At the same time that I fell in love with this country, this month God’s been speaking to me about falling in love with Him.
Lately, I’ve been listening to Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love”, and Francis talks a lot about the difference between lukewarm Christians, and Christians who are truly in love with their God.
I have to admit, I felt convicted in a lot of the “lukewarm Christian” categories. Lukewarm Christians read the Bible out of obligation, fulfilling a certain amount of time per day rather than out of real desire. Lukewarm Christians ask how much they have to give to God, not how much they can give. Lukewarm Christians are focused on the things of today, rather than of the things of heaven. Lukewarm Christians ask what is the minimum they have to do to get to heaven, rather than delighting in their new life in the Spirit. Oh, boy…
I asked myself about three weeks ago whether I honestly could say I was “in love” with God. I was quite ashamed to say, no, I could not. After all we had been through, the answered prayers in Nepal, the preaching in Africa, the joyous people of Malaysia, I still couldn’t say I was “in love”. Something was wrong.
I realized this was mostly because of three things.
One, was that I was still trying to earn my salvation. Sounds completely, utterly silly, doesn’t it? But I was – I need to pray. I need to read the Bible. I need to tithe at church. I need to love people well. I need to… What the Bible says is that I DON’T need to. It is for freedom that Christ set us free (Gal 5:1)…a person is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16)…if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Gal 2:21). I am free! And if I think anything I do can add to my salvation, then I don’t fully realize the price Jesus paid for me. But, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6). Our heart-change comes from truly realizing the grace of God.
Two, was that I hadn’t been seeking God. Well, yes, I have been seeking Him, but a lot of times my prayer is more like, “God, help me lead this Bible Study”, or “God, I don’t know what to say so it’s all You!” When I do pray to know Him more, I don’t have the patience to wait for His answer. I had never prayed, “God, show me what it means to fall in love with You!” God says, “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7). And when I earnestly sought and asked, He did start revealing Himself to me, a little bit at a time.
Three, was that I had forgotten that God loves me. “How could that even happen?” you may ask. Well, I know God loves me, but I had forgotten – or never really understood – what it means. “God loves you”, is a phrase that gets thrown around all the time. But what does it mean that God loves me?
What does it mean when the Bible says God delights in me? When He’s with me, does it bring Him laughter, pleasure? Does my presence bring a glow to His heart? When I call Him Papa, does His heart burst with pride and joy? Does He want to sing, dance, do cartwheels? I think about the way I feel with I’m with a friend or family member I dearly love. Is it too much to think that the Creator feels the same way about us?
And if He loves me, wouldn’t He be speaking to me? I don’t know if there’s anyone I love that I don’t want to communicate with. Wouldn’t He tell me every day how much He loves me…wouldn’t He want to surprise me with His good gifts? Wouldn’t He desire my love and joy? And He does…when I really pay attention to what happens each and every day, I see He has been showering me with good gifts all this time. And I had never even noticed.
“Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
For love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench this love,
rivers cannot sweep it away.” (Songs 8:6-7)
4:20pm, and I’m sitting on my nice, comfy, soft, bed in an air conditioned, clean room.
My body gives a sigh of relief as it relaxes into clean softness it hasn’t experienced in weeks.
And the room is quiet.
Too quiet.
The four silent white walls of the hostel enclosing me remind me that I won’t feel the blazing hotness of the glaring sun. My skin won’t be caked with dirt anymore. I won’t have to scratch at new mosquito bites every few hours. I won’t have to brush my teeth outside with my headlamp and Nalgene bottle. And I won’t hear the sound of my boys calling my name again.
I miss them more than I expected. I miss the way they call my name, “Stepanie! Stepanie!” I miss playing ninja with them. I miss planning English lessons and playing games. I miss the way Wusang*’s face lights up whenever we give them a surprise gift. I miss learning Khmer from staff and kids. I miss the silly capers they get into, catching lizards, climbing trees, singing songs, making kung fu poses. I miss the way they don’t mind getting locked up in their dorm every night (this is to prevent them from running away), shouting our names cheerily from the bars of their windows. Their hearts are so pure, joyful, and courageous.
I’m so sad I didn’t get to say goodbye to them properly. I didn’t want to prolong our goodbyes, so I thought I’d just hug them goodbye when we were actually about to leave. Due to a misunderstanding, the driver picked us up, and instead of returning to the centre, headed straight for the road to Phnom Penh.
It’s been such a privilege to be able to work at TCC this short month. Those boys’ hearts were so open to loving anyone. When we first arrived, the little ones would run up to us and say, “What ih your name?” (they had trouble pronouncing “s”s) – one of the few English phrases they knew. I’m so honoured that the person they loved got to be me. A simple wave and smile seemed to win even the older boys’ hearts.
I think they’re going to miss me. But what I know is that I already miss them…lots.
Galatians 1:15 “But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace…”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Sometimes I forget that God is outside of time. That means He’s not limited by who we are right now, our history, our current abilities, current knowledge etc. He knows exactly who He’s created us to be and what He’s created us to do, in a way that we cannot even imagine. Doesn’t that fill you with reassurance, that someone knows, and actually even prepared something that He has only for you to do? Sometimes, He reveals it in a way that blows you away.
