Namtam

Namtam means Sugar is Thai.

Namtam is this great little 7 year old. She is the daughter of one of the women who runs NL. She brings me so much joy. Everyday in the office she graces me with her presents. We will hear her yelling in the hall and we know... the door swings open and she does her thing.... which usually includes coming over to me pointing at my computer and thats when I know..... ITS PHOTO BOOTH TIME!

aware

If you have the desire and maybe some time, check out this website I found:

http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/538

It gave me a better perspective as to why some of the beggars are in their current situation. I don't know what I think about their views toward ending street begging, but the information provided is helpful in understanding the situation more.

It's kind of long, so if you check it out, thank you. Maybe you could join me in prayer for these people and maybe pray for some followers of Christ to rise up and meet this head on. Pray that as we continue to say over and over again we want to know God, that we would know what and who it is God cares very deeply for.

everyday

Everyday I see the poor, I see the hungry, I see the afflicted. It's not just here in Thailand, it's in America too. I have this amazing privilege to work with a ministry that truly seeks justice. God is teaching me so much through all of this. I am learning more and more about prostitution and the not so simple details that surround it.
Walking to work everyday and walking around the city I see the poor, the hungry, the afflicted. The particular people I am referring to right now are those who sit on the sidewalks asking for money.

Sometimes it's a women with her infant child in her arms, other times it's a man with missing limbs or a blind man being led with a string by his mother while singing with a microphone and speaker. I think my mindset might come from my American culture. When I see a homeless person at home, lets say standing to the side of the freeway entrance by Tyler or the exit by Adams, I naturally think 'if I give him money, he will use it for drugs or alcohol and if I offer him food, he won't want it anyways'. To be honest I don't know enough about homeless people to be so critical or have any judgment on the way most people think. But I am bringing that up because I find myself confused.

We read in the bible over and over again about feeding the hungry and caring for the poor, but when do we start doing that? What does that mean for my current context? I do believe strongly that in a way working with NL is doing that, but does that mean it's okay to ignore these physically hurting people all around me? Because, as selfish as I am, I don't want to not do anything. It makes me sick to see a 5 month old baby in the arms of their mother on the street at 11 o’clock at night. And I hate that I am just another pair of shoes and legs that these people see.

PiCtUrEs

I uSeD tO tHiNk It WaS sO cOoL tO wRiTe LiKe ThIs.
ThEsE aRe JuSt SoMe RaNdOm PiCtUrEs.
(that takes too long)
hope you enjoy.
the polo one seems odd, but when i saw it in the airport my first thought was of Art Price.

It's pouring rain right now. I have never seen lightening as close as I did tonight. I ran from the taxi to the door to my house and still managed to get drinched. I came into a cold room and was shivering.... and for a moment it was like winter.

The picture I posted is from an awesome view I had at dinner a few nights ago.

It's weird that I have been here for about a month. I have been really stretched recently. It's a good thing, but a hard thing. So, to those of you praying for me, I want you to know how much it means, thank you.

The women at NightLight.
I can't imagine what it would be like to come out of prostitution to a world where you attend a worship service every morning and have people in your life who show you genuine love. Nonetheless, coming to NL or attending these services or small groups does not make these women followers of Christ. Please join me in prayer for those who still do not know Him. Pray that their past hurts that seem so very present would be washed away by the overwhelming power of knowing God.

I was going to title this, "one week down" (because we have been here for one full week) but decided that sounded like i don't want to be here

hope you guys enjoy the pictures. and i hope they dont seem like we are on a vacation. one of the pictures is the entrance to the bars and the others are of our adventure at the floating market.

bars/hotel

Our night started off meeting in the Nightlight office where everyone debriefed a little about the last bar visit. Then we spent time in prayer.
I really appreciated hearing people with experience speak about prostitution.

We ate dinner at an outdoor food court type place close to the bars. The place seemed full of foreigners (mostly men) some eating dinner with Thai women, as if they were on a date, I guess that’s what they would see it as. Some of the women looked like they were enjoying their time, but others seemed miserable.

The men I saw were mostly older, like 50 or something. As I looked at them all through out the night, I tried to understand why they are here. I think some are just lonely and when they walk into a bar and girls go crazy because you are there…. You are finally somebody… you feel adored, loved, manly…. An other reason, which someone pointed out to me, is they have no reason not to be there. Those are my current thoughts toward the men that I have been and will be thinking through.

We were walking through the city, turn the corner and boom, we’re in bar central.
I don’t really know how to describe it, maybe I’ll post a picture, but there were tons of different bars to choose from. We split up into groups, Sarah, a women here for three weeks, one of the founders of nightlight and I went into one particular bar.

I’ve debated over whether or not I am going to describe it or not and decided not to. Sarah might, I’m not sure. The women entertained and the guys watched. We have been told how to act and how to try to engage in conversation; Sarah and I didn’t get the chance. I have been realizing that the language barrier is just that, a barrier. The people we were with got to talk with some women.

It’s crazy to realize that the women we see everyday at nightlight used to be like that and it just echoes how good God is to bring people like the staff at nightlight to show love and hope.

(this is turning to be pretty long … thank you for those who are still reading)

we also went to a hotel. I guess this restaurant in the hotel is where a lot of trafficked women are. We saw about 30 Uzbekistani women sitting at different tables in the lobby, I think waiting for customers. I’m still learning about that whole situation.

I am have been learning a lot of different things and am still trying to figure out what my role is here. Thank you to everyone praying…. Because we need it and they need.