23rd Company?

I just read on my wall (facebook) I'm going to 23rd company...I have no idea...but I just emailed Mr. Wardlaw about that, so will confirm...

I've been GREAT lately = ) I think it's the beautiful weather !!! I will upload picks of the nature next week! But I learned I'm a very extraverted person! I mean, I thrive off of positive people and postive weather (positive weather?), etc...but you know what I mean. I'm learning a lot about myself!!!

God has been good = ) I've been working hard undergoing the training here, but I also had a chance pretty much ALL DAY Friday (after my usual ENM morning schedule) to hang out with some of my KLCC classmates.

Our ENM Campus Korea University Team...most of them, after our weekly gathering

cheh yook deh hweh (game day...something like that) for the 560 students who are enrolled in KU's Korean Language program.

(fyi...This field is also where the brothers and I go every morning to workout)

lost that = P

only was able to jump 1.8 times = P

they had already made the soccer team and they had it on a day I couldn't "try out" but I still got to play since they were short on players...some how...so I volunteered to play keep (litttle did I know the original keep only had baseball bat gloves = P )

We let them score once...

but not again = P that's what I call stuffage!

Why I don't drink beer or soju .... you kissed who?

Eating and drinking

After Karoake...of course going to a noh leh bang = P

After Conversing some more...

People really seem to open up whenever they've had some drinks. And I'm glad people
don't pressure me too much to drink since I already tell them upfront that I don't. I really do enjoy hanging out with people, so even though I don't drink with them, I still have fun talking with them while drinking my water = )

Learn a lot about people when they open up! Also, we hung out from 9am to 11:30pm: che yook thing/game day, lunch, played some b-ball, went out to eat, Karaoke, Japanese restaurant/bar...

Want to write more but I'm exhausted!!!

know that I'm well and if you have the chance please update me on what's going on in your lives! Also write me your prayer requests!

Tragedy

Whenever I first heard the news, I was like "WHAT!?!" I couldn't fully comprehend the information...the next morning whenever we were working out, one of the brothers was telling me that it was a Korean who committed the massacre. Whenever I first heard about it, I didn't know much, just that there was a shooting at VT. But later I looked online and was almost in tears as I read about the victims. = (

At first, of course, I was so shocked and mourned the loss of those lost, but for some reason the next morning I felt even worse knowing he was Korean. I mean, it shouldn't matter who committed the crime because it was an individual case....and I know that I'm American, it's just that I have such a close connection to Korea, and the fact I'm in Korea right now...sorry, hard to explain...

I got an email from some of my friends back home and it explained about their thoughts and such...I would like to post what they wrote, but I don't feel it would be appropriate to do so without their permission, but the conversation was about how the shooter was Korean and how Koreans took the responsibility on their shoulders. How the Korean president apoligized in many different occasions and sent diplomats and such because the shooter immigrated to the US from Korea at the age of 8...I don't know exactly how the atmosphere is like there, but I am praying.

It made me think about life. What's important? Really, what's important? What are we spending our time doing? In an instant, our lives can be taken from us...It hit me pretty hard. Live life without regrets, follow your heart, and strive always to keep your conscious clear before God and men. I want to live a life of love, but it's hard! So many things get in the way, but reading some of the victims profiles, I realized...what do we strive so hard for? When will we be satisfied? We only live once...make the best use of your time!!!

I can't believe how fast time is passing by! The weeks already over again! Okay, need to quit being so mushy

I meet with Wang Bong 5 or 6 times a week to talk about life, any problems, etc, and we also study together and such, but we had a pretty serious talk last night. He was telling me that I was the only reason why he was going to church and why he wanted to learn more about the Bible. He said I am the only person in Korea he can really open up to and tell the truth to. Of course I was happy to hear this, but I was also concerned because I don't want him to rely on me because I will fail him. I'm only human! Of course I will be here for him and help him and of course he helps me, but he said that above friendship is "truth." He said that the church we go to on Sundays, well, that the Chinese pastor there who has fellowship with him pressures him to much to believe in the Gospel and such...Wang Bong said it's not that he doesn't have faith, it's that he doesn't have faith in a religion. He said he has faith in truth. I told him I also put truth above friends and anything else...I told him the Bible is truth.

