update #1 (in case you didn't recieve it by e-mail, and if you didn't please e-mail me @ danaekrahn@gmail.com so i can add you)

thailand 101. sawadee ka is how you say hi for ladies, sawadee kup if for guys.

anyways... bangkok is amazing. i could go on and on talking about it and how great it is but i'll just get right to it!

95% of tourism in thailand is based on prostitution. you see it everywhere on the streets of bangkok. every kind of guy w/ a thai lady (or transvestite). honestly, old, every race, crippled, businessmen... you name it, you got it.

unfortunately this is not alarming in thailand. supposedly around 85% of people in thailand are dealing with some sort of depression. they have to "save face" (which is really hiding all the problems to look like everything's okay because you have to keep your status (or rank) in the culture). so, for example, someone older, or males (especially first borns), or someone higher in society (occupational wise), or foreigners would all be in higher rank when comparing themselves to another person.

unfortunately this "saving face" concept does not allow many people to express how they are actually doing or feel about a subject. this can go as far as not telling someone that you have been abused so that you will not bring shame on that person. it cuts deep into every area of society. (there are good sides to it though, like respecting others and valuing what they say, which can be thrown out the window in some of our societies).

prostitutes "save face" for the family by allowing them to have an income. usually a prostitute will be supplying money for her family, which do not have jobs. if she would have a brother, he would not have to work as he has so much honour in the family for being a male (some also become monks, which also doesn't supply any $). one lady that i know about has 11 family members that she has to support with work... so it's really intense.

all of this adds for the ladies to not want to get off the street. they think that they have an obligation for their family and most have been told that they are worthless from birth, so to get some attention from men that came overseas because they are beautiful is a nice thought for them.

what we do here in "beginnings" meet those ladies @ work. so, i've been to the bars/go-go bars on outreach with 2 co-workers here. we meet them and talk with them (one lady, Ann speaks thai, so she translates/does PR with the ladies). and we tell them about the english class which we have going at the center. if they are interested they can come down (and it's down-town, so it's handy for them to come to) and learn english in the beginners or the intermediate stages. it's a good time for them to meet with the other ladies and also to build amazing relationships with them. in the bars they are usually quite busy as they have 15 minute "sets" where they dance on stage for 15 minutes and then switch, so most of the conversations are not that long. but, in the english class we have time afterwards to talk with them and to meet their needs (oh, and teach english... haha!).

i've been teaching english for a while now. i am loving the ladies. it's so amazing just be here. i just moved into the center today! and so far so good! i'm getting along with the 3 other ladies whom joined (Kwan, Sai and Pu) as well as the co-worker (Ann) and her daughter (Bebe) and bebe's nanny (Nis). Bonita and Roy, the founders of the place live in their own appartment (which i was looking after while they were gone for the last 2 weeks). Bonita has her masters and Roy has his Ph. D. in cross-cultural affairs (if i'm not mistaken), so it's been amazing to hear some of their knowledge and dig deep into a lot of good literature.

what else has happened? there was a "understanding our children" seminar for one week here in bangkok. i was privileged to go along with everyone else who lives @ the center. it was very insightful and God-lead as it seems like a call on my future. (i will hopefully be taking anthropology classes this coming september... i'll tell you more when i get more details). it was great because it was in thai and english, and it opened my eyes to how childhood development affects people, and how abusive situations have affected the ladies whom i work with tremendously. there was also a session on HIV and AIDS. and we were able to visit a center which works with children who "are victims of commercial sexual exploitation". their work was so great and it was encouraging to see another center with a positive outlook.

that week-end we also went on a missions trip. the ladies currently at the center have been here for 1 year and have a personal relationship with Christ. we all went to a village 1 and 1/2 hours away. we played with the children, taught a little english, played some songs, handed out balloons, played multiple games and gave some food to them. we actually made ice-cream with them. you put flavoured milk (which is all the rage in thailand... kinda funny) in a smaller ziplock bag which you put into a larger ziplock bag that is filled with ice and salt. then you shake until your hearts desire... and voila ice-cream (which quickly turns to liquid in the heat, but it was fun!).

so, those are the main things that have been happening. i have been loving it here and am excited for the life at the center (although i loved spending time with Roy and Bonita...).

some prayer requests. Ann has gull stones right now and is going to have surgery within the next month. they are really bothering her at night and she has to try to sleep sitting up because otherwise she feels as if she is choking (not every night, but most). she is really busy at the center and needs rest to recover from this. so, prayer for a fast recovery and taking enough time off and also just peace. we are also planning a Christmas party for the ladies here in bangkok. prayer that their eyes would be open to the love of Christ through this as well as a successful event. we still need funding for this (i'll give info when i figure all the kinks out... hopefully within a week) but are just really hoping that the ladies will feel Christ's love throughout this whole time. and also for myself. i am going through some visa issues right now (as updated on the blog, danaek.blogspot.com) and would love your prayer. your prayers are felt tremendously here. i thank-you for all the support that you have shown throughout this time and truly appreciate all of the love that i have felt since being here. it is truly amazing.

oh, and i would love to hear from all of you as well! updates are more then amazing. thanks for keeping me posted thus far!

