Normally, gifts are well received. There are not many situations where I would not want to accept a gift; but I found one of those situations today....

Today at English Class, one of my students came bearing many gifts. It is not uncommon in Thailand to have students bring gifts for their teacher. Normally I have received apples, oranges, mangoes, Thai jelly desserts and sometime even a fully cooked meal.

Well today, I received 2 jars of nail polish and nail polish remover, half a bottle of tanning lotion, and body wash. Despite the fact that gifts are common to give to teachers, something didn't seem right.

It was shortly after that I realized what was happening. She was moving.

In December she was talking A LOT about one of her customers and wanting to go with him to his country, Australia. She was trying to get all of her paperwork together for her visas and was having some issues. I was praising God for these small complications, because it meant that she was not going to go with her customer.

Well, this class I realized that her paperwork went through and she quit her job at the bar (YAY!) to move to Australia with her customer (BOOOO!)

Here she is giving me her personal belongings that she cannot take to Australia. I did not want them, I just want her. I want her to be safe. I want her to know she is loved. I want her..... (the list goes on and on)

I have read text messages this man has sent her, I have seen the bruises on her body from him, and I have heard many disturbing and horrific stories....Yet, despite of all of this, she is going with him.

She is scared, but tries to be happy. She, like many other Thai women here, want to marry a rich foreigner and live happily ever after. That is the fantasy they dream of. It is similar to 'the grass is greener on the other side' philosophy. This is what some girls keep telling themselves each night as they work in the bars.

Please join me in prayer for 'J' and for the thousands of women who are trapped in human trafficking and in this fantasy world.

Joyful J

I have you ever heard a song and it took you back to a specific moment ... a specific memory?

I have a few songs:

"All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth" reminds me of my grandpa. I would always spend Christmas Eve with him and he would take out his record and we would dance the night away to this song. I think we even watched the VHS of it too.

"Blessed be the name of the Lord" takes me back to the 6 hour train ride in India with my friend. He was so in love with this song. He asked me for the lyrics and he sang that song over and over. It sounded more like "bessed be.....name Lord" but it was beautiful.

"Hey there Deliah" brings me back to college with my roommate. For some reason whenever the song came on, we would sing it to eachother (missing most of the lyrics)

"Every move I make"takes me back to kidz camp at church. The hand motions and seeing the kids worship was so simple and beautiful. There are many songs that take me back, but this one is the one most would recognize. Similarly, the name "Miss Liz" takes me back to this place....

Tonight I heard another one of these songs, yet it was not a happy memory that was attached to it.

Last year when I was serving in Malaysia, there was one week where we were serving children. I still cannot say much about this, but they were being abused in the name of Jesus. It was horrific to witness. While we were there, we felt that we were called to love and bring the joy of the Lord to the children there. We taught them some games, about Jesus and some songs.... "Here I am to worship" was one of those songs. We wrote the lyrics out on the board so the kids could follow along. As it was a 2nd/3rd language, we slowly went through the pronunciation of the words and some of the meanings.

I remember signing to the song. As I was signing, I could see a few children trying to sign with me. Afterwards, they came up to me and asked if I could teach them how to do it to the songs that we taught them. I promised them that I would.

Well some events led to another and we were forced to leave early....and I was unable to keep my promise to these children.

Tonight at worship, one of the songs we taught the children was played. I have not heard this song in months. Initially, I could not sing it. I could only sign it. I began to think of these beautiful children and I began to pray for them. I prayed for their safety and protection. I prayed that they would see and know who Jesus really is. I prayed for their leaders.

Though it is hard to hear this song, it is good, it is a great reminder to pray. These children need someone fighting for them in prayer. They are helpless and hurting, and the best thing I can be doing is praying for them and praying for change.

You can read my blog I posted after I left the boys home here. It is titled "He Knows".

Psalm 147:1-5

I heard today someone ask "Are you ready for Christmas?". The person answered "No! I have so much still left to get done! Between work, Christmas presents and my family, there is not enough time!"

