Every child deserves to have an education.  Even displaced children.
One of the problems that refugees and asylum seekers face is limited access to education for their children.  They go months or years without receiving proper schooling which makes adjusting to their third country difficult.

And it's not only children that struggle.  Many refugees and asylum seekers do not know English or Thai; the two main languages that will help them to survive in this country and their third country.  This keeps them extremely isolated.

When the third family moved into the Safe House with 4 small children in tow, continuing their education suddenly jumped onto our radar as a high priority.  The children had been going to the BRC (Bangkok Refugee Center) for classes 1 day/week, but the new location was too far away to continue.  Thankfully *Armon, one of the other refugees in the house had teaching experience and opted to hold classes for the children.  At that point we didn't have any other volunteer teachers.

We also decided to host language classes for the adults!

So within days we were picking up supplies to start a school inside their new home.  The total cost was $60 which was covered between Life Raft International and a donation that had been given to me through dear friends, Dave and Susie at Living Waters Church.  That's crazy to me...a school for only $60!

Then I lugged over my printer/scanner/copier and let Armon run with it.  He immediately started conducting assessments on everyone in the house so that we could develop multiple curriculums to fit their needs.  Within a week the children's school was up and running and the adult classes had begun.

The children receive education on reading, writing and language skills (in English and Thai), math, and science.  And the adults are learning both English and Thai.  

Between Armon, his wife *Sharon, a new volunteer teacher Raquel, and Ben, one of the guys who has been involved with this house since the beginning, we have 4 teachers and over 20 students.  

There are 29 people that currently call the Safe House their home; 11 of which are children under the age of 10, however not all of them are studying.  Some of the adults find it quite difficult to learn langage at an older age, and some of the children are still too young.

I can't even keep track of who is all studying and who isn't.  And I don't have to.  I trust them to organize and facilitate their own learning.  My piece of the whole puzzle was just providing a means and a framework.  Now they are the ones taking ownership and carving their own destinies.  And I must say, it is going very well.

It brings me a lot of peace of mind to know that regardless of whether I am here in Bangkok or overseas in America, they will all continue to get the education that they need.  And it is the joy of my heart to see them thrive.

When I woke up Tuesday morning after a mere 2 hours of sleep, the last thing that I expected was to meet a friend of Brother Yun; one of my greatest heros from the movement of underground house churches in China. 

*Lan, one of the Hmong refugees in the Safe House had to be at the UN early in the morning for paperwork, so I opted to take him there.  

While we rode along and I watched motorbikes zoom in and out of traffic, I began to think about how uncertain each of our futures are.  It seems as though every time I think that I know what my future is going to look like or how it is going to pan out, I am wrong.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be where I am at today.  Every year is full of surprises, both good and bad.  But somehow the bad ones almost always turn out good.

I don't know about you, but personally, I take comfort in being comfortable (does that make sense?).  I know that it might not be a good thing, and it probably sounds unspiritual, but that's honestly how I feel.  As much as I like to "live by faith," I like to know how I am going to pay my bills and eat for the next month.  I'd be lying if I said that I like to have a lot of "unknowns" hanging over my head or tensions in relationships.  I don't want to experience pain, difficulty, and hardship.  Sometimes I try to run away from it and sometimes I cave under the pure stress and exhaustion of it.  Let's face it, it sucks and none of us like it, but we all go through it.  At some point in time (actually at many points in time) each and every one of us will inevitably experience bad, difficult, and painful situations.  At least we all have that in common.

Then I began to think about all the "words" that God has given me about China.  From the moment that I began to read about the underground house churches there, I knew that I would be a part of them in some way, shape, or form.  Before Thailand was even a thought in my heart, I knew that I was going to China.

I don't know if you know much about the house churches in China, but agreeing to go in that direction is a pretty loaded commitment.  These churches are extremely persecuted.  By saying "yes" to God, I am saying "yes" to a lot of hardship and uncertainty.  That is the exact same "yes" that echos in the heart of every Chinese believer in these churches.

