I was able to attend this wonderful theater show in London, however, this showing affected me much more so than ever before. Having just come from Southeast Asia and being exposed to all the women trapped in prostitution, the storyline of the main female character (I can't recall her name at this moment) who is driven to prostitution really saddened me. I just sat there thinking how everyone else in the theater would walk out commenting on what a good show it was that they had just seen and continue on with life. Yet I had just come from a place where prostitution was reality and very much a part of everyday life. The best part of the play; however, is that it shows so beautifully the redemptive power of Christ and His amazing grace. Jesus truly is the only answer.
Ashley and I had the wonderful and unexpected opportunity to travel out to Oxford. We were able to see the city and tour two of the thirty-eight colleges that make up Oxford University. Along the way were found many interesting doors and made it one of the themes of our trip. So here are the pictures, I hope you enjoy them.
During this month's ministry we have been so blessed to learn about another major religion that is becoming very popular in the world today. In learning about that religion and how to reach out to that people group, we are also learning what makes Christianity so unique among the religions of the world. It is so amazing to me that every time I learn about another religion and I hear their laws, rules and expectations I become more and more thankful that I am a Christian as well as more and more sure that I serve the one and only true God. So with that in mind I want to share a little about my God...keeping in mind He is and infinite God so this blog will not contain all of who He is.
The Lord, "I AM" as it says in Exodus Chapter 3 verse 14, is all mighty and powerful! So powerful that He is able to become a man and reveal himself to us as the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; so powerful that He is able to come down to earth and even descend into hell. So powerful that death cannot keep a hold of Him and was raised up from the dead, out of hell and went up to heaven.
My Lord is personal. While some gods are considered to stay in heaven and not come down to the lowly earth, my God not only came to earth but became human, lived among humans, had human family and friends, had a job as a carpenter, He spent time with children, went to the synagogue or church and he even lead a small group of twelve guys who were far from perfect.
The word of my Lord is valid and defends itself of the accusations that have come against it throughout time.
My Lord is love itself, the greatest evidence of this being the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ His Son.
He is the Truth. Every word or revelation that comes from the Lord is completely truthful and can be trusted. It is not within his character or nature to lie.
He is unchangeable; there is no new revelation that cannot be supported by the Scripture, the word that the Lord has already given to us.
I am so thankful that the Lord was so gracious to choose me to be his! Thank you Lord Jesus for choosing and desiring me to be part of your family and saving me! Lord I am so grateful for who you are and how great you are! Praise to the Lord God most high! Amen
Just in case you were wondering, we were so fortunate to find out how one can go about doing so. First you pack your bag as though you were going to Africa in the heat of their summer. Next get on a plane heading for London in the dead of the winter. Once you have arrived, put on all the colorful summer clothes you have to stay as warm as you possibly can. Ready...GO...Now that is how you can attain a ridiculous look.
I was able to take a day and tour around St Albans, all by myself! Praise the Lord a day just with Jesus is what I have been needing for a long time. So here are a few pictures to share with you from my wonderful day.
A delightful Latte to start the day
St. Albans Cathedral, a beautiful site. I was able to tour the inside while a choir practiced their music, it was wonderful.
This was the origional 1700s box to collect money for the poor
The pond in the park behind the Cathedral, such a beautiful sight and a wonderful walk in the park.
The St. Albans market, this guy was playing and the children were dancing around.
These guys were playing Christmas music while I sat out side a cafe
It seemed as though everyone at the market was eating one of these pastrys, so i got one and it was quite tasty.
The sunset over St. Albans as I walked back to the train.
I was a wonderful day. I hope that you are all blessed with such a wonderful day with the Lord as well.
As a result of the riots in the Thailand Airports, we were rerouted to London, England! Praise God! We get to stay here for the month of December. We will be working with a certain ministry in London, specifics can not be given at this time. But, it sounds like a very exciting opportunity. And what is best of all, is that it is COLD here!!! I love the cold weather, bundling up in a warm coat and drinking a hot tea, what could be better to do in December? God is good and he has blessed me with the best Christmas present I ever could have asked for, thank you Jesus!
