Lee Family Winter/Spring 2021 Newsletter Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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In contrast to some of the lights and glamour of Bangkok, Thailand as a country is really hurting economically. Everywhere you look there are closed shops, for sale signs and even huge hotels which are totally empty. Our "Moo Baan" (Neighborhood) is about 25% empty houses |
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COVID changing the way we work Ryan: Statistics for 2020 confirm a 6.1% decline in GDP, the results of which can be felt throughout the nation. In 2021, economists are projecting a rebound of tourist to the tune of 3 million a year from a peak of almost 40 million in 2019. I say this not because of the alarming statistics, but the way in which it has effected everyday Thai's. |
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After 10 weeks of lock down during the spring of 2020, the economy has slowly rebounded, but millions are still without work or toiling at informal jobs such as selling fruits or foods at road side stalls or stop lights. There isn't an industry this hasn't been affected, especially those working in the sex industry either in the shadows or more formally at a bar. The picture from Bangkok is a good example. There is one open bar with many others now permanently closed. The one open bar has 5-6 girls waiting outside that, while I watched, one lone potential customer walked by in 5 minutes time. Please understand, I am not advocating for more customers to stream to these bars, but instead highlighting the dire situation they are in. |
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We've heard the comment, "Wow that's great the bars are closed," but really it's not. It's not the better of two evils, but the worse of two evils. When the bars are closed, the women still carry the responsibility to pay for rent, food, and electricity for their families sometimes forcing them to look for work "underground". Often, women search for clients on apps where it can be much riskier than meeting someone at a public bar where everyone else sees you leave with with a client often times after taking his identification. Just recently, we heard another complication from a young 30 something girl nicknamed "Julie". She said when the bars were opened everything was OK for her. Men bought her beers or whiskey and she made money by getting a percentage of every "lady drink" sold or going with the men if they wanted her. However, when the income dried up not only was she desperate for food, but also alcohol as she began to shake from withdrawal. "It wasn't until COVID that I noticed I was an alcoholic," she said with an awkward smile. "The money is gone but I still need whiskey or beer simply to survive". She wasn't proud of this and it seemed like another opportunity to serve while we are here. Her story of alcoholism is a common one. Likely more than half of the girls who have worked at the bars have the same addiction to alcohol. |
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We know we cannot solve all the problems of these girls and lead 100% of them to Christ. Fortunately, God does not ask us to shoulder all of the burden or to carry someone from start to finish. It is not by our own power, but by God working in us, that we are able to meet these needs. We are only part of the work among a collective of people working in the Loi Kroh area (Chiang Mai red light district). In February, we started helping by providing food to 60 girls per month at the bars with support from Bread for Life. The prayer is this is the foundation for a greater relationship whereby girls ask themselves, "Based on the examples I see, is there something better out there for me?" Working through the difficulty of COVID, it helps us to remember there are few times in the Bible where God's people are confidently advancing the kingdom when everything is working perfectly according to God's plan. Often it's just the opposite; situations like the followers of The Way in early Acts who, despite severe opposition, sometimes to the death, the church grew and grew. Jeremiah 29:11 is often found hanging on the walls or refrigerators of Christians who take comfort in hearing, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope". Here in Chiang Mai, WE take comfort knowing this was written not when Israel was doing well, but during or just prior to Israel's captivity in Babylon. We know God is working not in spite of the hardships, but confidently through these hardships, providing opportunities for those who seek something more, something better. |
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HUG Project & Bread for Life |
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Ryan continues to work for HUG Project which, despite COVID-19 has had an astonishing impact in 2020 and into 2021. Almost every week, there are hundreds trained and/or others saved from sexual oppression. Bread for Life was able to reach over 2,900 people the majority of which were helped in partnership with other key projects such as The Wheelchair Project, Together We Serve, Tawseang and Night Safari Thai Church to name a few. During this time, Bread for Life has had many small deliveries and a few large deliveries, the largest of which was 1,000 bags provided for elderly handicapped Thai people. This has been a great blessing because the goal of BFL is to walk beside these other projects providing them the food, but letting Thai pastors and Christian leaders provide the food to the needy in their community. This aids in developing serving Christians AND helping non-believers know the love of Christ through their relationships with the Thai Christian community leaders |
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So, Why Thailand Ryan: Often a question arises when we first meet people from abroad. "So you moved here from the US to help people," they ask. "Why Thailand?" This is often followed by a second question, "Can't you do the same for people in America?" To start, we were called by God from America to Thailand. Yes, we can do work in America, but sometimes God's calling in our lives is bigger and farther away than we imagined. Thailand also has a rate of Christianity of between 1% and 2% with a slightly higher concentration from some of the hill tribes in the North where Christianity was planted generations ago. Very few know the story and it has a great impact when shared for the first time. |
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Additionally, we have a (undeserved) status as foreigners that Thai's hold in esteem often because they feel we are rich and might help their status. Regardless of the reason, we've never had any Thai just walk away because they didn't want to talk. They are friendly and want to engage and practice their English even if it comes from a Bible they are not familiar with. And lastly, there is a BIG difference between Buddhism and Christianity. As detailed by History.com, "some scholars don't recognize Buddhism as an organized religion, but rather, a 'way of life' or a 'spiritual tradition'" I think this is very accurate. The truest form of Buddhism is a search for Nirvana or a path to enlightenment through the self-practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom. There is no god and there is no love only karma as a result of our good and bad actions. You can imagine how much this weighs on the hearts of those who work in dishonorable professions such as the sex industry. Fear tells them they are unworthy with no amount of good karma that can tips the scales in their favor after years and years of sex work. Zach William's song "Fear is a Liar" highlights the opportunity we have against the backdrop of a culture that says: When he told you you're not worthy
