Pride

As most of you might have seen on the news, South Korea (who is still technically at war) came to another military confrontation with North Korea yesterday where they exchanged weapons fire across the borders. I won't fill you in on all the details but simply put, emotions are high and cannons are loose over this offence. North Korea, who is adamantly communicating to the world their threatening nuclear capabilities is like the big yet small bully of South Korea and the world. Because of this bullying South Korea has been making it just as clear that they're not afraid to defend and/or retaliate if need be.



People
Some people I talk to are really afraid & are expecting the worst case scenario, stocking up on rice ramen noodles & bottled water while others are less fatalistic & believe this is just another empty power-play from the North. The problem now is what response will be carried out to the big, small bully of the North. North Korea has publicly stated that they will not flinch to attach if provocated which makes the wisdom of the South Korean President crucial.



Pride
I'm so convinced that God is still pursuing the broken & confused soul of the NKorean dictator Kim Jong il who is behind all this power seeking & glory. Just as God showed his patience with men like Pharoah of Egypt & King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, I believe God continues to seek his attention & heart. Throughout the bible & in my own heart I've experienced the toxic, destructive power of pride and how it can cause us to move into a false reality where I am superior and the world revolves around me. Because God is a good Dad He can't watch us pollute ourselves in this way but humbles us so we turn our attention off ourselves and on Him. In one way or another God will have the final say.

Please Pray:
1) For Kim Jong il, that he would be humbled & broken. That he would see that he is just a man and not a god.
2) For the wisdom of South Korea President Lee Myung-bak & that he would make the right decisions.
3) That the church would stand in the midst of fear and share the message of a God who is in control. That there is no fear in love.



The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the
Lord forever.

Psalm 23

Sinner Saved by Grace

One of the ministries I've been entrusted while serving this community in South Korea is a bible study. People from in and out of our community as well as non-Christians have been attending all with differing motivations; some to grow in their English speaking, some unsure and sometimes even hostile towards the idea of Christianity, and finally the people who are genuinely seeking to grow more in their faith. This has made for a very interesting blend of discussion but I've been gleaning so much from our times and I want to tell you about it!

The last couple months we've been battling through the book of Romans. A book written by our good friend Paul who by the Holy Spirit began to unpack the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Christians in Rome. Unfortunately for us bible students over 2000 years later, trying to follow Paul's symbolism, illustrations and elusive techniques of communication have been a struggle to follow. Fortunately, a couple years ago I had the privilege to invest 9 months of my life to carefully dissecting all 66 books of the bible and what God was trying to communicate to us today. It's been a great opportunity for me to put into practice all the knowledge I had obtained from my bible school.

Dead to the law, alive in the grace of Jesus. This is the blanket theme of the book of Rome. Paul was speaking to a group of people who, for thousands of years were programmed and accustomed to the Law of Moses, a rulebook of almost a thousand laws and prohibitions. Their relationship with God was defined by sacrifice. They understood that their sin required an offering in order for them to be forgiven and declared (by the priests) justified before a holy God. They would need to adhere to an impossible list of commands to be good. This 'mission impossible' (in terms of pleasing God) was to cause a sense of failure in themselves. This helplessness forced the sinner to find a solution to his sin problem outside of himself. He needed a Savior since sin was and continues to be the separating factor between us and our great Father.



Good News! When God sent his Son Jesus as the atoning (perfect and satisfying payment for sin) sacrifice for all mankind, the institution of the law became void. There was no need for the law anymore because Jesus lived a sinless life making that law ineffective for the rest of human experience. Jesus paid the price that man just couldn't pay. Because of Jesus there was no more need for performance and a sense of striving to get into God's 'good books'. This is why the good news was and is SO GOOD! God has not only forgiven our sins through Jesus' death and resurrection but has put the Holy Spirit inside of the Christian to move and direct them in a personal way. The barrier between God and man was restored through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The GREAT news is that we can be in communion with God through the Holy Spirit. GRACE, the free gift that we didn't deserve!

Amazing Grace! Paul's mission in this book of Romans was to communicate to a people who were so inclined by the concept of performance in their relationship with God that all they had to do was accept this idea of grace. God's unmerited favor! Paul knew that this would be a challenge for them to grapple with since humans operate on the mentality that nothing is free but that everything is earned through hard work.



