Maybe you're sitting behind the computer screen contemplating reasons why you should go on the World Race. Here are ten reasons for you:
You learn who you are. Going on the World Race
introduces you to the person that God wants you to be. You won't
necessarily be the Jack Bauer or Indiana Jones of missionaries, but
you'll definitely learn what the heart of God is and how He wants to
use that to show you who you need to be in the Kingdom. And let's face
it - you're more than just another employee slaving away in a cubicle,
or a student going blindly into the ‘real world' after college.
You get to see the world. Surely
somewhere within you there's a desire to see the world. Most people
think it's only a fantasy or a fairytale, but let's be honest, with God
anything is possible. The World Race
takes you to over ten different countries across four different
continents... and God pays the bill, not you. Plus you can tell
everyone you've been to Africa.
You can't be labeled a boring Christian. Most
people think that Christianity is kind of a drudge and there's
propaganda everywhere claiming that. Well, thankfully, you don't have
to be a boring Christian. Twenty-four hour bus rides through the
African bush is anything but boring, and feeding orphans and widows is
a lot more adventurous than people give it credit for. But there's only
one way to find out.
You will change the world. This
isn't meant as a joke – you really will change the world. For each life
you touch and empower with the love of God, they in turn will touch a
life. It's just like the pay-it-forward principle, only with Jesus and
love. It's pretty cool. This gets engrained into your everyday life
when you go on the World Race. Maybe along the way you'll change the life that's going to find the cure for AIDS.
You learn to hear God's voice. Seriously,
God still talks. There are a lot of rumors going on out there that He
has a British accent and that He even talks in Spanish. Moses and Jesus
weren't the only ones who had an ‘in' with God; you do too. Going on
the World Race perfects your ear for His voice.
You get to learn the things you didn't learn in Sunday school. What if, hypothetically speaking, they didn't teach you something in Sunday school? Would you know what is? Because on the World Race, they know what you didn't learn... and they're willing to teach it to you.
You'll raise the dead. You
really will raise the dead... literally and figuratively. There haven't
been any reported cases of World Racers raising the literally dead yet,
but maybe you will be our first. It's been prophesied... are you it?
Learn about the Matrix. Maybe
the Wachowski brothers were onto something when they created that
infamous movie back in the late 90's. What if you really are living in
a reality that isn't really reality? If you've ever wondered if there's
something behind everything you see, you should check out the World Race – swallow the red pill and see how far the rabbit hole goes.
You learn what community really is. Relationships
can only go so far with people when you're sharing just a dorm room for
nine months. Community runs a lot deeper than a dorm room. Living life
with a group of people united in purpose and Truth changes things –
like the world. Explore the heart of Acts community and see it come to
life through relationships that you'll maintain even after the World Race.
Pursue the dream God's planted in you. Sometimes there are dreams we have in life that get crushed by your typical 9-5 obligations. The World Race
helps awaken your wildest dreams and plants a picture in how they can
fit into the Kingdom. Do what you love doing while seeing God's Kingdom
come to life through your life.
So what's it going to be? You're sitting on the edge of something great and it's as easy as applying. This is more than a mission trip. Go on the World Race and change your life and others'. There's something more out there... are you willing to look for it?
Oh, it's so crazy to think back to just over a month ago
when I was with my squad... my sisters, my brothers. It feels longer than just
weeks. That is partly due to adjusting to life without 26 constant companions, being re-introduced
to Canadian temperatures and learning how to walk with my new feet. It's a
journey in itself to be home again. Not only is the food saltier, sweeter and
greasier than I remembered, but daily I have to choose to walk and live with a
renewed mind and transformed heart
versus my old ways of a hardened heart and self-focused mind.
My days have been filled by many visits with friends and family,especially over the holidays. It is soo wonderful to see all of your faces
again! For the most part I feel as though I have "hit the ground running"... by
that I mean that I have continued to stay focused on God's Kingdom no matter
where I am, I am looking forward with excitement and not longing for the past,
and i am thrilled to keep sharing all that The Lord has shown me this year.
This does not go to say that I don't miss the things of the World Race, I do!
but I am maintaining the idea that this was just the beginning,The World Race
was a kick start to a lifetime of missions and servitude, and the unexpected on
God's part!