We talked for over an hour and a half about that and how it's hard for him to believe in Jesus because of the way he was raised up in China. He also told me how he believes the church is just another method for people to be comforted. I told him, yes, Jesus gave us peace through the Holy Spirit whenever He left to be with the Father. I told him that Christianity is like NO OTHER RELIGION because all we have to do is believe in the Son, and through the Son we have access to the Father and eternal life. He said, isn't it selfish to believe that there's life after death? I told him that it's not selfish since it's the truth. ...very difficult topic to talk about, but I'm glad that we are close enough friends to tell eachother exactly how we feel and think so that there are not misunderstandingsbetween us...I told him that's perfectly fine because to be honest, all I can do is plant the seed and help him learn more about the Gospel. We'll be starting the Gospel of John this Tuesday...we were focusing on Psalms, but I want to help him learn more about the Gospel, but I told him that I don't want to teach him this if he truly doesn't want to learn. I mean, all I can do is show him Jesus' love through my actions and pray...the rest is up to him and God. Christianity is so simple yet so difficult...Because all we have to do is love...but why is that so difficult?

***Please pray for Wang Bong ... he's also taking the TOPIK (the Korean TOEFL/TOEIC) tomorrow so he can't come to church or ENM this week.

I also met a very friendly mormon named Rockwood today. He explained to me what the Mormons believed for about 30~40 minutes...How we need a prophet to follow in order to unite as one body of Christ, how there were no prophets after Jesus' death until 1820 with Joseph Smith, then Brigham Young, etc, and how from 600bc to 400ad there was a family who went from Israel to South America and how there were also prophets in South America and how they wrote down on gold plates the Gospel and other revelations from God...how there's still 12 disciples even today...

I respected Mr. Rockwood because he was so passionate about what he did...but I believe we have a direct relationship with God...that we don't need a prophet and other disciples to tell us God's word or the book of Mormon translated by Joseph Smith from the prophets from South America...our bodies' are God's temple and the Spirit dwells in us.

Had the opportunity to watch a clip of Dr. Lee on an SBS documentary...here's a snapshot from the show...his wedding.


Aired at 12:30 last night (well technically this morning) but wasn't able to watch it live, but saw the broadcast on the SBS website with some of the Brothers here

Prayer requests:

***Brothers Hyung Un and Myung Gun about Grad School or military service

***For all those preparing for exams!

***Our Apart leader Gee Hyun to continue to lead us well...for him to stay healthy and have the time to focus on himself also...spends a lot of time having fellowship with the brothers

***Those at ENM or have jobs yet also spend so much time spreading the Gospel

***For my family back home...my Brother David and his wife Sarah...both studying hard in their fields. David graduates May 22

***My sisters Esther and Anne about the 3 R's...especially for Anne as she juggles showing he friends around Springfield and college and working and interning

***Of course for my parents. To be happy and healthy and to find a church (a group of people) they can have close fellowship with

***For all of my friends back in Missouri and Maryland, especially for my mentor Dr. Lee and his wife Yang Won

Have many more prayer requests, but if you could just help me pray for these, I would be the MOST appreciative!!!

I would love to write more, but I must practice for the English Praise meeting...will post next week!

Wow, didn't realize I haven't updated in so long! I will try to do a better job of updating! For now I will update every Saturday, Korean Time

I have been well lately, studying very diligently since I started Korean class back up on Monday. I got the opportunity to meet a lot more Chinese and Japanese students. Also have a Kryzeckstan (sp?) student and a New Yorker in my class. I love meeting new people!

It's nice hanging out with them and Thursday we played basketball together. Man, the Chinese students here LOVE basketball and the NBA! I feel embarrased evey time one of them asks me something about the NBA because I haven't really kept up with it since Highschool! I'm just like...err, Lebron James is good...Also, I'm not nearly as good as them, but it's fun to play = )

Uploading took a long time, so words will be brief...

Soccer every Saturday morning...we wake up at 6, leave at 6:15, play from 6:50ish to 9ish

good times = ) The red team is SKKU's CCC.

We play 4, 25-30 minute quarters. If 3 teams show up, then obviously can't play the whole time, but it's still PLENTY! The CCC's jersey's made me laugh because on the front it reads "Jesus (heart)'s you" = ) They are EXTREMELY good. Very good passers. I think they've had that same team for a long time because they connected well with eachother. we tied the 1st two quarters, 1 to 1, and then CCC beat another 3rd team 2 to 1 and then we lost to the 3rd team 3 to 2 today...should have won, but we're not there to win. Our goal is to get closer to eachother through our passion for soccer and if it's meant to be, then by our sincere actions, spread the Gospel.

Kookmin University, about 25 minutes away

On our way to the "Bonga" ... sounds like this "ah lum dah oon Sam" ah lum dah oon means "beautiful, fine, pretty,etc" lol Brother Jeh Gook pointed it out to me so I decided to take a picture since this was my first time taking my camera to our Saturday soccer meeting.

Nice shot from the rear

LOL, our Campus director lol His 1970ish "Besta Bonga" Something like that...impressed it still runs! I mean, we sometimes fit 16 people in there!!! (don't tell the coppers = P

Us on our way back to ENM lol

This was a surprise birthday party for Brother Eun Suk

Preparing...

