First day with Dton Naam

Yesterday we worked with Dton Naam all day, teaching classes, chilling in their coffee shop, and doing outreach at the bars. Dton Naam works specifically to help lady boys find an alternative lifestyle to selling themselves on the streets. They have about 8 lady boys and girls they are in contact with, though many recently have run away for various reasons.

We spent a lot of time praying for the staff of Dton Naam and just getting to know each other during the day. I taught an art class to some of the students and how to make fondant. It was a lot of fun. Thai people are very friendly and the group that I taught loved to have fun with each other.

Last night we went on our first outreach to the bars, I went with a girl from Dton Naam to a lady boy bar. We prayed over the area and talked to some of the boys that Bethany had met before. Initially I was expecting to be sort of shocked, but I wasn't. It's sort of hard to describe and explain what it feels like to be in a place where things are just so out in the open and for it to be a normal part of life. It's just accepted here, by everyone. I think if I were to really think about what is going on, I would just break down and cry... which I probably will do later. I'm filled with feelings of anger and sadness, but mostly I feel indifferent. It's like my mind won't process what is really happening, what brokenness there really is. It's all so fake. I know these people aren't really happy, and I hate that they have to pretend like they are.

I'm not really sure what else to say. We're doing outreach again tonight, so maybe I will have some more feelings thrown into the mix. Until then, pray for Dton Naam and the lady boys that have run away. I know the staff feels discouraged to have invested so much time in the boys and then to have them run away. Pray for our team, a lot of us have come down with various sicknesses and fought some demonic dreams at night. Thanks for all of your love and support, we seriously could not do this without a team backing us in prayer.