Interestingly, even as Paul was so intent on communicating this idea of grace we still struggle with accepting it today. After exploring the first few chapters of Romans one of our members came out in all honesty and said "I just don't understand justification, (justification=Jesus making us justified before God) how can our sins be just excused without us somehow earning it". It's too good to be true isn't it? I think it was this same question that drove John Newton to write the most popular hymn in Christianity 'Amazing Grace..how sweet the sound'. I love how Brennan Manning puts it in my favorite book 'Ragamuffin Gospel':

"The poor man and woman of the gospel have made peace with their flawed existence. They are aware of their lack of wholeness, their brokenness, the simple fact that they don't have it all together. While they do not excuse their sin, they are humbly aware that sin is precisely what has caused the to throw themselves at the mercy of the Father. They do not pretend to be anything but what they are: sinners saved by grace."

What a freeing reality! I think God's problem isn't with our sin, its our denial of our sin. Have you ever felt that you're so messed up and beyond repair? There is one member in our group who is a non-Christian. She complains that every time she comes to church or Bible study shes confronted with how sinful she is. I say to her 'Praise God!' Why? Because the consciousness of her sin and brokenness is only going to lead her to the only one who can free her from this condemnation and guilt.



I know God is faithful to reveal himself to those who call out to him with a pure heart. Bible Study has been a time great to just submit and let Gods word permeate into every corner of our lives. My prayer is that we would lay hold of our nothingness before God and therefore enter into the deepest reality of our relationship with Him!

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

May the Slaughtered Lamb receive the full reward for his sacrifice!

Loving People

Have you ever felt judged? Misunderstood?

There is a certain person in my life that I encounter on a regular basis who I've 'written off' as selfish and controlling. Everything about this persons body language and attitudes caused me to come to this unfair conclusion. For so long I've been unconsciously avoiding interactions and have had an insincere interest in their life for fear of being hurt by them. I've been judging them.


It was yesterday when I was asked by this individual to go out for coffee which I reluctantly agreed to doing. On the drive towards the coffee shop I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me, "Give them a chance."Despite my presuppositions I began to open up and allow my heart to engage with this person. To my surprise, the conversation quickly went from 'talking about the weather' to things that actually matter in life. The more I became real and authentic, the more this person became real with me. I had begun to see a completely different person then I had experienced in the past months and was refreshed by their perspective and opinions. I was introduced to their heart.

It was through this experience that I realized how incapable we are as people to love others. I spent the last 6 months of my life illegitimately assuming the worst of someone without even giving them a chance to really get to know them. Isn't this unfair?

I think we love to love people who will love us. We choose the people who are safe, innocent, harmless and automatically block anyone who gives us a bad vibe. The truth is that we're afraid to love in the fear of being hurt. Instead we need to step out of our dominating fears and experience the liberty of selfless love. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus, a love that cares more for others than for itself, a love that always looks for the best in people.

What a great reminder. I'm grateful that the love of Jesus through me can communicate a love that I would never be able to relay on my own.


"For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7



"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Don't be a Chicken, be an Eagle!

Every week I'm confronted with the same question. "What am I going to teach these kids?"

Leading a Worship Service for the kids has got to be one of the most challenging things I've had to do in my whole life. I've discovered that kids learn best when their senses are stimulated. I've become the stimulator! It's brought me back into the world of balloons, skits, animal sounds and silly songs. I love it!



Last week's message was about all about an old fable:

"A man found an eagle's egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did,thinking he was a barnyard chicken.
"Years passed and the eagle grew old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. The old eagle looked up in awe. 'Who's that?' he asked.
"'That's the eagle, the king of the birds,' said his neighbor.
'He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth; we're chickens.'
"So the eagle lived and died as chicken, for that's what he
thought he was."

It's a story about fate, destiny, low self-esteem, low self-confidence and comfort zones. What we think determines the way we'll live.

I got to tell the kids that what how we think is very important! When we think good things, we're going to live lives that are pleasing to God. When we think of bad stuff it causes us to do bad things! Just like the eagle who was convinced it was a chicken, we can let our thoughts (the enemy) to lie to us about who we are and our potential.

We're not meant to be chickens who can't fly, we're made to be eagles! Even the word 'chicken' sounds silly but the word eeeeaaaagle sounds cool!

Don't be a CHICKEN! Be an EEEAAAGLE!

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8

Jesus, Our Greatest Resource!

I'm back in South Korea after another life-changing adventure in the Youth's Outreach to Mongolia!

On a physical note, my body's been fraying on the edges from adapting to such a different climate where the sun was scorching during the day & then shifting to extreme low temperatures at night. Mongolia was not the most comfortable outreach! The flies were lurking, the sleep was short-lived, the food was very foreign & not to mention horseback riding for the first time and getting thrown off a few too many times..What an experience though!

Four years ago my life changed when I attended a Discipleship Training School in Kona, Hawaii where Jesus revealed himself and showed me that he is in the business of using ordinary, young people like me to make a difference in the world.