When he told you you're not loved
When he told you you're not beautiful You'll never be enough "....He will rob your rest and steal your happiness ....When he told you you were dirty And you should be ashamed When he told you you could be the one That grace could never change Oh, fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear, he is… As my spiritual friend Todd White says, you don't have to tell people what they are doing wrong or hit them with rules of religion do's and don'ts. When Todd is sharing his testimony he gets asked if he works in religion and he just says, "No. My God works in relationships built on love." That is who we are. Just as God loves us despite our missteps, we love without condition. We are not starting with an agenda and asking them to become a Christian. We are trying to show unparalleled love that doesn't push, instead PULLING people to Christ because they want the love and acceptance they hopefully see in our lives. We want to love them with so much generosity they ask "How can I get some of this? Who is this Christ that loves ME without condition?" |
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Mischief in her favorite sleep spot Ashley: Many of you may know that we have cats. In fact, we have 3 of the little critters. When we first moved to Thailand, we left our animals behind, but the girls (and I) were looking forward to having pets again. The first four months we lived in the rent house of another missionary family, but as soon as we moved into our new home, we went to find kitties. Kendal and Kaelyn each picked a sweet kitten, and a week later I received a call that their brother still needed a home, so we ended up with three adorable kittens. I LOVE animals and passed that onto the girls, so none of you would be surprised at the amount of love these cats get on a daily basis. Fast forward two years and now the cats are fully grown and fully mischievous therefore the name. About two weeks ago, Kaelyn's cat - Mischief - got out of the house. No, we weren't surprised. This has happened before. We generally can find her next door lounging in the grass, looking at us like "What? I can't have time off too?", or if it was at night, she comes back in the morning for her breakfast. But that's not what happened. Saturday morning, no Mischief. We looked everywhere and were starting to get worried. Sunday morning, still no Mischief, and we were starting to be really concerned she was hurt, lost or both. Finally, at about 2:00 P.M. Ryan went outside and called her loudly from the back of the house. The call sounds resembles a high pitched "COM'ERE" the was used to train the cats to come when he calls since they were kittens (i.e. Pavlov's dogs). We both heard a very faint "meow" and started looking everywhere. Ryan kept calling her, and finally we realized she was over the huge brick wall behind the house, and couldn't get back across. I climbed up on the wall, and we couldn't see her, but still heard her. Then it happened! I saw her peek through a large bush, meowing and wanting to come home, but too scared to cross the swampy, algae-infested stagnant water just below the wall. Kendal climbed over the wall, down a ladder, and through the nasty swamp and rescued Mischief, and I delivered her safely into Kaelyn's waiting arms. As I look back on this, I realized two things that tie in with the new Bar Ministry (Illumin8) we are trying to get up and running. 1 Mischief knew Ryan's voice, just like we know God's voice. She learned it as a kitten, but for humans, it's built-in. We just have to realize that is who is speaking to us. 2 The pure joy that filled my heart that day the moment I saw her sweet little eyes peeking out, trying to come home, is the same joy that God feels when his children come home!! That, right there, is what this ministry is about. We want to shine light in the darkness of the bars, and watch as the women we work with recognize God's voice. I can just imagine a small part of the joy God will feel when they realize who they are and whose they are!!! |
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MISSION - To make disciples of ALL nations who make disciples by loving without conditions PLATFORM - Protecting trafficked and at risk peoples with Christ's love as our example |
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We appeal for very specific prayers of praise for A as she has accepted Christ and wants to know Him in a new way. We pray for R, C and J all of whom are searching and want to know more. We pray their hearts would be filled with God's warm love that keeps them seeking. We pray for KJ who has a significant amount of anger issues, she knows some of the stories but is battling through her own sense of self worth and beauty. Let her hear God say I loved you before I knew you and still do regardless of what the world says about you |
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We continue to take language Thai classes with Ryan and Ashley taking 3 and 2 days per week respectively. Much of our conversation out in town is now in Thai; Ashley's discernible, Ryan not always so much yet. Prayers for a finance class Ryan is arranging. The class contains a beginner, intermediate and advanced portions each section with 4 classes of 1.5 hours a piece. It will start with basic knowledge of money and advance through savings, debt, emergency funds, retirement and spending. I ask for prayers the class would be successful and another launching platform for interactions with Thai people from all walks of life. Lastly, I (Ryan) have a big one. I would like for my diabetes to be complete gone, poof, no more. It has begun to affect my mental state on a daily basis, but even more so I want to pray for something BIG that only GOD can do. No science can reverse Type I Diabetes. What a testimony this would be for others! |
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Persons of Peace We desperately want wisdom that our eyes, ears and mouth are in tune with Jesus. We pray that when we meet people of peace the words but put upon our lips to make a loving impact. We each would like to have 3-4 people at any one time in mentorship which is now closer to reality with better Thai language. |
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Personal We continue to be humbled by the generosity of everyone back in North America. We long to come home and be able to share everything that has happened and catch up with everyone after a healthy round of hugs with everyone family, church and friends alike. Do you know someone who might find encouragement in reading our newsletter? Send us an email at finfreedom@gmail.com (Ryan) or alee6283@gmail.com (Ashley) and we would be happy to add them to the distribution list. Address in Thailand: 207/58 Baan Nai Fun M.3, T. Mae Hia, A. Mueang Chiang Mai, Thailand 50100 +011 66-094-626-1100 |
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