! God is TRULY hearing your prayers, my prayers, and is being actually attentive to them.
Prayer requests are the the 2 girls actually come to Beginnings, and deciding to get out of the Industry would be the best! Also, that my new friend would show up at church this weekend! Our bodies are so tired, and I am pretty sure we can all tell its mental stress. However, we are all grateful to lives the lives we do...Serve the LORD, and be attended for His voice!
I will send more later! I sincerely cannot thank each and everyone of you who have been praying for us! I am praying for the El Savador team also!.
I do miss home!!!!! But clearly meant to be there!
Love,
Trisha
P.S. if you know any uplifting Bible verses, please send us the verse! I appreciate all my family, church and best friends who have help this com true!
Monday, June 6, 2011
For all you guys who arent sure who the June 2011 Thailand team is here's our picture! 
Savannah, Kalyn, and Trisha
Today we were suppose to start outreach but were unable to because the girls were busy. We got a extra few hours of training with Bonita, who gave us so much good background information. We learn alot about the culture, and about Thai men. Many were things we have not heard before. Bonita gave us one fact that really stood out to me. She said "70% of the men who come into the Bangkok airport will use the bars at some point of their stay."
We are very excited to start outreach tomorrow, we will also start teaching English, Wednesday to the high school girls.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support! We can feel the prayers and it means alot to us! We are sleeping better and adjusting to the heat.
Current Prayer Requests:
Pray that tomorrow we will be rested and ready to build relationships. Pray that we are accepted into the bars by the girls also by the mamsans and bar owners. Pray for the girls again that they will be able to understand our English, and also be able to talk to us.
Also today we learn alot about some of the girls in the house, Bonita asked us to pray for one of the girls as she is having a hard time with her 14 yr. old son, they are not sure if she is going to stay at the house. She is about to graduate and they want her to stay so she will be able to continue and graduate University.
love you guys,
Savannah :)
Savannah, Kalyn, and Trisha
Today we were suppose to start outreach but were unable to because the girls were busy. We got a extra few hours of training with Bonita, who gave us so much good background information. We learn alot about the culture, and about Thai men. Many were things we have not heard before. Bonita gave us one fact that really stood out to me. She said "70% of the men who come into the Bangkok airport will use the bars at some point of their stay."
We are very excited to start outreach tomorrow, we will also start teaching English, Wednesday to the high school girls.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support! We can feel the prayers and it means alot to us! We are sleeping better and adjusting to the heat.
Current Prayer Requests:
Pray that tomorrow we will be rested and ready to build relationships. Pray that we are accepted into the bars by the girls also by the mamsans and bar owners. Pray for the girls again that they will be able to understand our English, and also be able to talk to us.
Also today we learn alot about some of the girls in the house, Bonita asked us to pray for one of the girls as she is having a hard time with her 14 yr. old son, they are not sure if she is going to stay at the house. She is about to graduate and they want her to stay so she will be able to continue and graduate University.
love you guys,
Savannah :)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Processing and making friends
Hello everyone,
I wanted to share with everyone what I feel the LORD gave me personally this morning. To give you all background as to how I was feeling, I was feeling exhausted, frustrated and just upset. What I have been seeing is hard and there aren't words to express how sad, broken, and poverty stricken this country is.
So, I couldn't sleep and got up at 5 am and decided to go down stairs and try and get out international cell phone working. Long story short, we need to purchase another card. After that, I was still feeling a whirlwind of emotions and somewhat discouraged because this city needs so much help. So, I opened my devotional, the title was Resolution and the verse was Luke 9:51 which says "as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."
Then the devotional said:
My child, how I long to reach into your hear and take those heaped-up fears and throw them into one huge bonfire. Some days, its all you can do to pull back the covers and wash your face. The dread of another day drains your energies before you ever begin. But I have work for you to do--and blessings yet unclaimed. Just as I accepted My destiny with resolution and joy, you can, too. Se your face toward the Son and see those fears vanish.
For me, as I stated above, yesterday was just a really rough day and I was so exhausted I just fell into bed to go to sleep. But, I awoke and every word applied to how I feel. As many of you know I have some anxiety issues so that was very helpful also.
Instead of wondering why do people come here, I need to focus on why I came here and hold on to the certainty that God has a much bigger and better plan than I can even imagine.
