Life in Thailand

Well hello friends!

I always rack my brain attempting to come up with some insightful blog post that really communicates outreach, the beauty of Thailand and everything going on with the ministries I am a part of, but I am really not that great with words. So I will just write what comes to mind and post a few photos.

Outreach is a struggle. It sucks sometimes. It is hard. It is tiring. I have learned so much about myself. Outreach has easily revealed so many ways I fall short every single day. It has shown me just how little I have seen of this world and how unfair it can be. Some days I don’t want to pick up my camera at all. I’ve struggled with seeing value in my own images. I have struggled with seeing how I could possibly make a difference in the lives of the people here at all. Sometimes I just want to give up, pack up and head back home. Outreach is rough. But I have learned that these days of uncertainty and doubt are so temporary compared to other days. The days I struggle are so worth it when the days come that I am able to see the beauty in the struggle. When I am able to walk into the red light district and the bar girls call me friend or when the slum kids cling to my neck until the very last second before I leave. When God allows me to encourage my teammates in love and he allows me to see him a little more clearly, the moments of struggle are more than worth it. It is so easy for me to sit here and think about how little it seems like I am doing here in Thailand, but He is showing me that the tiniest things can have such a big impact. Who am I to limit God? He doesn’t work on my timing or in the ways that I want. His ways are so much better and so far above my understanding. The days of struggle are rough and yeah they suck, but the beauty comes when I choose to press on because I know He is greater and has so much in store. The point is that I am growing in Him for His glory. 

Quick Overview of ministries I am involved in:

Love Acts

The main ministry I am involved in is Love Acts, which is bar ministry. Basically, a team of us goes out at night into the red light district where all the bars are at and hangout. We pray and worship in the area to invite God’s presence into all the darkness that covers the area and we form relationships with bar owners, bar girls (prostitutes) and tourists that we encounter. I know, I know you are probably thinking, how the heck is this ministry? But these bars are filled with brokenness, loneliness, bitterness, anger, confusion etc. These are the people who need to hear about love, hope and joy. Jesus has really been showing me these people through His eyes. These are the people who are looked down on by society. It is a beautiful ministry. So many times I have walked in their expecting to teach and show others love, which I do usually, but often I walk out learning something new about God’s heart and see Him in a new way in the people I meet.

Slum Kids

Every day I get to walk a few blocks from where we are staying and go hangout with the “slum kids”.  Our team pulls out a piece of tarp to sit and do art with the kids. We also teach Bible stories and English and play games. Oh my goodness I have fallen in love with these kids! We are literally play in a pile of trash for two hours a day as their houses that are made out of scraps of wood and metal are being torn down and relocated to make room for a market. Yet these kids are always so overjoyed to see us. So much joy! I love love love it! They love to learn, dance and eat. Haha So it is a perfect ministry for me! Haha Unless the translator follows me every where I go we aren’t able to communicate too well with the little English they know and the next to nothing Thai that I know, yet we have such great relationships with them. It is seriously so much more of a blessing to us to be able to see these kids every day than we are blessing them. It is funny that I titled this “slum kids” because Jesus has really been showing me that often we refer to people as a specific group like “bar girls” or “slum kids”, but it is crazy how big and how intimate our God is that these aren’t “slum kids” to him. They are beautiful individual children that he has put unique likes and dislikes, dreams and passions in them. He knows each one by name and each ones family situation. Exactly what is in their hearts.  It has been great to see just a little bit of our creator in each kid.

Wongen Kafe

The ministry café’s goal is to reach out to university students. Every day we have a team that goes to the university across the street, make friends and invite them back to the café to hangout. I don’t get to actually go out to the university because of my involvement in the other ministries, but I do help out in other ways. It has been such a cool opportunity to help with the café’s marketing and advertising. In DTS I really felt like God was reminding me of my love for my degree and really planted the idea that through media we can speak truth and really influence our culture for his kingdom and I get to do it here! The café also offers English tutoring, a place to stay and gives jobs to the girls that choose to leave the bar lifestyle. When I do have a free evening I get to go to the basketball courts at the university and play ball!

I hope this gives you guys a better idea of what I have been up to! Your prayers and support have been incredibly appreciated! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or just want to chat!  I love hearing from everyone back home.

Until then, enjoy the photos!

This is Lo-soh. One of my best buds in the slums. 

 These sweet girls we met last week when we were asked to do a conference for the youth of Cadence International.  Missionary families reaching out to the military around the world. It was so encouraging to hangout with english speakers and meet youth that were really pursuing God's heart.

This is one of the many mechanic garages that I walk by every day. I love them and take photos of them every day! haha I think I love them so much because they remind me of my daddy. The Thai people are all such hard workers.

 This is Ben. Also a friend from the slums.

Toi loves posing for the camera. Such a great guy! I always play hacky sack with him in the slums.

You can always find Bop with his bike. He has the cutest rat tail! haha Such a tiny little guy. When I hold him I feel like I am going to break him, but he loves spinning around and being tickled.  

We pass this dad and his baby sitting here every day we go to the slums.

This is a beginning image of a series I am doing here in Thailand. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the chaos of traffic, noise and people. So easy to be distracted and not really see simplicity and truth that is right in front of. I really want to challenge myself to too wade through the chaos and grab on to what God is showing me. In my walk with Him as well as my photography.