It was on this outreach to Mongolia I was able to step back into a similar moment as I witnessed how God used the Korean students to touch the lives of the Mongolians. Watching their desperation for Jesus and their love for one another was inspiring & brought me back to earlier times of simple faith. I was reminded of the boy in the bible who had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. A simple, humble sacrifice that Jesus was able to multiply to feed thousands. God taught me that it isn't about intellect, gifts or even willpower but actually about proximity. God isn't looking for people who are extraordinary in what they can offer, but for people who are so close in proximity to him & willing to show up. Just like the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish, their greatest resource was Jesus. When we make Jesus our aim, he will use our heart for him to love people in a way we never could. It's all about relationship.

We spent most of our time focusing on three main ministries: Prayer, Worship and Evangelism (Loving on the people!).
Prayer: Intentional prayer against the enemy's lies over the people, a wildfire of the gospel message to spread throughout Mongolia, and for God reveal himself in tangible ways to a country void of Christianity. (the bible was only translated into Mongolian 10 years ago!)
Worship: We would spent many hours a day worshiping God, declaring his Kingship and authority over Mongolia. I was reminded of what Paul said to us "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." I'm learning that our purpose as missionaries isn't necessarily to meet a physical need but to change the spiritual atmosphere. To declare that there is a God who loves them and died on the cross to prove it.
Evangelism: I'll let the evangelism pictures speak for themselves. All I can say is...Balloons, facepainting, candy, jumpy songs = happy kids!





Please be praying for Mongolia, that a volcano of passion and desperation would erupt inside their hearts for Jesus. Pray for the YWAM bases and that their needs would be met for staff and students so that more disciples can be trained and sent out.



Do not let other people look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in word, love, faith and integrity.
1 Timothy 4:12

Blessed to be a Blessing,
Jer

The Church

I just returned from our church outreach to SaryangDo, a small island off the south coast of Korea. For one week I observed & contributed in the various ministries the church had put together; kids and youth ministries, shoe repair, massage therapy, medical clinics, hair dressing, building, repairing. It was inspiring to see such a dynamic expression of church in action! Many physical needs were met on this small island but I really believe the people experienced a picture of Jesus through the working hands & feet of His people.

Recently I was reminded that God's purpose in existing isn't actually to take care of our physical and emotional needs, he's actually most concerned about bringing glory to himself. God doesn't exist for us, we exist for God. This definitely changes my perspective and the way I approach ministry.

"the church is not a building. No, it's not even a people. It is actually the living presence of a Holy God in a fallen world. It is the tangible evidence of an invisible hope, dressed in of all the people who have found that hope." - David Jeremiah

I'm getting ready to head out to Mongolia in a few days with the youth group. Please be praying that the glory of the Lord would shine through us!

Lakeside Church

Hello Lakeside Family,

Jeremy MacDonald here from East Asia in Daegu City, South Korea. I pray this letter finds you fueled & aflame, cheerful & expectant in the things of the Lord. Lakeside Church has long been & continues to be a great blessing in the development of my spiritual life as well as a generous support in my journey as a missionary. My prayer is that your investment into the ‘Kids Zone’ children & Youth will continue to bear fruit of God-fearing believers who are not swayed by the free-thinking, post-modern world but who are founded on the perfect standard of God’s Word. I thank God for the faithful servants of Lakeside who took a genuine interest in my life & guided me towards a life of obedience.

As a missionary in Korea, my mission has been to serve in sharing the unconditional, furious love of Jesus & the God of the bible who is ALIVE & ACTIVE today. I have been having the time of my life here, living in a community of passionate believers as well as experiencing Korean culture & all the interesting & sometimes disturbing foods that come along with it. I never thought I would ever eat an octopus that was resisting me from consuming it. I guess theres a first time for everything!

I have been learning so much from these people but I do want to give you a short summary of what this has translated itself into in the day to day life of living in Korea.

English Ministries
Since my arrival in Korea I have taken on a variety of ministries all surrounded by the subject of English Education. South Korea is well known as a study culture & places a high priority on quality education & a significant focus on learning English. As an English speaking ‘Westerner’, this has made me somewhat invaluable in this church in being able to Teach English. I’ve been entrusted the responsibilities of teaching weekly English Classes to Church members & the community, leading an English Bible Study as well as leading an English Worship Service for Elementary level students on Sunday.

I have often felt overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility placed upon me as an English Minister but God has sustained me & has been teaching me so much about myself & the gifts he’s given me. It’s been a privilege to be able to teach English to the Koreans, learn from each others cultures & build a small, safe community of both believers & non-believers alike. I’ve found English to be an effective ministry tool for those searching for a safe place to belong & engage in community.

