Posted in 10. Cambodia by Mallory Martin on 4/28/2012
Before leaving the states last year I heard the Lord speak to me. He told me to give away my savings (read more here). As I received confirmations that this is what I heard, I decided to take this year to continue seeking the Lord’s direction in that. I still needed to know what cause/ organization to give the money to. I knew I would see a lot of need in a lot of different places over the course of this time in the mission field, so I trusted that God would speak when it was the right time. By the time month seven was over and I was leaving Africa after being there for 3 months, I was shocked that I still hadn’t felt led to give the money. There was plenty of need, but I hadn’t felt called to any particular “project”. I started to feel a little guilty. Was I trying to avoid giving? Was I afraid to let go of this security blanket? Was I still actively seeking God’s voice & direction in this?
I definitely have a special place in my heart and calling for African children. During my third month in Africa, God spoke to me a lot about possibly building and opening an orphanage there in the future. I thought maybe I would find an orphanage to partner with or eventually open my own, and that’s where the money would go. I still had no closure & no idea when or where that would be.
This month, I was greatly moved by Heidi Baker’s book Compelled by Love. It wasn’t a new concept for me~ being the hands and feet of Jesus, loving people, having a servant’s heart, and making myself lower to gain more of God. But it struck a new chord. As I started to really do as Jesus would with each Cambodian child, I began to feel closer to God and to the children in front of me. I realized that these children deserve just as much of my love as the children in Africa. When the Lord tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:39), he doesn’t give us the option of choosing those neighbors~ that love is meant to be for everyone.
I was deep in prayer one morning and the Lord told me this is the place & now is the time. Next door to our classrooms & home, our 28-year-old ministry host Vuthi (woo-tee) is about halfway finished building an orphanage known as Mercy Home. His vision is for a family-style home, where he will live and raise 12 girls & 12 boys as his own children. There are children here & now who need this home, this family, and this love. I have the resources to make that happen. Why would I withhold that gift from these children, these neighbors who the Lord is asking me to love as myself & as my own children? At first I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of money Vuthi still needed & the reality of it being time for me to give, but God is giving me the confirmations and peace I need. In fact, God gave me a specific amount to give to Mercy Home (it wasn’t quite what they needed but about ¾). The next morning in church, Vuthi asked us to join in prayer for Mercy Home and the funds needed; he announced that they had received a new donation and now needed X amount (the exact amount I had decided to give.) I even got to help do some work on the building including: sanding the entire building inside & out with small squares of sandpaper (no electric-sanders here) and moving a truck-load of boulders by hand. I can honestly say I’ve put some blood, sweat & tears into this place :)
I struggled with whether or not to share this turn-of-events with you all. After all, Matthew 6 tells us not to do our “acts of righteousness” before men, not to “sound the trumpets” for all to hear. However, I believe that the Lord wants more people with abundant resources to do as he’s asked me to do. I believe there should be more balance of resources between the overly wealthy (most Americans) and the rest of the world. I believe God desires more from us than a mere 10% of our income, and as Christians we should want to give more. We should feed the hungry, clothe the needy, pray for the sick, and love the person in front of us because it’s what brings us joy. It’s what brings our Creator joy.
Please trust my heart and know that I am not sharing this with you for any kind of reaction (positive or negative) towards me. This isn’t about me and truly it’s not my money anyways—it’s the Lord’s. All that we have is the Lord’s, but we don’t act like it most of the time. The reason I share this is to glorify God—to share the way his faithfulness and love are evident in my life-- to share the way he started a work in me 10 months ago and he always intended to finish it regardless of how often I doubted him. I am selfish and materialistic much of the time, but the more I ask God to refine me and make me more like Jesus, the more things I do that don’t make sense to my human self. Through this act of love and obedience, the Lord is drawing me closer to himself. I am stepping out in faith more than I am comfortable with. I will have to depend on the Lord to provide me with a job, a place to live, money and resources when I get back to the States in less than a month because my savings will now be depleted. I’m learning to rely on Him and not my own strength, resources, or understanding. I ask you, I urge you, to do the same. It’s what the Bible tells us to do and it will be worth it.
“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Mark 10:21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Mercy Home (under construction)
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Posted in 10. Cambodia by Mallory Martin on 4/28/2012
Upon arriving in Cambodia, I made a “vision card” for the month, a visual reference of things God was whispering to me for the month ahead. One of the things God put on my heart & I put on my vision card was to focus on the elderly, although I wasn’t sure how I was going to do so while teaching elementary-aged children’s English classes. There were elderly people around, but I was surrounded by children all day—teaching them, playing with them, cuddling them, and serving as their human jungle-gym. How was I going to find the time or opportunity to focus on the elderly?
I have always had a special place in my heart for the elderly. In my elementary school years, I remember going to visit my great-grandmother in the nursing home & playing the piano for all of the patients. I loved making them smile and feel special. In high school, by the divine appointment of God, I developed a special friendship with a woman in her eighties who I visited often. After I went away to college, we remained close friends and stayed in touch, and she was one of the first people I wanted to see on my visits home. I loved hearing her stories and wisdom, while she treasured having someone to listen and talk to. I wanted to find this same kind of friendship in Cambodia; I wanted to show the elderly that they are just as important (to me & to God) as the children.
