Mid Month

Well, it's only been two weeks or so, but I need to update now or the end of the month will be a novel.

Praises first:
1. I had a donor who has completely covered my fees to extend my visa! More on what that means in a bit.
2. I also had enough come in that I can take a TESOL course! TESOL is a certification for teaching English as a second language. This will open more doors for me, MANY more doors. In addition, I got into a course that is half the price as the original one I was going to take, and is in Chiang Mai.
3. I have been able to get around to a few schools and drop off applications. One has made me an offer, though it's not quite what I'm looking for. So still, praying, looking and praying some more.
4. I talk a lot about how much I don't have, but I need to focus more on those of you who are faithfully, monthly supporting me. You all are amazing, and I am so thankful to have you along side me. Thank you for being faithful and obedient to our Father and sticking with me. And Thank you just as much to all of you who have come through for me in times of crisis, giving one time gifts. All of you saints are blessing to me, and some of my biggest encouragers. Thank God for all of you.

Events:
1. The first weekend of the month I went with the NCU English Club, along with Four of my native English speaking friends, and rode elephants and rafted bamboo rafts down the river. They are a great group of students. Really outgoing. We are hoping to be able to take another trip with them either this coming weekend, or the weekend after, to continue building some relationships.

2. The second weekend we had an English Camp. It was OK, good opportunity but I got sick in the middle of it. Basically a Hay Fever attack.

3. The CDTS group is really growing fast in their evangelism, so God challenged me to challenge them a bit more. They were really taken aback at first, but then they started to catch the dream. This week we will get a bit of a debrief on how they are doing. So really looking forward to see what God did with them


Other news:
I have been sick twice, during the camp and again the day before and of Valentines's, since the beginning of the month. My body is completely worn out. Don't how much longer I will be able to hold up if things don't change. But so many great doors and opportunities are opening, makes it hard to know where to step through!

This week I am finishing two of my teaching contracts. So I creating and testing the students, and saying goodbyes. Full week again. Then next Monday, the 25th, I will start my TESOL course. It will be 8-4 M-F for 3 weeks. Then 8-12 plus supervised teaching in the afternoons for the last two weeks. So still going to be very busy with reading and homework and projects, plus still teaching at ABS, the temple, and the CTDS. The small snag in that is, My contracts finish this month, but I will be learning for a solid month, meaning I am losing $300, half my monthly income in March. So that makes April look quite interesting.

The big thing in my life right now is a struggle with direction. I want to have freedom with my time to do ministry. Right now I don't have it because I have to spend so much of my time to teach to get by. I am leery both of doing half volunteer and of going full time at one place. The first is because I am a half volunteer right now, but I'm need more partners to come along side me monthly so that I can take down my teaching hours and apply them toward relationships and ministry. If I go full time, I will still need support for most of the positions I am looking at, but not nearly as much, in fact, I shouldn't have to raise my support level at all. But then that school has control over my visa and work permit (my life in Thailand), and can use those as leverage to put more and more hours into said school or school project. And that happens constantly here. I am scared to put that much control in the hands of an institution that doesn't share the same long term goals as I do.

Right now I am making some support videos to send out. I need to find more people to come along side me and help carry this load. So if you get these videos, please pass them along to friends of yours as well.

Prayer Requests:
1. Praying that my body will survive the next month, and that I can take a break after this school.
2. Pray that I finish these videos this week so I can get them in the mail before the schoolwork picks up.
3. Pray for people who will com along side me.
4. Pray that I will clearly hear and fully surrender and obey to what God wants me to do. Whether that is a job or that is waiting a bit more and staying with the half and half, part time volunteer and part time employee.


Thank you all and God bless!