I think I should give a little summary of our time in Pattaya, Thailand, so here it is. We spent our last week in Pattaya going to the bars with the Tamar Center, helping at English class and volunteering much of our time at the Mercy Center with all the little kiddos. We were able to enjoy an amazing Thanksgiving dinner at the Mercy Center after which we got to do all the dishes. We were able to make some really good friends at the Mercy Center and had some hard goodbyes.
Overall, it was a good month. Of all of Asia, Thailand was most likable...it say this because I have come to the conclusion that I really just don't like Asia. We had some unexpected days in Bangkok due to the riots and the airports shutting down. These days, I thought were actually a gift to relax and recharge. Praise the Lord for them. I spent much of my time running at the University or just sitting by their little ponds talking with God. I also was able to drink a coconut everyday! J Then we found out that we were going to London...and life to an unexpected turn for the GREAT!
Here are some pictures gathered by my wonderful team mate and friend Ali Page....this is actually her blog that I copied...from our thanksgiving dinner at the Mercy Center with all the orphans. It was a wonderful time and the food was SO good. A wonderful man actually packed some turkeys in his bags and flew them down here to thailand from the states. Praise the Lord for turkey! We had the delightful task of washing all the dishes, by hand, afterward. :D It was our pleasure to do so. Happy Thanksgiving!
We had an awesome early Thanksgiving at The Mercy Center Orphanage, where about 25 children live. My team helped prepare, serve, eat and clean for this feast! A total of about 200 people attended from a local church here in Pattaya, Thailand!
Grandma, how many potatoes do you think I peeled? Are you proud? Team 3-Alive (the other 2 were in Bangkok)
World Race woman unite!
We ate everything we would have at home! Even pumpkin pie!
If you've been reading the headlines on cnn.com, you should have heard about the recent protests at the Bangkok Airport. I mention this only to bring understanding and ease any worries that family and friends of the July 08 World Racers may have.
WE ARE ALL OK
We are actually located very far from the protest and would be completely unaffected by the chaos if it were not for our scheduled flight to South Africa. As a result of the protests the Airport has been closed and all outgoing flights have been canceled. As of right now the airlines have no information about when we might expect to get on a flight to our next destination. In the meantime we will remain in Bangkok, once again, very far from the protests. I will keep you updated as we receive more information from our airline. Keep the squad and the city of Bangkok in your prayers.
These are the faces of the children that are growing up in the slums of Thailand. These are the children who are born into such poverty that all they will know for a home is a patched up shack with a dirt floor. They play in the dirt and garbage that surrounds their living place. Their parents are likely caught up in alcohol or gambling, with no knowledge or desire to learn about how to live a responsible life.
The slum ministry goes out to the slums once a week to do a children's program, tell them about Jesus, and give them a good meal.
These are the faces of the women that work 12 hours a day, 29 days a month selling themselves in the bars in order to make enough money to support their families. Most of these women came from one of the provinces and have kids back home in that province who they are supporting. They may be able to see their families every few months, if they are able to put aside enough money to make the journey. Its unlikely. Most of the women that I talked with don't want to work in the bars, but see no other choice.
Tamar Center volunteers go out to the bars three times a week to invite the women to their free English classes and to genuinely love on them. Tamar Center offers jobs and training to these women who want to get out of the bars.
We can not sit back and let these faces go unnoticed, they need your help! You can help them and you can get involved in their lives. They need you to get involved. You can help by supporting the Mercy Center, the Project Life Slum Outreach or Tamar Center here in Pattaya, Thailand (www.mercypattaya.com, www.projlife.com,
www.tamarcards.com, www.tamarbakery.com). I CHALLENGE YOU to take a short term mission trip, or any kind for that matter. You think you don't have enough money, but you do. Your just not willing to sacrifice. You think you don't have enough time, but you do. Are these women and children not worth it to you? Are you willing to make a small sacrifice in order to save a life?
