A few weeks ago I started looking into a local concert that was going to be held in Thailand as part of MTV’s ‘EXIT’ – 'End Exploitation and Trafficking' - campaign. I quickly realized this was going to be a HUGE event. They were predicting over 20,000 people in attendance and tickets were sold out. It would feature Super Junior M – one of the most popular bands in Asia along with a few other popular Thai groups, and its purpose was to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking. The concert was five days away, so I sent off an urgent email to see if we could hold a booth to represent our cause at the venue.
Praise God, we got the last NGO spot! In 48 hours, some of the girls from a World Race team and I put together a benefit booth – complete with banners, info cards, a video, candy, prizes for a donation raffle, and we decided we would sell glow sticks! (What teenager cannot refuse a glow stick at a concert?) The booth looked awesome, but it had been raining hard all afternoon so unfortunately we did not have as many people stop by as we would have liked.
As the concert started, and the rain continued to pour, we decided to take action. Several of us grabbed info cards, hooked some glow sticks around our necks, and went up to the gates where they were letting people in. We started handing out the flyers, talking to people, giving away candy, and selling glow sticks for 5B (about 20 cents each). We were the only organization near the front doors and we proceeded to hand out 1,000 info cards, sell almost 800 glow sticks and we had an AwEsOmE TiMe. The benefit concert was a perfect place to raise awareness and it felt great to be out there working to bring change.
As the night went on, even the security guards at the front were helping us, calling out prices on the glow sticks and letting us go in and out of the concert even though we didn’t have tickets. Check out SUPER JUNIOR M (if you skip ahead to 0:58 they start singing the chorus in english)!
All fun aside – this night was truly a blessing from God. I have no idea how we were able to pull everything together on such short notice and the exposure we got was just what we were looking for (despite the tropical monsoon). FUN & FRUITFUL J
Summer! (well, at least Summer in the states – it has been cooler and rainier here). But, because many people are on break in the U.S. we have been especially busy. Back-to-back teams visiting, short-term interns, and a Bible Study with one of Carl’s long time mentors, Dr. John Geib. John is a phenomenal teacher and we have been going through one of his courses entitled, ‘Exchanging Life with the Word of Life.’
The staff here – both English speakers, and Thai natives, have been studying about five hours a week in class, and then going through various assignments on our own, and we have all commented about how influential this study has been on our faith. Realizing the gravity of allowing the Spirit to live and work in and through us, seeing Jesus as the ultimate example of someone who was led by the Spirit, and understanding the truth in that concept as we personally explore the Bible’s teachings has been incredible.
What amazing timing it has been for me! With a crazier schedule, now doing six hours of English study a day with Nhu, and me personally feeling the strain of time away from my support and community at home, it has been amazing to reflect on this, and to realize that nothing I do is really in my own power or strength. I technically “knew” this concept before, and I think it is something that many Christian churches teach, but I for one can say that I definitely did not dig deep enough into this to really understand what that meant in my life.
The love that I desire to radiate, the patience that I have been praying for, the discipline I am aiming at – all of that is not of me. And when I try to do it in my own strength, I fall so short and then get frustrated and try to struggle through it. How much easier it is to give it all to Him, and let Him work through us! But for some reason we just cannot give up the control. We cannot let go of our lives. We cannot concede everything to Him, and if we do – we ask for part of it back shortly thereafter! This study is teaching me to surrender everything daily – to ask Him to be my everything and to work through me in ways I am completely incapable of doing on my own. It changes everything…
