I love Thursdays. (Really, I love everyday in Thailand.)

I got to hang out with these fun girls on Thursday, Faa and Toey.

These are their cute little feet!

They thought it was funny to take pictures of their feet. 

And our hands. 

Making bracelets

Mu loves her chicken. She's a silly, fun girl! I love her! 

The PSM Center Transformed!

The team from the US did some painting while they were here! The words above the door are Isaiah 58:11:

 The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden, 
    like a spring whose waters never fail.

The frames the kids made at youth club turned out great!  

These kids are BEAUTIFUL. 

Almost a month!

Sa wa dee ka!! 

In just a few days, I will have been in Thailand for one month. It's crazy to think how fast my time is going, and I'm treasuring the time that I have here. I am really thankful to God for bringing me to Thailand this summer, and I'm excited to see what the next month will bring. 

It's been a great week in Pattaya! 

On Sunday and Monday, I did my dives in the ocean. I got to do four different dives over these two days. I saw lots of cool fish, sea urchins, star fish, rays, and even a shark (Although, I couldn't really tell it was a shark. It was sleeping under a rock). I really loved my scuba diving adventure and I'm excited to do some more scuba diving next month. 

On Tuesday, I was excited to get back to another week in the slums. I'm finding that I miss the kids after not seeing them for a few days! Unfortunately, we weren't able to go to the slum on Tuesday because of the rain. It's coming up on rainy season in Thailand. (But surprisingly when I was here last year in July, it only rained once. We'll see what happens this year). 

On Wednesday, the rain held off and we were able to go to the slum. The US team that was here led a lesson about the prodigal son. The kids loved making bracelets with the beads that Elmbrook brought for me to bring to Thailand. I had fun playing some games with one of my favorite girls, Benz. 

Thursday was another fun day in the slum. I got to spend time with two girls, Faa and Toey. They liked listening to me read "Click, Clack, Moo" a popular English children's book and would repeat the phrase "Click, Clack, Moo. Click, Clack, Moo". It was cute. 

On Thursday night, my friend Monica, who is a volunteer with the Tamar Center, asked me to go to a bar with her. She was going to visit some of her friends who work there. Their names were Moon, Aom, and Noot. Monica met them on a bar outreach a few months ago and has developed a friendship with Moon and Aom. Pray for these girls to have a desire to learn more about Jesus and the hope that he can bring them. Moon has read the Bible at Monica's house, and recently, Monica gave her a Thai Bible. It was difficult to see these girls with men who treat them like objects. You can read more about my night at the bar on my blog, if you like. 

Coming up on Saturday night, we will be having a sleep over camp with the youth. Jacie and I will be leading devotions on Saturday and Sunday, and we'll also be doing some fun activities, like going swimming, playing games, watching a movie, and painting nails with the girls. We'll also take them to church on Sunday The theme for the camp is "Wider than the Ocean". Pray that these kids know that God's love for them is so great and he wants to have a personal relationship with them. 

On Sunday night, I'm leaving for Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai with Pin. We'll be spending time with her family. Pray for safety in our travels and that it would have a fun and restful time. 

My Night in a Bar

Last night, I went to a bar in Pattaya with my friend, Monica, who is a volunteer with the Tamar Center. She was going to visit some of her friends who work in the bar. Their names were Moon, Aom, and Noot. All of them were around my age. Aom bought us sodas when we got there. They were sweet and talkative. We played pool and laughed together. They seemed like normal 20-something girls who like to hang out with their friends. Except their lives are not normal. They are there for men to have sex with them. While we were there, men looked them up and down like objects. While we were there, Moon went to go talk to a guy, who seemed like he was a former customer. She spent about 30 minutes with him at the bar, and then he left. The girls tried to get guys walking down the street to stop in the bar. This is their life everyday. This is what they feel they have to do to earn an income. Two of them talked about going home to see their families, taking care of their sick parents, and wanting to buy a new house for her parents. Maybe there are other ways for them to make money, but maybe not. And maybe any other option wouldn't be enough to provide for their parents and other people in their families too. Whatever the reason, no one should have to feel like this is the only option. This shouldn't have to be the only option. These girls are beautiful creations of God, and not objects, like the men that sleep with them see them as. 


