Hello dear ones,
It's been a little over a month since I've been home from Thailand, and here I am finally writing the report I promised I'd give you! Thank-you for your patience in waiting and your consideration in not overwhelming me with a flood of questions. I was in Thailand for 10 days, and it was definitely a life changing experience, some of which I'll try to relay in this letter. I went with a group of 45 other women as part of the ministry of Women at Risk, International, also referred to as WAR. When we reached Bangkok, Becky's (the president of WAR) brother met us at the airport. During our stay he helped with arrangements and made sure everything was flowing smoothly. On a humorous note, the next day which happened to be Sunday, he introduced us to their church with the question, "What do you call a tsunami of 40 women?" The answer, "An estronami!"
During our stay we visited 3 safe houses of rescued women, hosted a banquet for 200 rescued women, went on outreach to the red light districts, and also visited an orphanage of 110 at-risk girls rescued from the intent of being sold into the sex trade. We did some shopping in the incredible markets of Thailand and went on a dinner cruise one evening as well. It was an entirely new experience for me, and I have to say that I fell in love with Thailand, along with its people.
Another highlight of the trip was that Liz Curtis Higgs, popularly known for her book Bad Girls of the Bible, accompanied us and shared her testimony, as well as ministered to us during her teaching time. Her theme was "Embracing Grace." Liz was an absolute delight, and through her I was able to see more of God's heart for His daughters. Some meaningful statements she shared: "God meets us where we are. Even if we aren't looking in His direction, He is always looking in ours." "The purpose of my life is this: I was made to love God and be loved by Him." "God loves me, not because I am good, but because I am His."
I'd like to give you somewhat of a backdrop of the Thai culture which will help you to better understand some of the reasons behind the well known problem of the sex trade, also called sex tourism. It is estimated that 60% of foreign men traveling to Thailand have come for the sex industry. I'd like to insert a sentence here that Women at Risk is NOT an organization who bashes men. The men are wounded as well, and the ministry is searching for a way where they can reach out to the men involved, as well as the women. However, Women at Risk's primary focus is on the women who are the victims of trafficking and prostitution.
Thailand is mainly Buddhist, and there is a teaching in Buddhism that the reason you were born a woman in this life is because you didn't do enough good in your past life to become a man. The male figure is literally worshiped because a man can make merit for his parents by becoming a monk for any length of time (for as little as one day) so they (the parents) can have a cycle of life in heaven.
Also, from the time she is born, a girl's parents keep a ledger of every expense she costs them, and she is required to pay her "debt" when she reaches a certain age. Culturally, it is the daughter who is expected to support her parents and other family members. The cultural obligation is so strong that a girl will say, "I don't matter. I'm not important. What's important is that I support my parents at any cost." Prostitution is considered a better sacrifice than doing nothing at all. Becky asked us to pray for one girl who was "working" to support 8 other family members. One woman's answer as to why she could not leave was this: "My mother has been sick in the hospital so I need to pay for that. My brother just bought a motorcycle, and I need to pay for that. My child is in school, and I must pay her way through college because she is not going to have this kind of life. So that means seven more years."
One girl who had been rescued and had come to know Christ was given the revelation and shared, "God never hated me or was prejudiced against me." Another girl shared, "What I like best of all is worshiping God. God is love, pure love."
I'm going to share an excerpt from my journal that I wrote after my first time meeting some of these incredible women..."Today marks the first day I have met face to face these women I so dearly love. How shall I describe it? How do you describe the rare and precious beauty that has arisen from among the ashes? I look into each of their eyes, and I see beauty. I see depth. They know what it is to be told they are worthless and lower than the meanest snake. They know what it is to have their voices silenced. They know what it is to have no hope. And yet, here they are lifting their eyes to the heaven's, praising and worshiping God, the One who has lifted them from the ashes and given them reason to hope again. I have never seen a more beautiful sight."
It was a precious gift for me to sit among these women, to wrap arms of love around them, to worship with them and hear their stories. Our shared worship times were a glimpse of heaven - they singing in Thai beside us while we sang along in English. It was so amazing to experience the bond of sisterhood with them, and I came to realize how much you can communicate with a person even though you don't speak the same language. Love bridges the gap. Love speaks louder than any spoken words I could utter. When I see these women, the word prostitute doesn't enter my mind for that is not who they are. They are my sisters. Another excerpt from my journal: "These precious young women. They have emotions. They cry. They know fear. They know loneliness. They know shame. They are well acquainted with grief. We are the same. We are sisters."