Yawning? lol or saying "ouch" because the flash was so bright...we were sitting in the dark...actually had to wait for over 30minutes!!! yeah, but it really was a surprise!

SURPRISE!

FOR ME?

thinking to himself ... "they like me, they really like me!" lol

축복송 Happy congratulatory song

remember, completely dark...flash

cutting the cake

Said his thank yous and how he was surprised and how we did a good job of keeping it a secret, etc

It was a good time = )

I think that right there costs about $30...isn't that expensive? I mean, it's not even that much...right?

but okay, I have praise team meeting an then dance practice! (we will be performing at the ENM service in May or June...nothing big, but hopefully fun...first practice!)

My mom wanted me to clear up it's my weh halah buh jee (my mom's father) that I'm trying to spread the Gospel to...she said it wouldn't make sense to some readers since I said I was a 4th generation Christian (from my dad's side) and that my grandfather wasn't saved yet...

Oh, and I got a wonderful card from sister Yang One from the Academy Navigators and KAMA! Thank you! And Ron gave me a book = )

Because I was already late for my lunch meeting with Wang Bong, I forgot to mention that Yang One (Dr. SB Lee’s wife) also gave me a large card signed by my friends in Navigators and KAMA. Thank you so much for the prayers and kind words = ) I especially liked the verse references in the messages: Ps 37:4 about our heart’s desires, Ephesians 6:19-20 about boldness in witnessing, and Romans 8:31 about if God is for us, who can be against us? Thank you so much!!!

The book is at the top (well, left = P ) The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. I read to page 30 and am really enjoying the book so far, but I have 8 books I am attempting to read, but it’s not going so well… I’m only going to focus on one at a time… just finished reading Dr. Lee’s book = ). I promised him it would be the first book I read completely in Korean…now reading ooh lee dl eh heng bok han shee gan (Our Happy Time together…or something like that…one of the books Wang Bong gave me to read) I think I also forgot to mention I received a book from Wana as a gift also. The Heavenly Man by Paul Hattaway. I read to page 94 so far and man, it’s hard to believe that this book is true!!! What’s even cooler is that the book takes place in Wang Bong’s home town! Yeah, so I’m going to give it to him (Wana, if that’s okay with you = ) so he can also study English with it. But yeah, so I’m going to stop reading all the books little by little and just read 1 at a time so I can get more out of the books. Wang Bong actually suggested this to me and it seems like a good idea = )

Thank you for the prayers for our Freshmen gathering!
We had about 20 people come = )
**Continue to pray that we can reach out to them and if they are FAT (faithful, available, teachable) that we can help them get to know Jesus better...2 Tim 2:2

Preparing for the frosh gathering!


Prayer meeting for the frosh gathering
Shared our thoughts

Decorating...

Done preparing = )


Let the "magic" begin = ) the Freshmen Gathering!


I was one of the helpers for the food, again = P All I really do is go to the market with them and carry the bags = P The sisters did the majority of the cooking because their AWESOME, even though the brothers are good cooks to, we did the moving and rearranging of everything.

Eating and talking and being mesmerized by the magic tricks = P
Wang Bong getting his welcoming present...brought him to tears ^^ It wasn't just that, but the atmosphere and how everybody was so nice and such...= )
Dong Sung doing his magic while we were eating

The praise team

picking which team goes first...my "helper" brother, Hyung Un (purple) and Soo Yun (teal) were the MC's


pictionary type game



More gaming

The director and his wife sitting...mother of the kid in red

gah wee, bah wee, boh! (scissor, rock, paper = P )

Testimony
Special song...



I also had the opportunity to go see the Korean National team play vs Uruguay at Seoul's World Cup Stadium = )
The atmosphere, as expected, was AWESOME! Too bad Korea lost 2 to 0, but that's beside the point = P At least Uruguay played well = P



Brother Myung-Gun and me at the stadium = )

It's a nice clean stadium...built for the 2002 world cup

National Anthems...have a good video of it, but it takes a long time to upload = P

Korea doesn't score again...


After the game! CROWDED! After the game the line for the subway was no joke...yeah...
lol...I don't think we look similar, but some people say we do...do we? Met 2 English speakers in the situation who had no idea why so many people were suddenly getting on...explained to them what was going on...said we looked like twins = P I think it's because they aren't used to seeing many Koreans = P

lol, being overtaken by the crowd = P





Saturday English Conversation class is still going well = )


Wang Bong center...the others are other Korean Language program students in the Community Service club...cleaning at a local musuem
sweep, wipe, clean...

