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| It has been almost 1 year since I've updated my Xanga! (sorry) The year 2007 has been FULL of amazing things and we ended the year in the Philippines on a misison trip. Below is an article that I wrote to be publishedin 5 different Korean newspapers around the country. (the korean version that my senior pastor translated got published actually)
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Our short term mission trip of 12 people to Iligan City in the Philippines (Dec 20th 07- Jan 1st, 08) was truly a journey of trusting God. Not only did our mission team t-shirts read "TRUST=GO" but even from the onset of the trip, we faced many difficult situations where we had to trust in God. Our team leader, Liza Mun, was faced with a situation on the day of departure at the Seatac airport where she possibly was not able to go on the trip with us. But through the persistent efforts of another team leader Glenn Faubion, and God making a way, she got on the plane just in time. The youngest member of our team, Landry Desmond (14), was told that he was too young to enter Manilla. But God made a way for him to get through.
Due to the continuous flight delays, our team ended up staying a night in Narita, Japan and two nights in Manilla. We were provided with free lodging and food during those unplanned extra days of traveling, which saved us a great deal of money. Praise God because it enabled us to give more as offering to the church and the pastor in Iligan City. While we were in Manilla, we were connected with a youth pastor, Pastor Herbie, who invited our team to minister at his church. His church is located in a very poor and dangerous area and the heart of his ministry is to reach out to troubled young people. Pastor Herbie deliberately tattooed his arms in hopes that he would be able to connect with them. God used our team mightily to minister to the church congregation- we ministered through sharing the Word, sharing testimonies, lyrical presentation and prayer. We heard a testimony of an old woman who was in a wheel chair, after we prayed for her, could now walk around and stand up. Praise God!
So we believe that even in the situation of our flights getting delayed, God used it for His glory. When we finally arrived in Iligan City, we were greeted by Dan and Palay Leiter, who are the missionaries we had been in contact with. Since it was Christmas Eve, they took our team out to the dumps where families lived to take them a hot dinner, which was only chicken, bread and a drink. But for them, it would have been their best meal yet. These families live at the dumpsite, work at the dumpsite, and find food in the dumpsite. It was an emotional time and a shocking time for many of our team members, seeing the children in those circumstances especially. But it was amazing to see so many smiles on the faces of the children. The children love to pose for the camera and are not shy at all. They would come up to us and want to hug us. We really sensed God in that place.
The church family in Iligan City, New Life Christian Center with Pastor CoCoy and Pastor Dan, welcomed us so warmly and treated us like family the entire time we were there. We spent Christmas Day with them at a waterfall and had the chance to enjoy the beautiful land. And then for the next 5 days, we had the amazing opportunity to interact and serve the people of the Iligan City. One morning we got up early to go to the dumps again to do a Sidewalk Sunday School. We walked around and gathered around 120 children into a building. We led songs, played games, shared a skit, a message and prayed for the children. Before we sent them off, we gave them a drink and bread. This was such a treat for the children. With some of the money we had saved, we bought 75 flip-flops and gave it to some of the children. Many of them walk around the dumps without shoes. We also handed out about 100 Christmas cards that people made at a cafe night fundraiser that we had. The children loved receiving them, especially if it had a cross on it. The children were so thankful and always had beautiful smiles. We also went on an island to hand out toothpaste that we took and shared the gospel message. We visited house to house and prayed for anyone who wanted to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. God was truly in that place as well.
We also had the opportunity to financially provide for 400+ kids to go to Jolibee. Jolibee is a place where kids can eat and play. Most of the kids who went were kids from the dumps and it was their first time. That was their Christmas gift. It was amazing to see the impact of the local church in that community. The senior pastor of New Life Christian Center, Pastor CoCoy, is the spiritual advisor to the mayor. He is making a difference in that community and generously gives everything he has. And that spirit of generosity is prevalent throughout the entire church, as they were so quick to give us anything- even if it was the necklace they were wearing or their jackets. Our team went on this mission trip to the Philippines in hopes to bless them, but I believe that every single team member was blessed so much more. We still keep in touch with the people we made relationships with over there. When we came back from our mission trip and after hearing of the testimonies, our senior pastor, Pastor Nah, said that he could visibly see the spiritual maturity and growth in our young people. God is raising up a generation of young people who will build His Kingdom and live for His glory. And I give glory to God that we are a part of that generation. | | |
| okay, it's been such a long time since i've written... well, a month is pretty long b/c a lot happens in a month!
i just got back from taking a friend to a ferry and youth group. and i'm wondering why i can't sleep and i finally realized that it's because i had a white chocolate mocha from starbucks that jisun picked up for me. i had it around 7.30pm, which means it's still in my body and it's affecting me. i'm so wide awake!!!
we had a really great youth group. kimmie unnee came as our guest speaker and she spoke on purpose. it was great for the kids to hear-- i loved her observation about the diff between seattle kids and tacoma kids. seattle kids are way more driven and see God as a vending machine, whereas tacoma kids are so... whatever about what they wanna do and where they're going in life. so blah. (generally speaking) status quo= get by with the minimum. God's standard= live with purpose. King David served the purpose that God had him for his life and then he died.
i want our youth group to be with purpose, and to be a "force" in tacoma. to turn upside down the status quo of nonchalant attitude and live passionately to serve the purposes that God has for our generation and city. when God looks across the earth, i want HIm to find us seeking after His heart.
i volunteer us. xxx | | |
| I don't have anything particular that I want to write about tonight, but my heart is so happy. :) (Actually, I've been writing and writing all week in preparation for the HS girls retreat at hyungjae this weekend!!) I am so thankful for life- how my life is in God's hands. I am thankful that I can rest in His faithfulness, in His goodness, in His unconditional, everlasting love. I love how God finishes stories, most of the time with a surprising twist... He is always a step ahead of me! He goes before me and prepares a banquet feast... there is nothing in this world that could satisfy me more than to drench in His love. As I've been preparing for the retreat, I feel like I been taken a little bit closer to the heart of God- I know there's so much more that I am not aware of, yet I can definitely say that His love is the most real, tangible thing I have ever known... I wonder how vast it really is... I can try to, with the stretch of my imagination, understand that it will take an eternity's time to ever fully grasp this magnificent heart of God.... actually, I don't think I can. The more I think I know, I don't know. The more I think I've surrendered, I haven't. The more I think I'm right, I'm not. The more I think I've reached the place, I haven't. I am utterly in awe of Him.
