Category: Blog

Tuesday began our time with Silk, a woman from Bangkok sent from our  team’s church to be a missionary in the Issan region of Thailand. We had the opportunity to hear an update about her family, the tension she is experiencing as a Christian in her family, the doubts that the fellow believers in her family are beginning to have about God, and the ways her family has come under spiritual attack during the months and even days leading up to our trip to Silk’s home to spend time with her Mama and Papa. It was helpful to hear this from Silk and know what type of spiritual environment we would enter when we visited her home. We joined with Silk in prayer and worship, blessing her with prayers for wisdom and breakthrough in her family.

We took the subway to Silk’s house and were greeted at the door by her Mama, Papa, and brother. Within the front room of the house was the office for her brother’s business and a sitting area where we enjoyed fellowship with Silk and her family. Her father supplied some Chinese herbal remedies for Sophie’s cough (8 pills at a time every four hours…) and told us about the other businesses he has started. Silk’s mother gave an update about her health, telling us about the medicine she has to take because of her kidney transplant. We ended our time in the house with worship and prayer. As with each house we visit, we asked to sing a song for the host. For Silk’s parents, we invited the Holy Spirit into the house to displace the darkness of false gods and the spiritual oppression felt by the believers in the home. As we sang the words, “Holy Spirit, you are welcome here,” I watched Mama close her eyes and hold back tears. Mama lives with such heaviness as a Christian in that home. We also prayed for her specifically and for her health. She began to feel lighter in spirit, and a smile came upon her face. It was wonderful to be able to encourage her in this way.

Silk’s family joined our team for a real Chinese meal (they are Chinese Thai) just a short walk from their home. There were multiple courses, and the manager was being so generous by bringing out food we had not ordered just so we could try them. Fried dishes, steamed dumplings and buns, corn crab soup, fried rice, soft shell crab, vegetables, fish… It kept coming! Most of the team even tried chicken feet! It was a great meal with plenty of opportunities to continue making connections with Silk and her family.

After lunch, we checked out of the guest house and transferred to a new hotel. We managed to fit Silk, Kathy, and everyone’s luggage into one taxi. They said it couldn’t be done, but we did it! We took the sky train or BTS to our new hotel, transferring to a different line than the one we had been using to get around the city. We got off at Nana station, headed for exit #3, and walked to the next corner. “Without looking,” John said, “can you tell me what street we just turned into?” Instinctively we all looked. Soi 11. Nana to exit 3 to 11. John and Kathy were giving us more freedom in the city, so they wanted to make sure we knew exactly where we were going. That night, we went to Paragon, formerly the largest mall in Thailand, to have dinner on our own before heading back whenever we wanted. I was put in charge of leading a group home in case they couldn’t remember how to get back.

Sophie and I went to a Japanese ramen restaurant and sat down next to a Thai couple. They left after a few minutes, so we eagerly awaited to see who would be seated next to us. They were two Asian men not speaking English. I kept my ears open just in case. When I heard the one guy mention “crispy pata,” I realized they were speaking Tagalog and asked if they were Filipino. We got to talk for a little bit, though it was hard to understand why they were in Thailand. They spoke very vaguely about being in the city for a conference, something about cars, technical issues, and Southeast Asia. Every other topic was clearly understood, so it was a little suspicious that they wouldn’t elaborate on why they had come to Bangkok.

I was part of the first group to go back to the hotel. Sophie, Mitch, Lindsey, and I successfully navigated the new route, though we quickly learned that we should have stayed on the left hand side of Soi 11. As we walked down the right hand side, we passed girl after girl (and some “ladyboys” as they are called here) waving laminated menus of services they offer. Most were about my age; some were probably even younger. Mitch was fortunate to have Lindsey with him, because the girls did not approach or solicit him. On the elevator ride up, we discussed why businesses are okay with having the prostitutes outside, and we realized that the business owners don’t have any issue if they also own the girls or are among their clientele.

I’m finding myself being suspicious of any white male I see in Bangkok, but especially on the street by our hotel. I’m still trying to process this. Clearly I’m traveling with white males who have the opposite intention, but my gut reaction as I travel throughout the city is not giving these men the benefit of the doubt. I know we are supposed to be traveling in groups for our safety, but I find myself hanging back, separating myself from everyone else so when people pass by the men in our group, they don’t view them with the same suspicion. It’s not so much about people thinking I am a prostitute but more so not wanting strangers questioning the character of whichever guy happens to be walking next to me.