Mongolia Outreach
I was asked by the Youth Pastor to participate as a staff in the Youth Groups’ upcoming two week outreach to Mongolia in August (3-13). I am looking forward to encouraging these young people as they enter their first mission trip as well as experiencing a new country & culture. Mongolia has just recently been struck by poverty & is a country dominated by Buddhism so it will be our goal to impart the love, joy & peace of Jesus while meeting their practical needs.

Partnership
I would like to ask for your prayer support as well as your willingness to partner with me financially in these upcoming missions trips. I am in need of around $1000 for a plane ticket to Mongolia as well as $500 for practical living expenses in the next few months of living in South Korea.

Thank you!
I want to thank you again for your generosity. Your prayer, support & encouragement has been a huge blessing.
I pray we would continue to be stirred up as we embrace the call of Jesus in Matthew 28:19 to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”


Huge blessings from South Korea

English Class

Here is a picture of one of my English Classes. These women are so much fun, we always have a good time.

I will be found in you.

'Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord'
Jeremiah 29:12-14

Just had one of those profound moments this morning in just knowing that God actually listens to me when I pray. The Word says when I seek him I WILL find Him and be found in Him. I think we need to be reminded of this from time to time..What a phenomenal promise to us!

I pray you would let this truth impact you today.

Mongolia Outreach

A few months ago I was asked by the Youth Pastor to participate as a staff in a two week outreach to Mongolia with thirty of the youth from the church. For someone who can't stay in the same country for more than a year, I immediately obliged and jumped on board this team for another opportunity to explore and serve in a new land. We're going to be staying at the YWAM base in the capital city of Ulanbator where we'll be spending the first portion of the outreach and then traveling out into the countryside where we'll spend the second portion. Personally, my main focus will be serving the youth in their various ministries as well as running an 'English Camp' for the Mongolian youth.

I think Mongolia is one of those countries that most people might have heard the name of but don't really know anything about or where or it is. Where is it you ask? Well, Mongolia is a landlocked country in Central Asia with Russia at its North and China at its South with a population of just over 2.6 million people.



What I know so far is Mongolia's major struggle of poverty and harsh climate that has recently claimed many lives and as much as 1/3 of the livestock in their last winter season. As we continue to pray for this outreach we feel God leading us to be a source of encouragement and hope in their difficult times.

I feel fortunate to be able to come along these youth in their first experience of missions as well as the opportunity to impart the love, joy and peace of Jesus to the Mongolian people. Please partner with me in this next month leading up to our outreach (August 3-13). That we would be prepared to serve and empowered by the Spirit to speak the Good News in a country that tells them their misfortune is "karma" (Mongolia is dominated by Buddhism). I am expecting great things!

I'm looking forward to learning more about the culture and people in these next few weeks. I'll be sure to fill you in!

English Class

This week marks the end of the first semester of English Classes and the beginning of summer vacation. It has no doubt been an interesting past few months of learning how to effectively teach my own language to a group of Korean speaking people but I've begun to take up my own style of teaching that fits my personality and strengths so I think this has made for a comfortable and free atmosphere for learning. Since most of my students get intimidated by learning the English language I try to make class times as enjoyable as possible with games, discussions and skits. It's been neat to get into discussions with my students about how Canadian culture is different from Korean culture; they're always interested in hearing personal stories about what my life was like growing up in Canada and how my experience of living in Korea is going. It's always amusing for them to hear of the different things I've eaten since I've been in Korea...Usually the laughter is at my expense but I let them enjoy it :)



Also, since most of my students are from the community and are non-believers, English class has been a great place to build a small community of friendships through study. Like I've said, learning English is no small task for these people and so those who have committed to enduring through this semester have been able to watch each other grow in the language while being able to share in each others lives. I'm so proud of their progress and happy to see friendships and a community being built reminding me once again the craving every one of us have for relationships and a safe accepting community to express ourselves. Two of my students (and their families) are now coming to church as a result of this! I'm so thankful for these English classes and the windows of opportunity I get to share testimonies of God's interventions in my life.

I'm convinced that, as believers, we carry the peace and joy of the Spirit in our lives and that this fruit is contagious!
I would just ask that you stand by me in prayer for these students, that they would taste and see that the Lord IS good through the joy and freedom that comes in a community of faith.

Because his love is better than life - Psalm 63:3

The Armor-Bearer

In 1 Samuel 14:1-13 there is an incredible story of how Jonathan, through a righteous indignation confronted and killed many of Israel's enemies. Although Jonathan's bravery and passion for God both inspires & challenges me, I want to talk about his Armor-bearer. When Jonathan approached his Armor-bearer to basically ask "are you with me in this", his Armor-bearer responded saying "Go ahead. Do what you think best. I'm with you all the way." (1Sam14:7msg) I was struck by the willingness of this young Armor-bearer to follow Jonathan in, what would seem like a suicide mission - yet because of this partnership they were able to attack one of the Philistine outposts & kill around 20 enemies. (2 men vs. 20 enemy soldiers!)