" 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "
This is a blog from Lisa Smith, one of my team mates...
Welcome to Pattaya, Thailand, a beautiful city situated on the Gulf of Thailand. However, it isn't the beaches or the sights that bring people to Pattaya. Every year nearly 2 million people travel to Pattaya as sex tourists (yes, the name means exactly what it implies). In this city of 70,000 more than 20,000 men and women are working in the bars as prostitutes.
My team and I have been completely heartbroken as we walk the streets of this city. I have never seen anything like this is my life! Everywhere you look, you see foreign men with young, pretty Thai girls. The sexual perversion is so openly displayed here. It's disgusting, heartbreaking, appalling, and infuriating all at the same time.
Monday night was our first night in the bars. As I strolled down Walking Street (a most popular street of bars), I was so overwhelmed. Everywhere you look there are women and lady boys (the name given to transgender prostitutes in Thailand) covering themselves with layer after layer of makeup- a mask they wear so easily to cover their brokenness and emptiness.
A man enters the bar where I am seated and the girls are instantly flirtatious, vying for his attention, but in a moment of unrestrained honesty I catch a glimpse of one of the girls' eyes and all I see is sadness and shame. In that moment I want so badly to grab her by the hand, to lead her out of that bar, off of that street, and into the glorious freedom that only comes through Christ. However, in an instant her look of desperation has disappeared, replaced once again by this confident provocativeness. She quickly returns to this dance she feels she must dance. But I know the truth. I have seen a glimpse of what lies beneath the façade. This is why we come. We will continue to come to the bars and we will proclaim freedom and hope to any who are ready to listen.
Take a look at this video to see the pain in Pattaya and how the Lord is working in our hearts.
I was able to attend this wonderful theater show in London, however, this showing affected me much more so than ever before. Having just come from Southeast Asia and being exposed to all the women trapped in prostitution, the storyline of the main female character (I can't recall her name at this moment) who is driven to prostitution really saddened me. I just sat there thinking how everyone else in the theater would walk out commenting on what a good show it was that they had just seen and continue on with life. Yet I had just come from a place where prostitution was reality and very much a part of everyday life. The best part of the play; however, is that it shows so beautifully the redemptive power of Christ and His amazing grace. Jesus truly is the only answer. 
During this month's ministry we have been so blessed to learn about another major religion that is becoming very popular in the world today. In learning about that religion and how to reach out to that people group, we are also learning what makes Christianity so unique among the religions of the world. It is so amazing to me that every time I learn about another religion and I hear their laws, rules and expectations I become more and more thankful that I am a Christian as well as more and more sure that I serve the one and only true God. So with that in mind I want to share a little about my God...keeping in mind He is and infinite God so this blog will not contain all of who He is.
As a result of the riots in the Thailand Airports, we were rerouted to London, England! Praise God! We get to stay here for the month of December. We will be working with a certain ministry in London, specifics can not be given at this time. But, it sounds like a very exciting opportunity. And what is best of all, is that it is COLD here!!! I love the cold weather, bundling up in a warm coat and drinking a hot tea, what could be better to do in December? God is good and he has blessed me with the best Christmas present I ever could have asked for, thank you Jesus!
Overall, it was a good month. Of all of Asia, Thailand was most likable...it say this because I have come to the conclusion that I really just don't like Asia. We had some unexpected days in Bangkok due to the riots and the airports shutting down. These days, I thought were actually a gift to relax and recharge. Praise the Lord for them. I spent much of my time running at the University or just sitting by their little ponds talking with God. I also was able to drink a coconut everyday! J Then we found out that we were going to London...and life to an unexpected turn for the GREAT!
life! Everywhere you look, you see foreign men with young, pretty Thai girls. The sexual perversion is so openly displayed here. It's disgusting, heartbreaking, appalling, and infuriating all at the same time. 