These past two weeks have been quite a journey. We’ve traveled over 16000 miles together for one reason–to serve in Jesus name. We’ve reached out to those caught in the bondage of sex trafficking. We’ve met them where they are on the streets and handed them a lovely wrapped gift–a pathway out through a Godly invitation to Shear Love, hidden in a package of condoms.

We’ve packaged and delivered food to the poor Cambodians living in the brick factory.  We’ve spent hours pouring into their children and grandchildren at the AIM Kids Club, teaching fun Bible lessons, games and a lot of dancing.

We’ve gone and done all these things in Jesus name and we are so grateful for the opportunity to show His Love at work in these places and represent Crossroads so well.

-Scott

Today, I had the honor of teaching a second basic self- defense course to younger AIM staff members.  We started out talking about situational awareness and how not to make yourself an accessible target by keeping your head on a swivel or running away. We also talked about the effects of adrenaline and how under stress fine motor skills may be diminished (a hard punch in the face can have that effect), so we went over simple techniques such as heel-palm strikes, eye strikes and knee strikes.  We ended the session fighting!  Everyone got to experience what a fight feels like; we lined up in 3 lines, each person got to go all out for 30 seconds, punching & kicking handheld bags.  Many were exhausted after only a few seconds but were encouraged (loudly) that the fight wasn’t over until the threat was over, so they kept fighting!  It was an exhilarating experience, which made the lesson of situational awareness more real because fighting for your life against a bigger opponent is not a lot of fun.

The day ended on a high note as we passed out food & snacks to nearly 200 joyful Kids Club members.  Shortly after, we gave and received heartfelt goodbyes from the staff and thanked God for letting us be a part of His good works, to God be the glory!

-Cornelius (AKA: Neil)

Great are you Lord! This morning we started with some worship on the bus ride. Today was our last day at AIM and I was so excited because I got to be a part of kids club. 

  We went into the lords gym here at AIM. It was so cool to see platforms for squatting and deadlifting. On the other side, there was a boxing ring and an area to practice sparring and wrestling. I really enjoyed Neil teaching self defense class. He had Scott, Gene and Daniel hold the body pads while some of the staff members and our team practiced. Watching them learn how to protect themselves and work together to learn these intentional moves was great to see. 

    Being in The Lord’s Gym definitely pulled some heart strings. I felt like it was a smack in the face of something I loved to do, that got ripped away from me due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis. While I was there I was getting a bit emotional because I loved to deadlift and there was a bar loaded with 185lbs. My heart broke, I miss powerlifting. Then I looked around and I saw the staff members from AIM learning and it just made me realize that my problems are so much less than what these people have to face every single day. I took a moment to pray and just thank God for allowing me to even come on this trip. I praised him for the amount of strength I have and the amount of love I have been receiving from my team. I know Jesus is going to heal me and make a way, but there are things I need to learn and God is definitely teaching me a lot about myself. Am I sad and impatient? Yes!However, Gods timing is everything. 

   I got to be a part of kids club today at AIM. It was so amazing to see all these kids who live in the community come together and just be free for a few hours. We danced, we worshiped, played games, did a craft and most of all we prayed. Hearing the children praying made me feel so much joy, but so much sadness. These kids come from homes that hardly have anything, but in that moment when they prayed I knew they felt God’s love. The kids would run up to me and say they love me and the smile on their faces was truly God’s light. I felt blessed, I felt the love of God radiate from them onto me. I will cherish this moment forever. I will take this feeling with me and hold onto it. Rejoice in the Lord for he is a good good father! 

“I’ll see you, when you see me!”

-Michelle

Rejoicing in how the Lord has used this team in another dark country where child trafficking is so common. Being the hands and feet of Jesus, and shining His light, has been humbling. It’s beyond heartbreaking and sad to see the darkness that is going on around us with child trafficking. I’m learning that this is yet another place in desperate need of Jesus. My heart has continued to break as I’ve witnessed, seen, and heard stories of extreme darkness and evil over the last two weeks.

Agape International Missions (AIM) is making a significant difference in the communities here in Phnom Penh. I love how they teach families to VALUE and LOVE their children, rather than exploiting them for profit. AIM emphasizes to families they serve that children are a gift from God, meant to be loved and cared for, not treated as commodities to be sold.

The AIM headquarters is a tall building with multiple levels. It is utilized for their church and administration offices. This building was originally intended to be a brothel for trafficking children. However, the man who started building this building, saw the type of work AIM was doing in the community to combat child sex trafficking. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get away with using that building as a brothel, so he abandoned the building project and never came back. The founders of AIM purchased the building to continue their ministry of RESCUING, HEALING, and TRANSFORMING lives.

During our time with AIM, we had the privilege of repainting the stairwell and walls of two levels. I was part of the painting team, and it was an incredibly impactful experience. As I looked at each level, with its 6-9 small rooms, I was taken back. These were the same walls that had once been intended for a brothel, to exploit children. As I painted around each door frame and gazed inside each room, I was choked up with emotion, knowing that this building could have been a place of unspeakable evil. Instead it has been transformed into a place of restoration and hope. Praise God!