Since being
home I have learned some valuable lessons, too. One, Grace. Not only do I need
grace for re-adjusting my life, but I also have to extend grace to others who don't
understand or care about the stories I tell or the things I have learned this
past year. Two, humility, again. I have caught myself at times thinking that
this year has
prepared me for anything and everything, and that I know all the
ins and outs of a journey with God... I
don't. I will always need the council and wisdom of God, never do i want to
judge a situation based on my experiences or my knowledge but on the strength,
wisdom, love, and honor of Christ. It really is a humbling thing to have God
still correcting and teaching me, I love it!
I wrote
this blog to let you know that I am alive and well here at home. I have plans
to write more blogs about what's next for me and also some stories from the
field that I didn't get to write while i was away.
Thanks
again for all the prayers and please keep it up, some big things are ahead... :)
*Pictures - #1Squad at final debrief in Thailand, #2 My sister Jennifer and I, #3 Sarah and I (family in Winnipeg), #4 Me and Zoe (my friends daughter), #5 The girls (right to left) Jodi, Chrissy, Katie and myself.
I wonder how, or if we will ever comprehend the magnitude of what happened to us and through us this year as the Jan. '08 World Race squad, maybe not, but one undeniable truth is that life will never look the same from here on in. Kim Daniels, our beloved sister and gifted videographer made a tribute to this new found truth, check it out...
*and after you enjoy the video, feel free to click here and donate online to my remaining support goal, I'm still hanging around the $700 mark. Thank you supporters! You rock this WORLD (but most importantly the Kingdom of God)!
a year long trek through the
nations of this world
The Beginning of:
new identity
being empty of "self" and full
of Christ
setting the bar higher for our
generation
We are finishing up our final debrief on The World Race and are
about to enter back into North America as changed people.
One year ago we submitted ourselves to
a journey that took us thousands of miles outside of our comfort
zones. We embraced abandonment, walked through brokenness, learned
dependancy on God, walked through brokenness again, learned
dependancy on God again and arrived at the end of the journey as a
community who will NEVER live life the way we did 11 months ago. I
can imagine you have a bijillion questions about what that really
means, and so I will share this with you (for those whom I will not
get to sit with over coffee); submit yourself to one another, prefer
someone else above you, love until it hurts, then love some more,
choose LIFE in every situation, learn to be un-offendable, and tell
satan TO GO TO HELL! It doesn't matter where you live or who you live
with, you always have the choice to live differently and abundantly.
For all my friends and family at home
in Nova Scotia, I extend a huge invitation for you to come and visit
my home, or meet up with me for coffee
and we can talk about all that
has happened on both sides of the world in the past year.
These final days have been full of
adventure from times of reflection, to still eating new things,
parasailing with friends, to soaring through revelation about what
has been and what's to come. Speaking of what's to come...
Only one thing left to do... (besides debriefing what happens to you when you circumnavigate the globe on Faith!)
FINISH SUPPORT RAISING!
I urgently need $770 USD by Thursday, November 20th (my last day on the World Race)
My support account says that I have raised $13,030! Thats a long way from back in January while I was in Peru and my account read $4500, and this helps me to believe that $770 will show up in the next 8 days!
Pass on the word so we can see this number knocked out!
One week of ministry in cambodia, that was it. But I can honestly say I felt more in one week for this ministry than I did in other places where i spent 4 weeks! I don't have much to say except that I know God placed us in this AIDs orphanage for the right amount of time, to love selflessly, play hard, and have compassion for His beautiful children. Just look at their faces in these pictures, my heart will forever remain with them. They are so precious and even today, i long to hold them again. But i trust and know that God will bring more loving people their way, imparting more of His goodness into their lives.
We are back in Thailand. Our final debrief begins tomorrow although most of us have already begun processing what this year has meant. I don't know if I will ever fully understand what has happened this year. It has flown by and it so hard to believe we are at the end. Please remember to pray for us this week and next as we get ready to say goodbye to each other and re-enter North America.
"You can't live your life for you, 'cuz it's no longer you
who lives." Sings Ed Cash in his song "Grandy" that I am listening to right
now. It actually fits well with what The Lord showed me today.
This morning we left early to visit the "Killing Fields" of Cambodia. We
walked among the mass graves of those killed in the Khmer Rouge Genocide back
in the late '70's. We also visited the torture prisons in Phnom Phen. We
learned a lot about what this country has endured at the hands of a communist
"madman". We also gained a huge understanding into the hearts of the Cambodians
who survived the mess, which is nearly every person you would walk past in the
streets. It was one of those mornings where your comfortable world of safety,
trust and security is shaken when a little bit more of the true colors of this
world are revealed to you. Yeah, that's really the only way I can explain it.
