Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin has shared that a recent trip to Thailand, where he learned about the horrors of sex trafficking, showed him "just how broken and in need of the Gospel message the world is" and inspired him to live his life "more radically in terms of living for other people."
In an email sent to his digital prayer group, the 28-year-old Christian athlete shared that he toured the country earlier this year to "see NGOs, learn about sex trafficking and just observe."
"I feel like the trip re-sparked my passion for philanthropy, challenged my perspective on the first world bubble I live in and showed me just how broken and in need of the Gospel message the world is," he wrote. "I'd appreciate prayer for my heart as I really want to live my life more radically in terms of living for other people. A lot of this is coming from Thailand but I pray for an opportunity to really really impact the world and bring Christianity to many different people. That has always been a big passion of mine!"
Lin recently teamed up with two Asian-based charities, One Day's Wages, whose objective is to raise awareness regarding girls education, and the Hug Project in Chiang Mai in northwest Thailand.
As earlier reported by GH, in June, Eugene Cho, a pastor and humanitarian leader for One Day's Wages, posted a photo of himself and Lin on Instagram in which the two men are seen walking through one of the red light districts in Bangkok where 10,000 sex workers, many of them children, are exploited on a daily basis. Both of their faces express horror at the circumstances surrounding them.
"We've been traveling throughout Thailand this past week and learning the various nuances, challenges and complexities around girls' empowerment ... patriarchy, poverty, trafficking, education, government, law enforcement, and the list goes on," Cho revealed.
"Earlier this week, we walked through one of the red light districts in Bangkok where on any given night, there are 10,000 sex workers. I've been here several times before but it's still as heavy and painful. Many of these sex workers are from rural areas, the hill tribes, and migrants from neigboring [sic] countries."
The pastor added, "I'm deeply appreciative of Jeremy and his team for joining me this week. Grateful for the various NGOs that hosted us to share their passion and heartaches. Can't wait to share more as I make my way back home."
On Twitter, Lin shared Pastor Cho's photo with the simple caption: "This trip changed my perspective foreal."
In his Instagram post, Cho expressed admiration for Lin's willingness to help a hurting world -- despite his successful NBA career and busy training schedule.
"We talked about taking a trip together but I honestly didn't think his team would follow through," Cho admitted. "Not that I questioned their heart but his schedule is crazy and he's constantly training. Add my schedule - even without training. But by God's grace, it happened."
In the email sent to supporters, Lin also asked for prayer for his upcoming trip to Asia: "My team (of people who help me with off-the-court stuff, not the Nets) has been stressed planning for the Asia trip and there are a lot of unknowns so far so please pray that God opens doors and opportunities and that the trip goes smoothly!" he wrote.
