Another favorite highlight of Thailand (for me!) was watching some young Thai girls performing the traditional Thai dancing. They are so graceful. The songs they are dancing to tell the version of their story of creation.

Here they are at the Buddhist Corner, and they are dancing as an act of worship to their gods.

Handy Dandy Fans

When we first arrived in Thailand, Becky had given us each a beautiful fan, and she said, "These are not just for show. Believe it or not, you will need them!" This is one of the things I love about Thailand. I was so excited to find a place in the world where "pretty things" are intended for practical use (and people do not look at you like you're some quaint historical figure who just stepped out of time!). Just so you know, I'm taking my fan with me everywhere (in my purse), and I shall use it should the need arise! :)

Introduction to Thailand

"Saw-wa-dee-kah!"

Hello to all who have been patiently waiting to hear more details of my trip to Thailand! In Thailand, the way we say 'hello' is by giving a quick bow and saying "saw-wa-dee-kah."

In Thailand elephants are a symbol of good luck. You see likenesses of them everywhere.

There are pink taxis everywhere! The traffic is a nightmare. Vehicles don't even stay in their proper lanes! If the coast is clear, they go for it. Motorcycles zip in and out between the cars.





Street Market


A man selling rugs.





This little taxi is called a tuk-tuk.

Vegetable stand.

² ² Circle Tour Prayer Guide ² ²

Theme: Daughters of the King

• The theme of the conference is recognizing that the rescued women and we are princesses in Christ, that he has made us daughters of the King of Kings. Pray that the we will know this in a deeper way; for our ability to communicate it to the safe house women and the Thai women we meet on the streets; pray that the safe house women will truly see themselves as daughters of the King of Kings and that this will be a transforming, empowering message.
• “The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord….All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the King” (Ps. 45:11, 13-14a).
• “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph. 3:17).
• “You are precious and honored in my sight and…I love you” (Is. 43:4).
• “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. He has clothed me [in] salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness…as a bride adorns herself with jewels” (Is. 61:10).
• “And your fame spread among the nations an account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezek. 16:14).

To be Christ with Skin on; Witness

• Pray for us to be Christ with skin on; to have Christ’s heart, mind, eyes, hands, and feet to reach out to each other, to hotel workers, bus drivers, market place people, tourist guides, safe house staff, WAR Int’l’s partners, rescued women, etc.
• Pray that the love of Christ will be communicated across culture and language
• “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view…All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:17-20).
• “’Lord…enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken” (Acts 4:29-31).

Unity

• Pray for team unity, that there may be no divisions, no small arguments among us, but that our unity and love will be a witness to all who we encounter
• Pray for mutual encouragement and support, that we may build each other up in Christ
• Pray that “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all [on the Circle Tour team] agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among [them] and that [they] may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Cor. 1:10; see also 2 Cor. 13:11, Ph. 2:2).
• “Each one of you is part of [the body of Christ]…But God combined the members of the body….so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Cor. 12:27-28).
• “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5).

Flexibility

• Pray for flexibility, that as things arise we will joyfully transition and move forward as a unified front, that pride and inflexibility will not give Satan a foothold
• For trust in our leaders; leaders’ wisdom in last minute decisions
• “Let love and faithfulness never leave you….Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes” (Pr. 3:4-6a).
• “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed…I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you” (Is. 41:10).

Spiritual Protection

• Many of us are under spiritual attack before we leave—please pray for peace as we leave these situations at home, for God to work in those situations
• Pray for our spiritual protection—that we will daily put on the full armor of God
• Pray that God will create a bubble of protection and peace around us; pray for physical protection in health and in body as we travel
• Pray for protection for our minds; that the images we see will not haunt us but cause us to love the exploited women more and give righteous anger; that every thought will be captive for Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
• Pray that we will not fight in our own strength, but depend on the Lord’s strength and weapons to fight for us (Ex. 14:14; Ps. 18:35; Ps. 44:6).
• Pray that we may walk in victory and light (2 Cor. 2:14; Ps. 60:12; 1 Cor. 15:57).
• “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
• “Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Eph. 6:10-18).
• “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:57-58).

Liz Curtis Higgs’ Conference “Embracing Grace”

• Pray for Liz’s strength and encouragement; that she will be refreshed and ministered; that the rest of the group will support her and be her prayer circle
• For Liz’s message to deeply impact, encourage, inspire, and challenge us; that we may grasp God’s grace deeper, and respond with deeper love, obedience, and gratitude
• For the message to make a lasting impact on us as we return to our lives in America
• For the Spirit to speak through Liz
• “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water…And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:22,24).
• “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction…We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of Go but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thes. 1:5; 2:8).

Partner’s Presentations

• Pray for our partners from Burma, Nepal, Cambodia, and the Dominican Republic presenting
• Pray for WAR, Int’l’s partner’s perseverance and encouragement; pray for us to understand, comfort, encourage, support, minster to; pray for a time of refreshing and new strength
• Pray for new ideas, wisdom, plans; pray that we will see new ways to get involved and to tangibly and practically support our partners
• Pray for spiritual protection and encouragement; for prayer circles for our partners
• “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one….May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance” (2 Thes. 3:3, 5).

