Day 7: Pattaya Bound

Last morning at Suk 11. Gathered together around 11am to send off the boys up North and hop into some vans and head to Pattaya.

Here's a picture of Yonnie and I faithfully attached to our computers to update... we both love media and our macs! Just thought I'd share.

Took us about 2 hours to get there, and arrived at our hotel/apartments to meet up with Jess. After getting our rooms and settling in, we crossed the crazy highway together to the mall across the street to grab some lunch and meet some of Jess’ coworkers in the House of Prayer.

Headed back to the hotel to meet up. We gathered all in Yonnie’s room and was able to give Jess her her guitar I was able to bring over with me that Five Cities Vineyard helped buy her! It was exciting seeing her face in that I didn’t tell her I was able to bring one. Huge thanks to Jim and Jose for being so flexible in helping me get it at the last minute. It seriously blessed her! We then went into a time of worship, where she got to play it for the fist time and pray together.

Pattaya is a whole different playing field than Bangkok. Most the team felt the shift once we entered the city. A bit about Pattaya, but basically the city is only known for it’s prostitution, unlike Bangkok that constantly draws people for many other reasons as well. Although some breakthrough has occurred in Pattaya, and some bars and streets have been turned over from bars to restaurants, the spiritual climate here is so thick, yet difficult to put into words. We are still trying to figure this out as a team, and Jess has been a huge asset to helping us understand somethings to be aware of that she sees a lot of attack in.

After prayer and worship we had a half hour to just unpack or chill out and then meet back up as a team to head towards Walking Street and then head over to Soi 6 where the House of Prayer is located. We walked the streets around 5ish, which was still slower since the night life doesn’t really start till later, but grabbed some street food and then walked along the beach street walk observing all the girls selling themselves on the beaches and in the streets. We walked several blocks for about 45 minutes. It was pretty overwhelming and with the team being tired, we were desperate for time to just rest in His Presence.

Here are just a few pics of us down Walking Street. It was too hard taking pics of the beach walk because we were just absorbing SOOO much. But also here is a clip Yonnie interviewed Natasha.

We finally arrived at the House of Prayer that is located on the top story of a corner building right smack in the middle of Soi 6 which is one of the darkest streets in Pattaya.We compacted all 14 of us in and shared a bit of what we were feeling. I expressed that I felt a lot of apathy and carelessness opposed to what I had felt in Bangkok. It was like my joy was robbed by the hopelessness. In Bangkok it seemed people were much more playful and would just smile and approach you, but in Pattaya, everyone seemed distant and non-relational. It froze me to even know how to pray or approach people. It was like I felt unrelateable too. After a few hours of praying and worshipping, began to feel God move my heart again as I cried our and just spend time resting in His words and feeling His heart touch mine. He even used little baby Zoe who mind you is only 14 mos. came over to put her hands on my head and pray for me… I went from crying to just laughing with this overwhelming joy. The Father was touching me through a baby! He began to remind me of the joy He carries and that He has called us here and said it was going to be fun, and not burdensome.

We then went out to the balcony overlooking the girls and lady boys in the streets and began to pray over them and invite the Holy Spirit to bless them and pour out His love could begin to feel more a shift in heart and realize that the hardship was just the initial reaction to the heavy oppression, but that it’s not too heavy for Him to handle. The word one of the missionaries in Bangkok said to us was: “This isn’t new to God. He sees it everyday.” We were reminded of this. The oppression is never too much for Him and whether or not we are with it or having a hard time, He still is present and overcomes.

We then walked back to our apartment to hit the hay pretty late. Carrie and I spent some time laying in bed praying over our room, the team and our sleep. I woke up once in a urgency to pray for the team and for unity amongst us in the middle of the night. It was one of the rougher nights being here in Thailand, but still nothing compared to what some of the other people the team battled with this last week in sleep. So please be praying over our rest! We need it to continue to press in.