We must trust that God is moving RIGHT NOW. He is working in lives RIGHT NOW. He is healing RIGHT NOW. He is saving someone RIGHT NOW. God is making a way for someone RIGHT NOW. It might not be in the timing or pace that we expect, but He is at work, saving one precious soul at a time. I am humbled to be the hands and feet of Jesus, witnessing the life-changing ministry happening here in Cambodia and Thailand.

–Jessica

Today we visited a brick factory in the community to pass out rice bags, blankets, and bug spray packages that we prepared yesterday. We were early so we were escorted around the factory grounds to see and learn about the people who are still trapped in labor trafficking in other areas. Our AIM Team Guide told us that the families who live and work here are paying off the debts of their parents or grandparents. In Cambodia debt transfers to the next generation. This breaks me. Back home, the number one question we ask our children is “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Their replies are without hesitation and often have endless possibilities. The children born in these factories do not have this freedom. They are born into a horrible cycle of generational oppression. They have never been given the opportunity to want anything else out of this life. 

The wonderful news is that AIM is breaking this cycle. In fact, our AIM Team Guide shared with us that when he was a child, his family was in debt at the brick factory, he was able to get out and now he is on staff with AIM to help them do this for other families. There used to be 8 factories in the area and today there are 3 left. 

Since this factory is shut down, the kilns were turned off. This gave us the opportunity to actually touch the walls of the kilns as we walked through. I touched the kiln walls, and I prayed in Jesus name that all the operating brick factories would be shut down. Ahead of me, my team member and coworker Michelle, began singing “may God’s blessing be upon you, for 1000 generations, and your families, and your children, and their children, and their children.” I began to weep. I know that the Lord can do miracles, and change takes time. After walking the grounds, we handed each family their supplies one by one. I am so glad that these people are free from the oppression of the brick factory and I will continue to pray for them.

I know God is here with His people and He hears the outcry. I am so thankful for AIM and the work they are doing to take down these factories and brothels. Not only are they stopping the oppressors, but they are taking the victims and rehabilitating them with counseling, vocational training and a safe place to live.

-Ariel

Special Highlight Experience

Today, we were chosen to go with the church and pick up the kids for kids club. It was so fun to pull up and have the kids running to get on the bus. There was one stop where we picked up  at least 15 kids and we got to walk hand in hand with them back to the bus. The little girls were fighting to sit on our laps and be close to us. We got to sing nursery rhymes and end our journey with the song “Jesus Loves Me.” It was so innocent and full of pure joy. We are honored to serve these kids and love them in our time here. They have definitely caused our hearts to swell and overflow with more love than we thought possible.

-Taryn and Mykie

** Disclaimer **

The ministry in Cambodia is one that we cannot show photos of what we actually are doing each day in real  time. We are not allowed to take photos for the protection of the children and adults who’ve been rescued from sex trafficking. In a couple of weeks, please come back and check out the photos from our partner that will be edited (faces blurred out) and available of the work that we’ve done! 

-Lisa Mitchison

Day 10 Blog

This is our third day in Cambodia and our second day at AIM. Our time spent at the AIM mission center is located in the Svay Pak district of Phnom Penh. An area with a high rate of child trafficking. AIM has worked in this area for almost 20 years reducing the trafficking in the area. 

At the beginning of our trip to Cambodia, AIM provided our team with shirts to wear during our ministry time. Today’s shirts are Army Green. As we leave out for our day I feel our team is prepared to be Soldiers of God.  

In the morning session:

Neil lead a self defense class to the senior staff of the mission center. Many of us painted around the mission center or prepared for VBS while this was happening.

Lunch is made daily by the AIM staff. Today we enjoyed shrimp and vegetable stir fry, chicken soup and assorted fruit.

Our team had the opportunity after lunch to put humanitarian packs together with a mosquito net, a blanket and 10 kilos of rice. We will distribute those items tomorrow. During this time, Neil and Michelle went out into the villages of Svay Pak to pick up kids to bring back to the mission center for Kid’s Club. 

Before we got into all the festivities the children were singing worship songs, during that time I could really hear the joy of their angelic voices singing out in praise. 

Our Crossroad’s team then lead the children of Svay Pak in an afternoon Kid’s Club with Red light Green light game lead by Taryn, and a puppet show lead by Mykie and Marissa, and spiritual message and craft lead by Marilyn. The craft the kids were able to work on today were cowboy hats and vests which the kids were able to customize with colored markers and wore them home.  

Some of the other team members finished up the painting on the second and third floor from the morning session 

At the end of the day we passed out snack bags for the kids to take home and had dinner as a team with the in country director of AIM. It was a great day of ministry. 

-Chris

As we prepared to depart for the day, we all are leaving with this verse in mind:

John 15:12

“This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”

This is the day that we showed our love to the community by being a part of it. The day started off with six team members painting the second and third floor of the AIM building with primer. Tomorrow we will be able to finish the walls with paint. It was a long and hot day but we are all looking forward to finishing the project so the staff of AIM can enjoy their freshly painted headquarters.

While the team was still painting, Neil and I went over to the Lords Gym to teach self defense. The ten students were part of the staff at AIM. Neil did an excellent job instructing the class on self defense and how to remove yourself from a confrontation. To finish the class off, we had the students practice striking a defense bag. It had been 30 years since some of the students had a physical confrontation with someone. As expected they were all tired at the end of the class. 

