A Change of Plans for Kait's Degree?

I have been kind of quiet on the blog because I have been busy transitioning to a new online college, with a different major! So, a little bit of my college background…I started online college in June of 2020. I enrolled in Indiana Wesleyan’s online program. I had a goal to get a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, really wanting to work with the foster care system. And a couple of months ago, I received an associate degree in Human Services, while on that degree path. At the beginning of October, my schooling for a social work degree began.

Now, I honestly did not know that there was a national code of ethics tied with being a social worker (but since it is a profession, it makes sense). I knew that being a social worker would be hard as a Christian, since the field follows a lot of worldly beliefs and “truths”, but I did not know how much I would be legally held to. Within the national code of ethics, I had to agree to not use my religion at all, while being a social worker. Well, that did not sit right with me, because I wanted to have a job to help further the kingdom, not constrain my ability to share the gospel.

So, one day after my classes started, I withdrew from the program, and left Indiana Wesleyan’s online college. Now, I did not do all this without giving some thought as to what I would do next. I had something in the back of my mind but did not even consider it as a possibility until God closed the social work door. The door that he had opened, though, was an even better one!

The following week, I had to make quite a few phone calls and emails to get everything in place to start classes at the end of the fall semester, but by the end of October, I was enrolled in Master’s University, with the degree path for a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Counseling! And looking back on these past two months, I knew that this definitely was God’s plan all along. (And, after my mom’s own reminding, I started to journal about everything that has happened so far since moving since it was all God’s providence for how everything fell into place.)

A couple weeks after arriving in Korea, I joined the PWOC on the base. PWOC stands for Protestant Women of the Chapel, which usually each army base has. Now this one has a Bible study, and I thought I would give it a try, not really knowing what to expect since they group together all different denominations. I was by far one of the youngest ladies at this bible study, which has around 40 to 50 people I want to say. Now I was able to pick which exact Bible study I wanted to join (since the big group splits up halfway during the gathering for the separate study groups). I chose to join the study that was going through the book of James, which thanks to junior quizzing, has been a familiar book to me, but this study really dived into the book even more!

At the start of our small group session, since I was a newcomer, they had us go around and tell a little bit about ourselves, and one fun fact. (God really puts words in your mind or mouth to say!) And I chose to mention that I just started a degree in Biblical counseling. One of the leaders in the group excitedly mentioned that she attended Master’s in person, several years ago! But what was even more incredible was that she told me that another lady in PWOC just finished her master’s degree in Biblical counseling, at the same college! (Now keep in mind that Biblical counselors are far and few, especially in the military, so it felt like a fresh of breath air, that I really was following God’s plan for me and my education- after finding out that there was another lady here who could be a good mentor!) I really got to know this special lady very well, and we try to get together every so often to try some Korean food and talk about Biblical counseling.

And this is what has been keeping me busy these last couple of months! I have only completed two courses so far for this degree, but I have been very excited for this new journey and have thoroughly enjoyed the courses (Old Testament and New Testament Surveys)! I love how this degree and education has sound theologically professing teachers, and how it is helping me know the Bible better!