Last month in Malaysia, we met a young Mexican woman named Eli. We met her at just the right time; when we were at the end of our rope, completely lost in translation with our contact in our last week of ministry, Eli (who – praise God – spoke wonderful English!) took us into her home and made us feel welcome.
Thank God for bringing us to wonderful Eli!
Now when we first heard that we were going to be taken to a Mexican lady’s house, we were a bit in disbelief. We had just been in the villages of Malaysia, filled with only Asian people. What was a Mexican woman doing here? We were to learn that Eli’s story is quite incredible.
Eli grew up in Mexico, where she came to Christ through outreach by missionaries. She grew up to want to be a missionary herself, with a special heart for South-east Asia. Around this time, she had a dream, a vision a very muddy market. She had no idea what it meant, but thought it might be her future mission field. Soon she had the opportunity to go on a missions trip to Indonesia, a country she was really excited about.
While in Indonesia, she saw markets, but none like the market she had dreamt about. Not sure what it meant, she went on another missions trip to Malaysia. One day, she went to a market. It had just rained the day before, and when she arrived, there was her muddy market as she had seen it in her dream! After much prayer and receiving further confirmation from the Lord, she obeyed His call and went to Malaysia. She found that, although not originally enthusiastic about Malaysia, God now gave her a heart for the people that moved her to tears.
When I think about Eli’s story, I am reminded that God knows. He gave Eli a vision for Malaysia before she even had a heart for the country. And when she went, it was all because He sent her there. It was Him who had the heart for the country, and was intentionally sending missionaries to share His love and Word there. He is the original dreamer of the dream.
I think – and this thought seems incredible to me, because it’s different when you think of God doing something that special for someone else, and then Him doing it for you – that He might be dreaming a special dream for me by placing a special country on my heart too. And that country is Cambodia.
The way that Cambodia came to be on my heart is very random. I was in high school, and I had this brilliant idea to cut out newspaper articles and clothespin them onto a line, taped to my bathroom mirror, in order to pray for current events in the world. Sadly, this fervour lasted only a week (since I usually never read the news) and the same three articles I had cut out the first day hung there for a month. One of the articles was about two little girls, aged 6 and 7, working many hours in a clothing factory in Cambodia. I remember wanting to help improve the lives of children like them someday.
Picture from a recent article in the BBC news about mass fainting incidents of young workers in Cambodia due to working in high temperatures and dangerous fumes.
As time went by, I tried to find out more about Cambodia. I borrowed a book about Cambodian history, but it was dry with big words and I couldn’t really get into it. I couldn’t decide if this obsession about Cambodia was just a whim or if there was really something to it.
When the time came when I decided to sign up for the World Race, the country Cambodia caught my eye. This is it, I decided, this is the route I am going on. I need to find out if there’s something for me there.
Cambodia became the country I looked forward most to on the Race. Finally, it was the end of month 9, and we were pulling out of our hostel in Kuala Lumpur and into the airport. I shared my excitement and trepidation with my squadmate sitting next to me. “This is your country,” he enthused, having heard me talk about Cambodia during previous months, “This could be even better than Nepal for you.” I was slightly stunned at the thought that this month could top my then-favourite month and ministry.
Sometimes, we look forward to things, but we get let down and find out it wasn’t all we thought it would be. I am so thankful that in my case, Cambodia is all that I have imagined.
One wouldn’t think so, with the lifestyle my teammates and I now live. We live in an elevated wooden house with no furniture; our tents and mats, along with a few plastic chairs, are our only reprieve from the hardwood floor. The first night we were here, it was sweltering hot, and hundreds of winged termites swarmed into our room, dancing around our ceiling lights and covering our clothing and tents, shedding their paper-light wings all over our belongings. In the mornings, we wake up to the peeping of little chicks running frantically around their pens, and sometimes the hum of Buddhist chants blasting at unimaginable decibels from loudspeakers. In the yard next door, there are bananas growing from a tree over a barbed-wire fence. We do our morning jogs along a winding dirt path where we occasionally have to make way for ox-carts heading to the fields. Showers and laundry are conducted with water in large basins collected from the rain. At night, our sleep is occasionally interrupted by squawking geckos (who knew they made sounds?) and misinformed roosters reporting the sunrise at 3:30am. And one day, as I was beating off a nest of ants I had found gathering in my sweaty towel, I smiled to myself, my mom would be freaking out if she saw this! This was definitely unlike anywhere I have ever called home, but strangely it did feel like a home to me.
Our lovely wooden house.
Bugged out!
Well...they feel clean when I'm done with them anyways.
But even more than bringing me to this country, God brought me to this specific ministry.
I knew beforehand that I had a special heart for street people, especially homeless children. God placed our team at Teen Challenge, a place that ministers to street boys and men, and helps to rehabilitate them from their drug addictions. All this month I have been falling in love with these kids (and that’s not a term I use lightly, or with many kids from other countries!). I have been teaching English to them, just 5 hours a week, and spending time with them playing football and volleyball, or learning Khmer (the Cambodian language, pronounced “k’mai”) from them. I don’t really have to put forth very much effort at all to win their love; they just love, calling out our names, pleading with us to play games with them, or showing us something they made or drew. They have hilarious personalities and, it seems, are always up to something new. I just felt a bit of God’s incredible love for them flow through me.