When I see these girls with the foreign men, it makes me sick. It makes me sad. It makes me angry. It shouldn't have to be this way. But this is reality. I know that God sees this, and I know that he cares. He loves these girls, and they are his treasures. I don't understand why this has to continue to be reality, but I am hoping for a day when this evil will stopped and the world will be restored to how it was intended to be. 


I read Psalm 145 this morning. 
"The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy."


Monica told me about the spirit rituals that these girls do in hopes that men will be attracted to them. In hopes of getting more customers. She also told me that Moon has been reading her Bible when she comes to her house, and that Monica gave her a Thai Bible of her own. Pray for these girls with me, for evil to be overcome and for God's truth to stand firm. 

Trafficking in Persons Report

2012 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Heroes. Rounding out the list is...

Gary Haugen
United States


"As President and CEO of International Justice Mission (IJM), the human rights organization he founded in 1997, Gary Haugen has built a global team of hundreds of lawyers, investigators, and social workers. Directed by their faith and commitment to global justice, IJM staff partner with local governments to rescue and provide aftercare for victims and to hold traffickers accountable under local law. Before founding IJM, Mr. Haugen served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where he directed investigations into police misconduct, and served as Officer in Charge of the UN investigation in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.
Under Mr. Haugen’s leadership, IJM has assisted nearly 4,000 victims of sex trafficking and forced labor since 2006 alone, leading to more than 220 criminal convictions and hundreds of ongoing trials. In addition to IJM’s work against modern slavery, the organization is bringing its innovative model to address sexual violence, property seizure, illegal detention, and police brutality.
Mr. Haugen’s vision has transformed the landscape of human rights advocacy and is empowering a new generation of activists to help local governments transform justice systems to protect the poor from violence. This powerful model is working: independent evaluation has demonstrated that after four years of IJM partnership with local law enforcement in Cebu, Philippines, the availability of minors for sex decreased by a stunning 79 percent."


I love what IJM is doing to fight human trafficking.

Here's a statement from Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton about the TIP Report:


"Now, this year’s report tells us that we are making a lot of progress. Twenty-nine countries were upgraded from a lower tier to a higher one, which means that their governments are taking the right steps. This could mean enacting strong laws, stepping up their investigations and prosecutions, or simply laying out a roadmap of steps they will take to respond.
But this issue and the progress we’ve made are about much more than statistics on prosecutions and vulnerable populations. It’s about what is happening in the lives of the girls and women I recently met in Kolkata. I visited a few months ago and was able to meet with some extraordinary women and girls who were getting their lives back after suffering unspeakable abuses. One young girl, full of life, came up and asked me if I wanted to see her perform some karate moves. And I said, “Of course.” And the way she stood up so straight and confident, the pride and accomplishment in her eyes, was so inspiring. This was a child who’d been born in a brothel to a young mother who had been forced and sold into prostitution. But when her mother finally escaped and took her daughter with her, they were out of harm’s way and finally able to make choices for themselves.
Now I don’t know what’s going to happen to that young girl, whose image I see in my mind’s eye, in the years and decades ahead. But I do know that with a little help, her life can be so much better than her mother’s. And that’s what we need to be focused on, and it’s what we need to try to do for all victims and survivors.
That’s why in this year’s report, we are especially focused on that third P, victim protection. And in these pages, you’ll find a lot of proven practices and innovative approaches to protecting victims. This is a useful and specific guide for governments looking to scale up their own efforts. What kind of psychological support might a victim need? How should immigration laws work to protect migrant victims? How can labor inspectors learn to recognize the warning signs of traffickers? And what can you and all of us do to try to help?
When I met with the people who were working with victims in Kolkata, I met several young women from the United States who had been inspired by reading about and watching and going online and learning about what was happening in the efforts to rescue and protect victims. And they were there in Kolkata, working with organizations, NGOs, and the faith community, to do their part. So this is a moment for people to ask themselves not just what government can do to end modern slavery, but what can I do, what can we do together.
Ultimately, this report reminds us of the human cost of this crime. Traffickers prey on the hopes and dreams of those seeking a better life. And our goal should be to put those hopes and dreams back within reach, whether it’s getting a good job to send money home to support a family, trying to get an education for oneself or one’s children, or simply pursuing new opportunities that might lead to a better life. We need to ensure that all survivors have that opportunity to move past what they endured and to make the most of their potential.
I’m very pleased that every year we have the chance to honor people who have made such a contribution in this modern struggle against modern slavery. And I’m also pleased that this is a high priority for President Obama and the Obama Administration. It’s something that is not just political and not just a policy, but very personal and very deep. You might have seen over the weekend a long story about Mrs. Obama’s roots going back to the time of our own period of slavery and the family that nurtured her, which has roots in the fields and the houses of a time when Americans owned slaves.
So as we recommit ourselves to end modern slavery, we should take a moment to reflect on how far we have come, here in our country and around the world, but how much farther we still have to go to find a way to free those 27 million victims and to ensure that there are no longer any victims in the future."