I was thrilled to hear that some of us would be doing house visits in the mornings before teaching in the afternoons. One of my first afternoons here I saw a hunched-over wrinkly old man out in a field with his cows, and my heart melted. I wanted to be his friend. I wanted to hear about his life. For the next couple of days, this mystery grandpa was on my heart and as I asked the Lord for an opportunity to visit him.
During our next house visit outing, we happened to pass him out in the field, so I requested that we go meet him. Our translator said that the old man did not like people talking to him, but I insisted that we try. We said hello, but he was speaking nonsense. Then we saw his 80-year-old wife “Bow” who welcomed us into their home. She immediately asked if we had any medicine for her aching hip, which gave us a great opportunity to offer her prayer. We prayed over all of Bow’s health problems (sore hip & shoulder/ eyesight). Then I asked if we could also pray for her husband “Pun” who suffers from confusion and memory loss. I followed after Bow to retrieve Pun from the field, and I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face when he reached out for my hand and let me help lead him back to the house. We prayed over Pun’s 90-year-old body~ for his mind, his back, & his arthritis. Pun is also very malnourished and frail due to lack of food; although Bow & Pun live with their son & his family, they were not eating enough because Bow was taking their food to the monks (part of Buddhist faith.) I wonder how many families starve because rather than feeding themselves they believe they must feed the monks in order to receive spiritual blessings?
We didn’t experience any supernatural healing with Bow & Pun, but God opened a huge door. It turns out that Bow is our ministry host’s great-aunt, and he claims she “doesn’t like him” because he is a Christian. But she welcomed us to come back and visit her any time; I went back to spend some time with them yesterday. Their situation is not easy or ideal~ they are not in good health; Pun wanders around aimlessly all day where he could easily fall and break a hip or worse. At the age of eighty, Bow is still cooking and taking care of her three young granddaughters~ a task that would be exhausting for someone much younger than her. Please join me in praying for this precious couple~ for physical healing, for the softening of their hearts, and for them to come to know Jesus before it’s too late.
 Bow (80 yrs)
Pun (90 yrs) 
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Posted in 10. Cambodia by Mallory Martin on 4/25/2012
Over the course of this year spent overseas, and especially this month in Cambodia, the Lord has been proving how important my family is to me. In Bulgaria during my first month, I hit my knees in prayer for my family to know the Lord more intimately & for them to know more about how deep & wide & high His love is for us. I also joined my team as a prayer warrior for my grandfather’s battle with cancer, a battle that we won! During month three in India, I continued praying specifically for my brother to discover his fullness as a man of God and develop a deeper relationship with our heavenly Papa. In Africa, I interceded for my dad’s mission trip to Cameroon and prayed that he would be blessed with God’s eyes and heart for the people there. As the months have passed and this year in the mission field is coming to an end, I still find myself very focused on my family despite the many things around me that also weigh on my heart.
During my five years of college, I struggled with being seven hours away from my family, but I knew I would be home for holidays and special occasions. The following year, my first professional job took me to Wyoming, where I spent two years longing for “my people.” There were plenty of perks to living out West, but they didn’t outweigh missing out on birthdays, weddings, and holidays like Thanksgiving. After two winters out West, I decided it was time to get back to my family & friends. I moved down south to the beach where I had everything I wanted... or so I thought. I was a short drive from home, I saw my family all the time, and I was back in the same town as my best friend for the first time since high school. I was happy, but God still had more for me.
When the Lord spoke to my heart and called me to the mission field, I was torn. I had just gotten settled and didn’t want to leave again. I didn’t want to uproot my life, I didn’t want to leave my family and friends, I didn’t want to throw another kink in my career path, I didn’t know what to do with my dog, and I didn’t want to delay the opportunity of meeting Mr. Right for another year. But I did want more of God and his fullness for me, and that meant being obedient to the calling he placed on my heart.
This month in Cambodia I've been teaching children's English classes and doing house visits. I’ve gotten to watch these people love their families so well. Many adults go to other countries such as Thailand to find work to support their families, so children are often raised by their grandparents, siblings, or other family members. I met a 12-year-old girl who cares for her four-year-old twin sisters because their parents have been working in Thailand for three years. Each day the entire village gathers around our volleyball court to watch the young men battle it out, and each day I smile as I watch the three-year-old little boy from next door love on his grandfather who raises him. Families cook together, eat together, & play together. It’s been so beautiful to watch their everyday lives.
These people live so simply. Between the mango trees, coconuts, and rice, most of them seem to have enough food to eat. Each home collects rain-water for drinking, and some are lucky enough to have ponds as well. But their joy and contentment is sustained by their love for one another. The children take care of one another. The elderly work hard and help care for the little ones.