We wrapped up the touring and made our way to lunch. I
didn't have any revelations or visions while we were there for how God would
want us to minister in Cambodia,
but I thought it may take some time to process all the new history we just
learned. So on to lunch. I sat down to eat a Hot Dog combo meal from Lucky
Burger when a young American lady sitting beside Meredith and I introduced
herself and started up a conversation.She is a fulltime missionary here in Cambodia and so we talked about the
one obvious thing we had in common – ministering to the Cambodians. As we
talked she made what seemed like a random and out of place statement that made
me pause internally. Her statement echoed in my mind when I recognized My Lord
speaking to me. She said to us, "Remember, your ministry is not who you are"
and with that I was pretty much out of the rest of the conversation as I
internalized what God was saying to me.
Lately I have been struggling with trying to fit together
ministry with who I am. It has left me feeling like I will never be satisfied
in life if the ministries I'm involved in don't include all my hopes, passions,
and dreams. But the Lord said to me today, ministry and who you are, are not
one in the same. Ministry is what God has asked me to do for Him, not who He
wants me to be. That doesn't mean He wont draw upon my personality, heart,
passions and character within ministry, because He definitely will, but
ministry needs to be based on who Jesusis, not who I am, otherwise I would be
limited to my own abilities and would have no dependency on God to make a
difference in people's lives. He reminded me that my dreams and passions were
given by Him and He will assuredly tend to them.
As He calmed the storm in my soul, I could clearly see that
He also meant this to be applied to our last ministry opportunity on the Race, Cambodia. The
Lord has challenged me once again to not let these last few weeks be about me.
See, most of our contacts have fallen through once we arrived here, and even
when given options we tend to pick according to how we feel at the time and so
on. The Lord has challenged me again, to dive into what He wants to do among
the nations, not because it's going to make me happy, or satisfy a need within
me but because God has His heart set on the people of Cambodia and He asked me
to go and tell them.
So here I am in Cambodia, at the end of The World
Race, still working out my salvation. That's a good thing.
"I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me." Galatians 2:20
This race is nearly over for the Jan. '08 squad, one month left to serve. So many of you at home have helped us World Racers touch an inconceivable number of lives across the globe . ALL of this has been made possible through your prayers and support. Where would we be without you. You have understood what it takes to get a missionary around the world. I am forever grateful for your help. But I am not finished yet, I still have Cambodia yet to visit and just over $600 left to raise. Please help me finish the race strong! The truth is, financial support will drastically slow down and then stop once I arrive back home in Canada. Now is the time to get the rest of my support in and finish without burden!
I have put together a photomontage of some of the people and places where we have left our fingerprints this year. This serves as a reminder of what you have made and continue to make happen when you are supporting me. Remember that these are your stories too, you are just as much a part of all this as us Racers! I love you all, thank you so much!
*If a Canadian would like a Tax Receipt you can mail a check to my home church, Real Life Community Church, the address is at the bottom of this blog ;)
Chincha, Peru is where it all began...
Remember the earthquake that devastated so many families? Over 300 were moved to a temporary refugee camp in Tambo De Mora, where out hearts were captured for the first time. Many great things happened here, we saw people healed, shelters were repaired. Food, medicine and supplies brought in. Daily we saw hope restored in our new found friends.
And little Andri, who refused to laugh and play when we first arrived, but a little unconditional love softened his heart and freedom walked into his life.
Canchamana People, Chincha, Peru
We made a special visit to a people group who were completely displaced by the earthquake, no township would take responsibility for them and so they were left to camp out on a small plot of "borrowed" land. No AID relief came to them because they were not a part of any particular region. The Canchamana people lived off of the land and their livestock, a new experience for us. We were incarnationally living with these families for 4 days. We ate, slept and worked with them. We also made time for biblical teaching, worship, and prayer. What a joy it was to enter their lives!
The Amazon Jungle - Nauta and Iquitos, Peru
Nauta was one of our favorite places, we had a lot of fun in this village! We led a VBS daily for the kids, with lots of Bible stories, dramas and games, the children loved it! I would easily say a couple hundred kids would show up for the fun! We also met with the local youth group a few times a week to teach, disciple and encourage them.