"I'm with you all the way"

The reason why I was so impacted by the Armor-bearer in this story is because, upon reading this story I immediately thought of my friend Sung-Jin Park. Nine months ago while attending a School of Worship in Montana USA I met Sung-Jin where we instantly became close friends. Not only that but he eventually took the place of my mentor, someone who has been genuinely interested & deeply invested in my spiritual growth as a person of faith. When he heard that I was planning on serving for a season in Daegu, South Korea (his home country), he felt that God had called him to come along with me to help with adjusting to the culture & church life. Since I arrived in South Korea, Sung-Jin has been nothing less then a selfless, humble example of Christ in my life & a present day Armor-bearer who's motivation has been "to be with me all the way".

The funny thing about this story is that the Armor-bearer doesn't get very much recognition. This reality has helped me come to the conclusion that, without the Armor-bearers in my life, I would not be where I am today. Jonathan would have been killed that day if not for his Armor-bearer. In my ministry in South Korea I tend to attract a lot of attention. People see me as a hero for being willing to leave my country and live in a completely different culture. The truth is, without the support of people like SungJin, family, friends and supporters behind the scenes, I wouldn't even be here.

In my selfish nature I tend to wish other people would be this kind of friend to me but I want to make it my goal to be an Armor-bearer friend to the people God puts in my life. To be there when it matters & support them in whatever direction they decide to go.

I just want to say thank you to all those who have invested in my life this far. You're a blessing!

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" Galatians 6:2

North - South

As you may have seen on the news, the conflict between North and South Korea has escallated through the recent attack of the South Korean 'Choenon' navy ship killing 46 soldiers. It was concluded that this attack was, in fact instigated by North Korea.

As a way of punishment, the South Korean president Lee Myung-Bak commanded all trade ties between North and South Korea to be halted. This will no doubt increase the already, hostile relationship between these two nations and cause Koreans to question how this situation will unravel. Many people I've spoken to here feel as though this has been a burden of uncertainty on their shoulders, not knowing what & when North Korea will do if forced into a corner.

The main factor in all this is North Korean President Kim Jong Il who is worshiped by all his followers. If you don't know much about North Korea, know that it is probably the most closed nation in the world right now, with some of the most devastating conditions, including mass malnutrition/starvation, concentration camps & re-education camps (with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 prisoners) for any sort of political dissenters & their entire families, & almost no freedom of expression, religion, press, or movement even within the country.


I would ask that you join us in prayer as we intercede on behalf of North and South Korea. That the same God who humbled the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar would also humble the foolish pride of North Korean president Kim Jong Il. Pray that China would not come to North Korea's aid but will join with the UN in hopes of denuclearizing this world threat and that the South Korean President (a Christian man!) would be given godly wisdom in how to approach this issue. We need to pray that North Korean threat would be smothered & that the North and South would one day unite as one as a nation dominated by God's word.

I'm confident in God's activity and capability to intervene. It's a privilege to be caught in the middle of what breaks God's heart and participate in prayer for a peaceful resolution to this threat. Let's believe in the power of prayer!

"But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites." 1 Samuel 7:10

My Korean Friends

Don't give up!

The Next Generation!

Things are heating up quickly in Daegu now that May has arrived. SungJin and I went to turn on the AC today only to find it broken so we're hoping the church will provide a new one so we don't melt away in our stuffy apartment. Let me just say that heat over here is a lot different from heat back home in Canada. People here always assume Canada to be a place of ice, snow and polar bears but I have to explain that we do actually encounter a decent amount of heat in the summer and so this is always surprising for Koreans. The only major difference with the heat here is the high humidity levels. As I experienced living in Taiwan last year, humidity can be a suffocating reality in the summer months and so I'm preparing for another intense summer season here in South Korea. Theres nothing better then coming home drenched in sweat with the AC set to 'North Pole'. Looking forward to getting that AC...

I've been experiencing a lot of great community in these last few weeks as SungJin and I have opened our apartment up to the youth and University Students in the church and area. This has been such a refreshing time of growth for me, being an 'expressive introvert' (someone who appears to be an extrovert but is secretly an introvert..shhh!) and having people hang out at my place all the time, eat my food and sleep in my bed with me has been a good test for me but I'm really learning a lot about valuing community and investing in the youth here in being a source of encouragement and stability in their lives. The other night at 2am one Korean buddy comes into our house, turns on the light and says "can I sleep here?" Half asleep, annoyed and concerned I half muttered him to come in and so he jumped right into bed with me and slept the rest of the night. This 'open-door' policy definitely has its moments but praise God that these youth can have a safe place to come and hang out. We will provide this for them.