I won’t say this year has been easy, but it has changed my life. It has changed me. It has made me realize that God gave me a family that I love dearly. He blessed me with family that I actually love to be around; not everyone can say that. I believe he wants me to enjoy that blessing to the fullest. I miss them so much. I long to hug them and talk to them, to share my heart with them, to watch my little brothers play sports, and to sit around the table as a family. As I cuddle the kids and let them hang all over me, I long to have my own children to hold and love on. I'm looking forward to seeing God's plans for me and for my family.
some of my little friends
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Posted in 9. Malaysia by Mallory Martin on 4/8/2012
HAPPY EASTER from Malaysia!
Holidays are a time of reflection, and today I'm overcome by where I've been, where I am now, and where I'm going. This year has been the hardest and best year of my life. I spent Thanksgiving with a wonderful family in Kenya. I spent my first Christmas away from home in Rwanda, where I walked through tragedy with my teammate Jessica as her mother passed away on that very morning. Now I'm in Malaysia for Easter, where I'm realizing more than ever the significance of this day.
On the evening of Good Friday, our team gathered with our host and his family, along with another team who just arrived. We sat in a circle of plastic chairs in an essentially empty room above a local shop. Nothing fancy... just us and the Holy Spirit. The open window revealed a breathtaking backdrop of a pastel pink and orange sunset~ evidence of God's beauty and love. As the Islamic call to prayer rang out for all to hear, a constant daily reminder of the spiritual battle we face here, we drowned it out with songs of worship to our Lord and Savior. For the first time since I've been here, I set aside the consequences of voicing my religious beliefs and I sang my heart out to Jesus. In the comfort and privacy of that room I hit my knees in prayer and thanksgiving for the pain he endured on that afternoon so many years ago, and I finally felt like I had a glimpse of understanding for what the cross really symbolizes. I find myself praying often for more understanding of His love, just a little more knowledge of how deep, and how high, and how wide it is. This Easter I think He's given me a little more, and I don't want Him to stop... it's an addictive blessing. Although the holidays definitely bring thoughts of family and friends, today I can rest in knowing that I am right where I am supposed to be... no personal agenda, no distractions, just Him and His plans for me.
our Good Friday service
(photo by Jordan Dale)
This month has been a bit of a struggle-- we are in the middle of nowhere, a small rundown town in Malaysia, while other teams are frolicking on the coast and spending time on the beach. Fortunately (or in this case unfortunately) we have internet this month, which constantly reminds us of what we're "missing out on" in our remote location of Malaysia. Facebook can be such a wonderful way to stay in touch, but it can also be such a stumbling block for me, causing struggles with comparison, jealousy and ungratefulness. It's hard not to let my human nature get the best of me while Facebook stalking my friends and seeing all the fun they're having & simultaneously making myself a cup of instant oatmeal or a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for the 20th day straight. I constantly have to depend on the Lord to remind me of all that I am blessed with and all that I have to be so grateful for... to remind me of all the hurt and suffering I've seen over the last 9 months... to break my heart for those who don't even know Him. It still never fails to amaze me how selfish and shallow I can be as a human. I've been challenged in my motives, my obedience and my faith. But the Lord has given me so much peace and so many blessings this month, including the opportunity to spend some time painting a mural for the center and doing art with the kiddos.
 
my Malaysian-themed mural of the activities available at the center...
kind of ironic that Malaysia has twin towers AND a flag that looks so similar to ours!
we hosted an art class one morning for the little ones where they did self-portraits~ they are precious!
  
(photos by Jessica Gasperin)
As the end of this journey draws nearer (I'll be home at the end of May!), please pray for my focus and dedication in these last weeks. I don't want to be distracted by thoughts of where I COULD be or what I COULD be doing. I want to be consumed by where I AM and the ministry I'm in. I want to be in the HERE and NOW, with my feet and heart in the same place. I want to be focused on HIM and the people he has placed around me. I want to be consumed by His love and overflowing with His love, spilling it out onto those around me.
I am desperate to discover HIS plans for me, to be led by the Spirit each and every step of the way. While I don't want to be worrying about what's next (it's kind of inevitable knowing that I will be home in less than two months and having no idea what I'm going to be doing), I definitely desire his peace and guidance for the next phase of life. I'm still prayerfully seeking what He is calling me to do when I return to the states in a few short weeks, whether to return to architecture and begin studying for my licensure exams or discover other opportunities he may place in front of me. When I was in Kenya, I felt the Lord calling me back to architecture-- to let him redeem the stressful and unpleasant experiences I had and to rely on Him-- to let him be my strength, my peace, and my security in a profession where I had always felt insufficient and inadequate-- to discover opportunities for using architecture for His glory, whether that be mission trips to build overseas a few times a year, or finding a firm or organization that does pro-bono work. But there is a lot of fear and insecurity surrounding the field of architecture for me-- I am terrified of studying for and taking the 7 architecture exams I need to pass to be liscensed. I am consumed by fear after being out of the field and out of school for this long, and especially trying to relearn all of the information I would need for those exams. I would have to rely on Him and step out in faith in order to find success and happiness there. I want to be open to the fact that He may have other plans for me, but I don't know if I could live with the guilt of not making a career out of architecture after having put so much time, energy, stress and money into it. Would I feel like I was letting myself and my parents down?