While I know that is in the future, sometimes I look around and do not see how it will come to pass.  I have never even met a Chinese Christian from one of these house churches.  But I've met a lot of Pakistani and Vietnamese Hmong who have been persecuted.  I could easily see myself having future involvement in these countries.  But how does China fit into it all?  And does that mean that I would have to learn Chinese too?!  That's supposedly one of the most difficult languages in the world!  I would rather pick up Spanish again.

Anyways, as we waited outside the large, iron door to the UNHCR, a young Chinese man sat down across from us and started talking with an elderly couple.  He then turned his attention to us and asked where we were from.  When I said 'America' he was really confused as to why I was waiting with asylum seekers.  I explained that I was helping my friend.  When this young man found out where Lan was from he immediately inquired if he was a Christian.  It turned out that the young man and elderly couple were believers too!  We picked up a conversation over Google Translate (because he couldn't speak English or Thai), and I came to find out that he personally knows Brother Yun from one of my favorite books about the house church movement entitled, 'The Heavenly Man.'

That totally blew my mind.  My groggy brain didn't know how to process what was going on.  One moment I was confused about how I'll ever end up getting involved with the Chinese churches, and the next I was talking to an asylum seeker from one of them.

It was a good reminder of the fact that life is full of uncertainties and unexpected surprises for everyone.  There will be good times and bad times.  We can cherish the good times and push through the bad times.  And although we may not know what the future is going to look like or how we are going to get there, we will get there, and it will be an exciting journey...as long as we choose to embrace it through the pain.

Between moving a third family into the Safe House, starting a school, and preparing to return to the states, I've hardly been able to catch my breath this past week.

It has been a beautiful mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration.

Out of danger and into safety
*Greg and *Mina along with their 4 young children had been living in a very dangerous area of town for refugees and asylum seekers.  The immigration police had raided their apartment twice in the last 5 months that they had been living there.  At the time I met them they were staying in a cheap hotel for fear of being arrested and detained.  The difficulty of their situation was greatly magnified by having 4 small children between the ages of 10 years and 11 months.

Only a couple days after checking out the house, the moving truck was packed and we were on the way to get them settled into their new home.  Everything went smoothly and the transition was better than I had expected.  The children enjoyed having space to run around.  The parents enjoyed watching their children play in a clean space without dirt, cockroaches and standing water.  Everyone was overjoyed to be safe.  Greg told me that one of his daughters had been faithfully praying every day, "God, please give me a new home that is safe for my brother and sisters and mom and dad."  God answered her prayer that day.

Opening a school
Within days we realized that something needed to be done about school.  Three of the children are school age, and all of the adults need to improve their language skills.  One of the men in the house is fluent in English and used to teach, so together we have been putting together 4 curriculums from the materials that we have; children (multiple subjects) and adult beginners, pre-intermediate, and intermediate English.  We hope to eventually teach them Thai as well.  Right now knowing English will help them to communicate with one another and the people that are helping them.  

Developing a 3rd Culture Community
I am so proud of all of the families.  Prior to moving them into the house we were a little worried about what kind of cultural clashes they would experience.  We had no idea if it would be manageable or not.  To our surprise and pleasure there have not been any issues.  Everyone lives together harmoniously despite the fact that many of them can not communicate beyond simple phrases, hand gestures, and google translate (which doesn't work very well anyways).

They have even gone a step further and begun to meet together for prayer.  I had the opportunity to be with them during one of these prayer sessions and it was quite powerful.  While nobody could understand each other's language, they all seemed to understand each other.  

It is an honor to eat, pray, and hang out with those who have sacrificed everything for the gospel.  I learn so much from them every day.  And it's the joy of my heart to see them step out of the oppressive labels that have been placed on them and into their identities of loved and cared for children of God.



