One morning, I woke up with tears streaming down my face. Have you ever had a dream like that? One with emotions so real it stirs you to respond in real life?
I did. It was month ten and I was in Eastern Europe, but in my heart, for some unknown reason, I was back in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I remember the dream. It was Christmastime and I was back in the states. I was surrounded by all my friends for one of our annual Christmas traditions: lighting luminary candles. In my dream, I saw myself, taking part in the festivities like normal, but the image of “normal life” was suddenly blinking back and forth, suddenly interrupted. I started seeing scenes from the Red Light district where I spent December of the Race building relationships with the bar girls and prostitutes of Chiang Mai. I saw their faces; I saw the faces of the men purchasing them. I felt overwhelmed at the thought of their pain, their brokenness, their hurting.
Dream-Katy, surrounded by lights and hot coco and friends was suddenly having a break down. My heart took in everything around me and cried out, “But what about the bar girls of Chiang Mai?”
I cried in my dream, and I woke up crying in my bed.
I don’t know why God put the girls on my heart. But I prayed for them. For Dari. For Tup. For the so many, so many others.
In Botswana, as we were faced with extreme poverty on a daily basis, I started asking, “Lord, what do I do with this? What happens when the people back at home don’t understand why it’s Christmas and I’m upset because I’m remembering what I saw in Thailand? Or when I go into a hospital and am reminded of the abandoned little girl named Anita I met month one in Guatemala? Or I see a little kid with nice shoes on and remember the dirty, beautiful, bare feet of the street boys I danced with in the Philippines? What do I do with that? What is it going to be like for no one to ‘get it’?”
I heard Jesus say something pretty cool. He told me,
“Katy, when you feel like no one gets it because they weren’t there. Remember that I get it…I was there. And I’m going home with you.”
Seven months later, Zion Café is continuing to do amazing things. The same week I had this dream, we got an email from Zion letting our team know that one of the Thai bartenders we pursued—inviting him to our Christmas party, hanging out with him in the bar, having cookies and coffee together and playing Uno cards—recently decided to quit his job. Today, he is no longer working in the Red Light district. Instead, he’s a tuk tuk taxi driver.
Praise God! Jesus, is doing amazing things. And I’m thankful he would move my heart enough to ask me to pray. To not forget. To continue to have compassion.
I never shared this in my blog, but back in December I got to create a video for our ministry in Thailand. A ministry called Lighthouse In Action that is bringing men and woman out of the sex industry by offering employment at a coffee shop and hostel called Zion Café–and through it all, offering freedom in the love of Christ. In this video, I got to tell the story of one amazing girl named Aom.
You can pray with me. And you can find out Aom’s story, right here.
If you’d like to help support ministry of Zion Cafe, you can donate to Lighthouse In Action and know that you are supporting a ministry that is truly transforming darkness by spreading light.
Hi Katy
I wasn’t there but I’ll still cry with you.
Nic’s mom
My dear, dear friend. You are in my prayers as you prepare to come home to a place that may seem the most foreign of them all. I have, too, felt like shouting “but you don’t understand” when I think back from my comparably short time in Haiti. I can’t even imagine how much God has shown you in the past 11 months that will forever reside with you. He was there. He will be with you coming home. He will be with you every day, in every memory, in mourning, and joy…God gets us. I love that about Him. He’s always with us. Everything we go through, He does too…so we can never say someone doesn’t understand. Know that you have so many ready to receive you with arms wide open and take part in the your sharing of all you have experienced. Love you! Would love for you to Skype or call me in the months following your return!
Katy,
The Lord has chosen the right person to carry His message to others and YOU Katy have chosen to accept the task. We look forward to sharing some “deck time” with you after you have a chance to decompress. Love from us both.
Mike and Solange
Precious Katy, I truly believe that I share your pain. Although I am a mission worker “in my own backyard”, I feel the struggles of those young precious children I helped to feed or clothe – and the homeless who just need a warm bed or a meal. I often want to shout out to our families and friends, “please help them!!” And there are times when I feel I am fighting a battle all alone. So in some ways, I can deeply appreciate your heartfelt love and your pain… I know that God loves each of our precious children more than we could ever begin to love, yet I still want to do more than I am able to do. I know that God loves each of those we have been blessed to serve more than we could ever begin to love, yet I still want to do more than I am able to do. I must learn, as I believe you do, that God only expects so much from each of us. There are others coming after us who will do for Him because He will not abandon those in need. Yet, He knows that it is our time to pass through this valley having done what He wanted. I can still see the faces of the precious children I helped several years ago when we first began our “food for summer” program. I too have dreams… And I see their faces… I can only continue knowing that God has not deserted them, but sent others in my place. This will be your legacy. God may call you back to those areas. For now we must praise and thank Him for the way He used each of us to touch their lives. Sleep tight my sweet friend. God may be telling you (through your dreams) that He wants you to return. But do not feel guilty for leaving. He will indeed call you once again. ily ? Mj
Thank you Katy for your willingness to be obedient to the call and for taking the time to share a glimpse of God’s love in action through His faithful followers. May your home coming be rejoicing and may God’s fire continue to burn within you to be His light 🙂
Katy,
Praise the Lord for this bartender turned TukTuk driver! Seeds planted, watered and harvested. I will be in ChiangMai next week and have been praying for Dari and Tup to leave the bars and learn about Jesus sweet love for them. Thank you for taking this journey, sharing via your blog and loving so many along the way.
Blessings as your team transitions stateside.
Kathryn Nobles
Hi Katy! You don’t know me, but I’ve seen many of your blog posts on the Facebook page for the World Race, and I just want you to know that your posts are always so encouraging! It’s so cool to see how God is using you Racers to transform and work in the lives of people who are in dark places. I’ve been praying for you!
Thank you Jeff, that is really encouraging to hear! I’m so happy to be able to share what the Lord is doing. Thank you so much for sharing the journey with us through these blogs along the way!
I know that coming home will not be an easy transition. You will have so many memories I am sure that will be sparked by every day activities in the United States. I am so glad that you realize that you won’t be coming home alone. Our Lord, who has shared every step of the way with you, comes home with you and will share every step of the way in your transition. Dad, Brandon and I will do are humanly best to help you with this transition. But we also know that we can’t do it alone either Through God we can do anything. Love you so very much! Can’t wait for your homecoming. Your room is ready!!!!!