I have also been trying to "dream with God", something I hope to do much more of during these weeks before returning to the states. I really want to discover all that He has for me, and I desire the fullness of His plans. I don't want to come back home and settle for less than He has for me, simply because I'm scared of failure or struggle. I want to live out the calling He has on my life, whether that be architecture, ministry, or something I haven't even discovered yet. Please join me in praying for His calling to be obvious, for His voice to be loud and clear, and for Him to reveal the desires of my heart and then blow my mind by making them a reality!
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Posted in 9. Malaysia by Mallory Martin on 4/1/2012
Let me start by apologizing for not writing more often. For those of you back home who have supported me and loved me so well through this year, I never wish to make you wait and wonder what's going on with me and with my team's ministry. I’m just at a loss for words trying to write a blog this month. We left Chiang Mai, Thailand about 3 weeks ago, spent one week in Bangkok debriefing, and then came to Gua Musang, Malaysia about two weeks ago for month #9 of ministry. I definitely left a big part of my heart in Thailand~ it was very difficult leaving the women I was starting to build relationships with through our ministry at the bars. I feel like I had just gotten to the point in my friendships with them that I could really start pouring into them and sharing more about Christ-- and then it was time to leave--time to leave them just like the “customers” who walk in and out of their lives constantly. It broke my heart to say goodbye. [However, I continue to fight for them in prayer, and God continues to do amazing things in that place. One of the bargirls we really covered in prayer has gotten out of the bars and is now working at the coffee shop owned by the ministry we worked with! Praise God!]
With all of that said, as much as I’ve poured myself into our work so far this month, I just haven’t developed the same attachment here. This month we are serving at a local resource center teaching English and music classes, tutoring, and serving in other various ways. I’m a bit hesitant to elaborate or write too many of my own personal beliefs or observations this month because of the Islam government in place here. I don’t know how much the internet is monitored, and our host also wishes to keep his religious beliefs under the radar. Malaysia is a Muslim country consisting of three people groups: Indian, Malay, and Chinese. We are located in Kelantan, the most fundamental Muslim state in the country, where a Sultan serves as the leader & figurehead of Islam. Before beginning our work for the month, our host explained to us that there would be absolutely no direct sharing of the gospel while here. He also advised us to keep our prayers and worship at a quiet level so neighbors would not become suspicious—they would be watching us closely. In the past there has been a government agent planted in one of the English classes to keep on eye on things and make sure there was no “ministry” taking place. I definitely feel like we are experiencing a different side of Christianity this month, especially after being in Africa for three months where we were encouraged to share as much Biblical truth as possible. First I was stretched to a new place of boldness in praying over others, preaching, and speaking truth. Now I’m being stretched emotionally by having to hold it all back and living how so many persecuted Christians must live.
teaching English classes at the center
Ministry is new for me this year, and it’s a work in progress living in the mindset of trying to exemplify Christ in all I say and do; I fail every day. However, without being able to talk about our religious beliefs with people this month, this is the only way we can witness—by showing the love of Christ through our actions and words. We can’t pray for people. We can’t encourage them with scripture. We can’t worship freely or listen to Christian music openly. I can’t even pray over my meal in a public place without worrying about who may be watching or listening. At the same time, it has been sweet to see the power of love and kindness in its simplest form. I’ve come to value the power of a smile, a hug, an encouraging word, and even a wave hello. People are literally shocked each day as my teammate Ben and I take our morning jog through town, waving and saying, “Good morning” as we pass by people on the street—they probably think we are complete lunatics, but that’s ok. It brings a smile to their faces, and hopefully it starts their day off in a place of joy and kindness.
Proverbs 15:30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart…
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Since I am under the authority of my ministry host and he wishes to keep his religious beliefs unknown to the public, I am willing to respect his way of serving the community, but it troubles me greatly to know that God has called me to spread his name to the ends of the Earth, and I’m missing the opportunity to do that here in Malaysia, a country consumed by Islam. What if God brought me here to share the name of our Savior with people who may never hear it otherwise? What if the precious children that I teach every day never have another opportunity to be witnessed to?
 
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Posted in 8. Thailand by Mallory Martin on 3/8/2012
As I prayed for another night of bar ministry on Tuesday, I asked God to give me visions and words... to clearly point me to the people and places he would have me go for the night. For the 3rd or 4th time over the course of the week, I got a picture of me sitting at the bar and talking to a white man in a bar called Sunshine Bar.
