냇 킹 콜...

So we're walking down the street passing little shops and produce markets. We stop in one store to speak with a lady, and she invites us in. I sit down with her on the little stoop in the back and begin to share the gospel message with her. My translator is kneeling in front of us, and the lady listens intently. As my translator is speaking, something odd competes for my attention. I hear it in the background as I share the next part of my message, and as the translator takes over, my mind focuses on the sound.

"Unforgettable... that's what you are...." Here I am, halfway around the world, in a tiny fish shop in the middle of an old neighborhood in South Korea. And from an old radio nearby comes the familiar sound of Nat King Cole. As I've said about a hundred other moments... only in Korea.

P.S. In case you haven't guessed already, the title of this post is "Nat King Cole" in Korean.

Not House Guests Anymore...

Isaac, Sayone, Hanul & Sarang were kind enough to open their home to us. Mike has been coming here every October for the last 5 years, and my history with this family is well documented. Therefore, it's no surprise that we are no longer the strange American house guests. We are family.

Sayone asked me how I like my bacon... then she just said, "Here, you cook."
Sarang and HanulMike even helped to unclog the toilet. Of course, it was his fault anyway, but that's another story.

Does God Have A Plan?

Monday began a long week of running here and there to share the gospel with people. As most of the volunteers are stay at home mother's, many of the appointments are with other stay at home mothers. My team (5 of us) piled into a little car and dashed off. We were going to see a seamstress at a local mall. Upon seeing us, she busied herself and would not allow us to share. It was a disappointing start, but as we reached the car, we met the parking attendant. (I impressed everyone by producing the correct amount of change when he told the driver what she owed.)

As he walked away, someone suggested we chase him down and share with him. We followed and realized he was too busy with his job, so we stepped into a salon instead. The place was empty except for two ladies who listened patiently and responded to the gospel message. One of them shared that she was already a Christian.

As the conversation progressed, one of our team realized that she lives next to the lady's mother-in-law and has actually met her daughter. Information about Calvary Church was shared, and she commented that she has lately been feeling God leading her in another direction and had prayed the previous day that God would lead her to a church where she could serve and fulfill her potential.

So, did God lead us down the street after the parking attendant only to redirect us into this salon? YES! God knows exactly what He is doing. All we have to do is follow. Disappointment was changed to joy.

The rest of the day was filled with such encounters. A young mother in her apartment. A Buddhist dry cleaning man who reluctantly listened as he worked. At one stop, we hurriedly pulled into the only available space right in front of the door. One of the ladies said, "God prepared." I agreed.


An afternoon visit was to a group of ladies at some sort of community center. I was told it was a group who gather to teach their children English and was asked to share the gospel and then to read them a couple of stories in English. They were very receptive and all accepted Jesus except for one who was already a Christian.

The children were alot of fun. They each have English names and I asked them questions and engaged them in simple conversation. They all communicated well except for Dora who was quite shay and Daniel who started laughing every time I said something to him. Jimmy arrived late. As the door opened, he took one look at me standing there, turned and reached for his mother and said, "Anyooooooooooo!" (That means "Nooooooo!") After several attempts, she finally got him into the room. He clung to her and hid his face for a while, but eventually, during my reading time, he opened up. Boy did he open up. These kids are 5 years old. He knew every animal name and every color in English. I finally had to ask him to wait and let one of the other children answer. At the end, he wouldn't join the group photo, but I managed to sneak one of him.

(LtoR) Jamie,
Bill, Dora
& Daniel









Jimmy

Lazy Days and Sundays...

Unlike our June 2008 trip when they got us working right away, we spent Saturday resting at the mission house. It's in another part of Seoul about a 30 minute drive from Calvary church. We visited with Pastor Won and Missionary Robert Hale from Daejeon. (Parkway Baptist where most of our team is from is Robert's home church back in Knoxville.) We walked the neighborhood and shopped (mostly for food), and Benny wondered how we would eat it all. We managed.

Saturday night, we decided to go to Outback Steakhouse right there in the neighborhood. We got into 2 taxis and started off. I showed my driver the written name Robert had given me. (Robert was in the other car.) We drove and drove, and the longer we did, the more confused our driver looked. He kept muttering something to himself, but I didn't know what about. Finally he called the free interpretation phone number and the nice lady on the other end told me that "The driver apologizes but the steakhouse has moved and he doesn't know where."

The driver indicated that he would take us to the nearest Outback Steakhouse he could find. But as I glanced at his GPS and saw the distances, I suddenly envisioned 4 lonely Americans lost in a sea of Koreans, so we went back to the house instead. We planned to call Robert to see where he was, but my phone (the only international one) was locked up in my room and Mike (one of my roommates) had the only key...in the other taxi. Eventually Cheryl remembered a door in her room and we discovered that it adjoined ours.

Robert, Steve and Mike were enjoying a traditional Korean meal at some restaurant in the vicinity of the missing Outback, so Cheryl, Benny, Judy and I ordered a pizza. It was a great beginning.

Sunday was much better. Pastor Won, Isaac and the Ninja (more on him later) picked us up around 7:00 a.m. and we went to our home-stays near the church. After some time with them we gathered for Sunday service. I was excited to see my praise team friends and enjoyed singing with them again. I sang a solo ("Give Us Clean Hands") during both morning worship times, and Benny brought a challenging message encouraging the Christ-like resolution to problems withing the church.