In the afternoon was my favorite part of the day, which was preparing Humanitarian Aid packages for the workers at the Brick Factory. Each family will receive two blankets and a 50 pound bag of rice.  These individuals are in great need of assistance, so tomorrow we will be delivering the packages to them. 

To cap the day off we had Kids Club day. Ariel organized the activities which all the children enjoyed. It starts off with singing and dancing. Yes all of our team had to participate. Even though I have no rhythm I sure know how to make a fool of myself trying. The rest of the team looks like pros out there and enjoyed the dancing. Once the dancing was finished two of our team members put on a puppet show for the kids about God. Marissa and Mykie had the kids all excited watching them perform along with Marilyn’s part of being the Lamb.  We finished the Kids Club with the kids being given a cowboy hat and a vest. They were able to color their western style vest and hat and take it home with them. 

The verse of the day is John 13:35. 

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As you can tell the team shows love for all. 

-Gene

Special Highlight Experience

Kids Club pick up was an amazing experience!

I had the privilege, along with Michelle from the Crossroads Team, to accompany leaders of AIM’s Kid Club to gather children. We traveled by van to various neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods were very humble, and others much less humble. However, there was no difference in enthusiasm, humility or joy on the children’s faces when we showed up at their doorsteps and announced it was time for kids club!  All kids immediately got approval from a parent, a little spending money (for snacks at local stores around the Kids Club) and off they raced to the bus. One little girl was crying, and was initially told she could not come by an AIM leader (crying kids are not allowed); however, she appealed to her mom, dried her tears and promised to be a big girl, and was allowed to join us. Once on the bus, it was like a big family reunion. Michelle & I were instantly accepted and welcomed with great big smiles, playful high energy, and 1000s of high fives!  It was truly a blessing to see kids so excited to go to church. To God be the Glory!  

-Neil

Today, was Day 1 of VBS (also known as Kid’s Club here in Cambodia). We made our way to Svay Pak, Cambodia, which is headquarters for Agape International Missions (AIM) and as we entered the community the kids’ smiles said it all. They waived and ran alongside bus as we crawled through the street making our way to AIM. Their joy was already contagious!

Before VBS would begin in the afternoon, we were briefed with an orientation and training where we learned some simple Cambodian phrases. We then took a tour of AIM’s facilities and got to hear the incredible story of how AIM started!

In 2003, Don and Bridget Brewster visited Cambodia on a trip that would change their lives forever. Home to some of the world’s worst and most evil trafficking in Svay Pak, a local would ask Don “what kind do you want” while visiting this area. Shortly after discovering he was being asked about what kind of child he wanted, Don and Bridget both sat with their holy discontent that would propel them on a new trajectory and have them step into a new God-given purpose: “To free hearts, lives, and communities from the evil of sex trafficking in Jesus’ name and in Jesus’ way.”

Over the past twenty years the Brewsters committed themselves to eradicating and destroying the illegal sex trade in the immediate community of Svay Pak. This had included building a church, two restoration homes for rescued women and children, training schools in which women learn to sew and then are given jobs to sew, make high quality t-shirts, and beautiful hand-crafted jewelry. The environment they get to receive restoration in was a blessing to see first hand!

We then began Kids Club in the afternoon where we received the children with expectant and excited hearts! We got to play a group game of “Simon Says” and then jumped into worship. We may have not been experts on the moves to the worship songs, but we sure tried with a lot of enthusiasm! After that we were able to lead them in a short lesson and enjoy a scratcher craft that they loved; there are definitely some young artists in the making in this group! We sent them back into their community for the day,  but not before we gave them an armful of delicious snacks! It was a wonderful first day with all of them, and we look forward to spending the rest of the week pouring into them!

We got a very delicious treat for dinner as we got to eat at a Mexican restaurant with our team! Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, chips & salsa…a little taste of home that we all appreciated and enjoyed! It was right by the river and a beautiful cooler  evening. We are ready to get a good night of rest and be ready to take on Day 2 in Svay Pak!

-Craig & Christina

We started off our day at AIM’s (Agape International Ministries) church center in Svay Pak where we were given a tour of the entire facility. It was amazing to see the restoration that AIM has done in this part of the city. To see buildings that used to be areas where they trapped kids inside rooms and in cages for sex trafficking that were now being used as buildings to educate and restore the women and children who were trafficked was mind blowing. We got to see the areas where they were teaching women how to sew and make jewelry, and being able to see the joy in their faces and the new sense of purpose they had as they worked was such a blessing. AIM staff also gave us a tour of the school that they built, where they teach children from preschool to 6th grade, and partner with public schools in the area to ensure that the children are able to receive their diplomas and set them up for success. The children were so full of life and excited to learn, and were so well behaved. We also visited The Lord’s Gym, where they teach anyone who is interested how to lift weights, how to fight, and even learn self defense all while ministering to them in order to prevent the creation of more men who traffic children. 