[ I have been to this bar a couple of times during day outreach, and it has been very busy; the number of white men coming in and out with women was shocking for a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. My teammates and I have also been very aware of the men in there watching us closely and suspiciously (as we harmlessly sip our diet cokes and play pool.) The owner is the one who watches us like a hawk-- he has been on my heart a lot, but I have sensed a lot of spiritual darkness around him. The way he looks at us and the way I see him in my prayers has made me a little fearful and cautious. So, I wanted to be very discerning about this vision God was giving me... Was he asking me to initiate a conversation with the owner? Was he asking me to go there on that very night, or should I wait until the next day and go during day outreach? I wanted to follow the spirit's leading, but I didn't want to put myself in harm's way.]
So, we went out for ministry Tuesday night, and as my teammate Rachel and I walked to the bars I prayed for us. I asked the Holy Spirit to guide us clearly, to speak and move through us, and to keep us safe. We began the night at a bar where we had befriended the bar lady, but we didn't feel very welcome there so we didn't stay long. We went next door to the 7/11 to get a snack, I sparked a conversation with an elderly man at the checkout, and he said "God bless you" as he walked out onto Loi Kroh Road (we found this a little strange, but nothing here shocks us anymore.) I told Rachel about my vision, and she suggested we go to Sunshine Bar and just feel it out/ maybe order a drink and just pray at the bar. So, we walked in and sat down at the bar (the bar was empty except for 2 employees and 2 men). After a moment, the 2 men walked outside in discussion & only one of them returned. After a moment, I realized that the man standing beside me was the same man I just met 5 minutes earlier in the 7/11. I knew God was moving, and I knew this was the man from my vision. It was not difficult to spark a conversation-- he recognized us immediately, and he was obviously lonely and looking for someone to talk to. So, this is Solly's story:
Solly is in his 60's, and he's originally from Israel but lives in Florida. One year ago, his wife and daughter died in a car accident. He immediately went to Bangkok, where he grieved with women and alcohol. He returned to the States, but hasn't been able to find a woman (that meets his standards) to love him unconditionally. He is a retired airline pilot, so he can fly all over the world for free, making it possible for him to travel as much as he likes in his retirement. He is here for an undetermined amount of time; he said if he finds a good woman he will stay longer. He has psoriasis and is very self-concious about his skin; he made the comment that many women he's been with have looked at him like a leopor, which has caused him much hurt and insecurity. He has a friend who came to Chiang Mai and met a "good Thai lady" to bring back to the States with him; he decided he would do the same. I listened as Solly shared his story, his Jewish beliefs, and his desperate desire to be loved. God opened doors for me to share about my belief in Jesus, as well as my hope that Solly could find a good woman in the States who would love him for his heart & not for his wallet. I felt so blessed to be God's vessel; I had the opportunity to be the one God spoke through to his son Solly who he loves dearly. I followed the Spirit's leading and God blessed that obedience. It's amazing what God will do when we take the time to seek & listen. By then end of our conversation, Solly said he would try praying to Jesus (and see if he could believe that He is God.) I told Solly that if he would just be willing to seek Him, he would surely find Him. He agreed to try, praise God.
The following morning, as I was jogging past street vendors and restaurants near our neighborhood, I noticed two men sitting at a cafe table drinking coffee. It finally registered that one of the men was Solly; he recognized me too and asked me to join them for a cup of coffee. I was hoping to expand on my conversation with Solly from the night before, but his friend was the rant-&-raving type who controlled the conversation for the next hour. Solly and I both sat and listened (and I prayed silently the entire time) as this lost soul shared his beliefs on women, sex, and Thai culture. This 68-year-old [Danny] has been here in Chiang Mai for six years now, "sleeping with 70-80 women without having to pay them". Danny admitted that he had no interest in meeting a woman his own age, that he likes 20-30 year olds (to keep him young), and he even jokingly called himself a pedophile. I had to fight back disgust and my desire to "put him in his place" as he went on and on. He had some points that made me ponder about the "purchasing of women" in Thailand and how it has many similarities to the many material-based relationships all over the world. Here, men may spend 300 baht ($10) to take a woman out and end up in bed with her; in America, a man may buy diamonds, nice cars, or expensive dinners to get a much younger, more attractive woman into bed. There's a whole slew of tv shows on American television about the gold-diggers out there; many couples today consist of rich old men and young blond bombshells/ "trophey wives" & many of them did not marry for true love or seek God in their union (I'm not speaking for every one of these couples, but it is a reality for many). While I'm not AT ALL justifying or agreeing with the terrible things taking place here in Thailand and all over the world, he did make me think.
Many girls all over the world go out to the bars, have a guy buy them a few drinks, and go home with a complete stranger (this is the sad but true reality of college life today). The similarities that I see here in Thailand and back in the States are frightening. Many women who are "lonely or looking" go out on nice dinner dates, and either out of obligation or otherwise sleep with the man. With the influence of advertisements, alcohol, and just plain worldliness, we've gotten so lost and so far from God. We're looking for love in all the wrong places: sex, alcohol & drugs, materialism, pornography, etc. I have spent much of my life seeking for something to fill me up or make me feel loved/ happy/ complete, feeling like there's just "something missing." We're all looking for love, but God is the only one who can fill the gaps in our hearts through Christ... and I pray for myself and this world (Solly & Danny included) that we can look upwards to God and not outwards to the world for this "filling".
