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.
.
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.
.
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!
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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!
.
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!
.
Christian Young
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