We've put on our wall a map of the world with the hopes to inspire the youth to get a vision for where in the world God has called them to go as well as big pieces of paper where we write down our prayer requests, visions and every-day things we're thankful for. This has made for such a encouraging and empowering atmosphere to have vision and gratitude a constant reminder in our times together.



Learning to value community in Christ,

Jer

English Worship Service!

Use; a means of accomplishing a purpose

Hey friends,

Another week of ministry in Daegu has left me overwhelmingly appreciative of the work God has done and is continuing to do in the lives of these people! This sunday I was told by a church member that 4 women that attend my weekday English class brought their husbands and children to church this sunday. Considering these women aren't believers, this was exciting news to know that God is using my simple English Class to create a curiosity in them for the community that is found in Jesus.

Also, theres been a woman who attends the English Bible Study that I've been leading every Saturday that I've been confused for the last couple weeks about. She's been attending this bible study for the last couple weeks yet doesn't speak or understand any english at all and hasn't been able to hear or participate in our discussions. This Saturday I decided to ask her (through a translator) why she should would want to come to an English Bible study when she clearly was unable to follow. She told me that when she first attended that she felt the kindness I had brought to her and the people in the group and that even though she couldn't understand what we were talking about, she could sense the atmosphere of depth and passion in our times that she was drawn to. I learnt that she was not even a Christian and didn't know anything about this bible and so, in a state of amazement, we as a group began to share the gospel with her and a basic understanding of the bible. I think this was a powerful time for all of us to be reminded of the simple reality that God, out of pure love, would create man and would want a relationship with him. The message of Jesus, the cross and the resurrection is the most beautiful story of the relentless love of a relentless Father and it was such a privilege to share this message and see the expressions of amazement in her eyes.

In the parable of the Prodigals Son there is captivating imagery of a Fathers refusal to give up on his Son. In spite the Son's destructive and selfish lifestyle, the Father (who has every right to disregard him) comes running from the distance in a state of uncontainable passion for his lost Son. In that moment the Son learns what unconditional love means...

I hope I can share more stories like these every week and that more people come to know the God who loves them without condition. What an honor to be used to shuttle this message to a world void of hope.

Because His love is better than life.

Rest

Hey friends,

In South Korea they say "bally bally" which is an expression that loosely means "busy busy culture". After over a month of ministry in Dream Church I have begun to understand that this expression is a major understatement. I've jumped on the South Korean treadmill and am feeling the burn of all the responsibilities I have here. A few things I've learnt from ministry life or any type of high-RPM work is that rest and focus are very important ingredients of a healthy lifestyle. I remember one of my teachers in my School of Worship tell me that "we can't expect to give unless we've received". Youth Pastor Lee shared a story with me about how ten years ago he was a workaholic and had a lot of stress in his life. He told me that through this stress he developed a heart condition that forced him to slow down and not work so hard. A major message he gives to the youth is the importance of sabbath rest. I'm learning that it is MY responsibility to make sure that I'm rested, not stressed and spiritually motivated so that I can give the most to those who are in my sphere of influence. Some practical ways I've tried to make this a reality is attending a gym five days a week in the morning, this has been a great outlet for mental and physical re-energizing. Extra things apart from prayer and reading the Word that I've found to be like booster cables in my life are podcasts, inspiring books and uplifting music. (If you want to hear some good suggestions I'd be glad to hook you up!) I think, ultimately its all about submission. Letting go and reminding myself (yourself) that your ministry is not yours or mine but God's. He'll make it happen!

The ministries have gone very well so far and I'm starting to really enjoy my responsibilities. My English classes that I lead twice a week are growing like mad! I've gone from 14 students in the first week and am now breaking 20 students in each class and have had to upgrade my classroom to fit all the new people. I've tried to make these classes as easy-going as possible as most of the students are fairly overwhelmed by learning the English language. I think this laid back atmosphere has helped the students feel more comfortable and confident in learning as well as building new relationships. Some members of my class are non-Christians so my prayer is that through the genuine joy and peaceful atmosphere that they'll be pulled towards the joy and peace that Jesus brings. Please partner with me in this!

Overall, throughout all the chaos of Korean ministry, I feel free and I can only attribute that to the Spirit of God. He is so faithful to lift me up when my Spirit is low. I hope you can learn the beauty of submission as I am learning. Even in the craziness of life, He wants you to relinquish your control so that he can have control.

