13 Nov Angela’s Exciting News

In the end of September, I had coffee with Brandon, a friend and leader, and he asked me if there was anything I wanted to be involved with that I wasn’t yet doing.  I thought back to my initial visit to Thailand and my first experience going on outreach in the red light district of Bangkok.  I thought of the women in the bars and brothels, each with her own story, her own dreams and aspirations.  This is what I wanted to be involved with.  I shared with Brandon my desire to work in this area of ministry, but I wasn’t sure there was anything in our town since it is quite small.

The very next week, we heard about a meeting happening about an hour away with different groups and organizations working in anti-human trafficking in the North. Thankfully, it was also open to those looking to get involved!  I met a woman there who has been working with her family and a team in the North for about four years now in the intervention (bar outreaches, etc.) and aftercare aspects of human trafficking.  She shared for a few minutes at the meeting and it was as if she was “speaking my language.”  Stephen knew right away as well because he leaned over after and said, “That’s what you want to do, isn’t it?”  We talked afterward and she connected me with a Thai Christian woman (Julie) in my town who had just started doing bar outreaches this year.

Over the next couple of days, I emailed Julie and she responded, “Praise God that you have heart for those girls who are working in the bar. This is the plan of God and the time of God that God’s people will share passion, pray and go out to see the kingdom of God in [our town]. I have been praying for a couple months for outreach team in the bar” (Julie’s English is very good).  I met her and another woman on her team, Aum, who is also Thai, less than a week after the human trafficking meeting.  We shared our stories, how we all came to our town and how we feel God has given each of us a passion for the women in the bars.  I was ecstatic to have met them.

The following Tuesday night, October 7^th, I went on my first outreach with them and have been going every Tuesday night since.  Each week we meet, pray together, and go talk with the women, build relationships, share about the love of Jesus and pray with them.  This is what I want to be involved with.  I feel such joy and peace going with Julie, Aum and Jesus to the bars. Many nights we walked back to our cars and motorbikes with huge smiles on our faces because of the goodness of Jesus and the work we see the Holy Spirit doing in the lives of some of the women.  He is moving and hearing our prayers – and He is answering them.

One woman we have been praying for is now looking for a job outside of prostitution, praise God!!  Now our prayer is that her reason would become Jesus.  We pray that she would receive God’s love and truth and thus receive the healing that comes with it.  Other women have also expressed a desire to no longer work in prostitution as well, so we are excited and praying.

Julie, Aum and I also started meeting every Wednesday afternoon to pray, worship and seek God’s heart together.  They had started doing outreach about four months before I joined, so it is still very new and we are seeking God’s wisdom and direction.  We want everything we do to come out of a place of worship and prayer.

Please keep us in your prayers as we seek God’s direction for this ministry to the women who work in the bars.  We are placing our confidence and trust in Him.  As much as our hearts desire to see these women come to salvation, healing, wholeness and peace, His heart longs to see it so much more.

For those of you who like to pray at the same time, our outreaches take place on Tuesday morning 7-9am for those in EST.

Blessings,

Angela