Almost...

Outreach is almost done and soon this time away from my home land will be done. And I maybe have started my count down to home too early. Only Sip Hok (16) days. Now I may not have totally enjoyed my time here in Pattaya., but today on our last day of ministry, I was reminded of how totally impacting the little things we have done here are.

At the mall today I was about to sit down with an iced coffee (sadly not as good as my ice break) and start my 1000 page evaluation, when a young Thai women came running towards me with the biggest smile on her face waving like a mad women. For a moment I wasn't sure if she was waving at me or someone else. Then I recognised her, and I was totally blown away.

Two weeks ago, the girls from our team went out with staff from the Tamar Centre* to talk to the women who worked at the bars. During this time I was able to pray for a young women and share God love with her. She also bet me at Connect Four so many times that I don't think I will ever play that game again. I spoke to her for maybe half an hour but that was enough. Enough for her to recognise me at the mall today, to run over to me and to hug me like a long  lost friend. It brought tears to my eyes. As she left and rode the escalator to the next floor she smiled and waved to me the whole way up. I thought that was probably the last I would see of her, but I was mistaken. About two hours later she came back down the escalator, saw me again, dug deep in her bag and pulled out her camera. She hugged me again as we had a photo together and then she was gone.

Sadly I cannot remember her name, but I do know that she has two children and a nephew at home in Northeast Thailand that she is supporting, and her story is one that you hear everyday here in Pattaya. We are lucky enough to be leaving this dark city tomorrow. But for so many women, such as my friend, they are not able to. But there is hope and I can see that. God is at work here in this city and every little bit we do helps shine God's light a little bit more.


*Tamar Center is a center for help, healing and hope, offering women who are wanting to change their lives opportunities to do so.
http://www.ywamthai.org/tamar/

From Innocence, Light and Hope to Darkness, Heaviness and Despair.

I feel icky, I feel sad, I feel mad and I don't really know how to explain any of it. All I really know is that I don't want to be here and I want to be home.

Where is here? Pattaya, in the heart of the red light district. It's a heavy dark place and it makes me feel sick. But for the last couple of days I haven't been able to put my finger on exactly where the sick feeling comes from. I have come to the conclusion that it's not the prostitution itself, but the demand for it. And this is where I become very judgemental because I don't know what they are here from and I am just assuming, but there are so many elderly, western, single men here. That's what makes me feel sick, that here in Pattaya, I feel like the view seems to be people from the west are only here for the one thing. I don't want to be connected to that in anyway, but I feel like I am because of the country I have grown up in. In this city I feel ashamed for being from the west.

What also makes me feel totally sick, is that kids, like our orphans, are here. Growing up in this place not knowing anything different. Being trapped. Being sold into prostitution because their parents need money. Or being left to fend for themselves while their parents go out and earn money. Because of this, it makes me more and more thankful everyday for the Elisha's Children's home in which we came from before we came here. There they are protected, they are able to to be children, they have their innocence and they have a bright and hopeful future