Change is happening. More work needs to be done. 

Tip Tuesday

Here's a site giving tips about where human trafficking could be happening in the United States.

Pray for Pattaya

The Thrive Rescue Home recently opened in Pattaya and is ready to accept girls who are rescued from sex trafficking. They will take in girls under 18 who have been trafficked and provide them with healthcare, counseling, and schooling.

Pray for the girls that will be accepted into this home. Pray for them to be restored by the love of Jesus. Pray for more staff to come and help with this process. Pray that this home is an avenue for change. One life at a time.

Also pray for the Tamar Center. They have 13 people (including two pregnant girls, two lady-boys, and several high-school aged girls) who are signed up for their training that starts on July 9th. In the training, they learn skills to earn an income, like hair-cutting, card-making, and cooking. They also receive counseling and have Bible study as well.

Pray for these girls and lady-boys to know Jesus' love in new ways and that he would be real in their lives.

Saturday Youth Club

Making photo frames for the walls of PSM

Aye and Ang showing off their work

Ann and Aom

The kids learning a dance from Aom. They love to dance!! 

Wan Poot = Wednesday

This is Palm. She was my wiggly little buddy during story time.

Playing with the parachute...they LOVE it. 

Cake...the cutest little Thai girl ever. 

Benz...another one of my faves. She's so sweet. 

Tuesday Fun =)

This is Khing.

Tumtom, one of my faves

Pin and Vit

Fluke - love him! 

Sweet Tia

Week 3 set lao!

Set lao means finished. It's one of my favorite Thai words. Maybe because I like being done with things (like in a game). My time is going by fast, and I'm trying to take in as much as I can. I am happy with what I've been able to experience so far. 

On Monday, I started my scuba diving course. My instructor was a little Thai lady named Nok. I just did some scuba diving in the pool, but it was fun. I'll go in the ocean on Sunday and Monday this weekend. 

On Tuesday, we began another week in the slums. I was excited to get to the Tuesday slum where I was greeted by a few of my friends shouting, "Kru Jen-neeeee" (Kru means teacher). The team from the US led the program and taught about creation. I think the kids really enjoyed the program and had fun singing a silly song and drawing animals that God created. 

Wednesday and Thursday were also fun days in the slum. The Thursday slum kids always have a lot of energy. There is a group of new Cambodian refugees in this slum, and some of them don't know English. Thearith, Angela's husband, knows Khmer (the Cambodian language) and is able to interact with them really well. I think they are becoming more comfortable with the rest of the PSM staff too. 

On Thursday afternoon, I got to have lunch with the jewelry artisans, and that was fun. One of the jewelry artistans, Nood, decided to get a construction job, which allows her to work more hours. The jewelry artisans are only able to come and work 2 days a week, and this is not enough money to support her family and pay her debts (her husband is in jail). Pray for God to provide for Nood and her daughter, Keo. 

I also had fun on Thursday afternoon playing soccer with Ang, a boy who lives close to the center. He doesn't live in the slums, but he comes on Saturdays. He's a really nice boy, and it's exciting to see how PSM is having an influence on kids like him in the community where they are located. 