I have a story of how one precious little girl was rescued from a life of horror. At two weeks of age, her mother in a state of desperation sold her baby into the hands of a trafficker. When WAR heard about this, they tracked that little baby down, and they bought her back. She was adopted by a loving family, and she is now 2 yr. old, as precious and as beautiful as any little girl can be. Her name is Elliana, which means "Gift of God."
There was a woman who accompanied us on our trip from the Dominican Republic and a partner in the ministry of WAR. She shared of the desperate circumstances women find themselves in there. I will never forget this... From my journal, "These women are desperate. They have babies at home who need milk in order to survive. Their children need to be cared for. And there is no money. So after these women tuck their little ones into bed, they catch a train to another town so no one will recognize them. They "work" the entire night selling themselves to make it home by dawn so as they will not be missed. Another day dawns, and the hopeless cycle repeats itself."
The good news in all this is that God is alive and drawing these women to Himself, rescuing and redeeming them from their traumatic pasts. Through ministries like WAR who come alongside these women, they are offered a way out, they are given hope for a new start, and the opportunity of a job that allows them to provide for themselves and their families with dignity.
The most rewarding part of the trip for me was definitely meeting the rescued women face to face. I went on this trip intending to be a blessing, and in return I was so much more abundantly blessed than I could have ever imagined. Their lives speak to me, and impact me in a way that no one else could. During this season of my life God has been working in me a heart of brokenness for the lost, for the broken, and giving me a heart of compassion and unconditional love, as He enables me to see through His eyes, not those of my own. It has and still is a painful process, but I know and believe that God has an intended purpose in mind. I came across a quote in one of Elizabeth Elliot's books, and it fits in my life perfectly,"If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad."
I'd like to thank each one of you for prayers for me surrounding this trip. It truly made all the difference in the world. The evening we went on outreach in the red light district, we were walking through on a prayer walk. Amazingly, I felt no fear. Despite being surrounded by insurmountable evil, I was completely at peace. I sensed this bubble of protection that God had enveloped about me. My heart broke for what I saw, and I was given the ability to see through God's eyes, and have love and compassion flow from my heart for both the women and the men. That reminds me of a statement Becky had told us before we even reached Thailand, "They are not the enemy; they are captives of the enemy."
All this to say, I love you, and I am thankful that God has brought each of you into my life. Your lives have made a difference that has impacted one life for the kingdom of God. I cannot imagine how many countless others there must be.
During our stay we visited 3 safe houses of rescued women, hosted a banquet for 200 rescued women, went on outreach to the red light districts, and also visited an orphanage of 110 at-risk girls rescued from the intent of being sold into the sex trade. We did some shopping in the incredible markets of Thailand and went on a dinner cruise one evening as well. It was an entirely new experience for me, and I have to say that I fell in love with Thailand, along with its people.
Another highlight of the trip was that Liz Curtis Higgs, popularly known for her book Bad Girls of the Bible, accompanied us and shared her testimony, as well as ministered to us during her teaching time. Her theme was "Embracing Grace." Liz was an absolute delight, and through her I was able to see more of God's heart for His daughters. Some meaningful statements she shared: "God meets us where we are. Even if we aren't looking in His direction, He is always looking in ours." "The purpose of my life is this: I was made to love God and be loved by Him." "God loves me, not because I am good, but because I am His."
I'd like to give you somewhat of a backdrop of the Thai culture which will help you to better understand some of the reasons behind the well known problem of the sex trade, also called sex tourism. It is estimated that 60% of foreign men traveling to Thailand have come for the sex industry. I'd like to insert a sentence here that Women at Risk is NOT an organization who bashes men. The men are wounded as well, and the ministry is searching for a way where they can reach out to the men involved, as well as the women. However, Women at Risk's primary focus is on the women who are the victims of trafficking and prostitution.
Thailand is mainly Buddhist, and there is a teaching in Buddhism that the reason you were born a woman in this life is because you didn't do enough good in your past life to become a man. The male figure is literally worshiped because a man can make merit for his parents by becoming a monk for any length of time (for as little as one day) so they (the parents) can have a cycle of life in heaven.
