(Originally posted on December 16th, 2011)

A difficult thing about living in this city is maintaining a healthy view of men, when so many of the men we come across are sex-buyers. When I (Bethany) first became aware of the issues of prostitution and the sex industry, I was angry towards the men who perpetuate this problem.  God has convicted my heart since then, giving me His eyes for these men.  In them, I see the same slavery and brokenness that those in prostitution have.  I see the same hollowness and need for healing in their eyes.  And I see just as much of a chance for Jesus to step in and transform them as I would see with anybody else.

I am disgusted sometimes.  I see these men and recognize that they have taken something God intended to be sacred and used it for their own gain, cheapening sex and turning women and boys into commodities.  But is God’s grace any farther from them than it is from you or me?  No.  It’s right within their grasp.

If we don’t believe that God can redeem people like that…we would have to rip out half of our New Testament, which was written by a man named Paul,  who was basically a terrorist before he met Christ.  As a persecutor of churches, someone whose task was to sentence people to prison or to death, not many would have looked at Paul as a man who had potential to become one of the most famous missionaries in church history…someone who could be filled with the Spirit of God and reach millions of people through the Scriptures he would write.

Today we see trafficking…prostitution…these massive problems which will not go away with the implementation of new laws or new non-profits.  Hearts need to be changed.  Only when impurity is traded in for purity will we see a difference.

There is an organization called Unearthed that is based near my hometown of Wilmore, KY which raises awareness about trafficking and prostitution through media resources.  I was recently on their website and came across several valuable resources, including a video of a former human trafficker who now lives his life to rescue the same people he used to exploit.  Watching this video reminded of the dire need for men’s hearts to be changed if we are truly going to change the way our world views purity/sexuality.  I’m impressed by the work that Unearthed is doing, and hope you will take time to check out their materials.

http://www.unearthedpictures.org/

(Originally posted on December 16th, 2011)

Outreach

Since I (Bethany) came in August, I have been joining Golf in his weekly outreach to the Bangna slum area where he has connected with two young boys and a girl.  Usually we meet up with them in a park/playground to play sports and do other activities.  One of the boys, “Puy”, is only 11 but showing signs of becoming a ladyboy.  Puy does not dress as a girl, but acts feminine and has been labeled a ladyboy by his peers, mainly because he doesn’t like to fight like the tough slum boys his age.  Puy enjoys spending time with Golf and I, reading Bible stories and playing badminton or studying English.  I think it’s really healthy that Puy has Golf as a positive male role model in his life, who is supportive of him and won’t tease or make fun of him.

We are hoping that as we continue building relationships with Puy and his peers, they will know that they can trust us and open up to us.  Several times Golf and I have visited their homes to bring them treats and check in on them, so we are slowly getting to know their families as well.  They get excited about seeing us each week, and we definitely enjoy our time with them as well!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” -Mt. 19:14 

(Originally posted on December 16th, 2011)

“We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”  -David Platt, Radical

Floods of Water
In recent months, many provinces in Thailand have been ravaged by massive flooding; over 500 lives have already been lost in the worst floods to hit Thailand in fifty years.  As we daily hear stories or watch the news, we feel blessed to have been unaffected so far by the flooding; but we are also saddened that so many people have lost jobs or been stranded with lack of access to food and clean water.  For a few weeks, there was a sense of panic in Bangkok as residents stocked up on food or decided to leave the city because of the flood risk.  My language school was closed for three days, after the government declared a national holiday to give people time to evacuate.  Thinking the flood may indeed hit us, we spent several days moving all the coffee shop equipment and furniture up to the second floor so that it wouldn’t be damaged by the water.  Fortunately, though, the flooding has not reached our area at all and we are very grateful for that.  We are looking for opportunities to serve the flood victims by volunteering our time and resources; we want our ladyboy students to understand the importance of being Christ-like servants during a crisis like this.

Floods of Grace
Last Tuesday during worship Celeste was explaining to the students the concept of listening prayer.  They seemed confused at first, but she encouraged them to just try it and see what would happen.  Even in the midst of loud construction work going on next door to us, the students became still and drew pictures that they felt God was giving to them as they prayed!  It was encouraging to see their receptiveness to God’s voice, and the unique ways in which He is pursuing each of them.  Joel, a volunteer who helped us for a week with various odd jobs, said that while he prayed he felt God showed him a picture of the alleyway outside of our cafe/ministry building.  The alley was flooded with people, and Joel said that just as we prepared our building for a flood of water, we ought to be preparing our hearts and the ministry for the flood of people who will come to be a part of what we’re doing.  It is a prophecy that my heart hopes and prays to believe!  I continue to be encouraged as I see the ladyboys opening up their hearts to hear from the Lord, and as He keeps pursuing them in unique ways I am reminded of His never-ending grace and love for His children.  God continues to seek after these students in their brokenness…just as He has pursued each of us and would go to any length to reach us in our broken state.