I really have no idea what it means; and I think it’s too early to say that God has called me to this place or this ministry (so don’t freak out yet, Mom and Dad! *grin*) I do know, however, that at the beginning of the Race; even before that, God planted a seed in my heart. It was a dream, and it was called Cambodia. It brought me on the Race, to month 10. Now, that dream has come to fruition in the full and fulfilling month of ministry that we have had. Is there a bigger dream, a bigger flower yet to come into bloom? These are things to ponder about. Sometimes my thinking scares me, such as, what if this is all just some crazy honeymoon phase or if the circumstances set up in the ministry (e.g. that these precious kids just happen to be here during this season) are just a fluke. Either way, I believe God knows and He will guide me as He has done, honeymoon phase or not.
“God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace…” …you don’t think God has a plan? He does. And sometimes, it takes a lifetime to find out where He’s gonna lead you.
Wusang* loved the Jesus comics Hannah handed out in class.
Brothers. Yu* (right) is the best student in class, and Van* (left) may act cool, but he loves and takes care of his brother so well.
Raiden* gets in all sorts of mischief and trouble, but he also loves to cook and help with chores, and has a kid's heart underneath.
Logan has a lot of fun with the kids. Can you tell?
Preparing for Water Day - a sports day-like relay we planned for them.
It's a race to see who can eat 3 crackers and whistle first!
4-man push-ups. Much harder than they look.
3-legged race!
Nothing more fun than launching and catching water balloons on a burning hot day.
True to their favourite hero, Bruce Lee...bring it on!
There are about 1,200 kids who live on the streets in Phnom Penh. Between 10,000-20,000 children work on the streets in Cambodia.
Many of these kids sniff glue, an inhalant that causes similar feelings as being drunk, a loss of inhibition, and hallucinations.
Glue contains a solvent called toluene, which causes pleasure in the mind. It gives glue a high potential to be addictive, especially to a hungry, hurting, neglected child.
Inhaling glue slows down body function and can damage the heart, kidneys, brain, liver, bone marrow, and other organs. Long-term effects include memory loss, hearing loss, limb spasms, and permanent brain damage.
Boys sniffing glue on the streets are so common that passersby think nothing of seeing them anymore.
This month, it’s been an incredible blessing to work with Teen Challenge Cambodia at their boys’ centre. The centre is located in a rural area about an hour outside of Phnom Penh. The boys are identified by a partner organization, Hagar International, and if addicted to glue, they are brought to TCC to live for a year away from the temptations of the city. The boys are taught school classes, work-skills such as how to work on a farm, and most importantly, introduced to a relationship with their Father and Creator.
The boys/men's sleeping quarters at TCC.
Rice fields at the farm at TCC.
Being here with the boys has been incredible. The youngest boys, 11-14 years old, were the first to befriend us. They look younger than their ages – maybe because of the effects of glue - and they run around, laugh, play, get into mischief, just like any other carefree child. It’s only when I hear from the staff about their struggles – and stories of their pasts – that I realize the pain that must exist behind the carefree exterior. They have similar stories; a mother who is too poor to care for them, a family that saw them as another source of begging and income. Some have suffered physical, or even sexual abuse.
The boys and men at TCC.
They love their football.
I thank God so much for bringing me here. Cambodia has always been a country on my heart, and since coming here, that heart has only grown stronger. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 43% of its population under the age of 15. I knew it was poor, but I am only beginning to get acquainted with many of its social problems, such as human trafficking, extreme poverty, and cultural mindsets that allow things such as selling of children into the sex trade or sending them to work in the streets. Stories of families selling their children, or fathers raping their daughters are frequently in the news.
Something that has continually amazed me on this Race is how God really is the answer to everything. As a woman who hasn’t had much exposure to the drug world, much less experienced the incredible hardships of living on the streets, I am sometimes at a loss as to what I can give these boys. But, just like in Thailand with the bargirls, there is something very tangible I can give. The love of Jesus, expressed through our actions, our words, our lessons and games with them.
Learning about the days of Creation.
At church with Pastor Mab.
After their year is over, many of the boys will return to the environment from which they came. Many in the past have succumbed to the same temptations again, maybe doing even worse. “The difference is that this time, they will have the Holy Spirit,” observed my teammate Taryn. I am humbled and privileged to have a month in these boys’ lives, being used by God to impart something that will never fade away or be destroyed – the faith, love, and hope of God.
*facts found from Consortium for Street Children, Hagar International, and Surviving Drug Addiction
After a 50-minute plane ride to Phnom Penh and an hour-and-a-half van ride to our ministry site in a village, we were able to celebrate the Cambodian New Year with the locals!
Lasting three days long, from April 13th-April 15th, this festival marks the end of the harvesting season and the beginning of the rainy season.
It's customary to throw water or powder on each other during New Year's - so don't be offended if a total stranger douses your face!
Our squad leader Michelle gets completely powdered on a temple excursion with our ministry folks.
This month, we are working with a ministry called Teen Challenge Cambodia.
"Teen Challenge of Cambodia provides a residential rehabilitation program for children and young adult males to learn how to live a drug free life.
Teen Challenge offers a holistic program that cares for and reintegrates these males back into mainstream community. This program includes counselling, character development, English and Khmer classes, vocational training and social and recreational activities. The children at Teen Challenge receive nutritious meals and support from their teachers and trainers.