Monday was literally spent eating and spending time with people. It’s not what you would typically expect to see on a mission trip itinerary, but I suppose this hasn’t been a typical mission trip.

After our morning worship and prayer session, we drove to a Thai market where John, Kathy, and Bee each took a few of us around to see and try different vendors. Bee had the Chinese donut crew: Mitch, Sophie, and me. She was eager to show us all these delicious fruits and treats she wanted us to try. We ended up buying some freshly fried bananas, jackfruit, some kind of pastry, and authentic Thai iced tea served in a plastic bag filled with ice. Some of the other groups passed through the live fish section, much to their dismay. I think my group was disappointed we had missed it! John’s group bought durian, a fruit notorious for its sweaty gym sock-like odor.

We took our market purchases to Bee’s house, where we met her brother (Grace’s father), her sister, and her nephew (her sister’s son). Bee’s sister prepared a delicious lunch for us with three different kinds of rice (white, fried, sticky), two kinds of chicken (fried, spicy), vegetables, and curry. This meal was so good it demanded seconds. The durian, however, was more of a “once and done” type of food. Josiah and I helped ourselves to at least three servings of durian, though. Adventurous eaters FTW. In addition to lunch, we spent time in fellowship with the family, not all of whom are Christians. Mitch shared his testimony with Bee’s nephew to help him practice his English language comprehension. [Lesson of the day: American English words like “kinda” are difficult for English language learners to understand. Right, Mitch?] The women got a tour of Grace’s bedroom and took some time to pray over her room and for the time she spends there. We prayed that it would be a place of rest and peace and a place where she would encounter the presence of God. We sang a worship song for the family, which they may have viewed as a performance but we saw as welcoming the Holy Spirit into the home. We also prayed over Bee’s brother, who was left partially paralyzed after his stroke. He had been almost completely paralyzed on his right side but has been gradually getting better after receiving prayer for healing last year. He is currently able to stand and walk with a cane but remains unable to speak. We prayed for his ability to communicate to be restored, for the damage to his brain to be reversed, and for complete healing. While we did not see miraculous and instantaneous recovery, he was encouraged and deeply moved by our prayers. He seemed to feel something happening within his body, but without the ability to communicate, we are not sure exactly what he was experiencing. I look forward to hearing updates from Bee about any improvements to her brother’s health.

After Bee’s house, we went to John and Kathy’s old neighborhood to visit their friend Book. She served us brownies, cookies, chips, and tuna fish sandwiches. This was a welcomed selection of foods for those whose stomachs have not been entirely compatible with Thai cuisine. She said she would have served a better meal if she had time to prepare, but we assured her it was perfect. Book spent our time together telling us about how she became a Christian and the struggles she faces as a Christian in a Buddhist family/culture. She is seeking to find a balance between standing firm in her faith while respecting her family and friends’ Buddhist traditions. For example, what’s the best way to honor a friend’s loved one at a funeral without participating in rituals that go against your Christian beliefs? She was encouraged by the fellowship with other Christians, our prayers for her, and our time of worship within her home.

Our last stop was Auntie Pim’s house. She is a Buddhist friend of John and Kathy, and like our other hosts from throughout the day, she was very gracious and hospitable. While we did not get a chance to sing in Pim’s home or offer a prayer of blessing over her, it was a sweet time of getting to know each other. She took us down the street to a restaurant owned by her family. Food was constantly being brought to the table, and it was all incredibly delicious. After a while, though, many of us were beyond full and slipping into food comas.

At times, I think it was easy to think we weren’t doing ministry when we were just sitting around eating and talking, but based on the encouragement our friends said they received from spending this time together, God was clearly still at work in those moments. The key thing for us to remember is to remain engaged in the moment and the opportunities God may be opening up before us even when it seems like we aren’t doing much.

