Ashes to Beauty

Friday night was ashes to beauty in all of its splendor. We, and by we I mean all of you included, took the Beginnings girls and staff out to an amazing restaurant that is located in the tallest building in Thailand. The restaurant is a few flights below the revolving top floor where you can see the whole city. Bonita and Roy were telling us, after, that most of the girls have never gotten to eat like that, out to such a nice place, or been at such high heights in their life. Thank YOU!

It was such a gift to see them enjoy it. They were astounded by all the buffet's food, and just ate to their hearts desire. I have no idea where it all went or how none of them got sick, because I was just wide-eyed at their appetites. We laughed a lot about it, and they were just so appreciative. So to all of you who are on this journey with us, whether it has been prayerfully, financially, or anything, we and all the girls and staff at Beginnings thank you for an absolutely wonderful evening at Crystal Grill in the Baiyoke II Tower.

Now I want to tell you of the beautiful Cinderella's that were in attendance.

As the girls came down the stairs to congregate before we left for the Baiyoke Tower, I was struck. I could have cried they were so very beautiful. They were so happy...so excited...and I found myself to be so blessed. They all had their skirts and dresses on, hair and make up done, and big smiles as we commented on how suay ("pretty" or "beautiful" in Thai) they looked.

We kid alot in this household, but really, it was all so beautiful! What I saw was more than pretty faces and laughter, I saw redemption at its finest. As each girl came into the kitchen I saw the love of Christ, the old made new, genuine joy, relief, excitement, beauty...I saw, in true form, ashes traded in for beauty. Lives of freedom...

The girl who has been plagued by false idols...redeemed. The girl who wore a number on her uniform, as a mark of available purchase, as she waited drink tables in the bars...redeemed. I saw the girl who was gang raped on her trafficking journey...redeemed. The girl who does not remember her story or what village she was trafficked from...an orphan to the world, but completely claimed by the Lord...redeemed. The girl who worked on the streets prostituting herself to feed her children...redeemed. The girl who has been spared of this lifestyle because her sister, who is still involved in the industry, brought her to Beginnings so that she would never know that life...redeemed. The girl who explained her coming to the faith as a love affair between Christ and Buddah, in which she had to choose...redeemed. The girl who talks to her child each day...redeemed. The girl who went from sex slavery to loving Jesus with all that is within her heart...redeemed.

I have seen such immense darkness here, but I have also seen the fulness of Christ's redemption, grace, and mercy in such precious lives. It is heartbreaking, incredible, and Isaiah 61:3 in true form...

"to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

A display of his splendor is here. Pray for more lives to be redeemed here in Bangkok, as well as in all the world. Do all that you can by any means you can to be that link to our great God. His work is such an amazing masterpiece.

Some pictures to enjoy...because of you:

grace like rain

The rain here is intense. One minute it is hot and sunny then suddenly....monsoon! It brings in this cool air, and the sound of it crashing is just so sweet. It is washing it all away...

It reminds me of God's grace. His good, undeserved, unending grace that He pours down on us with love.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

Steve Fee's "Grace Will Be My Song" continually filled my head today with its anthem so true.

Jesus Jesus Jesus
You ransomed one like me
Jesus Jesus Jesus
Your blood, my liberty
And now my shame is gone
And grace will be my song

Jesus Jesus Jesus
Lover of the weak
Jesus Jesus Jesus
With strength to carry me
And now my shame is gone
And grace will be my song

Glory Glory Glory
To the one who saved my soul
Glory Glory Glory
To the Everlasting Lord
Glory Glory Glory
To the King who sits enthroned
Our God

What a wonderful truth! My prayer is for these women and children to be able to sing and rejoice one day:

"and now my shame is gone...and grace will be my song"

Urgent prayer

Hey guys,

I know you are already praying for what is going on over here, but I have a specific request. Two girls who have already become very dear to us have some serious stuff going on, and we need such prayer for them. One situation is specifically being handled within the next few days. The stuff you are about to read is pretty intense, so if you do not want to read, it is understandable.

Thank you again for all the prayers you already have put forth! The Lord hears and He answers beautifully.

Because He Chose the Nails, Janette

This is straight from Bonita and Roy's prayer letter:

___________________________________________

Beginnings brushes with trafficking victims regularly. While we work with women in the sex trade, it is inexorably linked to human trafficking. The following is a tale of my experience as a trafficker!

For two years we have enjoyed a young woman (age 12 at arrival – now 14) in our Beginnings family. We’ll call her Pon. She is delightful. She loves Jesus. She is playful. She is creative. And she is illegal.

She was abandoned by her mother at birth and raised by her grandmother who died just before her journey to Bangkok. While we have spent hours searching the internet for her possible homeland and village, it has been to no avail. Her recollections mostly resemble Burma, but we are not certain. She has no ID card, no mother, no father, no siblings, no nationality, no homeland.

Because she is at such high risk of being “caught” and then of being trafficked, we have been vigorously seeking a way to protect her with legal papers. (Both the military and Thai police are notoriously corrupt and have been accused in multiple trafficking cases.)

A friend from Laos who has helped others gain residency said she could help. After questions, prayers, and tears, we sent Pon with our friend on the twelve hour bus ride to Laos. The bus was stopped eight times by police who boarded looking for illegals. Pon hid in the bathroom but was discovered at the last stop. Because she was heading “home” to Laos, she was allowed to leave – not on the bus but on the back of three different motorcycles driven by three different men through the jungle -- alone. God protected her.

