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!