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