The Foundation is helping to fund the residential care rehabilitation program for children and young males with life controlling addictions.
Sustainable income generating activities are conducted on the property at Teen Challenge. Raising pigs and chickens, growing vegetables and making handicrafts are all part of the vocational training the children and young adults receive, in order to prepare them for reintegration into society.
Teen Challenge has recently started a women's program which the Foundation has supported through the building of a training room, which will be used for women to learn sewing and other vocational skills."
Our team is at TCC's boy's centre, and we will be starting to teach Bible, English, Sports/Agriculture, and Music classes starting tomorrow.
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As a side note, my teammate Hannah made this video about our month in Malaysia, you're welcome to check it out!
Kampong is the Malay word for "village". If you've been creeping my Facebook pictures at all, then you know where our team has been this month - in the rainforests of stunningly gorgeous Malaysia!
Our team had been expecting to do some manual labour this month, but due to some circumstances we were re-assigned to visiting villages instead. In total this month, we visited 6 villages, staying at each for 2-3 days, and encouraging adults, youth, and children through Bible studies, discussions, worship, and games.
I really loved this month, because even though it was hard to do so much travelling, and having limited time to prepare things because they were being planned as we went along, I feel that I have grown a lot from the experience. At the beginning of the month I felt so dry - how could we come up with Bible studies and teachings for so many people? And the heat completely sucked us of energy! It was difficult to be in the villages.
However, God really refreshed and renewed my heart. I realized that, given the choice, I would rather be nowhere else than here. There was nothing I wanted more than to be used by God as His Kingdom-builder. It was just like one time, last year, when I went running in the mornings to train for the Sun Run, a 10K run back in Vancouver. I ran by the river, and my arms would always get red and chapped and sting painfully from the wind. I felt so frustrated until I realized that even though it hurt, I would rather be running than not! The same case applied to me here. Though tough, I would rather be here than anywhere else. I also realized that though I felt dry, God always supplied my team with a word, teaching, or testimony that matched our needs for the day. I learned to depend on Him more, to supply what we would do and the energy to do it.
One of my favourite things this month has been hearing the praise songs rising from the hearts and lips of the orang asli (indigenous people). The people we visited had only been Christians for a few years, but their worship is so beautiful and heartfelt - made even more so by the fact that they have braved the opposition of their own neighbours and government to proclaim their faith in Christ. It was obvious to us that they really loved God and had their lives changed by Him. Below is a video I've complied of worship in the different villages we visited.
I've also added a "waterfall special" video of our very first day in the village where the kids took us to a beautiful swimming hole. We swam a lot in the villages - not least because it was the best way to take the drugging effects of the heavy heat away!
Below that is a third video of one of my other highlights of the month - skyping with our Nepal kids from Happy Home! Hannah, Taryn and I were almost moved to tears as we heard them sing song after song about Jesus that we had taught them - as loud and sure as if they had sung them every day. It was one of the most amazing moments I'd ever experienced - skyping with Hindu kids in a Muslim ice cream shop, shouting and singing about Jesus! It was great to be able to see them again and we hope to keep in touch with them often!
Month-Eight Debrief provided each one of us time to bond together as a squad, as well as gave AIM staff a chance to encourage us to go hard for the last stretch of the Race as well as prepare us for re-entry into home culture. It was a time for rest, reflection, and refreshment for most of us, and also a time to make adjustments to teams to prepare us for the last three months.
And so, Team Deeper Roots has now made way for Team Deepest Roots. We are excited to welcome MIKE and LOGAN to this new team, as Ben and Brandon become leaders of another team.
(Mike is currently in the hospital being treated for dengue fever, which is transmitted through mosquitoes. He should be discharged from the hospital today, and together with Logan joining us in Ipoh, Malaysia by the end of the week.)
DEEPEST ROOTS
It’s a continuation of our old team name, except even better. I love this name because sad though we may be to lose Ben and Brandon from the team, God has chosen Mike and Logan to bring us even greater growth and to even deeper knowledge and love of Himself and each other. That is our hope, to go even deeper than before, even closer.
Our verse, as always, is Eph 3:17-19 “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
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Here are some ways that God is taking care of Deepest Roots already!
While booking travel to Gua Musang, Malaysia, our team discovered that we were only able to book a train to the border of Thailand, to Hat Yai. We would have to figure out transportation as we arrived at each city.
Team Deepest Roots was able to travel with Ben and Brandon’s new team, as we were going to the same town. This was a blessing as our men were to join us later when Mike had recovered.
Once we arrived at 9:45am, there was an option of choosing the train (4pm-7am) or the bus (11am-9pm) to Kuala Lumpur. We wanted to choose the train so that we wouldn’t have to find a hostel to stay in Kuala Lumpur, but there weren’t enough seats so we chose to take the bus. We were spared from waiting 5 hours at the train station.
At the border, we discovered that we had stayed a day over the visa limit and had to pay a fine. Thankfully, since we were on the bus, we were able to walk to an ATM to withdraw the needed money. Thank God!
Upon arrival at the bus station in KL, our leaders bought SIM cards and called our contacts. We discovered that Team Deepest Roots had been redirected to a different ministry site in Ipoh. The last bus of the day left for Ipoh in an hour. We were able to buy dinner as well as hop on the last bus to Ipoh out of the station.