In Iquitos we worked closely with a church just outside of the city. We made daily visits to the surrounding villages. We encouraged the villagers to attend some teachings that we held daily at the church, and of course, we had VBS there too! Some small teams were able to help local families by providing shoes, clothing, school supplies, food, and a 13 year old boy recieved his first pair of eye-glasses. He was almost blind without them and hadn't attended school in 3 years because of it, so he's back in school now!
Cochabamba and Chapare, Bolivia
This is where I found out that I would not make a good construction worker, ha, but that's ok because between all of us we managed to help with the building process of a huge orphanage in the Bolivian Rain forest. We varnished the entire outside and inside of the house, built stairs, painted, dug ditches, cut down trees, and so on and so on. By now there are children living in this home who are now receiving proper care and attention by a family who will love them as their own.
During our stay in Cochabamba, higher into the Andes mountains, we participated in a ministry called "Baby Washing". Tents were set up in a plaza where homeless families could bring their children to bathe and receive new clothes. The mothers also would have a chance to wash and food was also provided. I absolutely loved washing the babies!
Nsoko, Swaziland
Swaziland was a trip to another world, a dying world. With over half the population affected by AIDs, in just a few short decades the Kingdom of Swaziland will cease to exist if extreme measures are not taken to prevent the spread of this deadly disease. An entire generation has been killed already, mostly those who would be my age, the mothers and fathers of the kids we fell in love with. We spent all of our time at Care Points, small structures where AIDs orphans and needy children are fed, loved and taught about Jesus. Our main project was to photograph all the children and build individual profiles so that in the near future these kids can be sponsored financially by people around the world. It was an honor to be a part of this process. This is also where I met "Baby". The precious little girl who's smile would light up anyone's world! Baby has changed who I am... to read more about Baby and the way she touched my life click here.
Beira and Mutarara, Mozambique
Momma Rita and her house-full of orphans shared an incredible joy with us. A joy that perseveres through all things. The Joy of the Lord lives in this house. Momma Rita's husband was martyred 1 year ago, together they opened there home to orphans and now as a widow her calling is to continue what her and her husband began, and watch how God will provide. While our two teams from the Jan.'08 squad were there we were able to repair the roof, have pipes installed to bring water to the house, matresses and a freezer were bought, children were medically treated for malaria, 2 teenagers have had their schooling paid for and life long friendships were made. We also spent a few days traveling north to a village in Mutarara where we conducted a mini conference for Pastors and leaders and then the general public. We also made home visits to pray and worship with families. Mozambique was one of the greatest adventures I have ever had!
Cape Town, South Africa
Our short 2 weeks in Cape Town was a much needed rest for our team. Although we spent most of our time being quiet before the Lord, we noticed that ministry just seemed to "happen" when it needed to. We often found ourselves among the homeless, feeding the poor, and praying with whoever came our way that day, it was an adventure of another kind, unplanned and unpredictable!
New Delhi, India
India was an incredible time for us, we were challenged by both cultural and spiritual differences. We lived in a township in New Delhi where the struggles of a cultural caste system were right in front of our face. Some of our neighbors were garbage collectors, sorting and using what they could from the refuse. Others lived off of what their one cubicle sized store would provide for them. We spent time ministering at 3 different sites, a Leper Colony, a christian orphanage, and with Burmese refugees. We spent time building relationships and through those relationships, sharing the love of Christ as we know it. We learned that it is extremely hard for one to leave hinduism to follow Jesus, families would be shamed, and persecution is greater than we know. Christians are killed simply to make statements. We saw a glimpse of what it means to be a christian in India, the orphanage that we worked with had an incident where 2 people were martyred at their sister orphanage in another city. The children at our orphanage spent the entire day fasting and praying. Their dedication and active faith amazed me and humbled my heart. Their reality is so different than mine... still processing this.
Pattaya, Thailand
Never stop praying for this area of the world! There are beloved daughters here of the Most High King, trapped in the evil claws of the sex industry. Pattaya, Thailand is one of the mostly heavily visited areas for participation in the sex trade. we entered this place with hearts ready to befriend the girls working in the bars. We worked along side YWAM's Tamar Center that offers emergency and long term living for girls leaving the bars, free english classes, trade school, and discipleship for those interested. As you may remember, the Lord quickly showed us that it would be relationship and pure love that would speak the loudest to these girls so we spent our time building into specific women that God laid on our hearts. We became friends with Nat, who eventually heard the Lord calling her to go home to her family! What a great time of celebration it was when she decided to follow Jesus wit her LIFE! ** Update, I have heard from Nat through email who gladly tells me that she is now home and forever grateful that she met us! Her life is on a new path now! Praise Jesus!
