Anyway, we received our ministry orientation this morning & are set to begin two-three days of prayer ministry tomorrow. We prepared for an outreach to a red light district last night after church but as soon as our prayers ended the skies opened up in a rainy season monsoon. Welcome to Thailand.
We're also eating well and sleeping far less well (3 a.m. & I are getting pretty close). I'm really loving being back in Thailand even though Bangkok is a far cry from sweet little Chiang Mai. The city is much bigger, one of the world's largest, so there are more people. With more people there is more traffic, more dirt, more food & more rats. Yes rats. In Chiang Mai it was several months before I encountered one; I saw one on my first day here as he scampered over my foot. Welcome to Thailand.
On a more spiritual note, so far the thing that has hit me the most is our prayer walks. We've done two so far on the soi (street) we'll be doing some of our outreaches on this week. Saturday night we went for our first prayer walk. Its not as easy as it sounds, especially here. As you walk along the narrow side walks, trying not to trip on the uneven pavement, chocking on bus fumes & cigarette smoke, and trying not to get hit by a motorbike as you cross the narrow alleys, you are expected to pray & connect with God's heart. But I did manage to send up a few feeble requests. And I noticed that I've learned a lot about human trafficking/prostitution since the last time I found myself in a red light district. Now I know that those smiles, the fancy clothes & make-up, and the seemingly carefree joking are all hiding more pain than I will ever understand. And more than ever I'm reminded that the only thing I have to offer them, or anyone, is the living water God promised in the form of His son. Just like the Jewish man from Nazareth offered the Samaritan women at the well eternal, living water, I have the honor of offering it to this noisy, busy, dirty, delicious, beautiful city. Welcome to Thailand.
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