At 1:30am, we four women are dropped off at a random location by the side of the road and told it is "Ipoh". Thankfully there was a pair of glowing golden arches nearby, and we headed for refuge (and some oreo mcflurries) at McDonald's. Pastor was able to pick us up at 2:30am and take us to his church where we slept on cushioned chairs.
Thank God for taking care of us as we continue to travel in His Name!
So...what happened as we spent our final days in Chiang Mai, Thailand? I don't think I could put it any better than Hannah did on her blog. So, with her permission, I've reposted her blogs here so you can read all about Rika*, Doi*, Gaye*, and Puhn*. (*names changed). Read on to find out how God has used the short time we've had here to change the lives of four women in the red light district...
I have seen so much heartache this month. When “boyfriends” leave my friends at the bars they feel it. I stopped to visit Rika* the day after her “boyfriend” of 3 weeks left to go back to Canada. She laughed an empty laugh and said, “I so drunk already. Last night Michael* leave and I have big cry.” She clung to my arm and whispered in my ear, “Hannah, my heart hurt so much. I think I have broken heart.” When she explained this to a friend, she told Rika that it was her fault. You never fall in love with a customer, everyone knows that.
This idea of masking your feelings, of shutting the world out and hiding inside yourself was brought up by another girl, Puhn, from a different bar. One night we had already seen Rika for a bit and decided to go to a new place for the last hour of our ministry time. I saw the sign for one place and thought it would be good to try out. When we came back down the street it was a little busy and kind of crazy. As we stood awkwardly in front of the bar we were welcomed in by a peppy and friendly girl named Gaye. We met Doi, Puhn and Gaye that night. Doi, the older one, being in her forties and unable to speak much English, simply smiled a lot. Gaye was all over the place….laughing, drinking, calling to men on the streets, she’s full of spunk. Puhn is mostly behind the bar. She takes our orders of pineapple juice and hot tea. Steph actually gets milk with hers in a shot glass on the side!
These ladies are anxious to talk, but given the setting, topics of conversation are limited. After an hour we find out that Gaye is married to an 87-year-old English man and she has three Thai children. She wants to marry one of my brothers and keeps asking when he can come to Thailand. Anne has been volunteered to marry Doi’s son, who is currently 8-years-old, but she has to wait 20 years for him to grow up. Puhn, 35, has an ex-husband who is 74, with whom she shares custody of her 8-year-old son. She also has a boyfriend in his fifties who is from the States and has four children of his own.
Over time we pass by their bar, sometimes intending to go to places further down the street, but we are always overruled. They spot us instantly, even from the other side of the street and they yell to us, “Young sister! Young sister! Come here!” We laugh and go on in. Each time they open up a bit more. It’s incredible and by the last time Puhn actually asks us on a date! She says, “Just me? Can Gaye come too?” We say yes and ask if Doi is free as well. It’s like children laughing on Christmas morning, the excitement is in the air.
Anne, Steph and I went to pick them up from the bar last night, our last night in Chiang Mai. We came in and Puhn was using the mirror behind the counter as she sat to straighten her hair! Gaye comes over, gives us some water while we wait and goes to find her perfume. She changes dresses and both of them look for shoes. They call Doi, who is running late and laugh about how she’s usually slow to get places. Necklaces are passed around and belts added to their outfits. Gaye arrives, smiling as usual. We tell them they all look beautiful. We pay the bar fee for all three of them and set out on our adventure.
Puhn tells us we’re going to eat at the White House. I bust out laughing and explain to her that in America, the President lives there. When we get out of the taxi I’m met with a great graffiti image of Obama and a sign that reads, “The White House: Chiang Mai.” Anne and I immediately reach for our cameras amidst more chuckles. This will be fun.
Gaye, Steph and Doi at dinner.
Puhn, me and Anne.
At our White House dinner! Back Row from left: Doi, Anne, me, Puhn. Front: Steph and Gaye.
We sat down on the deck overlooking the river to eat and had just started to share Doi’s fish platter when the wind started blowing and tiny flowers rained down into our rice bowls and drinks. We fled for cover under the roof. I ended up across from Puhn, Steph was next to Doi, Anne next to Gaye. In the hours that followed we shared lots of laughter, different dishes, and stories. I found out that Gaye and Doi had worked in the rice fields before their days in the bars. There was a long time where I was completely zoned out except to listen to Puhn’s story. We talked forever about her life and then she brought it up. “When you work in the bar you have to forget your troubles. You put your problems behind you and go to work. You don’t share your feelings. You don’t talk about your problems.” I asked her who she could share her troubles with. Asked her if she had any friends. And then I told her what I’d been wanting to for weeks, “Puhn, when I have troubles I talk to Jesus. He always listens to me and takes care of me. Do you know Jesus?” She says yes, that her boyfriend from America is a Christian. She asks, “All of you Christian?” I tell her yes and we start chatting away about the gospel, about Jesus and Buddha, about heaven, karma, everything.