On Thursday night, I got to go down to the Tamar Center, located on one of the streets with all the prostitution. They have a worship night every week, and last night, it was great to worship God and pray for Pattaya, in the midst of all the evil that goes on in this city. "My God is Mighty to Save" was a song that touched my heart, realizing that my God is strong enough to bring an end to all of this darkness. As I saw the sights on the street, my first thought was that I was glad that I didn't have to see this every day. (PSM is located away from the beach, where most of the prostitution takes place.) And then I realized that this is their life every day. This is what they have to experience every day. The picture of this street is something that I do want to keep in my head, so that I can be reminded to pray and do whatever else I can to help this cause. 

On Friday, we went to the public school again for English club. There were about 10 kids there this week, and we talked about faithfulness. Some of the kids that come to this are PSM regulars, but there some that do not come to PSM activities, so it is a great way to reach others in the community. 

Today (Saturday) was youth club day. We took the kids to taekwondo class and then brought them back to the center. Some kids learned to make vegetables and rice and some kind of lemongrass soup, while the others learned English or guitar. I taught the kids the Electric Slide dance and the English words to go along with it. It was fun! The team from the US gave a devotional about worshiping God and when they had to say something that they were thankful for, many of them said they were thankful to be able to come to youth club at PSM. At the end of youth club, the kids did a "service project", where they went out into one of the slum communities and picked up trash. 

It was a great week in Thailand. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement. 

Tomorrow and Monday I go scuba diving in the ocean and I'm excited! I'll let you know how it goes! Also, coming up next week is a sleepover on Saturday night at PSM and then I go to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai for a week with Pin. 

Khwam Rak Mak (Much Love), 

Thoughts on the Beach

The other day I was at the beach in Pattaya with Pin and Pu (having a yummy papaya salad picnic). I saw a man moving across the sand on his belly, using his arms to push him. At first, I was confused as to why he was doing this. Then I noticed that he only had one leg. This got me thinking how sometimes we may see someone do something that seems unwise, crazy, weird, or even sinful. There may, however, be a justifiable reason for their choices. There may be something underneath the surface that is causing them to act this way. It is not our job to judge, especially when we don’t know the whole story. It is our job to show them love, to find out the reasons behind their behavior, and to help them make choices that will better their lives and ultimately lead them to Jesus.

At the same beach, I also saw many girls who were prostituting themselves. Yes, for many of them, this may be a “choice”. They may have made a conscious decision to sell their bodies for money. There may, however, be legitimate reasons that are driving them to make this choice. Maybe they have no other options for an income. Maybe they are seeking love that they have never received in their lives. Maybe they feel so broken that they don’t have any hope of earning an income with dignity. It is not my job to judge. Judging doesn’t help anyone. It is my job to love them. It is my job to help them make decisions that will not hurt themselves physically and emotionally. I don’t know what that looks like when I live in the United States, where I don’t come into contact with prostitutes on a daily basis. I know that it means to pray. I know that it means to give money to organizations that help rescue and redeem former prostitutes and victims of sex trafficking. I know that more needs to be done, and I want to be a part of that. 

Week 2

This is my second week here and I feel good about getting in the swing of things.

On Tuesday, we went to the slum, but we were only there for about 30 minutes. (I had a lot of fun with the kids in those 30 minutes and was sad to go.) So, we gave them their chicken and milk that they get every week for a snack, and we were on our way.

On Wednesday, we went to the next slum, and this week, we split up the older kids and younger kids. Jiap and Pin taught the older kids about dealing with stress in different ways. They asked them to share some of the things that they struggle with. Jiap said that a couple of kids shared, but not many. Angela, Jacie, and I taught the little kids about Joshua and the battle of Jericho. We told the story with puppets, and they got to act out the story with musical instruments. The kids had fun! =)

On Wednesday night, I got to meet with Pu, the Thai girl who I wrote about on my last email. She wants to learn English and she would love to go to America some time in the future and learn more about God there. Pu's mom is in the hospital right now in the home town where she is from in northern Thailand. She has a heart problem and has been in and out of the hospital a lot. Pu sends all of her money to help support her. Please pray for Pu, that she will continue to trust that God would provide. Pray for her mom to be healed as well.