The most amazing reality in my life today is this: no matter what we've done in our past or the things that we've used to replace our longing for Jesus and no matter how unworthy or dirty we feel, we are pure and redeemed by the blood of Christ. All we are asked to do is repent and seek God with our whole hearts. What a blessing to be loved by the Creator of the universe & to have him living inside of us so we can share that love with others... it is the ultimate love. I feel blessed to have been given God's eyes for these men, to be able to love them and pray for their brokeness. Please join me in praying for the many women & men here in Chiang Mai who are just seeking God's love and don't even know it.
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Posted in 8. Thailand by Mallory Martin on 3/7/2012
Last week was a weird week of ministry. The girls that we had formed relationships with were very cold and standoffish to us when we went in to spend time with them. We even made a day date with April to get our nails done, and she was nowhere to be found when we showed up to meet her. Every time we saw her last week she was "sick" or seemed very sad; we asked her what was wrong and even offered to pay her "bar fee" so she could go home and rest, but she said she had to stay and work. After a somewhat discouraging week (especially after such a hopeful and powerful first week here). Saturday came and it was our last night of bar ministry for the week. All day I just had peace about the situation with April that had been causing me such discouragement and heartbreak; I even felt that I wouldn't be seeing her or going into her bar that night, which was strange since we would normally be there for much of the night. It turns out the enemy had plans to attack, but the victory would be ours (and is already ours in Christ.) Both of my teammates for bar ministry became very sick and couldn't go out for Saturday night outreach; I was going to join another group, but felt that God was telling me to stay back and intercede. Coincidentally, our ministry coordinator was also staying back for intercessory prayer, so we joined together in the basement and fought hard in prayer for hours. We prayed for the bargirls by name. We begged God to have mercy on these women and change the course of their lives, to continue putting people in their lives to lead them away from this darkness and into the light.
These prayers- and all of our prayers- are powerful & are causing the enemy to fight hard for these women. There is a spiritual battle raging and we are in the middle of it, but we have victory with Christ on our side, and things on Loi Kroh Road are changing. Business is slow and bars are empty, many bars are for sale, and there are many girls who show signs of wanting change in their lives! It has been amazing to see what our prayers have accomplished already. We have truly been able to carry the light into the darkness. When we enter the bars, the atmosphere changes. Some of the bargirls feel so loved by our team that they share their life stories & heartbreaks, they run to greet us, they ask us to stay in the bars so they won't have to give their full attention to the men. I've watched as I pray for customers to take their hands off of these women & leave, and moments later they get up and walk out of the bar for the night. When we speak the name of Jesus and pray in those dark places, the Spirit moves.
Please join us in prayer, fighting alongside us in a battle that is affecting us in very real ways. Many of the girls on my team including myself have been struggling with sleeplessness, nightmares, fatigue, headaches and stomach problems. We are remaining strong and encouraged, but we need your prayers to help us fight against these plans of the enemy to distract us and keep us from doing the work we've been called to do!
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Posted in 8. Thailand by Mallory Martin on 2/26/2012
The content of the blog that follows in not appropriate for children.
After one week in Chiang Mai, Thailand I am desperate for more of God in this place. At first glimpse, the city appears to be an enchanting tourist destination with delicious cheap street-vendor food, huge markets with handcrafted finds, and culture galore. However, for those who discover the many bars and massage parlors of Loi Kroh Road, the city takes on a new meaning all together. I can't look at the city the same. I can't see the beauty or the charm without the darkness that underlies everything. Everywhere I go I see older white men with young Thai girls in skimpy clothing, and I feel a jolt through my heart. It would shock you all to see how blatantly obvious the selling of women is in this city. As we walk from bar to bar, women stand in their sexy clothing at the entrance to each bar and massage parlor (hundreds of them) cat-calling the men to come in. We sit and sip on our Cokes, watching as men approach the bar with the woman of their choice and pay around $10 to take the woman for the night. After they leave, some lonely men simply take the women for company to dinner or sight-seeing, but most of them pay for any other service they would like. I asked one group of attractive white men in collared shirts (many with their wedding bands on) what they were doing here in town. They laughed as they told me they were here to play golf... I have a feeling they're here for more entertainment than that.
This month I am not with my co-ed team, but rather with 10 other women from my squad; we are partnered with a program of Lighthouse in Action called Love Acts. Read more about their mission here.
For ministry we are going into the bars to befriend and build relationships with prostitutes and victims of human trafficking. Our first day of ministry consisted of accompanying the team that had been here for the past 3 weeks to the bars.