p.s. as of now i am planning on staying here until April 1st and then making my way up to Canada hopefully in mid-April range. (with a couple of stops in between).

visa!

k, so this is kinda rediculous. visas for thailand. can only get 3 tourist visas a year. thinking that i was fine to renew it 2 more times, i non-chalountly told my co-workers when i'll have to renew it by (Nov. 6th). then it dawned on me that we came in and out of thailand twice when i came here w/ ywam. so, basically i won't be allowed into thailand again unless i get a different visa. i will be taking thai, so i can get a student visa no problem, but it takes 3 weeks to process. and i'll be applying tomorrow. it all kinda caught up 'cause roy and bonita were gone and i didn't want to talk about it until they were back (thinking it would be no big deal to go to the border and back). anyways, we're going to see the immigration office tomorrow about it. hopefully i can stay in thailand those 2 weeks under the condition of the "processing paperwork" time to get the student visa, 'cause i will be a student. if that doesn't work, i'll probably have to stay outside the country for those 2 weeks (ann knows a place in cambodia that i could volunteer @) or i could pay the fine that they have if you overstay your visa. it's somewhere inbetween 500-1000 baht/day... which is around 20-40 USD a day. so, anyways, prayers that i could stay in the country would be amazing! with love and prayers.

p.s. things are going very well though. and don't worry, i'm not too stressed i know that it can and will all work out, it's just a matter of how really.

holy spirit

hey everyone. things are going good out here, except the fact that the internet isn't working @ home, so i think that i have become addicted as i am now paying for it... anyways, i've been able to catch up on some reading that i was "assigned". 4 books down, 2 to go! they've all been really good, "trading my sorrows", "the wounded healer", "the Jesus style" and "becoming who God intended". i still have one on trafficing and another on... i forget. anyways, been doing a lot of praying and just being filled w/ the spirit.

i was actually on the train station the otherday and i could barely contain the laughter that was surging out of me. it was so interesting. i would smile, which would turn into a laugh, be suppressed and so on and so forth. many tourists (let alone locals) were looking @ me and thinking that i was weird, but everytime my eyes met with someone else's i would just smile all the broader and start giggling. it was so interesting. i pretended it was my music. but, the whole atmosphere just lifted. ahh, it was fun. but, yeah i'll be surged up for monday... and i am excited to get into the thick of it. i love to hear from you guys. keep me posted!

missions trip

thank-you all for your prayers. they have been guiding and directing me. i've been challenged througout this time here, although enjoying it thouroughly. there always seems to be an element of unknown which not only keeps me on my toes but on my knees as well. this past week-end we had a missions trip. there were 10 of us in total. the ladies (Kwan, Sai and Pu) along with michelle (a lady that has been helping at the center) and ann (the thai leader) with her 2 assistants (a nanny called, Nit and her adopted daughter named Bebe) and her friends fawn and wern all went out to a neighboring town and helped the locals there by playing with the children. we taught them games and showed them how to make icecream by shaking flavoured milk in a bag with ice and salt. i was mainly just having fun with the kids, playing volleyball with them when i could and blowing ballons while just crouching down and talking with the little ones. it was really fun and exciting to see everyone outside of the normal elements of life. while we were traveling along we stoped to see a marigold farm. there were flowers everywhere. it was so beautiful. i couldn't believe it.

this week that roy and bonita are still gone will be rather relaxing. lots of prayer as well as indepth reading (which i was assigned to when they left). i am also looking into universities for when i come back home. prayer for this would be much appreciated. i believe that i will focus on social/cultural anthropology and am starting the application process for the universities already. prayer for guidence would be much appreciated.

still prayer for perseverance even when things become tough. increased wisdom amoung the ladies is something i am praying for now as well. thank-you so much.

there's not a day that goes by when i do not think about you. thank-you for your support and your love through this time. i am praying for you and thank-you for your prayers as well.

living and learning

where to start? okay, things have been good. learning lots of culture and still about myself (does that ever end?!) and absolutely falling in love with everything!

roy and bonita left this sat. for the states as they are doing some fundraising and such. so, i'm holding down fort. their house is a 25 min walk away from the center, a lovely walk in the morning (of course there's all the markets and pollution and hustle and bustle... the busyness kinda reminds me of christmas shopping back at home, but i love it!)

this week we are taking a confrence that's called "understanding our children". we were sponsored by one of our contacts to go. the information is very helpful, even though it is not directly related to our field of work right now. there are some issues that deal with abused children and children trafficing as well. so, it's very interesting.

i am learning some thai as well. it's quite fun actually. and, they already assigned a thai name for me. you say it deun (raising your voice at the end). it means "moon" (which is kinda cool 'cause i found out danae means "morning star"... kinda related). also cool 'cause i'm a morning and night person, not the middle of the day.

anyways, thailand is amazing. if you ever wanted to travel, come here. honestly! the pollution is bad, it's crowded, there are prostitutes everywhere, but it's real life! the people are amazing. the food is great. the weather is hot (so nice!). cheep clothes, skytrains which are fast and efficient. massage parlors every corner. and almost everything is inexpensive. these are just some things that i have fallen to love with.