Kalyn briefly updated today, but I just wanted to share this with the church, friends, and family! I am sooooooooo blessed to have you all in my life, and I realize I have taken that for granted.
I hope everyone else is doing well. God Bless the El Salvador team as they leave today! You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Prayer requests are for us to be confident knowing God has a purpose for us here and seeing the small advances instead of waiting for large ones. And also for the Holy Spirit to give us the peace and direction that is Christ led, not human sought. Health and sleep schedules are a struggle also.
Love to you all,
Trisha
I wanted to share with everyone what I feel the LORD gave me personally this morning. To give you all background as to how I was feeling, I was feeling exhausted, frustrated and just upset. What I have been seeing is hard and there aren't words to express how sad, broken, and poverty stricken this country is.
So, I couldn't sleep and got up at 5 am and decided to go down stairs and try and get out international cell phone working. Long story short, we need to purchase another card. After that, I was still feeling a whirlwind of emotions and somewhat discouraged because this city needs so much help. So, I opened my devotional, the title was Resolution and the verse was Luke 9:51 which says "as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."
Then the devotional said:
My child, how I long to reach into your hear and take those heaped-up fears and throw them into one huge bonfire. Some days, its all you can do to pull back the covers and wash your face. The dread of another day drains your energies before you ever begin. But I have work for you to do--and blessings yet unclaimed. Just as I accepted My destiny with resolution and joy, you can, too. Se your face toward the Son and see those fears vanish.
For me, as I stated above, yesterday was just a really rough day and I was so exhausted I just fell into bed to go to sleep. But, I awoke and every word applied to how I feel. As many of you know I have some anxiety issues so that was very helpful also.
Instead of wondering why do people come here, I need to focus on why I came here and hold on to the certainty that God has a much bigger and better plan than I can even imagine.
Kalyn briefly updated today, but I just wanted to share this with the church, friends, and family! I am sooooooooo blessed to have you all in my life, and I realize I have taken that for granted.
I hope everyone else is doing well. God Bless the El Salvador team as they leave today! You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Prayer requests are for us to be confident knowing God has a purpose for us here and seeing the small advances instead of waiting for large ones. And also for the Holy Spirit to give us the peace and direction that is Christ led, not human sought. Health and sleep schedules are a struggle also.
Love to you all,
Trisha
We have spent the last couple of days trying to get our bodies adjusted to this time zone; it is a difficult task. We have also had the opportunity to become acquainted with the city and our immediate surroundings. Needless to say, it is incomparable to the United States.
Even though we have yet to begin outreach (that will begin on Monday), we are already heartbroken for these girls. Although I have already been here and experienced outreach, I can never get used to the reality here, and I do not think that anyone else could either. No matter how many books you read or statistics you know, you can not imagine the emotions that run through you when you see these men and these girls that have obviously numbed themselves to the pain they feel each day.
Please continue to pray for us; we can literally feel your support.
-Kalyn
Even though we have yet to begin outreach (that will begin on Monday), we are already heartbroken for these girls. Although I have already been here and experienced outreach, I can never get used to the reality here, and I do not think that anyone else could either. No matter how many books you read or statistics you know, you can not imagine the emotions that run through you when you see these men and these girls that have obviously numbed themselves to the pain they feel each day.
Please continue to pray for us; we can literally feel your support.
-Kalyn
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Trisha, Kalyn and Savannah in Thailand safe!
Hello all!
I just want to let everyone know that we have arrived safely in Thailand. We are all 3 currently sitting on our beds, listening to the rain POUR and blogging!
The flights were long, but Jesus has kept us safe. It is nearly 4:30am here, but we seem to all be wide awake.
Not sure what the morning holds, but all is well and I'll give you all more information in the am!
Please pray that we get some rest. I know we are all aching, but very glad to have arrived safe and sound.
Further prayer requests is just preparation for the next steps on our journey here. We are just beginning!
Love to you all!
Trisha
I just want to let everyone know that we have arrived safely in Thailand. We are all 3 currently sitting on our beds, listening to the rain POUR and blogging!
The flights were long, but Jesus has kept us safe. It is nearly 4:30am here, but we seem to all be wide awake.
Not sure what the morning holds, but all is well and I'll give you all more information in the am!
Please pray that we get some rest. I know we are all aching, but very glad to have arrived safe and sound.
Further prayer requests is just preparation for the next steps on our journey here. We are just beginning!
Love to you all!
Trisha
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