Meet Lilly

The other night on outreach I had an encounter with a precious broken woman. Her name is Lilly*. She came up to us while we were sitting on the ground with our street friends...(usually we sit on a curb in the red light district, hangout with the kids, and do school with them). This gives the kids a little break from begging on the streets,  it allows them to learn since they can't attend school and it lets them to be kids for just a little bit.

Sometimes this little 'school scene' attracts attention because it is pretty ironic to be teaching kids the alphabet while women are lining the street corners waiting for clients. In fact, right before Lilly came by a French man came up to us and asked, "What are you all doing here with these kids?" I responded, "We are having school." He laughed out loud and said "This is so strange- street school and prostitution right next to each other!" Then he walked away. He is right... It is pretty strange but if we can educate this kids, teach them about Christ, and show them that they are valuable then maybe in the future they won't be lining the street corners like the others.

Anyhow, going back to my encounter with Lilly. She was also intrigued by our street school. Lilly came up to us with her Japanese client, both smelling of alcohol. Lilly just stood their watching the kids do the school worksheets. I kind of smiled at the couple, but thinking that my Thai was too limited to explain to them what we are doing here, I just carried on working with the kids. Then all of a sudden Lilly started talking to our Cambodian street friends in their own language of Khmer, then she leaned over to her Japanese client and spoke in his language, then a second later she started speaking to me in English! Right away I knew this women was educated! Then I thought to myself, "I wonder what circumstances led her to work the streets." I didn't have to ask her much, she was willing to share her story.

 Lilly told me that she came into the city to go to business school. After she completed school she opened up her own knitting business making hats and scarfs. She said that the business wasn't doing well so she had to close it down. Without the income from her business she fell into the dark system of prostitution. She shared with me that she went to visit her family but her mother didn't want to have anything to do with her. Lilly began to cry as she told me about the abandonment from her mother. She said that when she saw her mom, she reached out her hands to her but her mother turned her back to her. This sad conversation happened within minutes of just meeting Lilly. It made me think, "Wow this precious women is sharing a deep, deep wound of abandonment to me- a total stranger. I wonder what other levels of pain she's faced. She must be lonely. She clearly wants to have someone just listen to her." 

Right after she wiped her tears, she pulled off the knitted hat that she had made and she showed me a scar on her head. The scar was from a former client. She spoke of abuse and abandonment. My heart was literally aching for her. I decided to give her our contact information if she wanted to talk more. I told her that  if she comes by our community center I would make her tea and we could just sit. I hope she calls.

I wanted to share this story because I hope that those of you who read this blog will begin to see that the issue is not that her business fell through, or that she is working the streets. It is not an economical issue, it is a spiritual issue. Ephesians 6 says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil." John 10:10 says, "The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy." Satan wants to put Lilly in bondage. He wants to destroy innocence and keep people isolated from their Creator. Those of you who are reading this blog please please remember that there is a desperate need to intercede and truly come before God's throne in power, knowing that we are fighting a spiritual battle. You have an opportunity to come before the throne of our Everlasting God who can restore and heal Lilly and tons of other girls in her situation. I want to ask you all to begin praying with serious passion! Pray for Lilly. Pray that she contacts us or other Christian NGOs. Pray that she can learn of Christ love. You are a minister of God's hope through prayer. Please pray that the gospel goes out to these women- for Christ is their only HOPE! He is our only HOPE! 

I want to end this blog with Scripture. 

Revelation 21:3-5, And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, 
                                           "I AM MAKING EVERYTHING NEW!"

(* indicates a name change)

Lets Play Catch Up!

Hey beloved ones,

    We are officially out of our "immersion" experience and technology fast, so we will be updating this blog much more frequently, yay! Bekah and I hope and pray that you are well and sitting at rest in the grace of God.

    Here is my (Josh) journal entry from Christmas:
Merry Christmas!! A child is born that will redeem the world. Jesus who was with God, with a courage unknown to any, left heaven to come to earth and set in motion the reconciliation of men- what a good God! The method in which he came was so upside down. The God of the universe chose dirty hay as his triumphant entry. 
   Much has happened this past week. Time flies here. Christmas has come and gone with all of its excitement. We have done outreach and we have celebrated Jesus. 
   Oh Christmas Eve, we went out Christmas caroling throughout many of the districts where prostitution is ramped. It felt awkward and awesome at the same time. It was awkward to sing carols to random people who had no idea what all the commotion was about, or what Christmas is really about. It was awesome because they loved it even though they had no clue what we were singing. (Thai folks are very welcoming.)

  As we caroled, we handed out presents to some of our friends who beg on the street. What a beautiful process-to bring a little hope on Christmas to those whose only hope is the cup they stick out to beg with. Our caroling mission had another purpose, to invite the street kids to the community center to have a Christmas party. This was a bit nerve-racking since most of our Cambodian street friends had been picked up only days earlier and deported out of the country. However, our friends made their way back into the city and on the day of the Christmas party nearly all of the families showed up at the community center to celebrate. 