Tuesday, Jan. 26^th

Team 1 (Becky, jewelry designer, board members) leave; they will be spending time in India

• Pray for wisdom, their ministry and encouragement during visiting partners and potential partners
• Pray for jewelry designer to launch new jewelry line from Indian safe house
• Pray for travel safety
• Pray as they settle final logistics and prepare to invite the Circle Tour women in Thailand
• A psalm of pilgrimage: The Lord “will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber….The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Ps. 121)

Tuesday, Feb. 9^th through 12^th

Travel to Thailand

• Pray for team unity and team building as many of us meet each other; for our unity to be a powerful witness; for mutual encouragement and support; for roommate matching
• Pray for health as we travel—some of us will have trouble on the plane, some have medication and health issues, some are leaving family members with health issues; pray for healing, peace, no complications
• “I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 1:2).
• “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:6-7).
• The LORD is “my hiding place; you will protect me from the trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Ps. 32:7).

Saturday, Feb. 13^th

AM: Sleep, orientation, tour

PM: Worship

EVE: Night Market

• Pray for recovery from jet lag, and refreshing worship that orients us to God
• Pray for the nation of Thailand, that Asian men will return to their roles as protective fathers; for the rescue of women in the sex industry; against poverty and demand for women; against the idea that selling daughters is acceptable; for their salvation and to acknowledgment of God
• “Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to feared above all gods…Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength” (Ps. 96:2-4,7).

Sunday, Feb. 14^th (Valentine’s Day)

AM: Church

PM: Spiritual Warfare Session with Becky

• For us to know the love of God in a deeper way and to be a vessel of that love to those we meet
• “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 5:5).
• “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, 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” (Eph. 3:14-19).
• “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35).

Monday, Feb. 15^th

AM: Visit to Safe House #2

PM: Conference with Liz Curtis Higgs, “Embracing Grace”

EVE: Dinner Cruise

• Pray for our visit to the safe house, that the love of God will be communicated across languages and cultures; for those Thai women who do not know Christ to see the love of Christ clearly
• Pray that Thai women and we will mutually encourage each other and find further healing; for a pervasive sense of being family in Christ; for a powerful worship time together
• Pray for our group to be challenged to respond; our guidance for future impact and ministry
• Pray for Liz Curtis Higg’s message of grace
• “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit…one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all...[May] the body of Christ be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:3-6, 12-13, 16).

Tuesday, Feb. 16^th

AM: Visit to Safe House #3

PM: Conference with Liz Curtis Higgs, “Embracing Grace”

EVE: Outreach

• Pray for the safe house visit, for the conference with Liz
• Pray for outreach—for spiritual protection, our minds to be protected from what we see
• For wisdom in who to talk to, where to go; that trapped women may see the love of Christ in our eyes
• Pray that the Spirit will move in ways that transcend language and culture
• Pray for the end of demand for women for personal pleasure and exploitation; the end of the sex industry
• Pray that women will dare to escape, dare to hope, dare to build a new life, dare to believe that they are worthy; pray against the lies and strongholds of Satan, for spiritual and physical freedom
• “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14).
• “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Is. 61:1-2).

Wednesday, Feb. 17^th

AM: Burma partner presenting, prayer for partner

PM: Conference with Liz Curtis Higgs, “Embracing Grace”

EVE: Team Building Time

• Pray for our presenting partner, for Liz, for team unity
• Pray for our partners, who often feel alone and discouraged; who suffer spiritual attack
• “I want you to know how much I am struggling for [them so that] they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:1-2).

Thursday, Feb. 18^th

AM: Cambodia partner presenting, prayer for partner

PM: Conference with Liz Curtis Higgs, “Embracing Grace”

EVE: Banquet for safe house women

• Pray for the 230 women to have joy, fun, peace, and a great sense of being loved
• Pray that the Thai women will grasp their worth in Christ; Thailand has royalty, so they know what it means to be a princess, and pray that their eyes may be opened to know their riches in Christ
• Pray for those women who are not saved, that they may know the love of Christ and surrender their lives
• Pray for group dynamics as Thai and American women mix across cultures and languages
• Pray for logistics and details; that things will go smoothly
• Pray that the Thai women may accept the gifts given to them, and that the gifts will help erase the lies of shame, guilt, and worthlessness from their abuse; pray for further healing in body, mind, and soul
• “How great the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!...Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 Jn. 3:1-2).

Friday, Feb. 19^th

AM: Travel to northern Thailand

• Pray for health, refreshing, perseverance, and encouragement for us as we travel
• Pray that we may have clarity and wisdom to process and think through some of our experiences
• “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul…You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:1-3, 5b-6).

Saturday, Feb. 20^th

AM/PM: Orphanage visit

EVE: Nepal partner presenting, prayer for partner

• Pray for our partner presenting in the evening
• Pray for lasting relationships to be formed at the orphanage; for the love of Christ to overflow from us and for our strength and energy to play with these girls
• “May the Lord make you love increase and overflow for each other and everyone else, just as ours does for you” (1 Thes. 3:12).
• Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:37).
• “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mk. 10:14).

Sunday, Feb. 21

AM/PM: Travel to Bangkok

EVE: Dominican Republic partner presenting

• Pray for health and safety as we travel; pray for patience, grace, and strength during the last stretch
• Pray for our partner presenting
• “My hand will sustain [her]; surely my arm will strengthen [her]” (Ps. 89:21).
• “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Eph. 3:16).

Monday, Feb. 22^nd

Travel to the United States

• Pray for each other as we return home; pray for debriefing, processing, journaling
• Pray that we will take what we have learned and share it with others; pray that this makes a lasting impact on us and renews our strength and purpose in the Lord; pray for our zeal for God’s justice, for prayer
• “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done” (1 Ch. 16:8).
• “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
• “But you [received] power when the Holy Spirit [came] upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).