On Thursday, we went to our final slum, which is also the biggest. We did the same program as we did on Wednesday and the kids loved it. Before going to the slum, Bo and Bell came to the center, and Jacie and I played a game with them. Angela talked to Bo while we were there, and apparently, Bo left the guy that she was dating because he hit her. Her mom and her filed police charges against him. Bo is now living back with her parents. Please pray for Bo. She has a lot of hurt in her heart and is seeking love in the wrong places. Pray for her to make wise decisions and find healing in the love of Christ. I also found out that Nan, the other teenager who I have talked about, ran away from home with her boyfriend again. Her mom wanted her to go back to school and she didn't want the boyfriend living with them. Nan is back home now, but continue to pray for her. She doesn't want to go to school and she wants to continue to be with her boyfriend. Pray for her to make wise decisions as well. Pray for her heart to seek God's love and not the love of a boyfriend.

On Friday, Pin, Aom, Jacie, and I went to the English club at the public school. About 10 kids came, and we taught them about gentleness. Pray for more kids to come and for us to be able to share Jesus' love with them (even if we can't talk directly about Jesus). Also on Friday, a YWAM team from the US arrived and will be here for 2 weeks. There are 7 women ranging in ages from 17 to 28 and one man, who is married to one of the women. On Friday night, I got to have dinner with Pu and teach her some more English. She is so excited to learn English and is so excited about her relationship with Jesus. It's really beautiful to see, and I am happy to be her friend here.

Saturday was youth club at PSM. We took the kids to taekwondo and then came back to the center. Jacie taught an English lesson and the YWAM team told the Max Lucado story, "You are Special", which is about finding your identity in Christ. We also played games and made a photo frame with beads. It was a fun day! Pray for these kids to know Christ more and find their identity in his love. Also pray for Bo, who came for the whole day on Saturday. She looked sad and withdrawn most of the day.

Today, I'm looking forward to going to church and just relaxing. Tomorrow I start my scuba diving class with a pool dive. Next week, I'll dive in the ocean, and I am excited!

Pray for another week of PSM activities, for the kids and adults in the slums to know Jesus and make him real in their lives.
Praise God for how well life has been going for me here. I am enjoying my time with the kids and have been healthy and safe.

Loving your Enemies

In Pattaya, I find it easy to have compassion for the children living in the slums. I find it easy to have compassion for the prostitutes I see. Since I've been here, they have been on the forefront of my mind for prayer. It's easy to remember them in my prayers when I see it everyday. This is something I want to continue when I'm home.

I have a really hard time, however, having compassion for the 'farang' (foreign) men I see, who are here to take advantage of the multitude of prostitutes in this city. Pictures like this, I see all the time.

When I see the farang men here with Thai women and girls here, it makes me sick. When I hear men talking about how "nothing changes in Pattaya, and that's a good thing", it makes me angry. I know that it makes God angry too, but I also know that God asks us to love our enemies and pray for them. 

In one of my favorite passages, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5,
"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven."

I know that these men are in need of prayer. They are broken and in need of God's love and restoration like anyone else. In praying for justice to be done, I need to pray for those inflicting the injustices as well as those who are subjected to the injustice. 

This is hard. I am praying for God to show me more about how I am to respond to this. 

PSM Ministry Update

Check out Pattaya Slum's latest ministry update!

Saturday Youth Club

On Saturdays, PSM takes the kids to taekwondo class. This is Mu. 

Anne and Cream doing some karate kicks.

Tang taught me how to make a paper heart. 

I love, love, love this picture. This is what PSM is doing. 

I got my hair done by Gawte

And I was feeling a little sick, but Doctor Gawte fixed me up. 

All better. =)

A roi = delicious

This is a meal I eat a lot. 

Som Tom Thai Phet Mak (very spicy papaya salad). 

Yum. 

Island Fun

This is Pattaya. 