Hong Kong
Surprise! Ha, we have been in Hong Kong this month! 'Round the clock we have been teaching english to 12-18 year olds at 2 christian schools, although most of the kids are not christians. It is a huge blessing to these student to have foreigners come and spend time with them. They desperately want to improve their english skills and pronunciations. we spent a lot of time building relationships with the kids. We have held special events where we shared the gospel, and testimonies. we saw over 20 kids dedicate their lives to Christ and others refreshed in their faith walk.
Cambodia, yet to be experienced...
and there has been a lifetime of trekking through my own soul this year, challenges and growth that I would have never been able to experience or walk through in any situation at home. Thanks a billions for helping me change and begin to walk into the person God created me to be!
Please prayerfully consider how you can help me finish my support raising. Remember it's only $600 left to go! Please also consider that I am praying that enough funds will come in to reimburse me for flights that I have purchased to and from the race! I adore you all!
** Canadians who would like a tax receipt for a donation can mail checks to my home church at:
** Remember to specify the donation to "Angela Tibbo - The World Race"
Sometimes God's favor is right in front
of your face, almost undeniable. It's an incredible feeling to know
that the God of creation is on your side ready and waiting to back
you up with an everlasting love that can move mountains.
This was the revelation that my friend
Nat received this past week. I met Nat while she was working at a bar
in Pattaya, Thailand. She is 24 years old and her reason for secretly
working in the bars was to not be a financial burden on her parents.
The very first moment I laid eyes on her I could see the Holy Spirit
on her, she seemed to glow and peace was written across her face. I
thought to myself, God is awfully fond of this one!
I had about 45 minutes to talk with her
before our group was supposed to meet back up... I hardly talked the
whole time, Nat was a little chatter bug. Through my translator, Nat
told me about how she knew about God and how she once ordered
christian books from a television show. She was excited to tell me
that she liked my God. All i could do is giggle with her, she
delighted my soul! I did manage to tell her that I could feel and see
God's Holy Spirit with her, she blushed.
The usual routine with YWAM's Tamar
Center is to go to a different street of the bar area every time they
go out trying to simply extend an invitation to their free English
classes and to share Christ's love. I couldn't bare the thought of
not going back to see this beautiful young girl again, so our team
(Patrice, Andi, Meredith, Tammy and myself) made sure that we
returned to the girls who made an impact on our hearts. We returned to
see Nat a few times a week. We would show up to chat, and pray with
her. Her face lit up each time we came. We also really felt like it
wasn't necessary to shove the gospel down her throat but to show her
what a true and loving relationship looks like by being good friends
to her.
On our last night visiting the bars,
again we went to see Nat. We invited her to come to church with us on
Sunday and gave her our cell number. After our visit we prayed and
left. I wondered if that would be the last time i see her. Really,
would she step out and come to church? I prayed a lot that night. We
had been there for 3 weeks visiting her, and she hadn't made any huge
life changes or anything, I surrendered my concerns to The Lord and
assured myself that even if I see no results I cannot forget the
seeds we have planted in her heart and the truths we have shared with
her, she was our friend and she wouldn't forget what we shared with
her. The rest was in God's hands.
Sunday morning came, no phone call from
Nat. We jumped on to the back of the truck and headed to church. As I
walked down the street where our church sat nestled among the bars,
there she was smiling from ear to ear. I let out a scream of
excitement and ran to hug her. She joined us in the service where she
began to tell me some details of her life. Come to find out a man had
led her to Christ a while ago, but she didn't have any discipleship so
she did not understand that this was a choice of a new lifestyle, she
had no answers and no guidance. This was great news and I instantly
saw the Lord's hand at work. I said to her, "Nat, can you see? This
is God! He heard you that very day when you invited Him into your
life! He took you seriously and He then began the work of getting us
5 missionaries over here to become your friends! He knew we would
love you like He loves you! He knew that you needed some special
people to come and breathe hope back into you! He has plans for you,
ya know!" with tears in her eyes she said " YES! I know, because
last Friday night after you prayed with me, I decided to leave the
bars! I want to be with my family, I want to go back to school!"
I cannot tell you the freedom that was
flowing through her, you could taste change when talking to her. I
shared more scriptures with her told the importance of
discipleship.
