The Big Question
“How did we get here?” This is a question we often ask as we find ourselves in countries we never before dreamed of being in, or finding ourselves surrounded by people that we are leading who are much more capable than us. Many years there was a song by Bob Kilpatrick with the lyrics, “Here am I, send me to the nations…” We often sang that song and found ourselves praying those very words. Though we sang and prayed those words, going to the nations was an impossibility for us as we raised our young family in Illinois, so missions was something we did from time to time when we could afford it.
We never saw ourselves as pastors or evangelists, but rather servants willing to serve in any capacity we could. We desired to minister as servants to God! Over the years, our ministry included titles such as church custodian, children and youth pastors, associate pastor, building coordinator, a skate church pastor, church planter, and senior pastor.
The Hidden Hint
In the late 90’s, God allowed us to move to Minnesota, a place I always dreamt of living as a young boy. Called to help a pastor starting a church in Perham, MN, it turned out to be only about 20 minutes from where I grew up vacationing and fishing with my family! We eventually pastored that church for 15 years and started 2 other churches from this rural church.
Each year we would take one weekend to talk about the issue of pornography and its effect on families. Human trafficking became one of the topics discussed as we would bring in special speakers, some of whom were former porn stars who encountered Jesus, rescue home leaders, and the like.
The Call
It was during a pastor’s conference in California that I met a man and his wife who had just sold everything they owned and were moving to Thailand to open a rescue home for children. Not only did we have them come speak at our church, but we also took our first ever trip to Thailand to see the work we were now supporting regularly. We will never forget that trip, for it changed our lives. We knew nothing of the city except for its reputation of being the “Sin City” of the world. Flying nearly 20 hours and arriving in Bangkok at midnight, we took a 2-hour taxi ride and finally arrived in Pattaya. At 2am, we began to see a lot of traffic from our hotel room and hear a lot of sounds, especially the loud music from an open-air bar/brothel down below. As I lay there, I thought my wife might kill me for booking a hotel in the Red Light District, but after much thought, I remembered the entire city was pretty much a Red Light District!
In the morning, I asked Bobbie if she slept OK, and she said “like a baby.” All the loud music was from the 60’s and 70’s, the very music she grew up listening to. Since we were not going to meet our missionary friends for a couple days, we decided to walk and get familiar with the area. There were massage shops everywhere, so we decided to try one out together and experience a foot massage. Everything went well. We continued discovering the city, and we could see people were for sale everywhere, from bars enticing customers to come in and pick one of the girls who wore numbers, to men and women standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the beach looking for customers.
The following night as we walked to the hotel, Bobbie said she wanted a pedicure if we were going to be walking around for the next 2 weeks. We went back to the same massage parlor we’d been to the day before and Bobbie ordered a pedicure. As the woman came over and knelt down to wash Bobbie’s feet, a person asked me what I wanted. I didn’t want anything, especially a pedicure since I’d never had one and did not think men got those anyway! Finally realizing I’d have to sit and wait or an hour, I decided to get a pedicure after all. I sat down and a ladyboy (a transvestite) knelt down and began to wash my feet. It was during this very uncomfortable moment when I simply wanted to leave and return to the hotel room that the Holy Spirit began to speak.
You know, when I was on this earth I was invited to a dinner. The people in the home were very religious and were discussing Scripture when a woman with a reputation came in and knelt down at My feet, washing them with her tears and drying them with her hair. There are two things I want to say to you now. Number one, if you’re concerned about your reputation, you should not be in this city. Number two, is there no one who can touch you so I can touch them?
It was at that moment that a peace came upon me as I said “yes” to our new calling. Anyone could touch us as long as God touched them!
The Call’s Confirmation
We spent the next 2 weeks with our friends, and as we left Thailand and this dirty, smelly city of Pattaya, we fought back tears. It felt like we were leaving a new place called home. It took nearly 5 years and many signs, but probably the greatest was a prophecy given to me at a conference. “Healing is the children’s bread. There is a generation of people waiting for you. Sometimes you have to leave one thing before you can walk into the next. Because you left, because you left, God will allow your feet to tread upon foreign soil yet again and again, not only to one nation but to many nations so you can bring healing, comfort, and counsel to the generation that is waiting for you.” With this in mind, we finally walked away from the comforts of all we knew back in Minnesota and moved to Thailand, making this new place home.
But, backing up a bit…it was during the 5-year waiting period that we continued to research Pattaya, Thailand, and the issue of human trafficking. It was then we discovered the ministry, The Exodus Road, and the work they do in finding and freeing victims of trafficking. When I asked Bobbie about it, she replied, “you would never be any good at that. You’re too nice and no one would believe you, but if God is in it, He will open the door; and if not, He will close the door.” I completed The Exodus Road training, vetting process, and was accepted. Following my first deployment with The Exodus Road, I physically returned but left my heart behind.
And Here We Are!
I have now completed my 17th deployment and am leading and training teams to go undercover, identify trafficking victims, and work with local authorities to set them free. Over the years, doors have opened into other countries and more new countries are on the horizon. We have been able to help rescue people from sex trafficking and labor trafficking. I’ve paid the price to buy people out of brothels so local ministries could show them a better way and provide new housing and job training.
Bobbie and I desire to return to Thailand! During the Covid season, we had to stay home in the USA. During that time, we’ve served as interim pastors with 2 different churches in Minnesota. As soon as we are relived of that duty, we will get back out to fundraise so we can return to Thailand and continue our work of helping trafficking victims, sharing the gospel, and discipling believers. We appreciate your prayers!
