September 24, 2009

Quick Update from Thailand

Talk about an experience.

Thailand has been absolutely beautiful. What a blessing to be here and see everything that we have seen. But really, that isn't at all what is important anymore. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world...

We are working with this ministry down here to basically give girls that work at the bars (prostitutes) a way out and tell them there are other jobs they can have. They work at these bars every night and don't get paid a cent unless a man walks by that they can get to buy them out of the bar for the night and sleep with them. There are thousands and thousands of girls on just a few streets down here and we just so happened to come the week the Navy sailed in. So that means 9000 navy guys roaming the streets, looking to have "fun." The girls at each bar just look so hopeless and lonely. It's seriously so sad to see and words can't describe when you are walking down a street and each girl is grabbing at your arm trying to get you to come into her bar and buy a drink. Most of these girls are mid 20's to 30's and it's just disgusting when you see two of them holding the hands of an old man who could be my grandpa's age and he is taking them back to his place. It's just sickening.

Every girl we talk to we ask her if she likes doing this and she some of them say they love their job and some of them are honest and say they don't like it. But this job pays way more than others and they have to send money back to their families (who by the way don't know they are doing this) and be the provider. I asked one of them why she doesn't have a boyfriend and she told me she wasn't pretty enough for one. They have been told lies all their lives and Satan has such a hold on their minds.

Believing in God is most definitely NOT just a religion. It's NOT something to fall back on when times are tough. Those who use it for just those reasons do not know who God is. It is a battle that needs to be fought. I am so incredibly weak... I can't speak their language, we are typically tired cause we go out at night, my allergies are bad and I don't feel like I have as much wisdom as I should to do this kind of ministry. But thank GOD He is so much bigger than me and my weakness. I have realized that all I need is a willing heart, which is hard for me to grasp because I love being prepared. I like knowing what I am doing and I don't want to embarrass myself... but when God just says to me, Katie just be willing and go out- don't worry about the rest. It's hard to hear that.

This week has definitely opened my eyes to a whole new spiritual side to life. Growing up in America where we don't really look at the spirit side of things very often. We like to be real and "normal"... don't do anything that could freak people out because that isn't normal. But you go anywhere else in the world and there is a spirit in every single thing possible. Every time we drive up to the top of this mountain to get to where the city is everyone honks their horn. They are honking to the spirit of the mountain... weird right? Nope. That is what they know... and who are we to say that we are "normal" here in America? We need to recognize there is a spiritual world out there. Now, don't get me wrong... there definitely isn't a "mountain spirit" but there is a God who is real. There are demons and Satan is using them as much as he possibly can. There is darkness and we are called as Christ followers to go into those places and bring hope and light. It may seem impossible but when you have the creator on your side... there is no competition.

I know this blog has a lot in it. Probably a bad idea to write about this on here but maybe someone needed to hear it. It's the truth and that's all I ever want to talk about now. America has sugar coated religion and now people have no idea what it really means to be a Christian. We never GAVE ourselves that name, Christian. We were called Christians... we were called that because of the way we acted. Being a Christian isn't easy and it definitely doesn't make all the bad things in life go away. If anything it makes life harder because then you realize you have a duty to tell other people that there is a God that wants to give us REAL life that is full of excitement and hope.

Alright, I could talk about this for days.

Basically, I'm learning a lot... and it's hard.
Please pray for my team and that we continue to walk in unity. Satan is trying reallll hard to keep us out of those streets and we wont back down.

I love you all.


September 18, 2009

Short but Sweet

>> I leave for Thailand on Sunday at 5:15am for 2 weeks

>> I will live on a boat for about 2 weeks going from island to island in Indonesia

>> Then end up in Nias Indonesia to stay for the last 4 weeks

>> It was the last week of lectures... we cleaned the houses today and packed up

>> I'm extremely excited to go on this adventure and see how God changes me

>> I'm not so excited about the "squatty potties"

>> Definitely am excited to go back home to Cincy and begin the next adventure

>> I love the team I am going with on outreach, we know how to have fun

>> I made the BEST playlist ever this week... 43 songs that are worth every minute

>> Wont have a computer, phone, or the internet for 2 months... and I kind of like
that idea.


I pretty much love my life right now.
2009 has been the best year yet.
Being 21 is such a blast.
>> I love being young <<