 These are the girls that took a trip to Ko Larn: me, Jacie, Pu, and Pin.

We took a 30-minute ferry ride to the island.

This is Ko Larn. 

Beautiful. 

Our awesome lunch provided by Pu. 

This is Thailand. My life is rough, huh? 

On our way back from Ko Larn. 

I love it. 

Last week...

On Friday, we went to the public school where a lot of the PSM go. PSM has started to do an after-school English club in the past month. Right now, we are teaching the kids English words which include the fruit of the Spirit. This week’s lesson was on goodness. Jacie, the other American volunteer here this summer, led the lesson and taught the kids what goodness is. We challenged them to do something to show goodness this week.

Friday night was Family Fun night at PSM. Some of the jewelry artisans and their families came to the center. We ate some delicious green curry that Aom made. Then we sang and Angela gave a short message. We also played some games.

Saturday was youth club, when the older kids come to the center. First we took them to Taekwondo class. It was so much fun and they love it. We came back to the center, and I taught an English lesson to half the kids, while the other half did a cooking lesson with Aom. Then, we ate what they made together (some fried rice and cabbage/noodle soup).  Angela had asked me to lead a prayer time for different countries when I’m here, so I introduced what prayer is and why we prayer. Then I told them about the country of Swaziland and we prayed for the people there. None of them prayed out loud. It’s still something new, but hopefully, they will start to learn more about prayer and use it in their own lives. We also had a lot of free time to play games on Saturday. I played pretend doctor and hairdresser, drew on the white board, and learned to make a paper heart.

On Sunday, I went to church at the True Friendship church. I like the diversity of this church. There are more Thais than foreigners who go to this church, and some of those who come are former or current prostitutes. 

Pin and Aom have been bringing three girls from the slum to church. Their names are Mu, Ma, and Meow. They took them to KFC after church (which is a real treat for them =), and I went with them. Then, we went back to the center and I played Jenga with them, built towers, and they played on my computer. I had fun talking with them in Thai too. When they were leaving, they asked if we could play games next Sunday and they all gave me hugs. This blessed my heart. 

On Monday, I got to go to Koh Larn, an island off the coast of Pattaya with Pin, Jacie, and Pu (another Thai friend). It was BEAUTIFUL, and I had a really fun day with these girls. On Monday night, I went to Pu and Monica's apartment. Monica is an American volunteer with the Tamar Center. I met her last year. Every Monday night, she has dinner with girls that she meets on the Tamar Center bar outreaches. It was really cool to see how Monica has developed friendships with these girls and it was fun to interact with them (and eat some really good Thai food). I hope to get to go back to hang out with them again. After the dinner, Pu walked me to my songthao (public transportation in Pattaya). She is a former prostitute and last April, she made a decision to follow Jesus. She told me a little bit about her story and how God has changed her heart. She loves Jesus and is excited about serving him. This week, I'm going to meet with her to help her learn some more English.  

As I sat in church on Sunday, I was just overwhelmed by God’s love for me. This week, I have been thinking about God’s great love for Thai people in poverty and experiencing injustice. As much as God loves them and has them in his hands, he also has me and you in his hands. Because of his great love for me, he has allowed me to come to Thailand and I am able to play a small part in God’s redemption of the world. I am humbled by this gift. In the midst of seeing evil in this city that makes me sick, I am trusting that God’s ways are higher than mine. He wants to see his kingdom come here and now. I am thankful to be a part of that and am praying to see his hand more and more here in Pattaya.

Pray for PSM this week. Pray for lives in the slums to be transformed. Pray for the PSM staff, Jacie, and myself to build relationships with the kids and adults in the slums and point them to Jesus. Pray for my friends Bo and Nan, who aren’t going to school and are making unwise decisions. Pray for the jewelry artisans to continue to know Christ more.

Praise God that I have peace and joy while being here in Thailand. Praise him that I’ve been able to use my Thai to communicate.  Praise God for kids in the slums who know about God’s love and are making decisions to follow him.  