Sunday morning began a little earlier for John, Mitch, Sophie, and me. The four of us left the guest house at 6:30 am to go to the market for fresh Chinese donuts. We rode a tuk-tuk (motorcycle rickshaw) to the market, where we saw tons of vendors preparing for the day. A pickup truck filled with full butchered pigs. Endless rows of fruits and vegetables. Large pots of curry, soup, and other meals. Live fish, turtles, and snails. Durian. We also saw Buddhist monks standing throughout the market collecting food offerings that people give to them (an act to earn some good karma). It was a successful excursion, and the donuts were delicious!

After breakfast, we gathered for worship and asked God what he wanted for us that day. Lindsey heard the name Darlene. Josiah saw a salt shaker. Ian saw a time lapse of the Bangkok cityscape and a tree. Mitch saw a man sitting in the church: second row, glasses, balding on top with hair on the sides. We left the guest house for a church service at the YWCA, and soon after we sat down, I saw two rows behind us in the third row a man: glasses, balding on top with hair on the sides. Mitch prayed for verification that this was the man from his vision, and all he heard was “Yes, yes, yes!” After a wonderful time of worship in both English and Thai and a message that John preached (in Thai!), Mitch went up to the front to share about his vision. The man joined him at the front, and through a translator, Mitch prayed over him. Lindsey and Ian then began to lead another time of worship as the rest of our team began to spread out and pray for people in the congregation. I prayed some quick prayers for some young women in the back, but then an older woman a few rows ahead turned around and made eye contact with me. As soon as I began praying for her, I began to cry, unexplainably overcome by emotion for her. She, too, began crying. I had no translator, so I did not know what she was experiencing. It was clear, though, that God was doing something, so I continued praying. I noticed that her right hand was resting on her abdomen, so I laid my hand on hers and began praying for healing. I didn’t know what needed to be healed, but as I prayed for a wholeness of body, her hand began to shake and she continued to cry. The pastor came over and explained that she had been experiencing pain from a recent kidney stone operation. Through him, I learned that she had pain when she got to church, but after I began praying for her, the pain was gone. This was a completely new experience for me. Healing was something God did through other people. Not me. And yet here I was in a YWCA in Bangkok praying over a woman who did not understand what I was saying and seeing God heal her from pain. God was powerfully at work. He used Mitch to heal a woman from a rash that disappeared before their very eyes. He used Lindsey and Kathy to bring a woman to accept Jesus as her savior.

After a home-cooked lunch at the church, we drove two hours to Pattaya, a city known for its red light district. It was not in our original itinerary to go here, but John and Kathy felt God directing them to change plans. We attended another worship service where Living Streams was playing the music and Leif Hetland was speaking. Originally we thought the service was part of an event called Pattaya Praise, but we learned that the event had ended the day before. Half of the team (Sean, Sophie, Ian, and Ashley) left to prayer walk around the city, and the other half (John, Kathy, Mitch, Lindsey, Josiah, and I) stayed at the service. During worship, we sang “God of this City,” which we learned was written IN Pattaya in response to the darkness and hopelessness that the writers saw there. Together in singing, we declared that greater things are still to be done in this city, and that God would redeem it to himself, transforming it from a sin city to a son city. Leif presented a different message that night about God as our good father – this first face seen, the first voice heard, the first love felt by Adam and Eve. He talked about how God as our good father took our shame upon himself so that we may be righteous just as the father did for the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable. He also talked about seeing ourselves as God sees us – as his treasure, his beautiful child.

Leif’s message reminded me of various people we had prayed for earlier that day. At the YWCA, I prayed for a woman who said she struggled with accepting God’s love and seeing herself through God’s eyes. I thought of Grace, Bee’s adopted daughter, whose father is partially paralyzed from a stroke and cannot communicate with her. During Saturday’s service, Grace began crying during the song “Good, Good Father” and clung to John’s side. She likely craves a more typical father-daughter relationship, but it is our hope that despite earthly circumstances, she would come to know God as her Heavenly Father.