This week Nat goes home. Her parents
live in Cambodia, what a coincidence, our last stop on this trip! We
will try to meet up with Nat and introduce her to the YWAM base
there.
Our God is good, and He is in favor of
Nat's future!
Please pray for Nat. Pray that she stands firm in her decision to go home, and that the Lord will continue to bring the right people into her life to encourage her and strengthen her, and that the Holy Spirit will lead her through the healing she needs so that she can walk into the abundant life of freedom promised her by her Savior.
Last Friday we went to work with Mercy Ministries. A
children's shelter here in Pattaya. They started 5 years ago and have seen over
50 children through their doors. they currently have 24 children living in the
house. It is a shelter and not an orphanage because their primary goal is to
help the children get back into their families once the parent(s) is capable of
providing a stable home for them. we spent the majority of the day doing odd
jobs around the house like, cleaning all the fans, cleaning the air con.
filters, organizing the storage room, sorting clothes to go out to other
ministries in Cambodia and Burma, and constructing gift cards. It really was an
honor to serve this ministry even if only for such a short period of time.
I had the chance to sit with the husband of the couple who
started the shelter, his name is Fred. He told me how Mercy Ministries began,
it wasn't their plan at all. They came to Thailand to plant a church, that was
until a Thai Lady began to ask them to do something about the "at risk" and
abandoned children of a certain village, quickly and miraculously God provided
all they needed to begin and this was their confirmation for God's will. He
shared with me some of the children's stories and what it has been like for him
to be immersed in such a heart wrenching ministry. I couldn't help but be moved
to tears as we talked about the depth of the Fathers compassion for these kids.
I began to imagine what the cost to my life would be if I were to care for the
orphaned too. It would be huge, and more than I could even possibly understand
right now... and yet completely worth it. I have noticed that it's the orphan
work that gets the inner gears of my being to move and start connecting and
thinking. I pray that God will continue to share His vision with me for the
orphaned and needy children, and birth within me a strategy to go in and make a
refuge, wherever it is that He takes me someday.
*
* * * *
In the meantime I am still focused on the present
ministries. This past week we were able to join forces with Patricia King's
Extreme Prophetic conference and head out together for the bar ministry. We had
over 150 people go out to share the Kingdom among some heavy darkness. My team
was able to sit with three women who we just loved! The thai people are just
naturally friendly, warm, and inviting so to sit with these ladies is like
sitting with an old friend. Most of the women do not speak a lot of english and
we have few translators to go around so sometimes the ministry is more like laughing
and being silly with the ladies and just showing them how much we love them.
Usually they understand the name Jesus and know that we come representing Him.
But if we have a translator we can get into deeper conversations about life and
spiritual matters. We often give the girls the opportunity to leave the bar and
come to Tamar's house for women. Last week 3 girls left the bars for refuge
with Tamar! Others have been taking us
up on our offer for free english lessons, which is another opportunity to speak
into their lives and love them.
Our team is really loving this unique and special ministry.
We talk everyday about how it effects us and how it excites us! We have noticed
how much greater we feel the presence of the Holy Spirit when we go out at night
to the bars than any other ministry we have been involved in. I mean, there is
a real sense of protection over us and the guidance and wisdom of the Spirit is
constantly going before us. when we sit with girls, we have noticed that they
seem to then stand out, look different from the rest of the girls and their
eyes lead us right into their hearts! It's incredible what the Breath of God
can do. He is all over this place in a tangible way. It's as though i can feel
all the prayers at work that have ever gone up for the sex trade in Thailand.
Keep praying
O
In the meantime I am still focused on the present
ministries. This past week we were able to join forces with Patricia King's
Extreme Prophetic conference and head out together for the bar ministry. We had
over 150 people go out to share the Kingdom among some heavy darkness. My team
was able to sit with three women who we just loved! The thai people are just
naturally friendly, warm, and inviting so to sit with these ladies is like
sitting with an old friend. Most of the women do not speak a lot of english and
we have few translators to go around so sometimes the ministry is more like laughing
and being silly with the ladies and just showing them how much we love them.
Usually they understand the name Jesus and know that we come representing Him.
But if we have a translator we can get into deeper conversations about life and
spiritual matters. We often give the girls the opportunity to leave the bar and
come to Tamar's house for 
women. Last week 3 girls left the bars for refuge
with Tamar! Others have been taking us
up on our offer for free english lessons, which is another opportunity to speak
into their lives and love them. 