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I never expected to be educated on local brothels by a Thai man, but that is exactly what happened a couple days ago.  While areas such as Nana and Soi Cowboy are world renowned for the buying and selling of sex, there are other areas of town that are just as active, yet relatively unnoticed by foreigners.  These are the places where local men frequent.  I actually read somewhere that contrary to popular belief, Asian men are the greatest consumers of the sex trade in Southeast Asia (I always thought that it was Westerners).

It is completely normal for Thai men to have a main wife, minor wives and still go to karaoke clubs and massage parlors to sleep with prostitutes.


 The whole conversation with this man was really weird and uncomfortable.  He told me where these red light districts are located, what you can do to the women if you buy them a drink ("you can touch them as much as you want!"), how much it costs to "use their services" there, and how much it costs to take them away for a couple hours.  

He also told me about all the girls that they bring from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.  What he began to describe was human trafficking.  Not willful prostitution.  He explained that their handlers take poor girls from their home country and move them into different bars and brothels all around Thailand.


   "It's illegal," he stated, "but the police don't do anything."


In many ways it feels like a completely different world out here.  I remember the community outrage in Minnesota when it was discovered that a strip club was prostituting underage girls.  Now I walk by 2 brothels every day to get home.  Only a couple streets over are more brothels; many of which contain teenage girls.  And nobody says anything.  Nobody raises their voice.  It is approved, accepted, and considered normal.  If that's not messed up, I don't know what is.  If that doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will.

As much as I have "adjusted" to these things, there are still so many moments when I am thrown off guard and overwhelmed by it all; overwhelmed by the height, the depth, and the pain.  It is like walking into a strange new house.  Just when I think that the tour is complete, I stumble across another hallway which leads to another wing or level of the house.  I often wonder when the tour will be finished and I will have a better understanding of just how big it is.  But I'm not sure when that day will come.  Until then I move forward step by step, learning, processing and praying.



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Not a day goes by in Bangkok that looks the same as the last.  This past week I (on behalf of Life Raft) partnered with Generation Miracle to find a home for 3 refugee families.  During that process, one of the families was kicked out of their apartment without notice and several members were held hostage in another apartment without food or water.

Initially we thought that we were going to have to go in Rambo-style to break them out, but after a series of phone calls throughout the evening it appeared as though they would be released in the morning.  We just had to sneak them some necessities to get through the night.  It was pretty bizarre to walk down a dark alley in the middle of the night to exchange food of all things. 

The next afternoon the remaining family members were allowed to pack up and leave.  It was great to see everyones faces as they unpacked and began settling into their new home.  After living in fear in an area of town that was frequent to police raids, they were finally safe.

Generation Miracle brought a Vietnamese family, and Life Raft brought a Pakistani family.  We are also looking at moving a third family from Sri Lanka into the home as well.  

It is our desire to turn this house into a home.  Since moving to Thailand they have been living like caged animals; cramming about 6 people at a time into tiny little rooms.  This is the first time in months that they have known the luxury of walking around, sitting in their own living room, and cooking in a real kitchen.  They are so excited to begin living like human beings again.

Even better yet are the relationships that are being deepened and developed through this whole process; relationships with God, self, and others.  
One thing that I've learned is that regardless of how much or how little you have, life is void of meaning if you don't have meaningful relationships.  Isolation is a huge problem faced by urban refugees.  
But these families are coming into direct contact with their Father's heart as they experience Him meeting and providing for their needs.  In that they realize how valuable they are to Him as children.  
This whole process has also brought about new friendships with members of Newsong that are stepping into their lives and joining journeys with them.

I am so thankful for their safety.  I am thankful for the people who support Life Raft, Generation Miracle, and the people who are supporting me to stay out here and do this work.  And I am thankful for the people in this community who live the gospel.  

What is happening in these lives would not be possible without all of us coming together.



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Tears were rolling down my face as I got off the phone with Moon tonight.  He just schooled me on what it means to love and forgive your enemies.  I now find myself at a loss for words to convey exactly what is going on in my heart.  But I will try...

