Sunday, June 7, 2009

So few words.

I don't even know where to begin... I have already been in Seoul for almost a week, and I feel so completely overwhelmed with joy.

God is good
I guess I'll start off with saying that I have an absolutely wonderful team. What an answered prayer! Everytime I prayed for this trip in the weeks and months preceeding I prayed for team unity.. God has certainly answered that prayer above and beyond. We already have been able to open up to each other in honesty and love and become each others friends, prayer warriors, and encouragement. (and have the kind of fun together that can often take lots of time to build in a relationship.) So far we have been living in an apartment but today we will be moving in with the students. It has been a great chance for us all to just get to know each other without any distractions during our orientation time.

God is great
Hanguel <-- Korean... not as hard as I was anticipating! I've already started learning a few words, and today we will start learning for an hour a day while we are at school. But it has been pretty difficult odering food and getting around since none of us really know anything that useful. Many young people do speak a little English though, and they are usually very eager to practice a little bit when speaking to us. They seem much more confident in their English than we are in our Korean. It's been really fun talking to random Koreans that we run into on our long subway journeys with their broken English and our couple of Korean words! God is good... again No one has starved yet.. though I think one of my team members is close! But seriously, I like everything I've tried, so no complaining here. My favorite is the boiled lizard eye balls.... JK. Nothing quite like that... yet ;)

God is still good
Today is our first day of school! While here we will be helping to teach beautiful refugee students to better their English skills. But more importantly we will be pouring out the love that Christ has put in our hearts onto them. We are such a blessed people, and we all have more than enough love to share with those who are hurting and need to know the healing love of Christ. It has been such a joy in the learning process so far and getting to see the hearts of my team members break for these precious students.

He just doesn't stop
New friends. A couple of the students have been staying with us for the past few days, and it has been nothing short of fantastic. L and R have showed around different parts of Seoul, traveledith us, laughed with us, help us order food, and have already become such great friends. L has been such a great Korean teacher and quizzes me when we are walking around and riding the subway on all of the words and phrases she has taught me. Now as we will go to school today I feel somewhat vulnerable. I know that I will fall in love with all of the rest of these students just as with L and R, but this leaves me wondering what God will ask me to do next. A couple of days ago we watched the movie the Crossing with the two Korean girls. As they cried and shared with us their stories I was amazed at how hopeful they had been in the midst of their circumstances. These students have been in situations that we as Americans can't even fathom. Yet through all of this their love has grown stronger for the Lord. I am humbled that these precious students call me friend. Chen hang chen gu

4 comments:

  1. Wow! Sounds like its more than you imagined it would be. Hope you're taking plenty of pictures to photo journal everything. Can't wait to hear more!
    Love you,
    Mom

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  2. So great to see your first post from abroad! I'll look forward to many more...oh and I'm with your mom...we want pictures! hugs~ heather

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  3. INCREDIBLE!! I'm continuing to pray and excited to see you got to post!!! Keep doing all that the Father has called you to do. HE will give you grace for each and every work HE has set out in advance for you to do. SO excited for you as you see Him at work!
    Daisy

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  4. I laughed pretty hard when I saw the "boiled lizard eyeballs" part :)
    So far it looks like your journey is shaping out to be kinda life changing... or lets make that super life changing.
    Good to see God answering prayers with your team , he's the "Rock" in our Rock n' Roll.

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