After lunch, we had a team go out to buy snacks for the children while the other team helped prep the crafts and games for the VBS. Once the prep was done, we jumped immediately into the kids club. It was a time full of joy, laughter, and fun, where we got to minister to about 50 kids from that area. We got to introduce ourselves, play a game, as well as sing and dance to worship songs, which was so much fun. The kids were so excited to meet us and many of them would run up to us to give us hugs and high fives. They were so excited when it was time to do a craft, and they got to draw on little scratchers that were in the shape of cowboy themed items like boots, a cactus, and a horseshoe. The kids were so proud of themselves and loved to show us their masterpieces. It was such a blessing being able to interact with these kids, and see the fruits of the work that AIM has done to be able to give these kids a safe place to enjoy themselves and have fun while learning about Jesus. To see where it all started and where it is now was truly moving and such an incredible experience. AIM is faithfully doing the Lord’s work and being the hands and feet of Jesus. They are helping rescue, protect, restore, and prevent the sex trafficking that is going on here in Cambodia. It was truly an honor to be able to come alongside them as a team and help them in the good work that they are doing.

-Mykie

Today was our first full day in Cambodia!

We started off with breakfast at the hotel. The hotel is gorgeous and so serene. I’m so grateful the Lord has blessed us with such a safe space to unwind after our days of ministry.

We got to attend AIM’s church service in Svay Pak. The pastor lead us in a beautiful message about Nicodemus and the idea of baptism. We even got to celebrate 16 people who got baptized just yesterday. Praise the Lord!! It was so sweet to see them receive a certificate of baptism and a small gift from the church. They even had our team come up and introduce ourselves to the congregation. One prayer that one of the pastors had was quite eye opening to the realities of this area and why we are here to serve. The prayer was that parents protected their children and were mindful of what they were allowing them to absorb since pornography is rampant and easily accessible in the devices they are using. This is a great reminder for all to be aware of what they are feeding their soul with.

After church we headed out to one of the Killing Fields and learned about the dark history of this country. To hear about the genocide that took place in the 1970s was heartbreaking. There were survivor stories and actual remains. I know God was heartbroken over this and pray for peace for those who have seen the worst of humanity. One survivor mentioned in his story that his physical wounds have long healed but he lives in a state of brokenness nobody can help him with. I hope and pray for Jesus to be found in these moments and that he transforms this country to heal from their past, current, and future wounds.

To round out our day we had lunch and visited the Russian Night Market for fun shopping and bonding. May God give us rest and energy as we start VBS tomorrow.

-Taryn

Today, we visited a church built by Agape International Missions (AIM) in Svay Pak, a neighborhood once known for its history of brothels, where children were sold and even kept in cages. But what we witnessed could only be described by the power of the Lord as He has transformed this place of darkness into a beacon of hope.

Standing in the middle of worship, singing in both Khmer and English, “Set a fire in my soul that I can’t contain, that I can’t control,” I was moved. This community has been set on fire for the Lord, and His light is spreading. The streets that once held brothels are now filled with families, shops, and life, all centered around this beautiful church. Yesterday, 16 people were baptized, declaring their faith and stepping into new life with Christ.

God’s power is so evident here, breaking chains and bringing restoration. He is triumphing over the darkness, and His church in Svay Pak is growing stronger every day. Please join us in prayer for this incredible community and these new followers of Christ, and the local missionaries, as they continue to shine His light in the world.

-Marissa

Today, The team attended  Baan Ruemjal Church in an impoverished area of Pattaya with Pastor Craig giving the message on the parable of the sower. There is something really special about worshipping the Lord in Thai and English together especially when singing about the goodness of God.

Yesterday, we were able to visit the three houses that our 2023 team had started building the foundations for.  Chris, Gene and I had lost a lot of sweat and a little blood getting ready for the first concrete pour, but we weren’t able to be there for it. It’s hard to describe the excitement of seeing the rescued women being housed in person, now a year and a half later.  Hearing the stories of how those women are now the light in their poor community is a great blessing.

พระเจ้าอยู่เคียงข้างคุณ- God is for you!

-Scott

Today is day seven and I’m supposed to write the blog today about what the day looked like but today was the day we said goodbye to Thailand. Today was the day where we got to hug the ShearLove staff one last time. Today was the day we went to church, today was the day we sang and worshiped God, today was the day we sang Amen for just a few minutes and 

Today was the day we hugged our friends goodbye. 

This week I had the honor of being surrounded by so many men and women who love, cherish and adore Jesus. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to be here! This week brought so much joy and laughter, and behind closed doors a little bit of sadness and heart break. 

This week I was also able to share my testimony, and after I was done, I was approached by one of the students, and this student shared that we have a lot of things in common and what I didn’t know then was that she would end up sharing her heart with me. It is a moment that I will forever remember and cherish. What seemed like five minutes was actually a two hour conversation. We cried together. We laughed together. We prayed together. We understood each other and we reassured each other that we are strong, brave, courageous, beautiful,  divinely protected women who love and are loved by God. 

