By Jennifer
Last year I attended this particular Adventures in Missions trip to Thailand and was truly
impacted! Feel free to read about my experience from 2013 posted in a earlier blog.
I must also give you all an update on “Beauty”, or in my 2013 blog I called her “Pretty.”
Well, not only did she stop working in the bar, she began to work at Rahab Ministries for
a few months! Today, she is working in another village as a car saleswoman!! Hearing
stories like this truly speak to the power of prayer and building relationships, which this
Thailand trip encourages its participants to do. We must also remember, that some will
plant, some will water, but its always God who receives the increase and all of the glory!
One of the things I love most about this particular trip to Thailand with Adventures in
Missions is the focus on spiritual awareness, discernment, and prayer. Prayer is how we
as Christians communicate with our Father and how we hear Him communicate with
us. Although this is an open line of communication, it’s often taken for granted and not
utilized amidst the hustle and bustle of life in the states. Here there is no room to take
this for granted because everything we do must be done prayerfully as the Holy Spirit
leads us. Things happen when we pray! This trip really stretches your ability to believe
that because from the surface, you wonder if change is really taking place.
From having attended this trip back in 2013, one of the things we consistently prayed
for is for the hearts of the business owners will be for Christ. We pray that one day the
entire strip of bars would be replaced with integral businesses with owners that love
God, and contribute back to their communities. This year my visit to Patpong Red Light
District looks “same same,” but different. The signage on the bars is usually lit up and
you can’t miss their lustful and derogatory names as you walk down the street. This year,
there aren’t many signs lit, and there aren’t many tourists walking the streets. Many
of the bars have been shut down due to the current political unrest in Thailand, and
an enforced curfew. Seeing this occur is a bittersweet feeling. We are happy that there
aren’t as many people partaking in what goes on in the bars. However, when we build
relationships with women who work in the bars and vendors we learn for many of them
this is their only source of income; this is their livelihood. Many are in fear of how they
will now take care of their families. In the midst of this uncertainty, we as believers truly
must trust God and this process. We can only pray that this is a process that God has
allowed so they can be more open to hear and receive a message of Hope. This message
is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. I pray that in their desperation to take care of their
families that their hearts are softened as the AIM Thailand Team endeavor to share
God’s love.
I believe that this is a great turning point in the ministry that has taken place over the
years in Thailand. Do you dare to believe with me? Do you dare to believe that God is
working in the midst of political unrest, and uncertainty amongst the Thai people?
John 14:12 -14, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do,
he will do also; And Greater Works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13
Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the
Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
Photo by Connie Rock