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

Resting in His yoke
-Jeremy

Dream Church Speech

English Worship Service

Here are a few pictures from this Sunday. I was teaching them about the Romans 12:21 principle "do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good".
It is a privilege to invest godly principles into these young kids. They wear me out though...

Happy Easter!

Arrested by Him who died in my place
-Jeremy

The Addictive Culture

After living in Daegu for almost a month now I am finally somewhat adjusted to the demands of being an English Minister. It has taken longer then I expected but I never realized just how different the culture and church operates. Let me explain...

In the last couple weeks I've been able to spend some time with some of the ministers from Dream church and go out for coffee with them. One man (Pastor Lee) has been an especially good friend to me here and has taken me out during church office hours to hang out and show me around. Last week he took me to the University that he graduated from and introduced me to some of his old professors and even played ping-pong with one of them who taught me how to execute a perfect 'smash'. This was way too much fun and so what I needed after sitting in an office chair for most of the week. Pastor Lee and I talked a lot about Korean culture and I asked several questions about how Koreans have come to be so dedicated and passionate people. He explained to me that when he was a kid most of Korea was in poverty and that there was no variety in food or clothing like there is today. Since the war with North Korea in 1950, South Korea has exploded out of poverty and is now one of the greatest authorities and competitors in the global market.
" 'Miracle on the Han River' refers to South Korea's highly accelerated export-fueled economic growth, overnight industrialization, technological achievement, education boom, exponential rise in living standards, rapid urbanization, skyscraper boom, modernization, successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympics and 2002 FIFA World Cup, fast democratization and globalization that miraculously transformed the country from the ashes of the Korean war to a wealthy and highly developed country today with a globally influential trillion dollar economy and well-known multinational conglomerates such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai-Kia." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_the_Han_River

Many Christians in South Korea attribute this staggering economic growth to a Word God gave to the South Korean people after the war and that was "follow me I will give you food and water" (I will prosper you). Looking at the nation now it is almost undenyable to believe anything different as there are churches scattered across the landscape these highly populated cities. When I arrived in Seoul and was driving through the 11 million population city I noticed throughout all the bright lights that there were hundreds of red crosses everywhere you looked. SungJin (my korean buddy) explained that these crosses where all churches. I couldn't believe it! The saying when I was living in Montana USA was that there are as many bars and casinos as there are churches but in South Korea there as many Churches as there are corner stores.

Pastor Lee (who has majored in counselling) explained that Koreas are an 'addictive' culture. These people devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue whether it be running a cell phone business, restaurant or vending on the street, they place on themselves the highest standard of success. I have to tell you that shopping is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have in South Korea. Because of the high plane of competition here, every store, shop, vendor, business will treat you like a King in order to keep you as a customer and have you come back to their shop. Here is a perfect example; when looking to buy a cell phone here I walked into one little shop (there are dozens of cell of phone shops on one street) and was greeted with hospitality by a family who offered me coffee and chocolate as SungJin and I took a look at the vast variety of cell phones for sale. Unaware of their activity, (SungJin explained later..) the owners wife ran over to the mall where her daughter (who speaks english) was working at the time and brought her back to the store so that she could help translate and help me find the best plan for a cell phone. She pulled her daughter out of her job just to help me buy a cell phone that I didn't even end up buying! This is the reality in South Korea, every product that you could think of is readily available and people are waiting for you to walk in to their store and help you get the best possible deal.

To an outsider (like me!) this addictive culture is admirable in the way their determination to meet the need of each customer but unfortunately 'addictive' is never a good word. Pastor Lee shared that this same mentality is operating in the church. The innocent desire to build a successful, god-fearing church is shared by all churches in South Korea but leaves the church "looking like the rest of the culture" He said that, while all the church services and programs are helpful and beneficial in spiritual growth church members are expected to meet these expectations and end up neglecting essential things in life like family and Sabbath rest. Depression and suicide is growing rapidly in South Korea which Pastor Lee attributes to broken families and unrealistic expectations placed on children for their academic performance.

These are a few realities about South Korea that I've learnt so far... I've realized through Pastor Lee that dedication and passion can also have negative ramifications as well as positive. I want to dig deeper into these issues and next time bring more of a positive position on the lifestyle of the Korean people.
This week coming up to Easter I've had to get up at 4:30am for 5am services every day. This seems extreme but as I sat there unaware of anything being said (because of the Korean language) I was able to sense the atmosphere of reverence for Jesus, the lamb that was slaughtered for the sin of the world. I think this reality is worthy of early morning reflection and meditation..Paul said "that I might know Him and the power of the resurrection"

My prayer is that we would simply know him and be wrecked by the reality of the cross.

