God is the source of all inspiration.
True or false?
I’ve been sitting here staring at a blinking cursor for close to 3 hours. I’ve typed and erased, re-written, re-worded, and started over. I want so badly to tell you what’s on my heart, but sometimes, the most important things are the hardest to say.
So I will try to make it simple.
Of all the things I expected out of this year, change was probably the most obvious. But change can be a tricky beast. It hardly ever comes in the packaging you imagined. In fact, most of the time you don’t even see it coming. You just kind of…end up in its wake.
It stuns me to think what my life looked like a year ago. Corporate job, corporate salary, a place of my own, and a lot of luxuries that I didn’t even realize were luxuries at the time. And now, here I sit in Cambodia, at the end of 11 of the hardest, most awesome months of my life, looking at a future that is so contrary to the familiar and secure territory I’ve always known.
In a little more than a week, I will be back in the U.S.
Five weeks from that, I will be boarding a plane back to Phuket, Thailand.
Like I said…change. It sneaks up on you. Especially the big kind. I wrote a blog back in June, when we first went to Phuket, titled “The Unexpectedâ€�. If you haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet, please click here. It outlines the ministry we were involved with, which reaches out to those trapped in the commercial sex trade. As I mentioned in that blog, I got to work closely with the English program, teaching one-on-one classes to the girls who work in the red light districts. Now, I’ve had a lot of chances on the Race to teach English. I mean, I have an English degree, so it stands to reason. But there was something about this place…something about the women…that just clicked. It was the first time in my life where I felt like I was doing something I was made to do. Not because the women of Thailand desperately need to know how to properly place a comma. No. The English classes are just a doorway. What the women of Thailand desperately need to know is the love of their Father. That his love – his crazy, passionate, healing love – is what gives them immeasurable worth and value. You see, God has gone to great lengths this year to make sure that I, myself, understand this. And now he is asking me to go to great lengths to make sure they understand it, too.
And this is where you, my readers, supporters, friends, family and co-laborers, come in. Like I said, I’m hoping to be back in Thailand as of the beginning January. SHE (which stands for Self Help and Empowerment), the ministry I will be working with, is hosting a Mission Training School aimed at equipping Christians with the skills to pioneer or aid a new ministry catering to at-risk women & children in developing nations. I have the opportunity to simultaneously attend this school, while working alongside SHE in their English program, reaching out to the women in the red light districts. I wholeheartedly believe that God not only wants to use me in the now at SHE, but also use the Mission Training School to give me greater vision for the future. But, as with all things worth doing, I cannot do this alone. First of all, I NEED YOUR PRAYER. It has been one whirlwind of a year, and while I am ready and excited…beyond excited….for this new beginning, you can imagine all the new challenges that come along with it. Also, I will have to raise a grand total of $6,000 to cover my food, lodging, airfare, and personal expenses for the six months of the school. I am currently in the process of setting up a tax-deductible donation account, however, I am finding that this process takes some time, and I will have to have the majority of the money raised before I even leave in January. So, I have set up a Paypal account where I can receive donations for now. Just click on or visit: www.paypal.com, and click on “Send Payment.” Enter my email address ([email protected]) in the “To” field, then your email address and your desired donation amount. Make sure to select “Personal Payment: Others” before you send. Please DO NOT click on the “Support Meâ€� tab on this blog site. This is linked to a separate account which is now inactive.
I am once again humbled, overwhelmed, and excited about all that God is doing. I can think of no greater blessing than to be able to pour myself out in this way. I ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with me in this endeavor, to see restoration brought to this area of the world, and to the lives of many who are hungry for His love. Your prayer, and your financial support, are going to bring change and healing to so many women.
I am attaching a short video of our time in Phuket, for those of you who are more visual. J As always, if you have any questions, would like to know more about how you can help, or just want to chat, please don’t hesitate to contact me (you CAN still click the “contact me� link on the left to send a message).
If you would like more info about SHE ministries, please visit: www.shethailand.org
God bless you.