This guy has lost so much.  Someone whom he thought was a friend conspired against him to get he and his family kicked out of their home without a moment's notice.  Most of them had to sleep sitting up for a night, crammed into a tiny room.  Then another friend "borrowed" money from him, fled the country, and left him responsible for his rent bill and without paying him back.  Because of all this, 2 members of his family were held hostage in their old apartment without food, water, or medicine while one of them was extremely sick.  We actually had to sneak a care package to them in the middle of the night.  All of this goes on top of the fact that he and his family have already been forced below the poverty line and are struggling to survive.

What injustice! I'm pissed off at these people for him.  There are a few choice words that I would be thrilled to throw their way along with some glares and cold shoulders. 

Moon, however is moved in a different direction; a direction that I wish was instinctual in my own life; a direction of integrity.



"I am praying for those who are hurting us.  I am always praying to God, "Please forgive them.  Please forgive them."



I could hardly compose myself when he said these words.  He is living Matthew 5 when Jesus said, "You heard what it was said to you.  Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."  
In the mix of all these emotions I couldn't help but cry.  He explained that these betrayals hurt him a lot, he doesn't understand why they did it, and he even looses a lot of sleep over it.  "But God says to forgive those who hurt you," he explained quite bluntly.  It's that simple.  As difficult as it may seem, it really is that simple.

As I reflected on this, I was reminded that unforgiveness does not hurt the person that it's directed at nearly as much as the person that is holding it.  While the person that is holding unforgiveness may feel that they are in control, they are in reality a slave to it.  When we refuse to forgive people, the only one that we are hurting is ourselves.


I will leave you with the words of Ben Freeth only days after being attacked and tortured along with his family in Zimbabwe, "Hatred is so distracting.  We just need to love."

As the 6 of us sat cross legged on the ground, the sound of hushed praise filled the room.  I felt like I was in an underground church.  We had to be quite so as not to draw attention to ourselves because this family could be arrested at any moment if discovered.  We had no instruments or songs to sing along with.  A sound system was no where to be found.  But we had something better; we had our own voices to sing with, hands to keep beat, and passion.  We had the Holy Spirit.



Where was I?  What was I doing?  I was spending the night with a family that I met through Life Raft a few months ago and have been helping ever since.  *Wallice and his family are the perfect example of what it means to glory in tribulation and trust God with your life.  After severe persecution in Pakistan they lost everything and came to Thailand in hopes of finding safety.  They had no idea that they would be in danger again.

On Friday I went to stay with this family for the night.  We had been talking about having a sleep-over for a while now, and this weekend worked perfectly.  At times throughout the evening everything seemed normal.  The kids played a game on the computer while the adults chatted.  But the sickening reality came rushing back with a knock at the door.  Everyone immediately fell silent and all giggling ceased abruptly.  Fear and uncertainty hung thick in the air.  This night could go really bad really fast if the police were on the other end of that little door (which suddenly seemed incredibly thin and flimsy).  We waited silently and held our breaths.  When it turned out to be a neighbor everyone was able to exhale and the kids picked up their game where they left off.  This is no way to live was all I could think.  How do they do this every day? 

But their present circumstances don't dampen their faith.  They fuel it.  This family is SO rich in Spirit and full of hope.  "I am praying all the time," said Wallice, "We are all praying so much, and my wife and I are fasting every week.  We know that God will provide for us and deliver us.  He knows everything that we need....I thank my God because he is so good."  And He has been!  It blows my mind.  They received refugee status in a mere 2 months (compared to the typical 5 or more) and are already receiving support from a family in America which has made a huge difference in their lives, allowing them to eat, pay rent, and go to church.  Just last week they had their resettlement interview to begin the next step of their journey: finding a new country.  

Although they are quite far in their process with the UN, they are not out of the water until they board the plane.  Up until that time they are still in danger of being thrown in the Detention Center or deported back to their country where people have already tried to take their lives.  We are continuing to pray for God's favor on this family; that they would be resettled quickly and stay safe during the remainder of their time in Thailand.  They have had some close calls (literally running from the police and hiding in a church) but I do not doubt that they will be okay.  
This battle is being fought and won in on their knees in prayer.

