Saturday, June 20, 2015

Roses of the North

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14 

A lot of people believe that they have been given a certain karma and that is what ultimately decides what their job will be. So, if girls are pretty, they can use their beauty and sell themselves to make money for their family. If they are not pretty, they can sell or distribute drugs. If they have money, they can go to school. Other times, girls get into relationships and do things out of "love":  being a drug mule. 

One of the main ministries we are participating in is prevention of the growth of the red light. A way that we do that is by going to villages and getting involved. We teach English, have Bible studies, and play games with the kids in one village. In another village, we have worship with the adults there. It is not elaborate... It is literally just gathering together. We sit in the living room of one of the women's home and worship and learn. Purely glorifying the Lord. 
Teaching English and Bible in a village.
Although sharing God's word is our main focus, we also share things like the "Priceless Cube". This is a method of educating the adults of villages in the dangers of letting strangers, friends, or even family members take the young children in to the city for a "better life". The cube helps them to know what situations are safe and what are not. 
Some of the ladies from church in the village.
Another prevention ministry we partake in is going to the girls' juvenile detention center twice a week. Some of these girls are here for drug trafficking, and some are in for gang related murder. Both of these have a maximum 5 year sentence. The government holds them equally as immoral. When we go there we play games, teach English, dance, worship, and share Bible stories. Right now we are putting on a skit! Not all of the girls are believers; about half of them have been baptized. This is prevention because our hope is that they will have a strong foundation in Christ when they leave and they will not get back into the red light.
Teaching English at the prison.
Please pray...
  • That the prison girls will find the love and forgiveness they need in God. Pray that God will restore their hearts.
  • That the girls in the villages living in poverty will come to know God and trust in Him to provide. 
  • That God will protect these beautiful roses of Northern Thailand from the darkness that many of the other girls have already found themselves in. 
-B and Kat