Radical
For the past couple months, Celeste, Julie, Golf, and I (Bethany) have been reading through the book Radical by David Platt, and discussing it during our weekly staff meetings.  The book has stirred many thoughts in our minds about being radical for Christ, leaving behind the dreams which our world says are so important, and choosing to pursue the Truth of Jesus.  The book talks a lot about the American church, and how our priorities often cater around making ourselves comfortable and enhancing the size of our churches rather than living in radical obedience and daily sacrifice to the Lord.  This has raised questions for us about what it means to be radical.  I think for different people, different things are radical depending on your location, available resources, etc.  For some people, it is radical to live in the U.S., serving Christ in the workplace or in full-time ministry.  For others, being radical means leaving their home country and beginning a church overseas.  For us as a staff at Dton Naam…devoting our lives to a ministry for ladyboys is radical.  One thing I wondered as I read the last chapter of Radical was this:  What does it look like for the ladyboys to be radical?  Even in their newfound faith, how can they show their desire to be radical for Jesus?

Last Friday, I had the chance to take two of our students to a local flood relief center and look for ways we could volunteer.  The students brought containers of our café cupcakes, and handed them out in one of the food kitchens at the flood relief center.  They served with such a joyful attitude!  Afterwards, when I asked them what they thought about serving they both remarked that they felt so happy to serve others, and had never done anything like that before.  Later when I discussed it with Julie we agreed that for us, handing out cupcakes doesn’t seem radical because we’ve both been involved in a lot of “community service” projects before.  But for them, our students, handing out cupcakes was radical.  Going to a crowded flood relief center, and willingly volunteering their time to help others, was one of the most radical things they could do.  It was another step in their walk with Christ; putting others before themselves and learning how to serve like Jesus did.  It was a beautiful thing for me to witness, and I was really encouraged to see our students step up to do something like that.

I have been challenged to continued looking for ways to be radical, not just in my ministry at Dton Naam but in any area of my life where I have an opportunity to do something that will advance the Kingdom rather than just cater to my own needs.  Even the smallest act of obedience can be a radical step towards living a more Christ-centered life.  As a challenge, I would encourage you to think about what it means for you to be radical at this point in your life.  Are you using your God-given talents, abilities, and resources to advance the Kingdom on earth?  These are questions we all need to think through from time to time!

“My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus’ words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to Him.”  -David Platt, Radical

(Originally posted on November 3rd, 2011)

When I (Bethany) was in Bangkok for 3 months in 2010 my eyes were opened to the reality of males in the sex industry. At the time I was serving with a ministry that reaches out to women mostly in their 20′s and 30′s who have worked in the bars or come from abusive situations. Along with the many female prostitutes I saw in Bangkok, I also noticed a growing number of boys and men who were selling themselves on the streets. My heart was burdened as I wondered who (if anyone) was reaching out to and helping the ladyboys and male prostitutes.

Through a friend, I met Celeste in October 2010 and my heart jumped inside of me to hear about the vision and passion God had placed in her heart. I remember thinking to myself…”Finally! Someone who sees what I am seeing and cares enough to DO something.” I went back to the States to fund-raise and am happy to finally be back in Bangkok, working full-time as an assistant at Dton Naam. I have loved my time here so far, and am assured that this is exactly where God wants me.

Last week I had an interesting experience as I was sitting in Thai language class.  It started with my Thai teacher making fun of ladyboys.  My teacher from the previous module had also done this several times in class, usually when one of the male Korean students slipped up and used a feminine Thai term instead of masculine, she would use it as an excuse to call him a ladyboy.  On Friday my module #2 teacher was doing something similar.  I was struck by how much of a joke ladyboys are in Thailand.  It is similar to how people in America make fun of gays, using “gay” as an adjective for things that they don’t like.  “That movie was so gay!”  “This homework is so gay!”

I haven’t given anyone at my language school intimate details about what it is that I do in Thailand.  They know I’m a Christian.  They know I’m working for a Thai foundation that helps young men and women.  They know I have no salary.  They don’t know that the majority of my time is spent reaching out to ladyboys.