On my long bus ride home (We were stuck in traffic), I had time to really think about this phrase "Are you ready for Christmas?". If Christmas is truly about Jesus, then we can say "Are you ready for Jesus". Would your answer change? 

This puts a new perspective on it all...

John (the Baptist) was sent by God to prepare the way and to get people ready to meet Jesus. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 3:2

In general, we do not like change; which means, we do not like to hear 'repent' because it means we need to make a complete change and go in the opposite direction of where we were once walking in sin.

Change implies something new, a foreign ground, the unknown. But what I can tell you about change with God is that it is good. Not only that, it is a beautiful place. It is a place of an exciting adventure full of joy, peace and love! Is it hard to walk away from the life you knew so well?..., yeah...but a life walking towards the King of Kings is so much more fulfilling and beautiful.

John was sent to prepare our hearts because God knows we need time to prepare to receive Jesus in our lives. It is a BIG leap of faith. It is like what Will Smith said in the movie 'Hitch'

"Because that's what people do. They leap, and hope to God they can fly, because otherwise you just drop like a rock, wondering the whole way down "Why in the hell did I jump?" But here I am, Sarah, falling, and the only one that makes me feel like I can fly is you."

 So are you ready to jump?

Are you ready for Jesus?

Are you ready for Christmas?

Here is another dream I had the following night.

I am the main character in this dream and for some reason I was an adult placed in first grade. I asked my mom why I was in the first grade again, knowing I had already graduated college, and she said that there was a mistake and that it was like my identity and all of my school records were stolen. So here I am in the first grade class with classmates who stood as high as my knee. At first I was crushed, angry and disappointed. What was I going to do?

My mom came with me to the school to explain to the school officials and my teacher the odd situation I was in, and when we walked into my classroom, she approached the teacher and began to explain all that had happened. Then she said that as she was walking, she noticed the great need the school had and told the teacher to write a check for any amount. She said $3,000 or $4,000. The teacher could not write randomly a check for that much, and began to write "One Thousand", but she paused on the 2^nd letter of thousand. Knowing she did not know how to spell 'thousand' I began to spell it out loud for her.

It was at this moment that my perspective began to change. I could kick and scream all day long about my situation, or I could choose to see it in a different light. It was then that a little girl named Brittney, who was wearing a cute hot pink dress and had beautiful dark curly hair, approached me. She told me a 'secret', one that she was too scared to tell anyone else. Because I was not her teacher or parent, I somehow was approachable. She told me of the abuse that was taking place at home. I sat and listened in awe. As she was sitting on my lap, I hugged her. I hugged her with all that I could.

I learned a lot from this dream. No matter what situation you may be in right now, how you perceive it is entirely up to you. You have the power to choose how you see it. You can choose to let it keep you down, or you can see the good in every situation. Yes, I know that some are harder to find than others, but I know firsthand that it is possible.

This morning during devotions, I spoke on Romans 15:13 and shared of a really hard time in my life. The first part of the verse talks about receiving joy and peace when you trust in the Lord. So I encourage you to keep on hoping and trusting with all that you can. God is always moving in your life, especially in the times you do not think He is there.

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail regarding this change in perspective and I find it is fitting to re-post it here. Enjoy.

"I am thankful for"

the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight because she is home with me and not out with someone else.

the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato because he is home with me and not out at the bars.

the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because it means she is at home, not on the streets.

the taxes I pay because it means I am employed.

the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

the clothes that fit a little too snugly because it means I have enough to eat.

my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine near the garden, and for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a house.

all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.

the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and have been blessed with transportation.

my huge cooling (or heating depending upon where you are!) bill because it means I am comfortable.

the lady behind me in church who sings terribly off key because it means I can hear.

the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.

the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.

--submitted by Frances Shipp, from Weaver High School, Weaver AL

I have been having many vivid dreams lately. Here is the first. More will come.

