I was talking with a friend recently about our plans to move to Thailand and minister to the ladyboys when he said something that caught me off-guard. It was an innocent comment that sounded something like, “I can’t imagine anyone who would willingly sign up to do that, except you, Amy.”
God has been fashioning something beautiful in our lives that we would love to share with you. We have a passion for the Great Commission and seeing the LGTB community encounter God’s power and love, leading to transformation of lives. These passions joined together for Amy in 2010, when she spent six months working among ladyboy (transgendered male to female individuals) and gay prostitutes in Pattaya, Thailand. The last month of her time in Thailand was spent primarily in Bangkok, volunteering with Dton Naam Ministries. Dton Naam is the only ministry of its kind in Thailand as they specifically reach out to marginalized transgender and boy prostitutes. Dton Naam Ministries offers these young men the opportunity to leave prostitution and helps them to rebuild their lives by providing discipleship, counseling, education and healthcare assistance, and vocational skills training.
“Why don’t you talk to her?” Matt suggested, gesturing towards a young girl sitting in the shadows on a curb. We had gone to Walking Street (so named because the street closes to vehicle traffic from 8pm to 2am) that night, just the two of us, to see what kinds of encounters the Lord might lead us to. We had walked down the cobblestone-esk street under the red neon lights of the bars and brothels from the entrance at Beach Road down to the Bali Hai Pier, praying and taking in the sites. Then on the way back down to where we started, we stopped and spoke with any of the ones we felt the Lord highlighting. 
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The heat of the smoggy Bangkok afternoon was beginning to fade as we walked back towards the Nana Plaza. Nikki and Allen, our gracious hosts while staying in Bangkok and guides of sorts while we were out prayer walking the area surrounding one of the city’s major red light districts, wanted to meet up with some of the friends they knew at Nana at around 5:30. Though that was about an hour away we had agreed we wanted to find a bar and sit down and talk with someone while we waited.
One of the ministries we volunteered with while in Pattaya is Pattaya Slum Ministries. In addition to seeking to help the poor help themselves through education, skills training and income generating projects in Pattaya’s slums, Pattaya Slum Ministries (PSM) goes into the Cambodian migrant worker camps offering medical health screenings. Many people from Cambodia, Burma, India and other poorer nations surrounding Thailand come to Thailand with the hopes of making a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, most end up in hard manual labor, working construction and other jobs that Thai people do not wish to work, making barely enough to get by. Over 500 people live in just the one migrant camp we visited.
He is Risen Indeed, Hallelujah!
Happy Easter! This year I found myself thinking of how fortunate we are to know the reality of what Christ has freely given us in His death, burial and resurrection. Our preparations for our trip to Thailand have served as a reminder of the blessed hope we have. 99% of the nation of Thailand has yet to know Jesus and receive the hope we have in Him. (In case you were wondering, this means that Easter is not commonly celebrated in Thailand.) Ultimately, this is why we go.
We go because of the brokenness, yes. We go on behalf of the over 20,000 male, female and child prostitutes that work the streets and bars of Pattaya alone. We go on behalf of the slum children who are at risk of entering the profession. We go on behalf of the over 2 million tourists who visit Pattaya. We go on behalf of the migrant workers. We go on behalf of the one, Thai and foreigner alike, who are just waiting for an encounter with the everlasting love of God.
A few years back, I left a huge part of my heart on the other side of the world in the streets of a small town of 70,000 that sees over 2 million tourists a year. I left my heart in the bars
and brothels of a city whose innocence was stolen. I left my heart among the people that Jesus treasures and desires to bring to total freedom in His love. It may sound crazy, but my heart fiercely loves the city of Pattaya, Thailand and I deeply desire to see the city brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus. It was in those same streets that brim with tourists who come for the city’s crazy night life (that begins at about 3:00 in the afternoon) that my heart encountered the grace and love of the Father in a way that has left me completely undone and radically changed, forever.
As 2014 draws to a close, we thought we’d share our Top 10 Memories from the Year…
10) Hosting a 16 year old in our home for a couple of weeks recently.
9) Navajo Love Impact Trip.
8) Las Vegas Love Impact Trip.
