Going for it
…Stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side…
1 Cor 7:24 MSG
The other day I was doing some reading and this piece just seemed to jump off the page and straight to my heart. My last blog talked about not knowing what to do next. I had begun to make decisions that were basically just what I wanted to do. I didn’t have a clear ‘Thus Says the Lord’ moment. When I read this piece of scripture I figured perhaps I am heading in the right direction after all. (Plus as soon as I really made the decision I got horribly sick, something that has happened each time I’ve made a major life changing decision that has me perfectly where God wants me.)
Now that I’ve built up the anticipation a bit I bet you’re ready to hear what my plan is.
One of the ‘careers’ that I’ve thought about pursuing is massage. I’ve looked into schools here in the States and am just not ready to really make the financial and time commitment since I’m not 100% sure that it is something I would want to do. Plus I would really like to specialize in Thai massage, which isn’t offered at the schools here. And the best way to find out if it’s something I want to do, is to actually do it.
My plan is to go take an intense Thai Massage Certified Practitioner and Teacher Training Program in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In two and a half months I would walk away with not only the ability to do Thai Massage, but to also teach it. The school teaches a variety of other massage courses, my goal is to also take Infant Massage, Pregnancy Massage, and Thai Traditional Post-Natal Treatment courses. A big reason that I want to take all of these courses (and maybe more if time and money allows), is that I see all of this not just as a possible career but it is also valuable ministry tools. Combining massage and Holy Spirit guided prayer will bring blessings, healing and rest to both missionaries and those they serve. Since I will be in Thailand, I hope to be able to go back to Mae Sot and bless those that I served alongside as well as to teach some of them the new things I’ve learned. If I decide I want to be able to practice massage in the States (get paid to do it), then I’ll need to go to massage school here in the States and pass all of the exams needed to be certified in whatever State I decide to practice / live.
The massage courses in Thailand are going to cost approximately $4,000. Travel, living and ministry expenses will have to be added to that – $2,000 for travel and $1,000 per month for living and ministry. Living costs in Chiang Mai will be higher than in Mae Sot, I will need to find an inexpensive hotel or apartment to stay at and I’ll probably be eating out a lot since most places don’t have kitchens. With my goal being to spend time doing missions at the end of my training and that this is ministry training I have talked with Kingdom Inc and they are allowing me to raise financial support through them for this trip. The more money I have / raise the more courses I’ll be able to take (or have fellow missionaries come and take with me), the longer I can stay in Thailand to do missions and the more ministry opportunities I’ll be able to have (I’ve found a lot of my ministry funds in Thailand went to supplying first aid and medical supplies and feeding individuals or whole villages in the past). There is a course starting in October, just one month away, and another one starting in January. I will spend three months doing massage courses, and then hope to spend two+ months doing missions.
Will you consider not only praying for me but also supporting me financially?
Click here to give through Kingdom Inc.
And check out the school / course I’m looking at attending – ITM.
goldenglances 