   The Bible says, when you have a party, to invite the poor which can not repay you, and that's exactly what we did. The first thing that struck me about our friends is that nothing separated us from them. We were all wonderfully human- hungry, happy, playful, funny, excited and the list goes on. Often times folks romanticize about serving "the poor" as if they are different from us. But they are not... our friends were beautifully the same. They need Christ as much as I do and they need love as much as I do. They are not different and God used this truth to move my friends deeper into my heart.
   Maybe that's why God wanted us to have a party with the marginalized. He wanted us to see our solidarity-we are created the same. We are not set apart. They are not our "good deed," or our "ministry," they are our fellow humans! They are loved as much by God, in need of God, and sinful like we are. They are not the "poor," they are us.
  The Christmas party was a blast. I connected so well with many of the kids. They were so unassuming and childlike, playful and energetic. It was the perfect day.
   Although it was such a great day, the night held different plans. I really didn't see it coming. Reality has a way of cutting the legs out from underneath you sometimes. Although our friends are unequivocally just as human as we are, their lifestyles couldn't differ more. The reality is this, my friends are poor, or sometimes even homeless. So where I spent my childhood with weeks of time off in preparation for Christmas, these kids had no time off.
   Let me explain this further. A week or so ago, we bought one of our friend's a night of temporary freedom by buying her bouquet of flowers so that she didn't have to stay out on the streets all night. We bought the flowers for $300 baht ($10 U.S. dollars). Her job is to beg or sell flowers to make a buck for her family. Her vocation is located in one of Bangkok's red light districts. Her grandmother will not allow her to return home until all of her flowers are sold or until morning arrives. She heads to work around 10:00pm so she literally stays up all night (by herself) sometimes, and by purchasing her flowers she was able to go home early and have a decent night's rest.

   Like I said before, the kids have no time off. Families began to leave the Christmas party around 7:00pm. I was surprised they would leave so early. Then I saw a sight that would punch me in the gut and also thrust these kids further into my heart. Everyone was gathering their belongings to head home when out of the corner of my eye, I saw my friend grabbing her bouquet of flowers. The truth hit me like a pro boxer. Our friends were not heading home to spend Christmas with family, they were heading to the streets to work and beg! No time off for my friends.
   While watching my friends head to work, I experienced a hurricane of emotions. The same parents I shared a Christmas dinner with and smiles, were the same parents that would, moments later, send their children to the street to beg. So instead of presents, joy, and family time it was a dirty street filled with men looking for sex and a hope that if I sell a dozen roses by midnight, I can go to sleep at a decent time.
   Not all is a loss though, this day was a huge success. So many families showed up to our Christmas party, even the some of the dad's came which was new for WordMadeFlesh Thailand. God is growing these relationships. Tim and Amy were so encouraged to see trust and safely grow with these families. It is only a matter of time before Christ loosens the bonds of poverty and spiritual darkness.

            Jesus is working, as usual, in hearts not wallets.

Preparing to Leave

Jesus said, "This is the commandment that I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for a friend." These were some of the last few words Jesus told his disciple before he went to the cross. I have often thought, "What would it have been like being with Christ in that very moment?" "Would I have realized the weight of these words? That is pretty heavy stuff... Laying down your life! At the same time these words are so beautiful. "Love, as I have loved you!" Behold our God! He has loved us so deeply that He laid down His life for us and then he calls us to do the same! 

One of the prayers that Josh and I have been praying as we prepare to leave is that we will lay down our desires, embrace loosing ourselves, and let go of our comforts. We truly desire to lay down our agenda, expectations, and allow God to guide us during these next four months in Thailand.

We want to ask you to begin praying this prayer of 'laying down' with us. We need and want your prayers as we go! We also want to paint a picture of what our first 3 weeks in Thailand will look like. We recently found out that we will be doing an 'Immersion Experience'. We will get to taste what it's like being a refugee in Thailand- with no connections and very little money. We will be living on our own in the outskirts of Bangkok, without our Word Made Flesh community, and we will be living in a area that we are not familar with. We will have 50 baht ($1.50) a day for food and we will most likely be living in a 10x10 room with a mat and a fan to keep the mosquitos away. Obviously, we don't really know what to expect but we are certain that God will be striping us of things and rebuilding something new in us during these 3 weeks! We know this experience will open our eyes on how to better minister to the poorest of the poor, not only with sympathy but also in empathy. When the 3 weeks are over we will move into the heart of Bangkok and begin doing life with our WMF community. Christmas will also be right around the corner and we will do an outreach with the children and women.

Here are somethings to be praying for:
1) Intimacy with Christ during these crucial first 3 weeks.
2) Pray that we posture ourselves as learners in a new place and culture.
3) For strength and unity in our marriage.
4) For obedience as we seek to lay down ourselves and our desires.
5) For the people to be open to the hope of Christ.
6) Safety and health.

(Lastly, we most likely will not have access to the internet for the first 3 weeks...soooo know that we LOVE  you all and appreciate your support and prayers! Thanks again for lovin' us! Talk to y'all soon!)

Love,
The Hilts