The Lord brings something to my mind…a drunken conversation at the bar with an older customer. I hear Gaye’s voice, “As long as he has a big wallet.” It’s countered by Puhn, “I care about his heart. If he have a good heart, his wallet doesn’t matter.” I reminder her about this conversation. “We all have bad hearts on our own, Puhn. It’s when Jesus lives inside of your heart, that’s when it’s good. When you have troubles and your heart hurts, and even breaks, Jesus can come in and fix it, make it new again.” She has already had a few drinks, but her eyes show intense concentration. She’s hanging on every word, trying to understand, to hear more about this Jesus. We talk about karma, how if you do something bad, bad comes back to you. “That’s the funny thing about Jesus, Puhn. When you do bad he gives good. That’s grace. He is always good no matter what we do. He loves you and thinks you are so beautiful.”
The night draws to a close as live music starts up and the girls sing along to a few of the songs. We leave the restaurant and all six of us pack into a tuk-tuk, laughing as we try to fit. When we reach the corner where it’s time to say goodbye there is sadness, but there are also many hugs and promises to keep up through email. Before she leaves I tell Gaye, “You are beautiful.” She looks away, with her eyes on the sidewalk. I tell her again and look into her eyes, “You are beautiful. You believe me?” Her laughing manner is gone and her eyes answer my question. Thank you, Lord. She knows it’s true.
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
- Psalm 9:9-10
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.- Psalm 34:5
So...what happened as we spent our final days in Chiang Mai, Thailand? I don't think I could put it any better than Hannah did on her blog. So, with her permission, I've reposted her blogs here so you can read all about Rika*, Doi*, Gaye*, and Puhn*. (*names changed). Read on to find out how God has used the short time we've had here to change the lives of four women in the red light district...
Rolling down the streets of Chiang Mai on our double decker luxurious bus I find that my heart is heavy to leave this place. My headache remains as it has for the past few days and I’m sure the Enemy is still fighting hard. Questions flood my mind: am I really on the World Race? Didn’t I just spend three weeks going into bars, having lunch dates and shopping in the market? Was this ministry? Was it effective?
Looking back at all the Lord has done this month I can say with confidence that this has been one of the best months. When I left it was like saying goodbye to the sweet kids at Happy Home Nepal in November; my heart was twisted up and anxious for them to know Jesus, but I was thankful for the beautiful memories.
It would take me hours to sit down and tell you about my girls, Rika*, Doi, Puhn, and Gaye. Those are hours I would gladly spend to talk about the Lord’s goodness and how he gave us favor in gaining their friendship in such a short amount of time. I wrote about Rika in an earlier blog (Conversations with a friend). I remember our first meeting. She was polite in listening to us, but her attention often drifted away to other customers in the bar. She didn’t enjoy Connect Four but she played anyway and smiled emptily. When we left that first night she told us goodbye with a wave and went off quickly after a tall, good looking young guy at the pool table.
Yesterday we went down to the bar around 5:30 to say our final goodbyes and exchange email addresses and Skype names. There was one other man at the bar but her attention was all over us. We shared some new and interesting fruit that she’d bought for us, and laughed about all of our adventures. We took more pictures and prolonged the moment when we’d actually have to leave. It was with the most sincere eyes and conflicted smile that Rika told us goodbye. I got a bit teary eyed on the walk out. Before we left I had given her a necklace I picked up in Uganda. I thought the Lord meant it for me since it had “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” on one side and “with all my heart” on the other. I had been learning about The Greatest Commandment and was happy to find such a sweet reminder. Now, I felt like Rose should have it and after a declaration that she is beautiful and Jesus loves her so much, I gave her this necklace. She said, “I think it lucky that I meet you all. Maybe your God bring us together. Thanks to your God.” (If you only knew how happy I was to hear this. It’s not just a statement tossed lightly to the wind. It’s a beautiful realization that maybe the Lord really does know what He’s doing with us!)
Steph and I as we say goodbye to Rika.
In only three weeks, Stephanie, Anne and I went to breakfast with Rika, took her to open mic night where we dedicated a song to her, met for dinner with another friend, went to the park to feed the fish, visited Doi Suthep – a famous Buddhist temple, walked through the market and finally ate steak, her favorite, for lunch on the last day.
Rika's appetizer before her steak: vanilla ice cream with extra whipped cream and
a watermelon shake! She told us: "Steak take long time. Eat ice cream first!" Smart girl :)
We shared lots of conversations in the bar over a game of pool, in the restaurants over a meal, in the taxi riding across town. Rika told us so much of her life, her pain, her dreams. She was once the owner of a restaurant, before her husband left and took all of her money. Now she’s working in a bar where she lives upstairs on the nights that men don’t pay for her to keep them company. Both Rika and the men she accompanies know what they’re doing, and I don’t pretend to say that either party is innocent. Still, there’s a messed up mindset here in Thailand. It’s normal for this kind of behavior. Once a girl finds out that they can earn good money in a bar, they see it as hope, a chance to provide for their families. But there is such guilt and shame accompanying this kind of life. It’s a type of snare that keeps girls wounded and stuck in the bars because they don’t feel worthy to go anywhere else. I’ve noticed the many times that Rika says loudly, “Excuse me, smoking!” as she lights up another cigarette from the quickly declining pack. I catch the comments she tells her other friends, “These my friends. They good girls. No smoke or drink.” With every statement that compliments us, she condemns herself. Basically, they are girls who are waiting on one man while I go out with a new “boyfriend” every two weeks. It breaks my heart.