This week has really been a beautiful , powerful week. I have felt God’s protection and love all around. Thank you God for choosing me to be a part of what will always be in my heart. My heart feels so full. Thank you Thailand for changing my life , oh and don’t tell Pastor Lisa but I’m definitely not going home <3  

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭31‬ ‭

Love always, Marilyn Jasmine <3

It’s takes a lot to get me out of my comfort zone. I’m someone who thrives on routine, doesn’t like change and fights against what feels like it doesn’t have a predictable outcome. I have had the blessing of traveling many places around the world with missions teams, but I have never been to Thailand or Cambodia. Everything about this trip: its place in the world, the work we are a part of, and the people we would work with was unknown.

   Preparing for this trip, I knew a great deal of it would be miles and miles out of my comfort zone. I feared the unknown as I often do, and was walking in fear as I trusted in my own ability to handle the situations, the level of evil, and the devastating circumstances that I couldn’t escape. I feared that I would fail. I was looking at my own abilities, leaning on my own strength, and trusting in myself to be able to control what was ahead. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

  Sometimes what we’ve known to be true for many years, gets cloudy when we let fear become the overwhelming driver. I was placing fear above faith in my God who has only ever been proven to be faithful. The enemy loves to use fear as a driving force in our lives because it causes us to take our eyes off of the one who never wavers. 

  We are now a week into our time here, and the faith that exists amongst the staff, the students, and those who love Jesus is palpable. They walk in full faith and hope of what a life transformed by Jesus brings! They’ve seen firsthand that the overwhelming, radical love of Jesus can bring light even into the darkest places! You can’t help but receive a double portion of faith from their living testimonies!

   Last night we ended our day with a prayer walk down walking street, which is one of the most famous “landmarks” in this area. It’s masqueraded as a fun, lively, place to party, in which all people are welcome including families with young children. It doesn’t take very long in your walk to quickly recognize that nothing about this street is fun, and the life they try to portray has no breath. Many of our team members commented on how stagnant the air was within the walls of that street. They try to lure you with the illusion of life, but really it’s only death that exists in that place. In the States, it’s not often that we find ourselves in places with even a portion of the evil that we saw. But I was reminded that even a little bit of light illuminates darkness. Being able to walk down this street bringing light as we prayed for the Lord to bring a HOLY DISRUPTION was a difficult privilege, but a vital one. We prayed for holy disruption in the lives of the Johns, the lives of the workers, the lives of the pimps & madams, and the lives of the bar and club owners. Even though it can feel overwhelming, the lie the enemy wants you to believe is that it is so dark that there is no hope, but as we know with Jesus, there is always hope!

   Today we had the joy and privilege of wrapping up our time at the Shear Love School. We’ve had a week full of English classes and devotions, and the time has been so rich! Taryn shared with the women today during devotions about how much Jesus loved and valued women and how He still does today. She shared about the lies from the enemy that we often allow ourselves to believe, instead of believing the Truth that God says about each and every one of His children. This lead to some very beautiful, in depth conversations and questions about who God is and how He sees them. It was hard to say goodbye to the students, but we are so thankful for the radical life change they’ve been able to experience because of Shear Love!

After lunch we had the opportunity to go and pray over some special properties. The first is a piece of property where three homes were built for graduates of the program. What a joy it was to see the fruit as we praised God for what He has done! The second was a piece of property where we were able to pray in faith for what God will continue to do in the future! Believing that God will continue to expand the work and the reach of Shear Love and bring the hope of Jesus to more and more people!

We had a little bit of fun on our way back to Tamar and stopped at the biggest 7 Eleven in the world! It’s two stories, and features all kinds of fun treats! We may have been a little too excited for some yummy snacks! 

 We ended our evening with a beautiful dinner at Cabbages and Condoms. Not a name you’d expect for a restaurant right? It has a really cool history of being opened by a man who wanted to help with the HIV crisis. We shared in hours of sweet community and it truly felt like a gift from God, a breath of fresh air.

Amidst a great deal of injustice and evil, we cling to the hope that we have in Jesus and in the greatest predictable outcome of all: Jesus has won, death has no sting, and the ultimate victory is His! 

-Christina

Sawa dee kaa! Hello, from Thailand. Thank you Jesus for holding my hand as I embrace what this trip has to offer. In Isaiah 41:13 it says “For I hold you by your right hand, the Lord your God. And I say to you, Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” 

Being afraid was the last emotion I felt coming on this trip. I came here with no expectations! I was filled with hope knowing that I can lean on Jesus to lead me and guide me through whatever I was going to be faced with here in Thailand. 

 We are staying at this beautiful place called Tamar. Breakfast of champs! The owner Steffi is so amazing and caring for our whole team. She has made accommodations for me since I can’t have gluten, and every morning she brings me gluten free sugar cookies and rice cakes. Did I bring some of these cookies back? Yes I did!

After our wonderful breakfast, we headed over to Shear Love. Being around Dianna and her passion to help bring people not only to Christ but to a better life has been so heartwarming. Today I got to sit in and hear Taryn’s devotional to the ladies at Sew Free. Something that stood out to me that she said was. “It’s hard for me to see myself how God see’s me.” Her devotional was a confirmation from God. I myself have been struggling with this. When I find myself, self conscious I put doubt and negativity in my mind about how I look. This thought was in my mind the third day when we were here. There has been some past emotions that I didn’t realize I needed to heal from. And I’m so grateful I was able to hear Taryn’s devotional. I know God loves me and he created me so perfectly in his image. I’m so grateful to be on this trip. I can’t wait for what the Lord has next for me in Cambodia. Till then. Kop kun kaa!