There was this woman. I could see her and almost feel every emotion she was feeling, but it was not me. She had rich brown straight hair. Her eyes were a dark brown as well. She was sitting in a very tight and small wired cage. The top of the cage was open, and I sat wondering why the woman did not dare to come out of this cage. I then saw a man who had such an evil expression on his face. It was like he was finding some odd satisfaction in something. As I continue to dream on, I see this man go to another cage and grab a snake. He begins to talk about this snake to the woman and how deadly it is if it bites you. He then proceeds to approach the cage with this deadly snake and forces I into the cage making it upset. The cage was already too small for the woman, and now it became even smaller with a large snake in it with her. Though her heart was racing, she somehow remained somewhat calm. She did not want to agitate the snake. The man saw this and was not pleased. So he approach the cage and began to shake it vigorously. This not only made the woman upset but the snake. So the snake lashed out and bit the woman. It bit her so hard and would not let go. You could see the snake was sucking the blood from the woman as there was a bulge forming right behind the head of the snake. The entire time this is occurring, I see the woman in the cage looking up. Looking at the man watching with enjoyment as what is happening before him. Looking for help. Looking for the torment to end. 

Now I am no dream expert, but I think this one is pretty obvious. Human trafficking occurs here so often. There are countless women who are caged and who are looking up for their misery to end. There are many men who are angry and are full of hate. Please continue to be in prayer for Thailand, the women in slavery, for the men and for those fighting to put this to an end. . 

During my lunch break I was bored and went on Craigslist just to see what was new. Thinking it would still be signed into my Reno account, I was surprised to see they had it active in Thailand.

I first was on the lookout for free items, there were no listings. Bummer!

Then I went around into the housing and job listings.

This is what I found....

Girls, couples wanted for Adult Movies (Bangkok, Chaing Mai, Phuket)

Hi Guys,

Seeking couple's, girls & ts girls for xxx movie's.
What you do is up to you, no pressure to do anything you dont want.
No experience needed.
Pay scale $750 - $2000+

Questions welcome. We are a friendly company.
If your interested already send photo's and details but again, questions welcomed

• Location: Bangkok, Chaing Mai, Phuket
• Compensation: up to $2000 per half day
• This is a part-time job.
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Model Wanted...female

We are looking for a female model for a short promotional video.

You need to be sexy, but no nudity is involved. You will be wearing underwear or lingerie and required to look sexy to promote the product. There is no sexual activity or acting at all for this video, just a 'look' is all we require.

No speaking is required. You should have a toned slim body, busty would be good, but not essential.

Filming can take place in Bangkok, Pattaya or possibly even Phuket, but most likely Bangkok and you should be available for one day only.

Please reply with a photo and if suitable we can discuss payment.

Thanks

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was crushed. Seriously, they were this open about it all? Yes I live here. I know a lot of what happens here, but really?!?! These are real people, real women with real stories. They are not props for movies or toys to play with and then throw away. These women all have a story.

I praise God that I am not 'numb' to hearing these stories. I am thankful (in some ways) that it still breaks my heart every time.

Through teaching English, I have had the opportunity to invest into many of these women. I love them. They are not just a student, but some are my best friends here. I would do anything for them, and they would for me. These women are breathtaking. It has been beautiful to see them open up and really let themselves shine. It is amazing to see them grow in confidence and self worth.

read more stories at LizOlson.Wordpress.com

My boss always has his eyes out for deals on used cars. He has a few friends that are mechanics and he ran into one who happened to have a used car for sale. It is a white four door, manual car that was made in the 80′s . Though you can tell it was made in this time frame, it runs really well. There was no air conditioning in the car, but I was able to use my bartering skills to get him to install the air conditioning, fix the ball joints and the choke all for his original price.

At the end of the day, I will have the car for about $1,500. Who knew you could buy a reliable car, with insurance for that cheap here?!?!

It is kind of a surreal moment for me.

It is like buying your first car, but different. To me this is more of a sign of home, permanence. It is a statement that I am really here long term. It is exciting.

