the stretch

Today is the first day of our last week...

Over these past weeks we have made wonderful new friends, in and out of the bars.

God has used each team member to sow sooo many seeds of love into the people we have encountered. 

Right next door to where we live is local eatery owned and run by a Thai woman. We lovingly call her Mama and she now cooks us whatever we ask and even gives us Thai price. When we don't eat there she'll tell us in her broken English that she misses us and eagerly looks out for us every time we walk by.....

Our team of 8 is split up into two teams when we go down to the bars. Team 1: Jenna, Jay, myself, and Vanessa. Team 2: Rachel, Breanna, John and Gideon. Now when we go out we are greeted by hugs and squeals of delight. When we go to new bars the women have told us they have seen us before and are more open to just talk and play a game. Its awesome to see that they've noticed us and see that something about us is different....

Please continue to lift us up in our last week....

and thank you for all the prayers you have already sent up on our behalf.

Paul is here!

This week has been crazier than usual. However, our friendships have been blooming. Praise Jesus!!

Jenna, Jay, Vanessa and I have become good good friends with 3 people at this one bar. We've now blocked a day where we're all going bowling. It'll be our first time to talk to them outside of the bar scene. 

I can't believe one month has already been lived here in Patong. It hasn't been easy but looking back it is very encouraging to see how God honors those who persevere. The fruit of our prayers and pouring of love has not been in vain. I (and the rest of the team) are very grateful that our time here has been long. Its given us time to build relationships and sow seeds that maybe we won't see the fullness of but know that something was started.

Yesterday we began our Visa Run adventure which started at 5.30am and consisted of a 5hr bus ride to a dock, some stamps, a 40 min ride on a small uncovered boat to Burma, more stamps, some salesmen, a wet ride back, food, driving and home. We didn't do much but it was so tiring! Half the team is sunburned and all of the team is happy to be back on Thai soil :)

Paul arrived at midnight and will spend the next two days meeting with us and encouraging us...just like Paul of the Bible did :)

We're taking him to the bars tonight.

week 3

As I sit here in the SHE building simmering in the noon-day heat I can’t help but smile at the beautiful stories of grace that I am surrounded by. The fact that they are even here is a miracle! Definitely proof that hope does still exist in the darkest of placesJ.

 

We have been faithfully going to the bars for these past couple weeks and have made friends with the ladies. They recognize us and on most nights welcome us with open arms to have a drink (non-alcoholic, of course), play a few games and talk. All of the women we have befriended dislike their jobs but not enough to leave……yet. The need to survive, to have money for self and family is still strong. We are constantly kept on our knees praying that God will show them that money is not worth selling their bodies for. We’ve invited 5 over for lunch…all agreed to come but none have shown up….YET.

 

The life of a bar girl revolves around their bar. They work 7 days a week, from 8pm to 3:30am. And if they are picked up…that’s another story. Most wake up at 5pm. Just enough time to get a bite to eat and head down to work.

 

Our team has been doing really well. Although we live in close quarters God continues to give us grace to love and look over one anothers annoying habits (smile).

 

 

What do WE do with our days?

 

Well, I’m glad you asked!

Jenna, Breanna and Vanessa were hard at work last week photographing all the jewelry for the SHE website. Sharon and Mark (the leaders of SHE) were SO impressed. They previously had two professional photographers come in to take the jewelry photos but they don’t even compare to the ones the PhotogenX ladies work.

 

 Gideon has been Mr. Fix-it and has just finished making and painting new picture frames for the ladies work certificates.

 

John has been playing a huge part in updating and setting up the SHE website. Which has been a huge blessing to the leaders ‘cause they aren’t as technically savy.

 

Rachel and I have been photographing the women, which has been very fun, especially seeing the women’s faces when we show them their photo. At first they’re shy, but they can’t resist for very long.

 

.isaiah 61

 

-the sweating reporter.