-Michelle

We started today with a beautiful breakfast at Tamar House. Our stay has been wonderful here. In an area where there is so much darkness, Tamar House has been our place of rest and safety. Similar to Shear Love, Tamar House is dedicated to showing the love and compassion of Jesus by offering hope, healing, and a new life to victims of trafficking in Pattaya. They do this by reaching out, building relationships, offering shelter and housing, providing vocational training, counseling and Bible teachings. At our particular location, Tamar allows short term mission teams to stay while they are in country for ministry. All of the employees are really excited for us to stay here because they have been training to run the hostel. It has been such a welcoming and peaceful environment. 

Once we arrived at Shear Love, we opened with staff morning devotions and then we split up for ministry. Some of the team went to help half the students in English class. Today I went up to Sew Free to share the morning devotional. As the students get further into their school program, some students might worry about what is next for them after graduating from barber or beauty school. We discussed the story of Moses in Exodus and how God told him to go rescue his people out of Egypt and Moses came up with excuses to not follow God’s plan for him. We talked about how it is easy to get worried about the future because we do not always know the plans God has. Although this can be scary, we can rest well knowing that God has a plan for us. After the devotion, we open up a time for questions or anything they might want to add to the conversation. One of the women shared with the group that she did not have any fears or worries for the future because God has given her everything she needs today. It was so encouraging to hear her full of confidence in the Lord. This was beautiful because there are girls who are younger and newer to the program at Shear Love. Some felt a little nervous for what is next for them and they were able to hear one of the staff share her faith in the Lord. We ended our time of devotions by praying for God to guide each and every one of their lives and for his peace to cover them in the waiting. 

To end the day, some of the team headed to the beauty school for manicures, hair cuts and hair color. The students were so excited to show us their skills! It was an amazing time for us to get to know one another more.   The students are so talented and it was amazing to see them doing what they love. I am so very grateful to be on this team! 

-Ariel

The Day 5 devotion reminded us that the Lord is our banner: Jehovah Nissi, which symbolizes God’s presence, God’s power and God’s provision.  It’s also a reminder that we need to depend on Him for victories in our daily battles, and not on our own strength.

This afternoon was also a reminder that the Lord dearly loves widows and disabled persons.  Sam, who is physically disabled, but by no means helpless, has a heart for the extremely poor.  He was abandoned by his family at 8 years old and left with missionaries.  Now grown, married & successful; he pays it forward by visiting the extremely poor, providing food, friendship/compassion and prayer.  I got to be a part of Sam’s ministry alongside other members of this group. We went out in two teams hitting different homes per team.  My team visited three homes and delivered food, we purposely prayed for individual situations, laid hands on them and assured them God sees them.  We even did some light cleaning for the blind widow, who could not see the spider webs around her bed.

The night was capped with a prayer walk on Walking Street in the red light district.  It’s a very dark, hedonist place; but God is saving the world and we have the awesome privilege of working alongside Him. To God be the glory!

-Neil

As we started our day on day 4, we awakened to an amazing morning breakfast prepared by the Tamar Hospitality Team. Each day has been a unique array of homemade breakfast items which our team has raved about daily.

On this special day we celebrated the birthday of our illustrious leader of Crossroads International GO ministries, Lisa Mitchison. With balloons and lights and cake all put together by our Cam /Thai team. 

Our morning continues with Devotionals and Conversational English with the Thai students at Shear Love. It was an amazing experience being given the opportunity to help prepare these beautiful young minds with the tools needed to go out into the world after graduating this March. 

At lunch, we continued the celebration with a homemade chocolate birthday cake with strawberries made by the Tamar Bakery Team. 

In the afternoon, the men of Thai/ Cam went to Pastor Gideon’s church to do some needed maintenances to spruce up the church signage. While some of the ladies were getting their hair done by the Shear Love students. 

As we brought our day to a close, we gathered back at Shear Love to share a beautiful traditional Thai meal, yellow curry and coconut soup prepared by the Shear Love staff and students.

Then Pastor Craig closed out the evening with a devotion inspired by Mark 6:35-44. If we focus just on ourselves, we will fall short, but with the help of Jesus Christ anything we do is possible.  

What an amazing day to remember. God is Good. 

-Chris

My first time in Thailand on this GO missions trip has been nothing short of life-changing. My heart is heavy with what I’ve seen and experienced so far. There have been moments when I’ve been speechless, struggling to comprehend why so much suffering and injustice exists in the world. My heart has been overwhelmed, and it’s hard to process everything at once. However, even in the midst of this darkness, our God is so good. He has given me a peace that transcends understanding, reminding me that there is HOPE. Despite seeing  the most heart wrenching things that I will never forget, I have also witnessed the powerful impact of LOVE and COMPASSION and I am encouraged by the incredible life changing work God is doing here with Shear Love. 