[ Our goal this month is to simply show these women the love of Christ. We aren't here to necessarily preach or recruit as many Christians as possible, but rather to build deep relationships with the women and ladyboys (trans-sexuals) so that we may have an opportunity to share our testimonies & more about Christ eventually. During our briefing, we were told that this ministry is about quality, not quantity. In order to make a real difference in the lives of these women and have the opportunity to really lead them to change their ways permanently, it's going to take lots of intentionality and love. ]
We went into the bars and ordered our non-alcoholic drinks, and watched as the team interacted with the "bargirls" they had befriended in their time here. After visiting a few bars and meeting a few of the women, we stopped at the entrance to another bar, which I'll call "Flower Bar" for the sake of anonymity. We were introduced to a 24 year-old girl named "April" who I immediately felt drawn to, and I felt that the Lord wanted me to pursue a friendship with her. So, on Thursday I made a point to go by and say hello to her and give her a flower lei I bought on the street. Later that night I grouped up with the team that was going to her bar so I could have more interaction with her through the people she had gotten to know. It was wonderful because one of the team members paid her bar fee so we could get her out of the bar to talk. We took her down to the riverside where we sat on a park-bench and I listened to this man of God pour into April. As tears streamed down her face, she listened to him tell her he loved her for the woman she was inside and not for the things these other men wanted from her. He told her that he loved her because Jesus loves her and he sees her worth. She shared her dreams of moving back to Bangkok (where her parents and 2 year-old son live) and opening up a restaurant.
I went back to see April last night, and as I sat and sipped my Coke with my team-mate Rachel, we prayed and talked for a couple of hours in that bar. Although she was preoccupied with a customer in the booth behind us, she would stroke my arm every now and then and smile, as if to say, "I'd rather be talking to you, but I have no choice." She asked me to join her for lunch today, so Rachel & I got to spend some time with her this afternoon. It was really encouraging and sweet when she asked us to pray for the meal. I see a huge open door with April, and I'm really hoping to hit the ground running with her, picking up where the last team left off and encouraging her to follow her dreams and find her purpose and worth in Christ!
a strip of bars off of Loi Kroh Road
To learn more about how this industry thrives in Chiang Mai, check out this disgusting website we found at your discretion: http://www.1stopchiangmai.com/hospitality/bargirls/
Please pray for our team as we go into this spiritually dark environment 5 days a week. Also please pray big prayers for these girls, many of whom were bought & trafficked from their small villages with promises of an education and job opportunities. I know that the Holy Spirit will speak and act through us, hopefully giving us the opportunity to change at least one life! I feel a special burden for Chiang Mai Cafe which is apparently the largest bar for trafficking in the traditional sense (the girls are not allowed to leave the bar like the bargirls on Loi Kroh, and the girls pictured on the building appear to be very young)-- this ministry has not yet started pursuing this bar, but they are praying over it constantly. Please also pray for Lighthouse in Action and the permanent staff here in Chiang Mai; they are also praying over a building on Loi Kroh Road that they would like to have as a place for constant prayer and intercession, as well a safe-place for the bargirls and street kids to go for discipleship and classes.
Chiang Mai Cafe (praying safety over the girl whose photo is missing here)
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Posted in 7. Uganda by Mallory Martin on 2/15/2012
Meet Esther & David…
and their eclectic family of street kids and former prostitutes (not all pictured)
This amazing couple is a living example of what it means to live by faith, sharing the love of Christ. This is their story…
Esther grew up in Rwanda, losing her family in the genocide when she was around 10 years old. On the day her family was murdered, she was returning home with a friend from her uncle’s wedding near her home. She heard much commotion in her home only to find that her family had been slain, so she and her friend ran as men chased them, passing by the wedding only to see that the entire wedding party had also been murdered. They ran to her friend’s home where the mother hid Esther overnight in a tall cement structure for storing water, but the mother warned the girls to run away because the men would return to kill them. Esther made her way to the border of Uganda, where a woman took her in as a house girl for the next [10 or so] years of her life. Esther was then taken to a YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base in Jinja, Uganda where she would spend the next years of her life healing, being trained, and working in hospitality.
Esther’s husband David also has quite the testimony. His parents were Christian pastors who were heavily persecuted, kidnapped by the government and imprisoned when David was only 10 years old. Fearing that he would also be taken from his home, he ran away and lived the next 10 years of his life on the streets. His life on the streets took him through drug abuse, self-mutilation, sleeping in public toilets, and more. Throughout this dark time, David remembered his father’s sermons that spoke of a loving and protective heavenly father. As evangelists would reach out to David and the other street boys, he was reminded of Jesus. Although he questioned his circumstances and God at the time, he would eventually see God’s redeeming grace and mercy in his future. Once there was finally freedom of religion in Uganda years later, David’s parents were freed and they were eventually reunited with their son. God never left their sides & he protected this entire family during 10 years of injustice and pain.
Esther and David are undoubtedly soul mates. Although they’ve both experienced great hardships and pain, their testimonies have saved the lives and souls of many. They are now parents to a baby boy (with another child on the way) as well as 12 former street boys and two orphan girls, providing them with food, shelter & an opportunity for education. Since David is a former street boy himself, he has a special way of interacting with the boys and encouraging them to change their lives and live for Jesus. All of the boys have given their lives to Christ, some even having converted from Islam, which is very prevalent in the area.