God is so good. and i thank-you all for your prayers. you've been such an encouragement.

DK

"House of New Beginnings"

They help Thai prostitute women by giving them an opportunity to get off the streets of Bangkok. 95% of tourism in Thailand is due to the sex industry, with a large amount of Thailand's GDP coming from this. Thai women can be forced into these situations for multiple reasons, but as 95% of Thais are Buddhist, the main reason is for women to attain merit for the "next life", by being able to support their family financially. Thai men have a different option as they can become monks to gain merit for their family that way. Unfortunately this does not help the family's financial situation and since women can gain a much higher wage by going into prostitution as oppose to finishing high school, prostitution is the path that is usually taken by Thai women. There are girls that are younger then 10 years old in prostitution (and can be over 40 as well). Although prostitution is illegal in Thailand, most of the bars that the women are working in are owned by Police officials so there is nothing actively being done about it.

"House of New Beginnings" helps the women to not only get off the street, but help with their education and working through the mental and emotional struggles that these women have gone through. They provide housing for the women (when they choose to get off the street) and a new life for these women to start. Currently there are 3 Thai ladies in the center, and 2 long-term staff as well as a thai assitant. This smaller atmosphere also helps so that I will be able to try out new things and have an input into how to reach out to the ladies. The 2 long term staff (Roy and Bonita) are from California, over 40 and headed up the ministry 3 years ago. I am really excited to be able to work with them, they seem very nice and genuine in this ministry.

I will working alongside both of them. So, I will be meeting the ladies in the bars and massage parlours and such. I will also be teaching english, as that is how they get to know the ladies better induvidually. They teach basic english and learn more about their life stories and talk about God throughout most of it.

Roy and Bonita are also involved in many other organizations here in Bangkok and I am more then excited to learn from them and their outlook on ministry and life. They both have masters and have such great outlooks on major themes in life, so thank the Lord that I am where I am. I could ask for nothing more.

Thank-you so much for your prayers they have really guided me through the stressful times already... honestly

landed

safe and sound here @ home (for the time) Thailand!!

here are the highlights so far.

the bus that i was going to take to the airport was late, like 45 minutes (to the point that i was afraid that i'd miss my flight) so i told the general manager of the company that i needed a solution to get to the airport because i needed to catch my flight, and i eventually got driven to the airport, with a little bit of time to spare.

met an amazing israeli couple, probably in their 40s, with a daughter who's 3 years old on the plane from jordan to bangkok. Albi (their daughter) and i spent the whole flight from amman, jordan to abu dabi, United Arib Emirates playing... it was so fun. they gave me their address and said that if i ever went back to israel that i could stay with them.

landed in bangkok, took a taxi to my home for now. and, it turns out that the place that roy and bonita live in is absolutely amazing. it has a pool and a work-out center and is just amazingly spacious, and it's such a blessing. so, i'll be living there for now, although I plan on living with the ladies for most of my stay out here. I really want to go head in, and this will be a nice break-in, but hopefully I can spend even more time with the ladies, by living at the house.

Roy and Bonita are leaving for the USA on Saturday, so i'll be looking after the place on my own for 2 weeks, probably spending quite a bit of time at the center ("Home of New Beginnings") and just praying for the time ahead. it will be nice to also have time to get to know the surroundings, it's quite safe actually... although i probably won't go out at night on my own yet.

i also saw bonita finishing up an english class, and met the women that were there. it was really cool to see some faces of people i will be working with for the next 6 months! it was also cool to see how bonita does english classes as i will be taking over a lot of that responsiblitly... as it looks now.

while bonita and ann(the secretary/everything of the office) talked with some of the ladies about their next assignments, roy and i went out for coffee and talked about so much of what the prostitues have gone through, and not only that but just so much of thai's outlook on society and how that has changed the way that people act personally. it was so interesting. for example, a lot of thai culutre is about "saving face". so, that would mean that you have to present yourself in such a way that people see you as respectable. if you would talk loudely in a store, you look rude. but, if you have deep troubles (like after going through prostitution), a lot of the time it is looked down upon to address because you look weak and then loose respect. there are lots of examples, but those are just the ones i could think of.

but, yeah, things are going good.

tomorrow

hey everyone. i'm leaving for thailand tomorrow. it's been a good last couple of days, just getting ready (mentally more then anything) to go. thank-you for all the love and support already and just for being there for me.

jordan's been good. just chilling here in amman and waiting to go to thailand. i've been haning out w/ the New Zealand snowboarders Y school as they are doing their outreach in Amman, Jordan. so, it's been nice to see how they are doing and enjoying every moment with them.

i'm excited/nervous/don't know what to think about tomorrow. just prayers for safety as i will be traveling all day and then from the airport to the house on my own... it will be during the day, but still i just want things to go relatively smoothly. i'm @ peace about all of it, and am just learning what it truly is to lie in Jesus' arms and allow him to lead and guide me, yet taking initiative on where to go. things are working out well, and even though i become anxious, i know that it will all be okay. this is mainly to your prayers, and i truly want to thank-you all from the bottom of my heart, saying i could not be doing this without your support.

with thoughts and love