Waiting for further instructions = P


Snacking after our hard work = )

**Please pray for Wong Bong as we continue to have fellowship together, still going to church, ENM service, and having Bible study together.
**Also that he can get all of his paper work ready for his grad school application to Korea University and Seoul National

It's nice going to church with him because I'm also learning the same Bible basics he is and it's cool just to relearn how the Bible is factual and why we need to learn from it and why people are skeptical and why, why why = ) I mean, proclaiming to be Christian means we are sinners! We have broken every commandment there is! From envy in our heart to putting other things before God, lying, stealing (if you think about it, if you don't repay somebody what's due them, that's stealing...God created all of the food on this earth...free of charge...we may pay for the labor of human hands, but do we always thank God for our food and repay Him?), adultery (if we think it in our hearts!), murder...if we hate our brother in our hearts...(1 John 3:15), etc...people say, oh, I'm a good moral person...but then when you actually think about it...yeah...God knows our heart! Our lives are being recorded..EVERYTHING! NOT just our actions, but what's in our hearts. Because I'm a sinner, I need a Saviour! Only through Jesus can we attain eternal life = ) Since through Adam we we all are born sinners ( I mean, you have to teach your kids to be good, right? Since they naturally want to do what is bad) through Jesus we are made clean = ) Even Adam and Eve tried to cover their shame with figs and leaves, just like how humans try to justify themselves, but it doesn't work. Repent, and God forgives!
Sorry if that was too preachy...I'll leave it at that...




New Bible study teacher! the Campus director! dul, dul, dul, dul (the Korean sound for when scared = P ) Just to change things up a bit



Far right person is a missionary from Japan. He said I looked like I lost a lot of mass in my upper body = ( Probably true. He saw me in July whenever I visited for a month...I mean, I have lost a lot of mass...12-15 pounds = O It's due to not weight training...losing muscle mass... because I'm definitely eating the same amount
But it was nice hearing how he was busy being a prof in Tokyo yet also able to devote so much of his time to lead others to Christ and also spend time with his family and still workout = O Must develop healthy habits...turns into our character! I pray that what I learned here I can continue to do in the US! Speaking of that, **please pray for my sister Anne as she balances school, work, interning, and taking care of her friends who are visiting from around the US and Germany (and also for the 3 R's: right time, right way, right person)

Shredder? Since he's no longer my Bible Study leader, I guess he turned to the dark side = P He's still my een doh jah (my accountability leader) and team leader. We actually had our man to man meeting last Friday...6:30 pm to 11pm...ate dinner together, sang praise, told him what was on my heart and my concerns and such. My goals for the week, month, rest of the time at ENM, memory verses, the 3 R's, etc. I guess I can go into detail about it, but it'd probably be about 10 pages...I think you guys like pictures more, right? Or do you want to know the juicy stuff? lol I'll leave that up to the reader...comment if you would like to know more about that stuff = )

I will say this...**please pray for my uncle who lives with my grandfather in Busan. I'm in the process of debating if I should go down there like once every two weekends and having fellowship with him, but that would mean missing out on our Apart meeting Friday night, soccer meeting, English class, praise meeting on Saturday...it's just that I want to lead him to Christ, but it's so hard being in a different city from him!!! But keeping Phil. 4:6-7 in mind, I know worrying isn't going to get me anywhere...but prayer will = )

What's going on?Ahh, can't breathe!Hwang San! (Yellow sand from China making the air disgusting!)
Sunday Dinner = )


Brother Wun Chul got a job at Hyundai, so in celebration he bought dinner for the entire campus ENM group = ) It only came to 238,000won...roughly $260...what a deal for 60 people! The service in Korea is excellent, but it's cheap = ) The raw foods are actually more expensive than the USA (since the US has a lot more land for crops), but it's the service in the US that's the killerAll you can eat! Boo deh Jjee geh with tator tots and potato salad and of course kimchi!


We had our evaluation gathering Sunday night as usual, so I went out to buy some fruit...nice doggy at the market = ) it winked at me!


We can't afford to buy fruit all the time (like I said before about the raw products...example: a watermelon is $14) , but brother Yong Jun came (he has one year left of military service) on break, so we celebrated and played games after our eval/planning
The game we played is nook deh (korean for wolf) the game is basically the same as Mafia.
very fun = ) It's funny because it's a very popular church game, but it involves deceit and such, but you can learn a lot from the game...the wolves/mafia try to fool the civilians into thinking they are good people, and the prophet/detective try to figure out who the bad people are without revealing their identity yet many people are confused and lead astray because their are more wolves than detectives...even though the detective is 100% sure about who the bad people are, it's hard to tell who to listen to...

I can't remember if I wrote down everything I wanted...it's hard to tell because I have my own QT's and fellowship and such that I can't remember if I said it at a meeting or if I wrote it down here...but hopefully this blog is fulfilling it's mission:

to encourage and to inform about I'm up to = )