Day 4: Bangkok… and it get’s heavier!

Woke up early to attempt to publish some posts to keep updated. The first couple days were pretty much adjusting, observing and rest days for the team to catch up to the culture and overcome jet lag. Although I have been sleeping through the night, the first few nights, I found myself nodding off like at 7pm. It’s amazing how in adjusting to the humidity, the tiredness, the constant to and from in taxis/transportation or walking and the heaviness of the spiritual climate, you accomplish a few things for the day and realize how spent you feel. One thing I love about Thailand, is it is much slower paced than in than States, and yet I don’t feel guilty because it’s so much the culture here. They walk slow, talk slow and their patience level is far beyond what I thought I could embrace. But learning to enjoy and BE!

So to get on with the day (again another long post!)

We met up as a team at 10am to meet up again with Janie and head to another side of Bangkok near the Grand Palace to meet up with some missionaries (I’m leaving out names for privacy purposes) working in the slums and with the large population of male and older women prostitutes. We spent some time getting to hear their hearts and work at their small residence cramming in 9 of us, and while listening putting together hand made invitations in Thai to invite people on the streets to a block party we are putting on tomorrow in the central square. There will be free food, games, skits, music, prayer and ministry!

 CLICK ON PICS to see bigger!

 

After chatting and craft-making we took the invitations and split up into 3 groups, partnering with one of the missionaries and walked a part of the city to love on people and invite them. Natasha and I, and another man who has been loving on people in Bangkok for almost 30 years now, trekked along the water canal that splits between the city. I took a few pics to show what you see alongside this canal. So many street sleepers and homeless people. We met several people, and me not knowing much Thai just felt God move me so deeply to laughter and joy with them, even though there circumstances are so seemingly hopeless. After about an hour, returned to meet back up with the team to check out the center square and anoint/pray over the grounds. Felt the Lord really unleash songs and began to just walk around singing. “This little Light of mine”. It’s really fun to watch the Thai people perk up as they hear singing and see their eyes and face light up.

(I met this man below that we might see also during the block party who was deaf, but the happiest deaf man I have EVER met. He knows a little sign language so I was able to sign him and ask him if he knew Jesus, and the fatest smile overtook his face as he understood and shook his head yes and signed "I love Jesus!"  I couldn't contain the tears after walking away.)

God has really given our team and the missionaries’ huge favor, not only with location and the surrounding area, but they have a key person leading the party who is called the Godfather of the neighborhood! God really hooked us up! We were expecting about 250 to show up, until we heard at the end of our time that one of the local guys had made his own invitations and invited another 200. So we will see… be praying for us! We really sense this is an opportunity to bless these missionaries and see His Spirit poured out.

After we headed towards another side of town, ate lunch, debriefed, prayed for one of the missionaries for some pain he had in his head the past few days (which we saw about a 50% decrease of pain) and to just encourage him.  Then returned back to the hostel for a bit of rest before our late night outreach to the red light district with Night Light.

A few hours later, met up at Night Light for some preparation of going into the bar/prostitution scene, worshipped together, encouraged/prayed over some of the staff and then went to eat dinner together at a place around the corner of where we were going to be outreaching.

This next part I write and share might be a bit intense, although many know what we were going directly into to impact, however, some of the stuff I don’t even feel I can describe fully. We were well prepped and described the scene we were walking into, and can say God protected us incredibly and could really sense clear focus and vision in the midst of such evident darkness.

I am going to attempt to describe. Here is a little snapshot of the bars and pre-going.

We split into 3 teams (only girls go on the outreach), and worked with one or two of the staff. Kim, Janie, Carrie, and another one of the Night Light staff girls joined together and each of the groups picked a bar to sit and go love on the girls in the midst of them working. We were told not to pull the girls off when dancing, but that if they were not entertaining if we felt led, to offer to buy them a coke or water and sit with them and talk to them. Us girls started by walking around the whole upstairs balcony, where curtain after curtain would take you into another bar. The music was loud, the smell of booze was thick, middle-aged mostly white men were everywhere, and the girls and (lady guys) were dressed in practically nothing and very quick to lure in any potential clients. There were make-up booths setup in random corners where the girls would start getting all done up to start their nights, and some bar mamas hung on the outskirts to make money and sell the girls. We encountered a few Janie had befriended and got to laugh and love them, but chose a not so male prevalent bar to sit and observe.

I’ll be honest, sitting at Night Light talking about the details of the scene, my stomach was in knots and although I knew God was going before us and that we didn’t need to fear the darkness, this pit of nerves tried to rise in me. Getting there and sitting in the midst, it was very in our faces, but being so filled with His love and such a desire to see these girls free of this bondage, it went from a very unknown situation to just watching the Holy Spirit work. Got to talk to a few girls, particularly one that Janie got to speak Thai with and see her open heart. Most the girls have babies, anywhere from 2 kids to 4 kids, and the range of these women’s ages is anywhere from “technically 18”  to one woman I poked fun with who was 43. The girls showed us her pictures of her kids, and Janie got to really see if getting her out was a desire of hers.

We then all gathered back around 10pm (which Night Light really tries to get teams in and out before then, before it gets overly explicit and too difficult to stay) and then returned back to Yonnie’s room to brief. It was amazing hearing all the stories and what the other girls encountered. It was all so much for us to take in, yet many of knew and just had this confidence that God is working there and we got to be a part of bringing His Presence in to these girls workplaces and place where many men from all over the world literally believe they are doing these girls a favor and “empowering them” as one foreigner told one of our girls tonight. We see many of them even during the day with their “Thai girls” they hire. Some hire just for the night, others keep them around to be with them all day long, and it’s hard to walk down the street and see a white man and Thai girl holding hands, knowing she was illegally bought to be his sex object and fantasy girl. 

In sharing all this I end (on a very long note) one thing we are really desiring to learn and walk in unity as a team and with other ministries is having the eyes to see, and yet the heart of Christ. Although there is a righteous anger that comes against the work of the devil in the city, in these foreigners, in the girls, in the bar owners…we fight not against flesh and blood, but principalities, so we are NOT to be judgmental towards these men although it is difficult to watch and not be stirred. We are not to condemn or judge the girls for their choice to stay. So I encourage in reading this…as our team is experiencing the pain and heartbreak towards the lives that are ruined, both girls and the men we see constantly in the open, PLEASE be praying for this city and for us as we are here for a few more days!