One night we paid Rika’s bar fee to take her out to open mic night at a café’ owned by our ministry contact. I felt extremely awkward going to the bar to pay for a person. Did you get that? I felt awkward and our group of women was taking her out to dinner! For $12 you can buy a date for the night. We made it clear to Rika that even though we paid her bar fee, we wanted to do what she wanted. It was her night off to be free and have fun. She was completely shocked as no one else has ever invested in her or paid so that she could simply relax for a few hours and go home early to sleep. While we were in the taxi she told us about her hopes of opening her own bar one day. It would be a friendly place where anyone could come and where the girls were not allowed to leave with the customers. Where the men couldn’t touch or harass the workers.
Stephanie and Rika at dinner before open mic night.
Another day we drove up the mountain (with a very speedy Thai driver) to visit Doi Suthep, a famous Buddhist temple that overlooks all of Chiang Mai. After everyone’s carsickness went away, we grabbed some pad thai (noodles) for lunch and headed to the temple. The steps leading up to the entrance were intimidating and never ending. The temple itself was covered in gold and intricate designs. Everywhere there were people kneeling, praying, giving money to Buddha for good luck. There were bells to ring and candles to light. Grotesque statues of elephants with arms and other images lurked in the alcoves of the temple. While I didn’t feel spiritually attacked in this place, it wasn’t one where I’d choose to hang out. Rika decided to take some flowers and circle the main portion of the temple three times for good luck. She invited us to join and we politely declined.
Stephanie, Rika, me and Anne at the steps of Doi Suthep
After the tour and a few 50 cent ice cream cones we started to climb down the stairs. Rika quickly tires with her habit of chain smoking and lack of good food and nutrients. We take a break to finish the ice cream and talk. I start with a simple question, praying silently that it will ignite into more. “Rika, what do you pray to Buddha for?” The reply, “Big money.” I give a small, light-hearted chuckle. “Do you think he can do it?” She says yes and shrugs her shoulders. Then it comes, a tiny spark, “You cannot pray to Buddha because you believe in God?” “Yes,” I say. “We pray to God alone. Do you know Jesus?” “What’s that?” This question breaks my heart and offers hope as I quickly give her the gospel in its simplest form. She nods politely and says that it’s nice. She’s glad we follow our God. I am urgent in letting her know that He is not just a farang (foreigner’s) God. He is the Lord of the whole world. She starts to look uncomfortable, but playfully ends up in a different conversation and we start back to the mountain of stairs.
Rika and me with our ice cream cones!
Rika didn’t choose to follow Jesus, but what a victory…to be able to proclaim his Name and purpose to her on the steps of a pagan temple! It’s the little conversations, the times when we pray over our meals and audibly thank God for our friend Rika and the many pool games where I usually lose that bring glory to the Father. At our first breakfast date we were talking about journaling about our trip so we could remember every detail. Rika told us that all of her days were sad and she did not want to write them down, she wanted the opposite effect, to forget.
After our time in Chiang Mai I have a feeling that Rika will want a journal. I pray that when she says she’ll never forget us it’s the truth. All of this is not something we’ve done, but the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. She’s not drawn to a couple of girls in their early 20s, she’s drawn to the God that created her, loves her and will continue to relentlessly pursue her. Praise his great name for all he’s done and all he will continue to do to make Himself known to the Thai people and the many tourists that visit this land! Unlike many other people I did not come to Thailand to find love, I came because I’ve already found Him and I want others to meet him too.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
Remember how I wrote that I would update all of you on the new vans that are needed for Champion Christan School? Well, the fundraising account for these vans has finally been approved by the AIM office!!! We have been given 2 months to raise the $20,000 needed to purchase the 2 new vans for this school ministry to continue and grow.
This is the van that Pastor Joseph drives every school day, 2 hours each way to drive kindergarteners through bumpy roads and up and down hills in order to take them to school. The current van they have is nearing its end, and sometimes we even had to push it down a hill in order for its engine to start. In order to support this growing ministry, Pastor Joseph has assessed the need for 2 new, bigger vans to carry all the new students attending the school.
Is God calling you to support Champion Christian School through the purchasing of these vans? Read the blog my teammate Hannah wrote to find out why this is a ministry worth supporting...and don't forget to watch the video that she has so painstakingly put together at the end!
We may have left the continent of Africa on February 18th, but there is no way that any of us have forgotten those at Champions Christian School or Christ Ambassadors Church. I wrote this blog on February 8th and have been waiting with anticipation to share it with you. The AIM office has been able to set up a ministry account and they've given us the okay to share this info with you. My teammate Ben helped to raise school scholarships for at least 59 kids to be able to attend school for one year. Now, you can hear about another way to partner with Champions Christian Primary School and meet a real need. Please don't overlook this or keep from praying into it as God may be using you to bring real change in Mukono, Uganda.
I can think of very few blogs that I’ve been more excited to write…or for you to read. I’ve already written most of it in my mind over the last few days as I’ve actively participated in and ponderingly observed the goings on of the church here in Uganda. Christ Ambassadors Church, started in 2004 by Pastor Joseph and his wife Frieda, has been steadily growing in many ways since its humble beginnings. The faithful couple was taking care of 15 orphans in their own home as they helped and encouraged their church members to farm, cook or sew to raise money for the church. In 2005, pastor remembers, “Everything was rented apart from us.” They were renting the church building and their own home. Through the help of two generous Australian men, they were able to obtain a poultry farm and live at home with 25 underprivileged kids and another couple who helped out. Soon they bought the land that Christ Ambassadors Church currently rests on. Still, it was difficult to keep all the children that depended on them. Some went back to their homes if they had parents that found the means to supply for their needs.
