Ministries, Parks, and Trains

Hello all! We have had an action packed couple of days. We have done so many things and had so many new experiences all packed into about 4 days. 

On Wednesday, we were scheduled for a day that many of us knew from the beginning was going to be a very tough day. Little did any of us know how hard the day was going to turn out to be. We were set to go to visit three different ministries of the Church in just one day. 

The first ministry was called Samaritan's Creations. It is an organization that gives bar girls (which often work as prostitutes as well) an alternative way of living. They give them job skills, a secure environment, and a place to live. The ultimate goal of the organization is for the women to be able to go back to their villages and take the name of Jesus with them. We spent time learning about the organization, hearing some stories from some of the women, and shopping for jewelry and purses made by the women. 

The next ministry was called The Hub. It is a ministry that offers the children that live on the street a place to come during the day. They offer them food, a shower, and a safe place to learn life skills. We spent some time there hearing about their work and hearing about the future plans that they have for The Hub. 

The third ministry that we got to experience was (in my opinion) the hardest one. We were granted the opportunity to hear about the MST (Men and the Sex Trade) Project. They believe that some of the men that go into the red light districts are hurting, in need, and trying to fill that hurt and need with the intimacy that the Red-Light District can offer them. The MST Project goes into these Red-Light Districts to bring the love of God the these men in an area where they will least expect it. They often strike up conversations with men in the Red-Light District that develop into long-term relationships with discussions about life and God. The way in which we got to experience this ministry was a prayer walk through one of the Red-Light Districts in Bangkok. Three gentlemen from the MST Project facilitated this prayer walk. It was really hard for all of us, but in the end, we all felt like we brought light to an area of immense darkness. 

During the last four days we have gotten to experience multiple modes of transportation. On Wednesday alone, we all experienced one new way of travelling, and some of us experienced two. We rode in the back of a pick-up truck that was transformed into a bus! We also took the Subway, which we had not yet experienced in Bangkok. After hanging out with some Thai friends in Lumpini Park on Thursday, we hopped onto an overnight sleeper train to head for the southern city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. 

When we arrived in Nakhon Si Thammarat on Friday, we were welcomed with a huge lunch at the school that hosted our English Camp. We spent a little bit of time setting up, and getting to know the campus, then we were then taken out to dinner, where we were served 6 courses of seafood. Immediately following dinner, we went to another restaurant where were served dessert with coffee and Thai tea. It's so hard to comprehend the hospitality of the Thai people, until you truly experience it. 

Today, we had our second English Camp. Two schools attended with about 50 children each. It was a great success! It ran absolutely smoothly, and the children's English improved over the course of the day. We sang songs, played games, and taught the children about the ten countries that make up the ASEAN economic and political cooperation that is coming in 2015! 

We will be posting again in a couple days, and we thank you so much for your prayers and love coming our way! Our team is thriving and truly becoming the family that we wanted to become. Check back soon for another post. 

Jennifer Subic, 

Summer Service 2012