I'm so thankful for this challenging experience in South Korea, please pray that I would serve and love these people.

Long live the slaughtered Lamb!

Jeremy

What a week!

I've survived another full Sunday in Daegu and will live to tell the tale. As an English Minister I am required to attend three out of four church services, one of which is the English Worship Service that I have taken on as my main ministry with Dream Church. Before you think I'm complaining about this I want you to know, as enthusiastic as I can be through words, that I have been challenged and inspired by the dedication and love for Jesus that these Korean people possess! What would seem to be legalistic and ceremonial from a western perspective - through the dress code of suits and ties to the fine polished layout of the church building, the atmosphere of passion for God in worship as well as the love people have for each member is truly moving. At some point in every service the Senior Pastor will lead the congregation in a "Blessing Song" where all the people move into the isles, hold hands and sing a song of blessing for one another. As I would stand there singing this song people will slowly cycle their eyes to one another, bow and smile. I was so amazed by this sense of community and value people had for one another.

My first day leading this English Worship Service was very encouraging for me. The fears of being eaten alive by some 50 young rambunctious kids has definitely been playing on me in these last few days of preparation but I think it went a lot better then I expected. What I'm learning with kids is...well...they have severe A.D.D and it is a miracle to keep their attention for more then 10 seconds. So what I'm learning is that I have to be somewhat like a clown, very EXPRESSIVE and LOUD so as to catch their attention. SungJin and I really felt led to have a worship time where the kids could learn new worship songs in English and have an encounter with God. It was awesome to see the kids get so excited about the songs and jump around in freedom. After this I shared a message about how we were created in God's image to bear his likeness of Joy, Peace and Love and about what happened when sin entered the world and distorted the way we were made. Although it was a simple children's message I couldn't help but be impacted by the reality that we are TRULY made in God's image and possess every characteristic of Jesus inside of us if we would just harness it. All in all I had a great time but so exhausted! This is a whole new ball game for me...

A highlight for me lately was attending a church members wedding yesterday that, as one of the Ministers of Dream Church I am expected to appear at. I was invited to ride with the Senior Pastor and his wife and share with them about my life journey of going from hockey dreams to unhealthy lifestyles to the beautiful intervention of God who brought me into YWAM DTS is Kona Hawaii three years ago. While arriving at this wedding it was a privilege to stand beside such an influencial and respected man as the Senior Pastor. He introduced me to various grey haired men and then we made our way to the buffet where I indulged in various Korean dishes. The food was so yummy! Through conversation I found out that he is a golf fanatic so he was very happy to find out that I also loved playing golf. His wife wasn't too impressed to find this out..apparently he golfs too much but I'm really pumped to go golfing with him sometime.

Anyways, I could go on but this is a tid bit of my life so far in Daegu. I've been here for a week yet it's felt like months. It's such a fast culture and I feel I can barely keep up to everything but I'm still adjusting and looking forward to new relationships and God stories.

Thanks God!
-Jer

A New Adventure Begins

Hey friends,
I've been in South Korea for a week now and am starting to settle down in a new environment and culture. The church has welcomed SungJin and I with open arms; this last Sunday I attended 4 of the churches services where I was properly introduced as the English Minister for Dream Church. Attending the Korean services was an interesting experience for me since all I could do was mindlessly gaze around the room and read my bible - thankfully I'll only be expected to attend two out of the four services! Although I couldn't understand the words of the songs the worship was very enthusiastic and I could definitely sense the presence of God through the atmosphere of joy and wonder - I'm looking forward to many more worship times like this.

My official church work for this next season in Daegu Dream Church will be to lead a Sunday Service for Children; including worship, teaching and group exercises with the intention of raising up these kids in the Lord while providing them with English competency. This will my first ministry experience with children so I'm praying that God will give me that practical skills and heart to teach these little kiddies biblical principals and english speaking skills. I have a feeling they will they'll be the ones teaching me..
During the week it will be my responsibility to run English Classes for the church members as well as the surrounding community. I have had some experience teaching English during my time in Taiwan but never anything to this degree so it'll be interesting to see how this looks.

Since here I've tried so many new foods including; octopus, sushi, different varieties of kimchi, weird fish, tofu and all kinds of foreign vegetables. I never thought I could ever stomach some of these fishy dishes and mouth burning spices but amazingly I've really enjoyed most of the food here.

This is all I have time for right now but just wanted to fill you in on some basics and let you know that I'm alive. I love living in new cultures..there is so much more I want to tell you about South Korea but I'll have to save it for another time.

Blessings.
Jeremy 선교사