So last Friday while my teacher was joking about them and making the rest of the class roar with laughter I stared down at my textbook and pretended to be taking notes.  Nothing about it was funny to me.  I watched as the teacher turned to the whiteboard and wrote kathoey (the Thai word for ladyboy) in big black letters with her marker.  And as I sat there I was struck by the ridiculousness of my life.

What would my classmates think if they knew that the object of their jokes was the very reason I had come to Thailand?

Did they have any idea that every single day after class I go back to my workplace and am greeted by a group of the friendliest people I have ever met, who…just happen to be ladyboys? 

What would my teacher think if I told her that the majority of my Thai homework has only been accomplished  because Cee, my ladyboy friend, helped me?

Actually, I was quite tempted to tell my teacher about who helps me with my homework just so I could see the expression on her face.  (Would’ve been priceless!)  But of course I cannot say any of these things.  So, I just shook my head and scribbled in my notebook, pondering the absurdity of my existence.

I was also angry.  When it comes to people that I care about, I am very protective.  In the 6 weeks I have been here, I have come to love and deeply care for the Dton Naam students so much.  Mostly because in our daily times of prayer and worship, the Lord has given me glimpses into His heart and shown me the depth of His love for them.

I would not choose to be anywhere else right now.  I love the people I am surrounded by each day.  I love laughing with them, working with them, and clumsily practicing my Thai.

In a city with so many hidden streets and hidden sins I want to be like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Jesus, show me how.

(Originally posted on October 30th, 2011)

Introducing…Julie!

Julie is Dton Naam’s newest staff member.  She is originally from Westminster, Colorado. and has a BA in Leadership and Ministry from Cincinnati Christian University.  In 2008 Julie lived for a year in Thailand teaching English, and serving at various non-profits.  She returned to Bangkok in October of this year, and plans to be serving with us at Dton Naam  for six months.  Julie has experience as a Starbucks barista, and is working alongside Golf as an assistant cafe manager helping to make the business run more smoothly.  Her tasks so far have included training our students in opening/closing procedures, improving the quality of our coffee drinks, and designing labels for the bagged coffee we sell.

Julie has a compassionate heart for people, and is drawn towards helping those that have been affected by the sex industry.  For her, relationships are at the heart of ministry, and she has been investing in the lives of the Dton Naam students while teaching them important cafe skills.  Julie has been a great asset to the Dton Naam team thus far, and we are happy to have her input and experience!

(Originally posted on October 30th, 2011)

A closer look at one of our Dton Naam students

We were overjoyed when Cee came to join our program.  Celeste met Cee in the fall of 2009, and visited him almost weekly for about a year while he was working as a waiter in one of the most popular ladyboy bars located in the Nana red-light district.  At the time he wasn’t too feminine looking, but as the year progressed he gradually took on more feminine qualities.  Celeste spent a lot of time with Cee this past year and on one of his free days, Cee took Celeste and two volunteers to visit his hometown.  When Celeste told Cee of the opportunity to come work at Dton Naam, he seemed really open and interested but felt stuck in the bar because he lacked the confidence to pursue other jobs. Over the next year, Cee often asked about coming to work in the coffee shop because he didn’t like working in the bars but wouldn’t make the actual step to quit.  When the team from KY came this summer,  a group of the girls went with Celeste to the red-light district and ran into Cee.  After a quick conversation with Celeste that night, he officially quit the bar-life and came to work at Dton Naam.  When he arrived for the initial interview, he was really nervous about meeting Golf because most of his experiences with Thai men had not been positive ones.  At the end of the interview, however, he was very excited about joining us, saying that he knew Celeste and Golf would be patient with him and sensed that “this is a family, not a business.”

Cee started on August 1st and has been a diligent worker and quick learner. Cee almost always wears a smile, and keeps all of us laughing with his silly antics and easy-going sense of humor. Cee has a sensitive spirit, and is very touched by spiritual things. He often has positive reactions to our worship sessions, and is attentive in times of Bible study. We are still praying that Cee would open his heart up to be transformed by the Lord. He’s really opening his heart to God, and believes Jesus loves him like no one else does.  He is slowly starting to grasp the concepts of unconditional love and grace.  Cee would like to be a fashion designer or interior decorator; he has an artistic flair, and has been helping design cushions for the café.

Cee’s family is from a province that was severely affected by the flooding.  This has been an area of stress and worry for Cee lately, but we are hoping and praying that he sees the Lord working in this hard situation, and that he will continue to entrust his cares and worries to Him.  We are very glad to have him here with us at Dton Naam, and look forward to deepening our relationships with him.