Another Update

On Wednesday afternoon, we went to another slum, and we did the same program that we did on Tuesday. Again, I remembered quite a few of the kids from last year and I had fun playing with them. Pin and Aom lead the kids' club and I really enjoy seeing them tell the Bible stories and interact with the kids. They have built such great relationships with the kids and that is exciting to see. 

Angela and Jiap went around to talk with the adults. There is a team coming in July that may do some building projects and they went around to see what the needs are in the slums. Angela told us about a conversation that she had with Cream's mother and grandmother. Cream is a teen who comes to the kids' club. Her grandmother is sick and is having eye surgery. Cream's mom and grandmother told Angela how Cream tells them about God and how that has made them think about God. They told her how Cream is so excited about following Jesus and wants to be his servant for the rest of her life. She gets excited about going to church and asks them to go every week. It's so exciting to hear how PSM is having an impact on these kids and how the kids are influencing their families. These kids have to take on the burdens of their families and may come from homes where they don't receive love from their families. They have many barriers to knowing God's love and that he does provide for them. Pray with me that these kids know Christ's love despite the difficulties in their lives and that they get excited about knowing Jesus and following him, like Cream has. 

Every Thursday, the PSM staff has lunch with the jewelry artisans and then they do a worship time and Bible study together. There are currently 5 women working with the jewelry project, Bam, Nida, Nood, Nok, and Sid. I met Bam and Nida last year. Bam recently did a Discipleship Training School with YWAM and is now back in Pattaya making jewelry with PSM and working with the Tamar Center, another YWAM organization in Pattaya reaching out to the prostitutes in the city. Nida is in her 60s and just about the cutest lady you will ever meet. She came to Christ last year while my Elmbrook team and I were here. Nood is a Cambodian woman who has one daughter named Keo (which means green!).  Nood and Keo live in the Thursday slum, and PSM helped Nood get the proper papers, which would allow her to make jewelry. I haven’t learned yet how Nok and Sid came to PSM. Yesterday, I got to eat lunch with these beautiful ladies and witness them worship God, read the Bible, and learn about God through Jiap’s teaching. Tonight, we are going to be having a family fun night with these ladies and their families.

On Thursday afternoon, we went to the slum. This slum is the largest of the 3 that PSM visits, and it includes a Cambodian refugee camp. There were about 40 kids there yesterday. Again, I remembered some kids from last year, but there were a lot of new ones. I had fun playing soccer for a while with a little girl named Mai Phon. I also got to talk for a little bit with a 14-year-old girl named Manao. While we were there, I saw Bo, one of my favorite girls who I met last year. Bo is 14 and she hasn’t been going to school for a while. She was walking around but wasn’t really joining in with the activities. I asked her to come sit with me, and she did and stayed for the rest of the time. Pray for Bo to go back to school and to stay away from the pressures that come with being a teenager in Pattaya (getting a boyfriend, becoming a prostitute, etc.)

Also while we were there, we heard some screaming from a woman inside one of the houses. She was yelling at someone, and it sounded like she was hitting them. Later, I found out that this was Nan’s mother. Nan is a teen who I met last year and I really enjoyed her. I learned that Nan dropped out of school again and has been running away from home. She has a 20-year-old boyfriend who she is living with. She hasn’t been coming to PSM activities, and her mother thinks that PSM led her astray. Her mom hits Nan and her younger brother often. This made me really sad when I heard about this. I don’t really know what else to do but pray. Please join me in praying for Nan and her family.

My life in pictures...

 Here are some pictures so you can see what life is like for me in Thailand:

This is my room at PK Apartments. 

It's quite nice.

Mmmm...a bag of sticky rice for 10 baht (about 30 cents).

Tang mo (watermelon) on sale for 9 baht. It was yummy. 

A bag of peel carrots! If you know me, you know how much I love this. =)

One of the advantages of waking up really early. This is the view outside of my room. 

At the Wednesday slum, Aom is teaching the kids a game.

Pin and Oom having fun =)

Singing songs in Thai

Doing a Locust craft after they learned about the plagues in Exodus

Getting ready to have some chicken on a stick 

Aroi mak mak (very delicious)

Peace and love from Thailand!