After two days of meeting with various officials, it was determined that Pon would NOT be able to obtain papers there – unless we wanted to pay off the officials for their corrupt demand of about $5000.

Now the most difficult dilemma: How do we get her BACK?

After hours of heavy silence, prayer and tears, our plan was to rent a van and driver and travel all night to Ubon (at the Laos border) where we would pick up Pon and, prayerfully, “traffick” her back to Beginnings.

Before Ubon we were stopped twice by police. We all had papers so we were allowed to advance. We counted at least 15 police stops on the other side of the road – we would have to pass through AFTER we had Pon.

We slept in the van for a few hours and then met a tearful, frightened Pon and friend. We determined we would take the northern route, assuming there might be fewer stops. Before the northern turnoff we were stopped twice. The officers looked in each of the van windows, asked multiple questions and even identified our “sleeping” Pon as a foreigner --- and then told us to have a good trip. God protected us!

We were not exempt from stops even on the northern route. We approached the first turnout where the police had stopped a bus and two vans. We were waved on. God protected us!

We came to the next turnout where the bus had been unloaded and passengers were holding up their ID cards. We were waved on. God protected us!

At the next turnout, four police had stopped a couple vans and were busy with the inspection. Two other police were talking, looked at us but did not seem to see us. We drove on. God protected us!

Lunch, back roads and hours later we were approaching the place where the northern route connects with the southern route about 100 kilometers outside of Bangkok. We knew this would be the most difficult. In anticipation, we stopped at a large vegetable stand. There we pondered, purchased, prayed and finally returned to the van. Within minutes an enormous cloud gathered above and it rained torrentially. The clouds seemed extraordinarily full of water. We passed at least four police stops – saw their cones and flags – but never saw them. God protected us. Even the winds and waves obey Him. What a mighty God we serve!!

We reached Bangkok without incident. When pulling off the freeway onto our street, Pon talked for the first time in twelve hours. She was home! We were home!! --- So young, so vulnerable, so frightened, she experienced the protective hand of God in her life. It is a lesson none of us will soon forget.

******* Another of our residents cannot boast the same story. Len was also trafficked from Laos. She, however, was not loved by her traffickers. She was made to wait in the jungle for many hours. While there she was gang-raped by several men and told that if she did not cooperate they would leave her in the jungle to die. When the refrigerated truck came by for the pick up, the back door swung open and it was packed with women and young children. There was no room. They were told to make room. The largest of the women got in first and the lighter sat on their shoulders for the entire twelve hour trip to Bangkok. They were then sold to various labor and sex establishments. Len was sold for sex. We found her in one of the bars we often visit. Pray for Len. The same God who protected Pon, loves Len and has brought her to this place of safety and hope.

Pray for Len, for Pon and for our continued struggle with finances. You are pivotal to this ministry and we love you!!

Blessings, Roy and Bonita

Just a few snapshots

Beginnings.

For those of you who thought that NYC was the city that never sleeps...

It is not a rare occasion to see these homeless dogs all over Bangkok...

There are also many methods of transportation.

New experiences... eating bugs.

Fish spa!

Some of the girls enjoying some sour mango

Sweet Lek and I

Precious BeBe.

Ann bought BeBe a pancake maker...the girls approved!

The darkness is everywhere.

Yet, we have hope in our midst...Heaven.

Minimalistic.

These past couple of days have been interesting, tough, and lovely all at the same time. We sat down yesterday with Bonita to talk about what to expect and how to react to the outreach ministry. Her details were intense. That is all I feel needs to be shared on the matter because of the knowledge that you all already have of these girls. They are exploited. Plain and simple.

Upon receiving this information, it was time to put these years of longing to be here, and times of training into action. Stepping into the bars for the first time.

During my walk to the bars with one of the outreach-able girls from Beginnings, I was not sure what to expect. I did not want to "lose face," I did not want to shame these girls or make them feel bad, I did not want to react...I just wanted to show love. I prayed the entire time. I have been praying for months now about this specific initial reaction to being there, and still felt as though I was not sure of how I would respond. I just had to trust. We met Bonita, and entered.

God is so very faithful to prayer! I thank you all for your commitment to pray for us, yet again. He hears and answers. With His strength, He gave the ability to have conversations with some of the women, to have an inviting face, and to actually smile and laugh with them. It was a blessing far beyond the requests in prayer. God is so incredible and amazing. To Him all credit is due always and forever. How His beauty can shine through any and every situation blows me away, and my heart rejoices at His power and majesty.

**"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

The first conversation I had was with a women who radiated with happiness, yet was so eager to be cared about. She loved conversing with us and was so sweet. I was not sure of how much English she knew right off the bat, but before I knew it, we were discussing our ages, nationality, family, and jobs.

I ask her how long she has worked there specifically- she says, "8 months." I ask if she liked her job- she says, "it's so-so...not really." I ask her why... She said some things that capture all of this in such a true, yet dark and somehow hopeful light...

"It is nothing. The men...no one cares about heart. All they want is you. They want that. To do things. They do not care about your heart. It is not for love (as she motions her hand to heart and then to mine)..no heart. They are drunk and they crazy (she imitates) They just want look...pretty face...body...but no heart."

This is real. The hope is that can we pray and love with no limitations, and ultimately hope that they would let the Lord fill that void. I pray that you do not take this information and use it as you will, but to just pray over it and these women and children involved. There are things I will only share with the girls I am here with, and some things I may only take to the Lord. On whether to share any of this or not, I have prayed so much...and I think you need to know this depth. Let it cause you to pray all the more, to be aware, and to love all you come into contact with.

This is war

at its best

on its finest day.