REFRESHED

So I can't get pics from my camera to computer and will do it when I get home. Right now we are on a little bit of a high. Here's a blurb of the things we are experiencing : It's GORGEOUS here! The people are beautiful. The architecture is beautiful. The taxis are hot pink, bright aqua, yellow & green & orange & red-all sparkly & brand new looking. All the cars here are perfect & shiny (I'm sure cute is not the right word to describe cabs, but they are!) They look like Chiclets! I have yet to see a beater. We see houses/shacks stacked on top of each other with satellite dishes on the "roofs" & shiny cars parked in front. There are vendors everywhere (some with whole chickens in their carts-dead ones...yuck!) There are beautiful buddha shrines all over (with gold & incense & sparkles-again with the sparkly) This morning the special for breakfast was fish and some kind of rice. Thank goodness for the "omelet man" and the fresh fruit! The coffee here is like drinking a cup of espresso-SO STRONG!! But we have gotten used to it! We have this wonderful cafe in our hotel where you can buy delicious lemongrass tea (and the description is to help with flatulence) and some sweet tea (the description is laxative)....

Yesterday was amazing! We went to the Christian Fellowship (International Bible church) and had a worship service that could have lasted forever & someday it will. There were people there from China, Australia, Nigeria, Canada, America, Russia, Afghanistan....all worshiping our Father. It was so beautiful!! It moved us to tears. A few of us were able to work with the kids. Any of you who have heard the story of Becky's adopted niece Ellyana (Ellie) was in our nursery and I wanted to bring her home. She is so precious and cuddly. She LOVES attention! If you don't know her story, she was sold into slavery @ 2 weeks old & rescued @ 4 weeks & in just the 2 weeks she was trafficked had given up hope. They said she never cried when they first got her b/c she knew no one would answer her cries anyway. She has found her voice as Becky says. She is a treasure for sure!

Today was inspirational! We went to the safehouse. We had the privilege of worshiping with the rescued & restored women. We sang many praise songs in English all together & then some in English while they sang in Thai. I sat & soaked it all in while we lifted our voices to our Redeemer. All of us ladies with on guitar from all over worshiping was more beautiful than I can put into words. (speaking of which, these are not well thought out blogs b/c coming up with the time, money & making sure i don't go over my time limit that was paid for on top of all the culture shock is hard to really write anything eloquently.....) We heard some touching testimonies from the girls today. I sat next to a girl who has been @ the safehouse for 3 weeks and after she gave her testimony she took the bracelet off her wrist & put it on mine. I was so moved & wanted to return the gesture-but didn't (it's against policy to give gifts unless you have enough for ALL the girls there!) Then we got to have small group time with the girls. Some of them had their kids there. That was so wonderful to see. SO many of the girls take their new found faith back to their families & home villages and spread the gospel. It's amazing to see the light shine brighter over here with each story.

I am BEGGING for you all to be on your knees starting NOW!! In the morning we will be going to another safehouse and will spend time with those girls in praise & worship & testimony & prep for tomorrow night. Then tomorrow night we go into the Red Light Districts. We are 12 hours ahead, but we will definitely need our prayer warriors back home praying for us. We are divided in groups one group (about 6 girls) will be with the safehouse outreach team in the brothels. (the area they go to is known as NANA & there are about 40,000 trafficked girls in that area) They will be lifting their sisters in prayer while The safehouse team reaches out to these girls. I am in the group who will be walking PatPong (about 10,000 trafficked girls) and we will be doing a prayer walk & be visiting Rahab ministries. This is going to be our darkest hours here as we will be battling satan on the front lines. Becky told us that when we see signs that say "pretty girls & ugly ones too" means the customer can do what he wants with the "ugly girl" even kill her-they are so replaceable. So these girls may have only one night left on earth.

There is so much I'd love to share and b/c of time & the fact that some I am just not ready to share yet, I will wait. Thank you for your continued prayer though & I will post again in a couple days.