After being patted down and checked for recording devices, I was lead into a room with two fences.  Behind one were the inmates and behind the other were the visitors.  A space of about 3 feet stood between us where guards paced back and forth to hand notes and envelopes from one side to the other, checking each letter.  This isn't exactly what I expected a visit at the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) would look like.  I was expecting something like what I had seen in the movies.  Maybe we would sit at a table or talk on a phone between a plexi-glass window.  But that was not the case.
Instead we strained to hear one another over the chaotic noise of everyone shouting at once.  A young Cambodian boy in front of me cried silently, clutching the fence while his grandmother spoke to him in Khemer.  Down the line to my left visitors from a local church were praying for inmates over the chaos and to my right friends chatted passionately, trying to figure out how to get free.  In front of me was a woman who had been locked up for 2 years and couldn't stop speaking about the goodness and power of Jesus.  She has been dubbed, "the preacher," as she loves to preach and hold bible studies whenever possible.  Next to her was a 16 year old girl that had been trafficked from Ethiopia to Kuwait and then to Thailand.  After escaping from the man who forced her into a brothel she was picked up by immigration police and has been behind bars for 3 months now.  And just to their left was a young Vietnamese couple that I couldn't take my eyes off of.  They are Christians that have been locked up for nearly 2 years and only get to see each other on the occasion that visitors request to see them both at the same time.  What do all these people have in common?  What is their crime?  They all have expired visas and not enough money to bail themselves out.  That is their crime.

I am trying to wrap my mind around the reality of the Detention Center, but I can't.  It doesn't make any sense to me.  Families are torn apart as people of all ages (yes, children included) are held in crowded cages (calling it a "room" or even a "cell" would be a luxurious overstatement) with only watery rice-porridge to eat.  The only way to get adequate nutrition is to get lucky enough to have someone bring them food.  This is the condition in which they live day in and day out until they can manage to pay their way out.  Some will.  Some will not.  Many will not.  Especially the poor ones.  And all of this because of a visa! 
Thailand does not recognize refugee or asylum-seeker status, so families that have ended up here after fleeing their home countries because of persecution end up in danger once again.  They are in danger of ending up in this place or being sent back to their home countries where they will likely face imprisonment or death.  
This is a reality that thousands of people are facing in Thailand.  This is a reality that my families are facing.  They have been hiding from it, running from it, and taking crazy measures to avoid it.  I can't imagine them being locked up.

My mind feels like a scrambled egg and my heart has been broken into a million pieces.  For some reason the image of the Vietnamese couple has been burned into my mind.  Part of me wants to erase the memory because it hurts too much.  I'm tired of crying.  The other part wants and knows to embrace it because the prayer and intercession will be worth it.  Feeling God's heart for a person is always necessary and worthwhile, even when it hurts...especially when it hurts.

I pray that if I ever end up in jail someone will visit me, bring me food, and let me see my husband too.

"I was hungry and you gave Me food;
I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you visited Me;
I was in prison and you came to Me.....
Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you
did it to one of the least of these My
brethren, you did it to Me."
                                 -Matthew 25

One of the families that I've been working with through Life Raft International contacted me yesterday.  They were literally out of food, several members of the family were sick, and they didn't know what to do.

As of right now this family's financial situation is pretty uncertain. Rish just started a small business last week (see previous story below) but she has not had many customers yet and it will take time to get a solid customer base.  Some people have shown interest in helping to regularly support them, but it's difficult to know how much they can depend on, and at the time of the phone call I literally didn't have anything to give them!

The family prayed.  God answered.

When I got on Skype with Chris (the president of Life Raft International) he said, "It was so weird, today we received a random donation from a guy in Germany."  Chris doesn't know anyone from Germany. I know one; the man that Jesus healed on the steps of a mall when I came to Bangkok last December (you can read the story under my "blog" section).  When I inquired as to the man's name, he said Alex.  Yes, it was the same Alex.  And he had attached a message that read something along the lines of, "Give this to someone so that they do not loose hope."  Wow. His donation came in at exactly the right time, giving the family a surge of hope.