Plus this will be better for the ministry. I will be able to simply get into my car (yeah, it is still weird to say that), and go. I will no longer need to wait 30 minutes to an hour for the local bus (each way). That is 1-2 hours wasted each way. This way I will be saving, time-which is so valuable here!

Furthermore, I could extend the hours of my English Classes to better accommodate my students. Most of the bars girls wake up at 2pm and start getting out of the house around 3pm. By being able to move the classes back by an hour (or by adding another class), will possibly enable more women to attend our classes. The reason we cannot do this now is due to the buses. The last bus leaves at 5pm. If you were to miss this bus, you would need to pay 18 times more money to take a tuk tuk/taxi home. And with me teaching twice a week, this really isn't an option as we do not have the finances to do so.

Additionally, I will be able to go out more and do more things on this beautiful island and not have to be dependent on overpriced taxis and tuk tuks.

It is an exciting new phase of my journey here in Thailand.

I still have some work to do on learning how to drive a manual, but I am getting better day by day. There are many hills here, and I am spending a lot of time on those dreaded hill starts!

Blessings

Prayer:

Praise-for this car

Pray-financial support

Pray-Continual growth of English Class attendance

So you most likely know the kids' song "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", well while I was at church, I learned "Head, Shoulders, Butt, Earwax". Yep, you read it right. Butt....Earwax

I was so surprised, and to top it all off, it was taught/sung all while having a meal together.

Needless to say it was a day full of laughter and smiles.

Who says church is suppose to be boring?!? Here, every church is a new experience and full of new adventures around every corner.

This Sunday, They were me the parts of the body in Thai (and I taught them some in English as well)

Random thought of the day: What I love about the Thai language is how they put smaller words together to make another word. Like "Water + Smells Good=Perfume"  or "Water + Fruit= Fruit juice"  or "Car+ Room+Study=School Bus"

So what 'combo' of words makes 'earwax'? poop+ear= earwax  the same applies for the eye goop you get in the mornings poop+eye=eye goop

Test out your word solving skills below. Can you correctly match the meaning to these 'Thai words'?

 (Scroll down to see the answers)

See my main blog at LizOlson.wordpress.com for more stories from my journey here in Thailand.

 Answers: 1E, 2J, 3A, 4M, 5H, 6B, 7P, 8C, 9Q, 10X, 11T, 12R, 13F, 14D, 15V, 16S, 17W, 18U, 19Z, 20Y, 21K, 22 I, 23L, 24O, 25N, 26G

2 days ago I went into the bars with a new team to help them with their first night. I would circle around and see if they were doing ok and making sure they were engaging in good conversations with Thai girls. There was one bar that I was visiting the teams and I met 2 girls. These girls had only been in the bars for 2 days and you could tell-they were so innocent (max 17 years old).

Well fast-forward to the next day.

After I was done teaching English Classes, I was waiting around for the bus. The bus finally arrives after 30 minutes of waiting, and as I step on the bus I hear 'crew crew' which means 'Teacher Teacher'. There stood the same 2 girls, this time with a suitcase in each hand.

I make a point to sit next to them on the bus. I found out that they were going to Bangkok for 10 months with 'family'. I asked if they still worked in the bars, and they said yes. Thinking nothing of it, I just begin to pray for them. Their safety, innocence, purity, etc...

Then it came time to pay the bus driver and I see that a while man sitting next to them pays for them. It was then that I discovered that they were not visiting family in Bangkok for 10 months, but that they were sold. They will most likely act as translators, tour guides and be there for his physical pleasure if he so pleases.

I was crushed.

I give them girls my number and share that they can call me anytime with anything.

Then it was my stop, and I get off and the man begins to ask me about my English Classes and before I get a chance to answer the bus drives away.

Please join me in prayer.

I was so restless last night. I was awakened to pray for them so often.

Pray for their safety/protection-that their innocence and youth will somehow remain through all of this. Pray that they know there is another option and a way out. Pray that they see these options. Pray for the man. Pray that maybe/somehow plans will change and they will be released from their duties. Pray that they will call me. Pray that they will not end up back in the bars when all of this is done.