A couple of months ago we went on a whopping prayer walk as a team. Yes, it was whopping! Inspired by the Old Testament story of how God called Joshua to lead the people of Israel to walk around the walls of Jericho and how they conquered the city by simply walking and believing God would do as He promised. With our feet and our prayers we covered the entire district of Bang Rak. Our bodies and souls were sore in the end but it helped us all to see and feel just how much God does love this district here in the center of Bangkok.
We may have looked silly walking and praying all over Bang Rak - but we trust that praying for this district and for God to move and shake and transform all who inhabit its boundaries for His Kingdom is the most powerful thing we can do.
For one of the days of the prayer walk, we visited the Museum of Bang Rak and were fascinated by the history of this old district. I learned that it was home to some old movers and shakers for God’s Kingdom as well! It was missionaries who founded some of the schools and hospitals in Bang Rak that still stand today. It was an American missionary who lived in Bang Rak who created the first printing press with Thai lettering. It brought me to tears to see that our small little holistic ministry efforts are part of a legacy of God’s people working in this very district. They worked to make life better for Thai people through education, health, and literacy. It also was deeply convicting as most of these efforts only reached the rich and wealthy of Bang Rak. Friends of the City remains the only holistic Christian ministry reaching out to the poor of Bang Rak. We have work to do!
As many of you know, Friends of the City exists as a partnership between the American organization, Servant Partners, and the Thai foundation, Family Connection Foundation. Servant Partners is all over the world working in urban slums bringing transformation to the poor. Family Connection Foundation is a foundation with a total of 18 different ministry projects working all over Thailand. Indeed my friends, I need to remind myself often that Friends of the City is not alone. God is doing incredible work all over this country and all over this world among the poor and we are just a small piece of that here today.