We hear stories, see pictures, and watch videos of Shear Love from afar, but NOTHING can truly compare to witnessing it firsthand. I have been deeply inspired and I am in awe of Dianna’s ministry. The ministry is dedicated to rescuing and training men and women from all walks of life. These individuals are coming from many backgrounds and situations of life such as poverty, abuse, exploitation, or trafficking. It has been a powerful and beautiful picture of the Lord’s loving kindness as He uses Dianna as a vessel of healing and restoration. The impact she is making is REAL. It’s a reminder that God’s love can break through the darkest of circumstances and bring freedom to those trapped in despair.

One of the hardest nights and most challenging ministry outreaches I have ever been a part of was passing out condoms to the women along Beach Road. This is a two-mile road alongside the beach where over hundreds of women on any given night wait for customers to purchase them. As we walked through this area, I witnessed unimaginable things—things no eyes should ever see. These women are dehumanized, their worth reduced to their bodies, and the brokenness, darkness, and despair surrounding them is beyond words. The weight of what I saw is still heavy in my heart. No description can truly capture the depths of what these women experience, but I am reminded of the urgent need for love, justice, and restoration in places like these. Despite the pain of witnessing such evil, I hold onto the hope that God’s love and truth can bring light into even the darkest corners of the world.

There was so much anger running through me as I watched three different groups of men—four or five at a time—negotiating for the body of a single woman. One of the girls I handed a condom packet to looked miserable and her eyes spoke heavily of the disgust of not wanting to be in her circumstance that night. She was hunched over, cold, and looking like she was trying to hide. It was heartbreaking. Right before we left, I saw her holding the hand of her customer, walking across the street and disappearing down an alley. Looking into the eyes of these women as I passed out the condoms, all I saw was emptiness. That night, our team handed out 117 condom packets out of the 400. I was reminded that even small acts of help, kindness, and compassion can plant seeds of hope, despite how deep the brokenness.

My prayer is that by even just a smile that I was able to offer will be something they will remember, and the light of Jesus that shines through our eyes into the emptiness of their hearts will be something they will hold onto; as they open up the package of condoms we gave them, that they will read the note and truly believe it to their very core, “You are a precious and beloved person! Jeremiah 31:3 writes, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” If you need help, call this number…” That one evening our team was a beaming light walking up and down that road shining the light of Christ. 

As we walked along the beach that night I was holding onto a verse that was shared with me that day in Psalm 139:17-18 that says, “How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand….” The God of the universe loves and cares about us so much. His thoughts towards these women outnumber the grains of sand that they stand on every night “working”. But even more so, He loves each one of these men and women out there on Beach Road.

In these dark and demonic places throughout Thailand, where there is SO much evil and hopelessness, the Lord is STILL GOOD. He is moving in miraculous ways through organizations like Shear Love. Despite the overwhelming brokenness, God is faithful. He is using Shear Love to reach and rescue men and women from trafficking and extreme poverty, bringing them hope, healing, and restoration. 

Today I was grateful to see some of the barber shops and hair salons that the Shear Love’s graduates have built and started. It was so encouraging to see how the Lord is using them. They are not only hair stylists and barbers but they are spiritual counselors the broken that come into their shops. It was beautiful to see how one graduate specifically opens her doors to ladies who are feeling lost and hopeless after nights of “working”. She lets them sleep in her salon, gives them water, coffee, and even takes them to the hospital if they need it, but most importantly she shows them the love of Christ and points them to Jesus. These Shear Love graduates and staff members paint a beautiful picture of how the Lord can TRANSFORM and RENEW! They are filled with CONFIDENCE, PURPOSE, JOY, HOPE, and a pure LOVE for Jesus! 

Praying that the Lord would break my heart for what breaks His here in Thailand, He has done that and my heart grieves and breaks for these women AND men. Through these outreach experiences I will NEVER be okay with what I saw, but because my eyes have been opened to this type of brokenness, I WILL for now on be praying harder for all of those women and men caught up in this awful sin cycle of exploitation or human trafficking. 

Please, please join me in prayer for our sisters and brothers in Christ out here in Pattaya, Thailand

-Jess

Today I started the day off on the rooftop of “Tamar” Hospitality in Pattaya Thailand reading our daily devotion 

1 Samuel 3:1-22. It put my mind at peace by starting the day off in the Word. We had a full day starting off with devotions for ShearLove students. I was happy to share my devotion with the students about thoughts and temptations. While devotions were going on with one class the other class was helping the students with English lessons.

The afternoon started out by working at the Red Light Church Blessing Salon. The men painted and set the facility up for church service later that evening. Once church service was over, the women passed out condoms to the people working in the red light district. Meanwhile, the men started taking a survey in the area providing valuable statistics to Dianna and her team.

After a long day, we headed back to the hotel for some rest to get ready for the events happening tomorrow. 

Ending the long day reminded me of Isaiah 41:13 NASB1995:

“For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand. Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”

-Gene

While today was a day full of many highs and lows, it was a day filled with the love of God and such a strong sense of community amongst the team members. 

We started our day at ShearLove, and split up into three different groups, one helping in the English class with the students, and two doing devotionals, one with the men, and one with the women. While I was in the group with the women doing devotionals, I was able to hear about the impact the other groups got to make and the joy they experienced being able to connect with the students. I could hear the English class laughing from all the way upstairs, they had so much fun with the students. The devotionals were really powerful as well, and we all had some great conversations with the students and were able to answer their questions as well. 

