Saturday, March 5, 2011

THAILAND 2011 - Salvation and Healing at a Block Party

Bangkok, Thailand
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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Salvation and Healing at a Block Party
Today our team made preparations to throw a huge block party in an area of Bangkok where YWAM is working. Before we began preparations, we met with a man named Mark who is the director of OMF (formerly China Inland Mission) over all of Thailand. Jesse's dad, Brian had gone to college with him and thought it would be a good idea to connect with him...and it really was a great connection. Mark has been a missionary in Thailand since 1985 and gave us tons of great information and statistics about the evangelical church in Thailand. One interesting thought we were challenged with is the fact that most districts and sub-districts in Northeast Thailand are without evangelical churches. This is the area that most girls come from to work in prostitution in order to send money back to their families. So as IRIS Ministries embarks on beginning a work in Thailand, we really need to seek the Lord on how we can BOTH rescue girls from prostitution and sex trafficking in the big cities AND plant churches in the Northeast of Thailand which would be a preemptive measure as villages come to Christ and families stop sending their daughters to work as prostitutes in Bangkok, Pattaya and other big cities. After Mark finished sharing from his wealth of knowledge and experience with us, our team gathered around him, prayed for him and prophesied over him. We have been able to do this very thing as we have connected with different organizations throughout this entire trip. What an honor and a privilege to be able to support and bless these warriors on the front lines here in Thailand.
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Then our team began to make preparations for the block party. We figured out some games. We practiced a skit together where demons come out and bind up people caught in various sinful lifestyles; a group of party-ers, a man with two prostitutes and a woman who commits suicide. then Jesus comes and binds the demons and sets those who were bound by Satan free. I got to play the part of Jesus. We also placed people in four groups where we would sit on different mats or "booths;" a healing mat, a dream interpretation mat, a prophecy mat and a prophetic art mat. We would all remain at our various stations for people at the block party to come and utilize. I chose to be at the healing mat. We then had a time of worship together. I prayed that a literal city block from heaven would come down and rest upon the city block in Bangkok where we would throw the block party. Let me tell you...this really did happen.
















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After lunch we took taxi's to the part of Bangkok that Ivan and Kashmira from YWAM work. We first had a meeting with them and the other staff at the YWAM base where our team prayed for their staff. Then we prayed for the block party. After that we headed towards the park area where we would throw the party. We split into groups, some of us went around handing out more invitations, while others of us stayed and decorated the place with balloons and such. Then we all gathered in a circle, held hands and prayed together as the Buddhists from the area who had come for the party watched us. One man who is literally the "godfather" of this part of town not only gave his approval of the block party, but helped make preparations, including getting the food ready. We kicked off the party with games. Hundreds gathered to watch and participate. Then we performed our skit which was very well received. Jesse got up and shared the meaning of the skit afterwards as hundreds of Thai Buddhists listened intently. We then began to distribute food in carry-out containers to 250 people who had sat down on long mats. They all received gifts of little flashlights and Bible tracts as well. When I surveyed the type of people who had come to the block party, I realized they were exactly the type of people Jesus ministered to; street people, prostitutes, beggars...the least of these. How amazing!














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Our team took their places at their various mats or "booths." At our mat, the first man to come had nerve damage in his fingers and could not feel anything. He also had similar damage in his legs. We talked to him about Jesus, then prayed for him. He was completely healed and ecstatic! Another woman came with arthritis pain in her legs. We laid hands on her and she was completely healed as well! The amount of people coming to our various stations at that point was relatively few. Our team felt it necessary that someone who had been healed should testify to the hundreds gathered of Jesus' healing power. Remember the first man who had come and been healed in his fingers and legs? Well he got up and testified of his healing over the sound system. All of the sudden there was a huge influx of Thai people with various ailments who rushed to the prayer mats. Everyone on our team began to pray for people's healing as well as continue to interpret dreams and prophecy.








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A man who was a Buddhist monk with sinus issues came for prayer. Myself and a few others placed our hands on his nose and prayed. Afterwards he breathed in deeply, saying that his breathing was now clear and that he had been healed. He told us that as a Buddhist monk he had never had peace until now. We asked him if he wanted to receive Jesus Christ. He said that he did want to. And right there this man forsook Buddhism and turned to the living God.
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Then they began to bring us a large group of deaf people. Our team began to pray for them. I took anointing oil and stuck my fingers in one man's deaf ears. After a quick prayer the left side completely opened up. We pressed in a bit more until the right side opened up as well. As I snapped my fingers on either side of his head, he smiled and nodded to say that he could hear now! Thank You, Jesus! The same thing happened as we prayed for the next deaf man. He was completely healed as well! I kept hearing shouts of victory as our team was seeing deaf ears opened and blind eyes see as well as one lady with a cataract was healed. Many were praying to receive Christ, too. We prayed for a man's back. He felt the Holy Spirit's power flow through his body...I literally felt a creative miracle happening as my hand was on his lower back.

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Then a prostitute came and asked for healing in her hip and leg. We prayed for her. She was completely healed. We then shared the gospel with her. She was responsive. She said she wanted to leave her "work" as a prostitute and follow Jesus. I felt to do a prophetic act and grabbed two flowers. Through translation, I began to explain to her that she saw herself as this flower...I began to pluck out the pedals one at a time and explained that as she gave herself away to different men, what was once a beautiful flower lost it's pedals and became something she perceived as very ugly. She agreed that this is how she felt about herself inside. I then took the other beautiful flower with all of it's pedals and exchanged it for the barren, ugly flower and told her that through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, He was now exchanging her old life for a new one and that He sees her as beautiful and pure. I then gave her the beautiful flower which she placed in her purse. Then some other girls from our team continued to minister to her. I truly believe that a city block from heaven literally came down to that city block in downtown Bangkok. Many people were saved and healed! It was awesome!

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Another cool thing is that YWAM is starting a church on Monday nights in the park and all of the people who were saved and healed were invited to come to that church and continue to be discipled. The YWAM staff was blown away at how the block party went, saying that it far exceeded any expectations they had. I think all of us agree that it couldn't have gone better. Heaven is certainly invading earth here in Thailand! More, LORD!
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Christian Young

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