Secret Operation

"Go to the beach"

I could not get those words out of my head. I knew that God really wanted me to head down to the beach, which is at the end of Bangla Road, but I had no clue why. I knew I had to just step out on faith and head down there and see what God had in store for me.

As we started to make our way down the road we almost make it to the end, when a guy stops us. He works at a tailor shop along the road and has started to recognize us. He asked what we were doing and so we just told him. He thought it was really cool that we were here helping the girls and as we finished up the conversation, I wondered if that was why we were supposed to head to the beach, but I still felt God telling me to actually go the beach.

We finally cross the road and head out onto the beach. We sit down on some steps and just start talking about our night so far, all the while I'm praying God tells me why He wants me here. All of a sudden, I get an overwhelming feeling to walk along the beach. I just knew that God needed me to go out onto the beach and walk, so I tell my team and we start to walk along the beach.

As soon as we start to walk I see a man standing all by himself, and instantly I know that I need to go talk to him. However, I did not want to go over and talk to him whatsoever. I tried to ignore the feeling and tell myself that it's all in my head, and that I didn't need to go talk to him. We continue to walk and the closer we get to him the more I feel God telling me to go over and talk to him.

How was I going to start the conversation?

What was I going to say?

Those thoughts kept running through my head. We had almost reached the point were he was standing, when Mary suggested that we head back and walk the other way. I knew if I didn't do what God was telling me I would regret it. I kept telling myself I just had to step out on faith and be bold (something God has really been teaching me on this trip). As Mary and Audrey start to turn around and head back, I found myself telling them that I needed to go over and talk to that man. Audrey just looks at me and says, "Okay, then go do it." Just like it was that simple. I just looked at her and told her that I didn't want to. However, she so kindly informs me that I was going to do it, whether I wanted to or not. I knew I had to because I couldn't ignore God when I knew, as plain as day, that He was telling me to go talk to him. We made our way back over to were this guy is standing and I walk up to him (very reluctantly might I add) and proceed to talk to him.

I wish I could say that it was the best conversation I've ever had in my life, but in all reality, it was the most awkward conversation I have ever had. He didn't speak that much English, so he really had no clue what I was asking him or telling him, and he kept telling me his wife was coming back. I knew he must of thought I was trying to pick him up or flirt with him, but that was the farthest thing from my mind.

I knew the conversation was going nowhere, so I finally told him that God loves him and wants a relationship with him and was about to walk away when he tells me his friend his coming and that he speaks English. I look over to see another guy walking towards us. 

As if it wasn't awkward already for me, I now had two guys looking at me wondering why in the world I came over to talk to them. I just started making small talk, asking where they were from and how long they had been here. The guy who spoke English was actually really funny so we had some good laughs.

Mary and Audrey finally came over and so we just started to talk with these two complete strangers on the beach. We finally found out that they were going to head to Bangkok the following day. When we asked what they were going to do there the guy who spoke English said his friend needed a "secret operation". Every time he said it he would start to laugh and look over at his friend. We tried to get him to tell us what kind of operation his friend was having but all he would say was a "secret operation" and laugh.

I finally looked over at the guy I had original came up to (the one who didn't speak much English) and asked if I could pray for him. He looked at me and, I don't really know if he understood or not, but he finally said yes.

As I finished praying for him, his friend leans over and jokingly asks if I was doing magic. We all tell him absolutely not and Audrey quickly tells him that it's Jesus. We start to tell him about God but he doesn't seem that interested. I know God planted seeds though, and I just pray that somehow they are watered and start to grow. 

All in all, I got to pray for a guy who was going to have a "secret operation" and just pray that he would someday come to know God and have an intimate and loving relationship with Him. It might have been a little awkward at first, but if I hadn't stepped out on faith, and listened to God, I wouldn't have gotten to pray for him and show a little of God's love to him and his friend.