After devotionals and English class, the women got to wrap condoms while the men helped with construction at the local church. It was so special being able to wrap the condoms that had a paper tucked inside with a verse and a kind note that told them if they needed help to call the number listed. It felt like we were wrapping them with so much love and were covering them with the love and protection of Jesus. 

When we were able to wrap enough condoms with notes inside, we headed out for the church in the red light district. It was such a different experience for us being able to attend this church that was amongst some of the darkest things you could ever imagine. It was like a bright light shining in the darkness, and being able to buy women’s time from the brothels and bring them to hear the Word of God and experience the love of Jesus was truly special. One of the women from ShearLove was also able to share her testimony for the first time that day, and it was extremely powerful being able to witness such bravery and strength from her as she shared everything that she had gone through and to see the freedom and hope that she walked in now. It truly brought me to tears. I was also able to share my testimony there, and it was such a blessing to be able to use what I had gone  through to be able to minister to these women and let them know that they are seen and loved, and that they have worth in Christ Jesus. It was such a healing and validating moment for me, and I know that seeds were planted tonight. 

From the red light church, we went straight into passing out condoms on the street to the people that were waiting to be bought for sexual services on the side of the street. This was definitely a dark moment for the team, and everyone could feel the weight of the darkness and sin that was there tonight. However, there was also such peace knowing that we were being the hands and feet of Jesus and knowing that even showing a small act of kindness to these women and men can be life changing. To treat them with such love and respect is not something that they are used to, and we pray that God will be able to help give them courage to leave the industry behind. One of my favorite experiences from today was our debrief after because everyone had an impactful moment they wanted to share. Even though there were lows there were also so many highs and things to be grateful for. We were able to see God’s hand and presence even in a place such as this and it was something worthy to be praised. Working with the women and men at ShearLove was such an encouragement to us because it showed us that hope, restoration, and freedom is possible and is only possible because of Christ Jesus.

-Mykie

“Pra-ong dee.”  This simple phrase echoed off the walls of the 300 sq ft room with 30 people squeezed in all sitting on the 3rd floor. Two guitars and a cajon joined the hope-filled phrase, but nothing was louder than “Pra-ong dee.” The Shear Love (SL) staff and students begins each week with church on Monday morning. Today was no different. Hailing from different backgrounds, struggles, family dynamics – each staff and student has been introduced to a god that is likely different than the god they grew up with. And regardless of their background, struggles, and ongoing family dynamics, they all proclaimed through song the same thing in unison today: “Pra-ong dee.”

While I had the opportunity to share a message about the Parable of the Four Soils with the help of Gideon, our translator, that paled in comparison to what happened next: a powerful prayer moment. Dianna, Shear Love founder, opened up an opportunity for any of the SL staff and students to receive prayer. With 29 outstretched arms praying in agreement, we cried out to God for physical health, a pregnancy, freedom from sin’s bondage, praise for being cancer-free, just to name a few. Despite life’s circumstances, struggles, and worries, the declarative praise never changed: “Pra-ong dee,” which in English means “You are good.”

God, you are good, in all things. Amen.

-Craig 

Today was a powerful day filled with moments that stretched our hearts and deepened our faith. We began the morning with a team breakfast, preparing our spirits for what was to come. Afterward, we headed to Shear Love to worship with the free women and men. 

The service was beautiful, blending Thai and English worship songs that reminded us of the universal language of praise. Together, we lifted our voices, laughed, and cried as we praised the Most High God. Pastor Craig delivered a powerful message on the parable of the four soils, translated into Thai for the students. The story reminded us of the importance of the condition of our hearts in order to grow deep in our relationship with Christ. 

In the afternoon, we traveled to Soi 6, a street filled with the darkness of the sex industry. There, we gathered for a prayer meeting, pouring our hearts out to God for Holy disruption. Overlooking Soi 6 from an overhead balcony, we prayed for God’s light to pierce through the darkness.

The day was heavy but filled with purpose. After debriefing together, we ended the night with a beachside meal, bonding as a team and finding strength in each other. Tomorrow, we dive even deeper into the trenches, trusting God to guide us as we seek to be His hands and feet in this place. There is hope because He lives.

-Marissa

Today was our first official day in country. We got into our hostel at 3 AM and were ready to crash. After a wink of sleep we were up to conquer our day. Our team got to see Pattaya for the first time as we drove around the city. Dianna, (Founder of Shear Love International) graciously received us and has been a fabulous tour guide. We are starting to get exposed to the sex industry and educating ourselves on the culture surrounding us. We hope to shine bright here and win people to Jesus!

  As a friendly immersion into our work here we rested on the beach under the shade of umbrellas to help overcome jet lag. We lounged, swam, and bonded closer together over a seaside lunch. This will be our only day of rest before we jump in head first. We ended the day with a wonderful beachside dinner and some shopping in the main market. Our team is very eager to meet the students in Dianna’s program and head out into the trenches. Stay tuned to find out more about the incredible work God is doing through our time here in Thailand and Cambodia.

-Taryn

Stay tuned for updates from the team!