When 2008 came there was no way to pay the necessary school fees for the children living in Joseph and Frieda’s home. They also became aware of the fact that their kids were being bullied and abused at school because of their status as orphans. That’s when Champions Christian Primary School began. Frieda laughed, “School is supposed to start in January. Our term started October 1, 2008.” The first class was P-6, Primary 6. Now Champions Christian is over 200 students strong. There are classes for children as young as three and the oldest finish up with P-7 (Primary 7) around age 14. Forty percent of those attending this school are Muslim. Since Joseph and Frieda take care of both the church and school, it is easy to link the two for ministry purposes.
There have been numerous times that the children living nearby or those that attend school will come to church without their parents. They learn songs, scripture and pray to Jesus. Every Friday the school holds a chapel service where the Bible is taught and the children lead their own worship songs. It is truly amazing. Pastor Joseph and Mama Frieda are real servants of the Lord. They go hard all day, everyday. The kids often refer to Joseph and Frieda affectionately as “Daddy and Mama”. The keyboard player, choir director and one of the lead teachers of the school all grew up under Daddy and Mama’s roof. They have no biological children of their own, but the town of Mukono is bursting with those whose lives have been impacted by this amazing couple. They know what true discipleship is. They don’t just provide an education, they provide love, prayer, and dedication to raising up a whole and healthy child. The motto of the school is: “Raising the total man.”
Youth who've been discipled by Mama and Pastor: Peter (worship leader), Joseph (keyboard), Dennis (translator), Agnes (kids teacher), Jennifer (translator), Robert and Doreen (translator).
With Frieda and Pastor Joseph
With the quality teaching that the children receive, everyone benefits. Those that have grown up are now pouring back into the ministry at school and church. The kids that have accepted Christ go home and tell their parents. Rachel and Margaret are two single-moms that used to be prostitutes. Their children attended Champions school for one year as they struggled to pay the fees, often not paying the total amount. Rachel had also been attending church and accepted Christ as savior. This year, after having known Jesus for one year, she prayed for the Lord to provide the means for her children to continue in school. My teammate Kelly was the answer to her prayers. When she found out that Kelly would sponsor her children and Ben agreed to send her nephew (Margaret’s son) to school, she was overjoyed. The effect was incredible. Yesterday we went to Margaret and Rachel’s home because they had invited all of their friends and neighbors to come and hear us talk about Jesus. They told their own testimonies of how he changed their lives and heard their prayers. It was an incredible blessing to be a part of.
Everything about this month has been encouraging. Living under Joseph and Frieda’s roof has been a blessing. They love us, pray for us and enjoy our presence. It is not hard to reciprocate those feelings. We laugh, sing, joke and pray together. The team feels at home here in Mukono and that’s why we feel so strongly that we should take action and be invested in what the Lord is doing here.
Champions Christian Primary School is making a difference in Mukono and will make a difference in all of Uganda one day. The school was started by faith and it continues to run by faith as Joseph and Frieda trust the Lord to provide for their needs. Right now, the biggest need they have is for one of a new van to transport the children to school. I have had the unfortunate opportunity to ride in the current van, which is a total piece of junk. It’s a total World Race vehicle! We all make fun of it, Pastor and Frieda included, as sometimes it requires a push start. The back door must be tied shut so we don’t lose any passengers and the side door is a bit stubborn to open at times. The horn is a loose green wire that, when touched to the key, will produce a sound. None of the gauges on the dashboard work and the front seat is only partially attached to the floorboard of the van.
On top of all this, Pastor drives this van every school day for around 4-5 hours as he picks up and drops off the younger children in shifts. Yesterday, Kelly and I woke up at 5:30am and rode with him on the route. By the end of the first trip we had 33 children and 5 adults in the vehicle. It seats 14 passengers comfortably and safely. There is a great need here. Several days this past week the van was in the shop for repairs. When it is gone the team has to catch a local bus (no big deal), but the children take motorcycles home. This is not safe and it’s certainly not acceptable.
What I have seen and experienced in the past few weeks gives me confidence to tell you, my readers at home in America, that I fully support this ministry. I have no qualms or misgivings about advocating for new used vans (two will cut down on travel time and assure the kids arrive to school on time), because I know Joseph and Frieda and I know they are good stewards of what the Lord provides.
For two decent used vans it will cost $20,000 USD. The Lord will provide it because he is faithful and answers when his people are in need. If you are willing to be part of that answer and bless the children of Champions Christian Primary School, I encourage you to pray and to give. Please check out the video below as well. It's got some pretty hilarious footage and you'll get a chance to listen to Pastor's heart too.
Some cute kiddos on the ride to school one day.
To give by check:
Make checks payable to Adventures in Missions with the accounting code 11WR0702MP included in the memo line. Without the accounting code they will not be designated to Champions School! Checks should be mailed to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Gainesville, GA 30353-4470
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