7) Partnering with Freedom and Joy Ministries for various outreaches throughout the year.
6) Leading teams into the Gay Pride Events in Denver and Boulder.
5) Camping at Holy Cross Mountain.
4) Matt helping his mom move to Colorado from South Carolina this summer.
3) Matt becoming licensed as a minister under Resurrection Fellowship.
2) Becoming official Freedom and Joy Associate Leaders.
1) Matt’s health being restored after a long bout with illness.
We are so thankful for the part each of you played in our year. We look forward to sharing the year ahead with you! We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year ahead is abundantly blessed!
Here’s what we’re looking forward to in 2015…
1) Starting a Revival Group under Freedom and Joy Ministries as a safe place to grow in the foundations of a supernatural life.
2) Planning a vision trip to Thailand to explore what ministry possibilities might await us there.
3) Attending Bible school online.
4) New creative outreac
hes.
5) Time together under the stars dreaming with God about other adventures that may await.
There’s something that warms the heart about caroling, regardless of how off-beat or out of tune the carolers may be. Call it the spirit of Christmas. Or maybe the fact that no one seems to go caroling any more. Or maybe it’s the glory of God that conceals the mistakes and blunders and covers it with love. That is what we found when about a half dozen of us went out to spread the Christmas cheer in our neighborhood as a part of our Freedom and Joy Christmas outreach.
It’s been over a month since I went on my trip with H.E.L.P. International to the Navajo Nation in Arizona. My heart was to update you sooner. Between the busyness of life and ministry and waiting on the team to pull together photos so we could have some to share with you here we are… and we’re excited to be updating you now! (Lesson learned: I need to work on taking photos on missions trips!) Thank you to everyone who partnered with us in prayer and finances to make this trip possible.
Eight of us made the journey through the Rockies to the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona in mid-August. It was a privilege to go and serve the vision of H.E.L.P. International to empower the local church to reach their people. Because the needs of the Navajo people are so great, most of what we did on the trip was to serve in practical ways such as painting and installing a door at the church, and handing out a truckload of goods to the people.
On Saturday we handed out a trailer full of clothes, books, car seats, beds, cribs, toys and other goods. At least sixty people came through and received. We also had an area where a few of us set up to minister to the spiritual needs of the people through offering prayer and encouraging words. Most of the people who came were focused on receiving material goods and it was great seeing them go through everything – just like it was Christmas! Towards the end of the day a gentleman named Darryl came asking for prayer for freedom from alcoholism. He was planning on going to a rehab facility that coming Monday. We told him that we could pray that God would release His power for freedom from alcoholism but it is far better to know the Deliverer personally. I asked if he had a personal relationship with Jesus. He didn’t, so we told him about how when you come into faith in Christ that you are united with Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6). The old man is done away with, and all is made new. He wanted that and received the free gift of salvation and righteousness, and placing faith in Jesus Christ, and receiving the freedom that only Christ can offer. We prayed for him and encouraged him to continue to rehab and plug in to the church we were ministering at. He came to church the next day. We are believing that God is bringing to completion the good work He has started in Darryl.
That day, we also had the opportunity to minister to a dear lady, Hope, who was struggling with loneliness and having a hard time sleeping. She also came to church the next day and told us that she had already experienced some breakthrough, having slept the best she ever had that night.
I was given the opportunity to preach at the service that day and I shared on the new creation reality – redeemed, reconciled, brought into union with Christ. It was exciting to be able to preach there, not only because I love seeing the Kingdom released and revelation of all Christ is done being poured out, but also because it is a part of me stepping into the prophetic destiny on my life.
At the end of the service, we called out words of knowledge and prayed for the sick that day as well. Someone after we had gone to the restaurant for lunch shared that she had every one of the ailments our team had called out, but she was too afraid to come forward for prayer. We released healing to her as well.
I loved having the opportunity to combine the power and prophetic with practical expressions of the love of God on this trip. I firmly believe in doing the works of Jesus, who healed the sick, raised the dead, ministered to broken hearts, and met practical needs through feeding the hungry crowds who came to hear Him speak. It is in these practical demonstrations of love that the kingdom is displayed.
Baldwin Family 