At the end of the message everyone gathered at the front, where we prayed together and Leif prayed over people throughout the crowd. All around, people were being slain by the Holy Spirit, compelled by the power of God to fall to the ground. As Leif got closer to where our group was standing, I admit I got a little nervous. I’m somewhat of a skeptic. This is something I see televangelists do, not something that happens to me. I stepped back, allowing the others in my group to go before me, volunteering to stand behind them and catch them when the fall. But then I found myself face to face with Leif. He asked, “May I move your hair?” and then brushed my bangs to the side. He gave the “I’m watching you” gesture, but more gently as if to say “I see you.” And then he just softly brushed my left cheek with the back of his hand. I felt my weight shift into my heels and allowed myself to fall back into the arms of someone who then lowered me to the ground. As I lay on the ground enjoying the presence of God, I felt someone vigorously rubbing my left knee. I wanted to open my eyes to see who it was, but at the same time did not want to interrupt my experience so quickly or make whoever was doing it feel uncomfortable by watching them. But as I rejoined my group and shared my experience, they said that no one was there. They did not rub my knee nor did they see anyone standing over me. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this. Like healing, this was something that happens to other people. One by one, members of our team went down to the floor, overcome by the presence of the Lord.

When we left the service, we drove by Walking Street, the red-light district. Wikipedia refers to it as a “tourist attraction.” Bars, strip clubs, and prostitutes as far as the eye can see. Massage parlors with waiting rooms full of men. Unspeakable and horrific acts hidden behind closed doors, waiting for the men who are looking for such opportunities. A very dark place despite the bright neon lights. Greater things are still to be done here.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve only spent two full days in Bangkok so far and still have another week ahead of us. Our days have been so full and we have experienced so much, so it feels like we have been here for a week already. I realized last night that we only met Bee and Minnie Saturday morning, but they have quickly become a close member of this family. The past couple days have been packed with no time to post an update, so I am up early this Monday morning (it’s 6:30 am here, but breakfast isn’t until 8) to catch everyone up on some of the highlights from Saturday and Sunday. I’ll post Sunday’s update separately so it won’t be too much to read at once!

We started Saturday morning with breakfast at the guest house followed by worship and prayer. This is how we will start each morning in Thailand to prepare our hearts for ministry and listen for what God may want us to hear for that day. We prayed that in Thailand, the Land of Smiles, our smiles could communicate the love of Christ beyond any language barriers. We also prayed that the people would see more than just our smiles but the joy of the Lord within us, that they would be drawn to that and desire that for themselves.

Bee and Minnie, friends of John and Kathy, joined our group at the end of our prayer time and then helped us travel to Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The temple grounds are full of intricately decorated towers and shrines, often built by people to earn good favor or karma. As we toured the area, Lindsey pointed out how beautiful everything was, but how sad it is that all this beauty is in honor of a false god. The purpose of our time at Wat Pho was to gain an understanding of how Buddhists see the world. When we understand their world view, we will have a better understanding of how they see Christ. John explained to us that Buddhists view sin like salt in water: you cannot take it out but only add more water to make it less salty. You cannot undo the bad things you have done but only do more good things to balance out your karma. Jesus turned that whole concept around. He took our bad karma upon himself so that we would not need to earn any favor or do a certain amount of good deeds to balance everything out. Instead he gives us a new life – a fresh start, a clean glass of water – as a gift.

After our visit to Wat Pho and our first Thai meal, we spent some time to rest at the guest house and then headed out to an evening service at Minnie’s church, Living Streams. Along the way, we stopped for dinner at a food court, where you could get pad thai, noodle soup, sticky rice with mango – just about any delicious Thai food you can imagine. While there, Mitch and Josiah sat and talked with Joe, an American ex-pat who was raised in Hawaii but has lived in Thailand for 20 years. He was raised as a Christian but is now a non-practicing Buddhist. You’ll have to ask Mitch and Josiah for more details about their conversation since I only joined them for the last 10 minutes. Joe was very kind and open to talking about Jesus, asking questions to clarify his understanding of who Jesus is. Before we left, I asked if he had anything we could be praying for. He answered no, saying he was in good health. Pray for Joe and the work that God may be doing in his heart as a result of his time with Mitch and Josiah.

After dinner was the service at Minnie’s church, where they were having a special guest speaker, Leif Hetland. It was a powerful time of people encountering the Holy Spirit with many people experiencing physical healing.

When we arrived back at the guest house, we were all pretty exhausted. It felt like much more than one day had passed since the morning, so we were ready for sleep but excited for the next day to come.