PLEASE KEEP ME AND THE GIRLS AT THE RETREAT IN YOUR PRAYERS THIS WEEKEND! I am thoroughly excited!! A couple of weeks ago, I felt like I had a car demon!! I had so many issues with my car. This week, my body's been feeling a bit weird- like i'm coming with something. Why this week?! I haven't been sick at all since coming back and I am not gonna get sick this week!! I also started this month, officially staffing at KUPC YG and it's so much FUN!! I really really love them- they're such an awesome group of young people! So far, we've had a valentine's banquet with cookies/cupcakes/milk :) and gave every single woman in our church a rose with the boys all suited up. the adults LOVED IT!!! And yeah, the guys looked realy sharp in their suits and the girls very pretty all dressed up. this weekend the korean men's group is making a stage for us and we're remodelling our fellowship room! It's all very exciting :) And YES! The Dream Team has arrived- God is SO so faithful. I also started my business this month with Arbonne. I was so excited last night opening up all the boxes and putting the packs together. I laid it all out and prayed over them. haha. I really like the products- I like pampering myself before I go to bed :) I look forward to doing the ritual every night- it's very relaxing. When i was younger i didn't care about washing my face and what i put on my face, but i want to take care of my skin better.
Good night sweet peas... xoxo | | |
| Yesterday I went to Women's Wordshop at Christian Faith Center. It's every Wed morning from 9.30-11.30am with Wendy Treat. We all sit around round tables with lots of food on the table :) After Wendy shares, we have a Bible Study with the women at our table- right now we're studying 1 Corinthians and leadership. It's such a great environment!! I love it. I've been finding it not EASY to go on Wed mornings though- it seems like something always comes up so I think, wow, I better especially go today since it's gonna be xtra good!
Well, yesterday was one of those days. I had a great talk with the women sitting at my table about Sunday School and about Hillsong. Everytime I talk with someone and I tell them that I just got back from there, they're so excited!! And then I had lunch with Stuart who is thinking about going to Hillsong next Feb- I told him that I am in 100% support of anyone who is thinking about going there. I'm so excited for him!
So at the Women's Wordshop, Wendy was talking about how Christians want the Law. It's easier for Christians to have the Law be laid down for them so that they could live in it- obey these 5 rules and you are a good person. check off these 10 boxes and you're in. do this list of 20 things and you've done your Christian chores for the week. modify your behavior here a little and there a little and you can look like a Christian... and then forget the balance of the New Testament. We need to NOT be LAW BOUND, but to be GRACE-LIVING CHRISTIANS. We need to operate in, live in, and give grace. We need to live with big arms of love, goodness and kindness. We can have such harsh judgments towards people (and justify ourselves because we're holier than thou) because too often we don't recognize God working in us. We see other people and think that they need to get their lives straightened out because their life is such a mess, but we fail to see that God has been and continually cleaning up our own mess. I think there's something inside of us that feels like we have the right to point fingers, judge them, burn them, fry them and just get those people who are b...a...d (sounds scarily like the pharisees, doesn't it?).
She also said how there's something wrong when a person gets really angry about a particular sin. It usually means that something's not right with that particular issue in that person. Anger in a person's life reveals that there is sin, uncleanness- that's why they're so angry all the time! Do we get angry with only certain outward sins (ie. homosexuality, murder, adultery..etc) or are we just as upset over other sins that disconnect us from God? the truth is, sin separates us from God- that's why it will destroy us. But do we respond to people out of defense because we're offended by their sin or do we respond to their separation from God? There is a huge difference. I have realized over the years as a young woman that sin will accuse me and condemn me so that I don't feel worthy enough to be close to God. And I grew up thinking that when I sin, God hates me and is disappointed in me once again. I couldn't go to Him confidently because I wasn't confident of His love towards me. Now, as a girl who has done a big chunk of life's journey, I have come to realize that the reason I don't want to sin is because I so love the relationship I have with my God. I have a truer perspective of who God is... and who He is to me. And I never want to trade that for anything else.
God is in the business of heart transformation and not behavior modification. Since my heart has been strengthened and delighted by Him, the stuff that used to rule me has no stronghold on me. Knowing who I am in Him, knowing that I am found by Him, knowing that He has rescued me from the pit (sometimes I dug myself in there!), knowing that He loves me and accepts me just as I am... I don't want to do those things that will cut off my connection with Him. I want to live life with such heart transformation and purpose that I don't have the room, the time, the energy to waste on what doesn't align with the will that God has for my life. All the issues of life flows from our heart... that's why the Bible tells us to guard it. this morning at morning prayer, p.nah said that one of the most important truths in the Bible is ... the pure in heart shall see God. I want my HeartSpace to be uncluttered. xxx | | |
| DOES ANYONE WANNA GO TO A LIVE ALBUM RECORDING AT CHAMPION CENTRE IN TACOMA?
IT'S SATURDAY 27TH (TOMORROW NIGHT)IT'S FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS AT 6PM! THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE FAMOUS!! :) haha. | | |
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