(Originally posted on July 16th, 2011)

Grand Opening: July 8th!

In preparation for our grand opening on July 8 a high school team came for 4 days (from OK and Celeste’s old high school) to help us bake free samples and do some carpentry work and painting projects.  They got a lot of tasks accomplished to make our cafe ready for the opening.  After they left, a KY college team arrived and Golf trained several of those volunteers to work behind the coffee counter.  Having people manage the counter freed Celeste and Golf to engage in conversations with friends and customers during the big event.  The evening included live music by a few KY team members.  The teams passed out free samples of our cafe’s delicious cupcakes, muffins, and drinks.  Overall, we were pleased with the outcome of the grand opening!

This summer we have had a variety of teams and individuals coming through to serve with us at Dton Naam, volunteering in many ways to help us get ready for our grand opening. The KY college team that volunteered during our cafe opening built great relationships with Bank. After they left, Bank remarked that he now understood he could be friends with foreign men who don’t want anything from him. He has really opened his heart to God since coming here, and is very attentive in our times of worship. We are still hoping that Bank will choose God over money and other idols, and that he would cut off unhealthy relationships from the past.

(Originally posted on June 8th, 2011)

The past few weeks have been filled with changes and challenges but through it all, God has been reminding me of the basics and the foundation which all else is built: relationships and love.  We have yet again witnessed His faithfulness through the developments and every day is a new reminder to love his people exactly where they are.

On June 6, we found out that Aom chose to quit.  He left us a note explaining that he felt he had a bad attitude and would be a bad example to a new student joining our program.  We of course didn’t think this was true, and were worried he had slipped back into depression.  We managed to contact him after he left, and he further explained that he would be working temporarily in a restaurant and then move back home with his mother.

Although we are saddened to see him go, we also see the positive side, that he took the initiative to find another job.  We have seen so many improvements in Aom during the 8 months we have known him.  He is stable, and appears to be making good decisions.  We are concerned, though, that living with his mom might cause him to return to his old lifestyle.  Continue praying for him in this transitional stage of his life.

Bank…Our new student!

We are pleased to have a new student, Bank, who started on June 6th!  Celeste met Bank in one of the ladyboy bars in the red-light district over a year ago, and has visited him consistently since then.  A few weeks back he called Celeste to ask if the cafe was open and if he could come and work with Dton Naam.  He officially quit working in the bars, nad is now being trained in the coffee shop as part of our team!

Bank is 23 and is showing a lot of maturity and has a great attitude.  He has been living as a woman for several years and is a Buddhist.  As a Buddhist, it’s difficult for him to understand that there is only one God, but he is very open to worshipping God and has been asking a lot of questions.  Our first step with Bank is to encourage him into a healthy lifestyle, creating a positive environment where he can encounter God.  We’re praying his heart would open, and that he would truly understand the Savior’s love for him.

(Originally posted on May 11th, 2011)

Ayu is a 15 year old Thai guy that Golf and I have been meeting with.  Ayu often runs away from home, spending a few nights in the red-light district dancing for money.  He also has an eating disorder; for awhile he believed a Chinese spirit was inside of him, telling him what he could and couldn’t eat.  Since praying with us about this, he seems to be eating more consistently.  We are currently trying to meet regularly with Ayu and his mother, who worries about him a lot when he runs away from home.  We’ve hired his mother to come clean for us weekly, and she has been very receptive to parenting ideas and discipleship.  Please continue praying for Ayu and his family.

(ask Celeste for more details on Ayu’s story)

(Originally posted on April 16th, 2011)

March and April have been stressful, as we’ve had to submit our government activity report, turn in all the accounting, prepare taxes, etc.  We’ve had several meetings with our auditor to sort through all the paperwork and details.  Another challenge we faced was Nuch’s decision to leave in April.  She still wants to contribute, but will no longer be part of our staff.  We are praying for Nuch, and also asking God to provide more full-time or part-time staff to work at Dton Naam.

We delayed our cafe opening due to some continual water leaks, and the accounting/government forms that needed to be worked out.  We had a tasting party in February with the help of a YWAM team.  We’re hoping to have our grand opening in June.  Many foreign volunteers have passed through, helping us with various projects in preparation for opening the cafe and we’ve been so blessed by all the teams. Also, a young girl from Laos, who is a full-time student at another ministry for women, has started coming twice a week to work in the cafe with us.  She hopes to open her own cafe/bakery when she returns to her country, so is learning some great skills here as well as being a big help to us.