Today I went out to buy groceries with them along with Evette and our friend Ray.  "I am weak from not eating," said Moon as we were carrying food up to his room.  The family had hardly eaten anything yesterday, and hadn't eaten at all today.  Thankfully they were not sick anymore though.

They were very excited to start cooking and insisted that we stay to eat with them.  This is very normal in Pakistani culture and it is impolite to turn down the offer.  Even if they only have a little bit they will always serve their guests.  Not only that, but they also insisted that we eat first!  That's right, they were the ones that hadn't eaten for days and we had to coax them just to get them to eat at the same time.  They wanted us to have our fill before they had theirs.  How does that make sense?  We weren't the ones that had been going without food.

I was humbled as I sat down with this family that has risked their lives and suffered greatly for the Gospel of Christ.  They have been robbed of so much, and still they give of what they have.  It amazes me and challenges me greatly.

You know, Jesus talked about not worrying about what you will eat or what you will drink.  It sounds romantic until you sit with people that are starving and have no water.  Suddenly it's not so romantic anymore.  It can be more than a little worrisome.  He says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and that all of these things will be given to you.  Sometimes when I look at the situations of these families I don't understand how these things will be given to them.  They're seeking after the Kingdom and God's righteousness and I'll be honest, sometimes I don't see how their needs are going to be met and it scares me.  

But days like today inspire me.  These people inspire me.  God moving in a man's heart in Germany to donate to a starving family in Thailand at just the right moment inspires me.  In times like these the revelation of who God is hits me like cool water on a hot day.  God is God.  He is who He says He is, and He is in control. 

Most of my life I never knew my neighbors.  I may have known who they were to an extent, but I never really knew them.  Now I spend time with my neighbors almost daily.  In fact, it's weird to go a day without seeing them.

We talk, eat, and simply enjoy each other's company.  They have been there for me through difficult times when all I could do was cry, and in return I was there to chase them through the parking lot with a dead rat.  Jack will always tell me when I have gained weight (believe it or not this is actually not offensive in Thai culture), and when I contort my face to make it look like I'm going to cry, Man is always there to tell me that I'm not fat.  Man will tell me that I'm a bad American for not keeping up on politics, and I will tell him that he's a crazy Thai for waking up in the morning to watch a debate that he can't understand (he's a huge Obama fan).  Thats kind of how it goes.  We have fun together.

During the days preceding Moon and Rish's wedding I didn't have any time to sit down with my neighbors.  And for a couple days following the wedding I was so busy recouping that I didn't have the energy to do anything beyond buying bread and eggs down the street, so I still wasn't sitting down with them.

Anyways, it has been great to catch up with them.  Actually we don't really catch up.  We just pick up where we left off.  As the teasing, games, and pranks begin I can tell that things are getting back to normal again.  And for that I am grateful.  Last week (I think it was last week, but maybe not) we played checkers on a piece of styrofoam with corks, and tonight we played badminton in the parking lot using the parking-blocks in place of a net.  It is such a joy to spend time with them, and honestly I beat myself up when I don't.  As busy as things may get at times, I never want to de-prioritize my friends and neighbors.  It's really easy to do that. It's really easy to get busy and pass by the people closest to us on a quest to help someone else that seems to be in greater need; someone further away from home.

I am reminded daily of both the words of my Christ and the words of Miss Amy Lancaster whom I met in Africa.

Jesus said in Mark, "The greatest commandment is this: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself.  There are no greater commandments than these."
And Miss Amy challenged us in Africa when she asked the question, "Do you even know your neighbors?"  

So now I challenge you as I have been challenged and am continually challenged.  Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?  Do you love your neighbor as yourself?  Do you even know the person next door to you?  Are you loving them as you should?

I think these are good questions to both ask ourselves and seek to apply.  After all, "there are no greater commandments than these."