One of my last posts of 2007 introduced you all to a ministry in Thailand that puts Bibles into the hands of mainland Chinese in a legitimate way. With the support of many through prayer and financial gifts, I had the honor of heading to Pattaya with a team from my church. In preparation, we all memorized Ephesians 6:10-20:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.As I was preparing to leave, I tried to do a bit of reading about Thailand, specifically the city of Pattaya. The more I read, the ickier I began to feel about what we would be seeing. Putting on the full armor of God isn't just symbolic . . . it became very real. Thailand, long-known for being the "Sex Capital of the World," seemed to hail the city of Pattaya as the steamiest and sleaziest in the country. However, some websites I visited said that the city was trying to clean up in order to be more "family friendly."
Since we arrived at the sparklingly new Bangkok airport around 10:30pm, it was a little difficult to get a feel for the country--but it was HOT and HUMID! (Taipei had slipped into winter mode, so we had been used to bone-chilling humidity and constant rain.) It was a 2 hour van ride down the coast to Pattaya. We arrived at the New Seaview Hotel . . . the lobby was very nice . . . and the rooms, nothing too fancy. The bathroom was a bit to be desired, but hey, we were roughing it on our mission trip!
The next day we divided up the "duties" for the week. Our team was to serve as translators (yep, that's me--translator!) for the teams coming from the US. I was a bit worried about that part . . . but Amanda and I had practiced some phrases before coming, and I always kept my flashcards close at hand. I smiled a LOT, and I was able to speak with a bit more confidence than the US team members. Since the teams were from Southern Baptist churches, they had lovely accents! In Chinese, the way to say "hello" is "ni hao" [knee-how], but in "southern" Chinese, the way to say "hello" is "ni howdy!"
The first few nights, we helped pass out Bibles at this place called the Paladium. It was basically a restaurant that served Chinese-style food. Tour buses would pull up and drop off people for dinner, and then they would get back on the bus and go back to the hotel.
One morning, I was in the lobby by 6am, and I passed out Bibles to people in the hotel who were heading to breakfast in the dining room. This particular morning was fairly successful; however, others weren't the best.
Every evening but one, we headed out the Bali Hai Pier. This is where the majority of our 4000+ Bibles were distributed during the week. However, in order to get to the pier, one must walk down Pattaya's "Walking Street." It's icky in the daytime, and at night . . . words can hardly describe what you see. Prostitution is a huge business (men and women push cards into your hands advertising their "business" as you walk through the crowd). "Lady Boy" shows are everywhere, and drug sales are rampant . . . Interestingly and very sadly, the street is full of tourists and families . . . that, I cannot understand. One T-shirt slogan seemed to say it all, "Good guys go to Heaven. Bad guys go to Pattaya." I was sobered by the fact that sin is sin in God's eyes. What I was seeing made me sad . . . angry . . . disgusted. God sees it that way too, but He also sees my sin . . . an unforgiving heart . . . selfishness . . . etc. and He feels these same things. Sure, the consequences can be different, but sin is still sin--it's rebellion against God's perfect plan for His people. I had never really "prayer walked" before, but Walking Street was the perfect place to start.
At the end of the infamous street, you find yourself at Bali Hai Pier and some very beautiful hotels (such a contrast from the yick you see 100 yds down the street). At the end of the very long pier, there are ferries that take tourists out to floating seafood restaurants serving up food, alcohol, and a transvestite show. The tour groups would come in waves. We would talk to people as they went to dinner, and we would distribute Bibles as they came back to shore. The waves of people were crazy! There were so many people, and the distribution was frantic at times--that part was really fun! In between waves (about 45 minutes), we would get organized, grab something to eat, or chat with the mission teams. During one of these breaks, I was talked into eating a fried grasshopper. Unfortunately, I have no picture; however, I can tell you that it was like a potato chip . . . with legs! Another break time was spent watching a Chinese New Year Dragon Dance. It was soooooo cool to see this bit of culture.
I learned much about prayer during this trip. While one team distributed Bibles on the Pier, another group would be praying . . . generally and specifically. After one wave, one of the guys on a mission team came running over to me. He asked me if I remembered a certain couple that had taken a Bible from me. He continued by saying that he had been praying for them specifically as soon as they had come into view. All down the pier, they politely refused to take a Bible. I was at the very end of the Pier (at least 10 people back), and they had taken the Bible I had offered. It was amazing! God wouldn't let them get away without His Word in their hands.
We had a bit of time for what Amanda termed "GFR Time" or "guilt-free relaxation time." Since we were the "translators," they didn't want us to package Bibles in the warehouse. Each day, were able to spend a few hours site-seeing, beach-lounging, or Bible-studying. This was a much needed refreshing time for our souls! The 10 days were pretty intense . . .
I do have to share about 2 little pleasures. Thailand has Dairy Queen! Yippee:) I think we stopped for a Blizzard at least 4 times throughout the week. Thailand also has cheap legitimate massages. I treated myself to a couple of 60 minute foot/leg massages. They set me back about $8US each.
So, there's the gist of my Thailand Mission Trip. Please pray that the little red Bibles circulating through mainland China would impact the world for Christ!
Thanks so much for your prayers and support!
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
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