Esther has also started a powerful ministry of reaching out to local prostitutes and teaching them to make jewelry. She has opened a shop in the post office where she sells the crafts made by these women to help support her ministry and family. Two of the women & their children live with Esther & David, while other women are a part of her ministry and weekly fellowship.
Esther & David took us to their home to share their stories with us and introduce us to their patchwork family. Before arriving to their home, we made a pit-stop in the area where the local prostitution takes place. Behind a row of shops sits a building where people play pool, get drunk & watch movies including adult films. The owner of this establishment allegedly has ties to Saudi Arabia and Iran, where he is involved in trafficking some of the local Ugandan girls from the surrounding villages with the promise of job opportunities. This man owns a large home nearby, where there is also known to be a large drug operation. The police chief once conducted a raid at the home and arrested some of the boys involved, but there is much corruption. There is even question of whether the government may be involved in the sex trade operation since these girls are receiving visas in a country like Uganda (where pastors I’ve met can not even get through all of the red tape to get a visa.) One woman we met outside of this establishment stood on the corner open for business, with her toddler child at her side (a product of prostitution, she doesn’t know the father). Esther has befriended her and offered her the chance at a new life, but she is hardened by her life and doesn’t wish to change. We were told the women sell themselves for as little as 500 shillings (about 20 cents). Some of the women are abused to the point of near death, raped, and infected with aids. As Esther and David have become more involved in rescuing girls from this area to teach them a trade and give them an opportunity for change, they have received many threats from the men who run this operation; their home has even been broken into.
Every Friday, Esther meets with the women for fellowship at her home while David and the neighborhood kids play soccer and read bible stories in the yard. Sitting underneath their mango tree, they pray and share testimonies. They have an open door policy at their home, welcoming all who need the love of Christ. The neighborhood prostitutes come to them on the days when they need advice or haven’t made enough money to feed their babies. Please pray for God's provision and blessings for this couple as they reach out to their community with the hands of Jesus.
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Posted in 7. Uganda by Mallory Martin on 2/2/2012
Last week, Pastor Solomon took our team to a nearby village for a crusade. We all piled in the back of a small pickup truck (our team, the praise team, the musicians & a few others) along with the instruments, large speakers and other sound equipment. We arrived in a cloud of red dust from the pot-hole-filled dirt road, and immediately people began to gather and stare at the commotion. We set up shop in the middle of town, right in front of a hair salon. After setting up the speakers and equipment, gospel tunes began to fill the air. Children swarmed and began dancing with us, ladies with curlers in their hair stepped out of the salons to listen, & mothers stopped and sat down to nurse their babies while they waited to see what was going to happen next. One thing I love about African life is that people take the time to stop and listen—there’s really not much else going on, so if someone wants to share the gospel with them they’re almost always willing to give a little time to listen.
Just imagine this scene playing out in America… if a pickup truck full of people pulled up and started singing, dancing & preaching, most people would just walk on by, maybe taking a second glance back at the most. We look at most people who we see preaching on the corner like they’re fanatical lunatics… we’re too busy and in too much of a hurry to actually stop and see if they have anything meaningful to say.
One of the first people to arrive on the scene was a very drunk woman who was dirty and disheveled. She was dancing right up front and tried to get a couple of us to dance with her. When the preaching began, she wanted to be right in the middle of it; although she was being somewhat disruptive, it hurt my heart to see various people try to shoo her away. She wanted to be a part of what was going on, and even if a few words soaked in I wanted her to hear them. Everyone has a right to hear the word of God. After she finally calmed down from being escorted away from the service, she came back and sat down at Logan’s feet as he preached. It was such a sweet moment seeing her sitting at the feet of God’s word, just as so many drunks, prostitutes and tax collectors sat in the presence of Jesus. She gave her life to Christ during the altar call, along with two other drunk men. Who knows if they actually remember doing this or fully understand the “decision” they were making, but I can only pray that at the least a seed was planted.
One of the others who accepted Christ was named Fred. He had not had a bath in quite some time, was barefoot, &wore dirty clothes. As he stood and repeated the sinner’s prayer, Pastor asked people to bring new clothes to give him. He changed into his new clothes, and I was shocked yet entertained when Pastor set his old clothes on fire (as a symbol of new life—out with the old, in with the new). By this time it was dark, and everyone circled around the fire & danced to the African gospel music pouring from the speakers. Soon after the fire died down, it was time for us to load up and head out. As we drove down the road and I looked down, I realized Fred was sitting in the bed of the truck amongst all of our people and equipment. He came home with us where he got a warm meal, and Pastor put him up at the church for the night. I’m not sure if Fred was on drugs or had mental problems, but something was definitely off—he was twitching and appeared very paranoid—which probably explains why he disappeared the next morning before church began. We plan to check up on him—he had been sleeping on the veranda of the bar for some time, so we’re assuming he’s homeless. Please pray for Fred's safety & health.
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