Also, from the time she is born, a girl's parents keep a ledger of every expense she costs them, and she is required to pay her "debt" when she reaches a certain age. Culturally, it is the daughter who is expected to support her parents and other family members. The cultural obligation is so strong that a girl will say, "I don't matter. I'm not important. What's important is that I support my parents at any cost." Prostitution is considered a better sacrifice than doing nothing at all. Becky asked us to pray for one girl who was "working" to support 8 other family members. One woman's answer as to why she could not leave was this: "My mother has been sick in the hospital so I need to pay for that. My brother just bought a motorcycle, and I need to pay for that. My child is in school, and I must pay her way through college because she is not going to have this kind of life. So that means seven more years."
One girl who had been rescued and had come to know Christ was given the revelation and shared, "God never hated me or was prejudiced against me." Another girl shared, "What I like best of all is worshiping God. God is love, pure love."
I'm going to share an excerpt from my journal that I wrote after my first time meeting some of these incredible women..."Today marks the first day I have met face to face these women I so dearly love. How shall I describe it? How do you describe the rare and precious beauty that has arisen from among the ashes? I look into each of their eyes, and I see beauty. I see depth. They know what it is to be told they are worthless and lower than the meanest snake. They know what it is to have their voices silenced. They know what it is to have no hope. And yet, here they are lifting their eyes to the heaven's, praising and worshiping God, the One who has lifted them from the ashes and given them reason to hope again. I have never seen a more beautiful sight."
It was a precious gift for me to sit among these women, to wrap arms of love around them, to worship with them and hear their stories. Our shared worship times were a glimpse of heaven - they singing in Thai beside us while we sang along in English. It was so amazing to experience the bond of sisterhood with them, and I came to realize how much you can communicate with a person even though you don't speak the same language. Love bridges the gap. Love speaks louder than any spoken words I could utter. When I see these women, the word prostitute doesn't enter my mind for that is not who they are. They are my sisters. Another excerpt from my journal: "These precious young women. They have emotions. They cry. They know fear. They know loneliness. They know shame. They are well acquainted with grief. We are the same. We are sisters."
I have a story of how one precious little girl was rescued from a life of horror. At two weeks of age, her mother in a state of desperation sold her baby into the hands of a trafficker. When WAR heard about this, they tracked that little baby down, and they bought her back. She was adopted by a loving family, and she is now 2 yr. old, as precious and as beautiful as any little girl can be. Her name is Elliana, which means "Gift of God."
There was a woman who accompanied us on our trip from the Dominican Republic and a partner in the ministry of WAR. She shared of the desperate circumstances women find themselves in there. I will never forget this... From my journal, "These women are desperate. They have babies at home who need milk in order to survive. Their children need to be cared for. And there is no money. So after these women tuck their little ones into bed, they catch a train to another town so no one will recognize them. They "work" the entire night selling themselves to make it home by dawn so as they will not be missed. Another day dawns, and the hopeless cycle repeats itself."
The good news in all this is that God is alive and drawing these women to Himself, rescuing and redeeming them from their traumatic pasts. Through ministries like WAR who come alongside these women, they are offered a way out, they are given hope for a new start, and the opportunity of a job that allows them to provide for themselves and their families with dignity.
The most rewarding part of the trip for me was definitely meeting the rescued women face to face. I went on this trip intending to be a blessing, and in return I was so much more abundantly blessed than I could have ever imagined. Their lives speak to me, and impact me in a way that no one else could. During this season of my life God has been working in me a heart of brokenness for the lost, for the broken, and giving me a heart of compassion and unconditional love, as He enables me to see through His eyes, not those of my own. It has and still is a painful process, but I know and believe that God has an intended purpose in mind. I came across a quote in one of Elizabeth Elliot's books, and it fits in my life perfectly,"If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad."
I'd like to thank each one of you for prayers for me surrounding this trip. It truly made all the difference in the world. The evening we went on outreach in the red light district, we were walking through on a prayer walk. Amazingly, I felt no fear. Despite being surrounded by insurmountable evil, I was completely at peace. I sensed this bubble of protection that God had enveloped about me. My heart broke for what I saw, and I was given the ability to see through God's eyes, and have love and compassion flow from my heart for both the women and the men. That reminds me of a statement Becky had told us before we even reached Thailand, "They are not the enemy; they are captives of the enemy."
All this to say, I love you, and I am thankful that God has brought each of you into my life. Your lives have made a difference that has impacted one life for the kingdom of God. I cannot imagine how many countless others there must be.
With love,
Audrey
Audrey