We enjoyed lunch with the church people and spent the afternoon witnessing in the church cafe. Around 3:00 p.m., I joined the Praise Team again to rehearse for the special service at 7:30 that night. We sang and laughed and sang some more. I was standing with Gun Yung the teen boy who couldn't find me a taxi back in January. He still apologizes when I tease him, but says he doesn't mind.

Around 5:00 p.m. things were ending and Yeon Hee said, "Jeff, let's go to the 3rd floor to eat chicken." Everyone gathered and we ate Korean Fried Chicken (my name) and then a couple of pizzas arrived. We laughed and talked for about an hour and then everyone got up and someone said to me, "Now we will go eat dinner." I can't believe these people are so small.

The night was topped off by Pyung Su, the worship leader asking me to sing a duet with him. That's an intimidating prospect. We sang "You Know Better Than I" which turns out to be one of the songs God used in my own time of struggle back in the winter. He is quite the singer, but I felt I held my own and was thrilled.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

Have you ever had motion sickness? There's nothing like it in the world. I've been car sick, sea sick, air sick and amusement park sick. I'm an expert. I know the beginning signs, and I know effective remedies for every stage of it. The problem is that the only way to stop it completely is to stop moving. But there's nothing you can about that in an airplane.

I spent the last third of our main flight to Incheon struggling with air sickness. I tried to sleep and went to the head (sounds more dramatic in this case) several times, with some temporary relief. Still, I could not eat the second meal of our flight, and my discomfort progressively got worse. The attentiveness of the beautiful young Korean flight attendants didn't even matter to me. I was really sick.

Side note: They really don't like it if you try to get out of your seat when you're landing. I had to rush to the head again during final approach. Two little ladies about broke down the door to get me back in my seat. They were sweet but insistant, so I complied. I know they will hold the plane on the runway if that happens during take off, and for a brief moment I was amused at the thought of the plane coming to a screeching halt in midair. But it didn't last.

Finally on the ground, I immediately felt better, but I wasn't cured. And during the hour long drive to the mission house, I had to stop a couple of times to the deep concern of our Korean hosts. Days later, people were still asking if I was OK. I told them of my long night's sleep and my hunger Saturday morning. Severe hunger is a great sign. I ate two eggs, several strips of bacon, a bowl of cereal and 5 pieces of thick toast. Much better!

Here We Go Again...

I'm reminded of an old Conway Twitty song...

"Hello darlin'... nice to see you... it's been a long tiiiiiiiiiiiiiime...."

You may think there's a double meaning there, but there's not. It's just been a long time since I wrote anything. I can't believe I allowed the distractions of life to stop me, but I did. Now that I'm away from them, I'm actually busier, but I find the old urgency to share coming back.

So I'm in Korea again, sharing the gospel, singing, and reacquainting with old friends. Pray for us as we work. Pray that hearts will be open to the truth of God's love for them. Pray for Calvary church as it struggles through some tough times. Pray that Satan and his army will be barred from the door. Pray for God's spirit to wash away anything that is not of Him and that His path will be clearly seen.

Eye Opener...

Eye openers can come from strange sources. Some time ago, I stumbled upon the Introduction of our 1991 Baptist Hymnal. I was shocked to read the following: "In the year 1690, Baptist churches in England were embroiled in a divisive controversy. At issue was the question of whether to permit congregational singing in the worship services."

Can you believe it? At that time, tradition was for only one or a few singers to offer praise on behalf of the people. The idea of the entire congregation joining together in song was unheard of. What we take for granted today was at that time a new idea, met with hostility and distrust. I can hear it now. "Thou hast not performed it in this manor prior." Tradition had taken over, and biblical singing as enjoyed by the early church was a foreign concept.

The following year (1691), progressive pastor Benjamin Keach, published one of the first hymnals. In the appendix of this new worship tool, he wrote the following: "'Tis a hard case that any Christian should object against that duty which Christ and His Apostles, and the Saints of all ages in their publick assemblies were found in the practice of it; but 'tis no easie thing to break people of a mistaken notion, and an old prejudice taken up against the precious truth of Christ. The Lord will, I hope satisfy all His people about this heavenly ordinance in due time, and they shall not call it a Carnal nor a Formal thing anymore."

We scoff at narrow minded people such as those who did not allow congregational singing. But we are no better. We like the comfortable, and new methods tend to make us nervous. Of course, everything we do must be measured against God's Word, and just because it's fresh and innovative doesn't mean it's right. However, we must take care to understand the difference between "preference" and "conviction". My preference must make room for authentic, God inspired methods of sharing the Gospel message. What spoke volumes yesterday may not necessarily communicate today, and the bible is filled with fresh expressions of the ancient truths of God.

Isn't it nice to know that new ideas have been making people uncomfortable for centuries. It happens to each of us at one time or another. Change can be a good thing, and when measured against God's Word, I don't have to avoid or resist it. I can look at the experiences of others and know that growing pains are part of God's plan.

The Woodcutter...

Recently I was reading in Nehemiah. In it, we see dedication to the Lord's task and bombardment from the enemy. Satan repeatedly attempted to discourage the work of the people as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. They persevered, and I regularly go to this book for encouragement.

I was reading chapter 10 the other day and discovered something unexpected. Many times, God surprises me with a nice little jewel, seemingly buried within the routine. The people had just finished the wall and many exiles had returned. They publicly read the law, observed the Festival of Booths, and confessed their sin. (The Festival of Booths is observed by constructing and living in a temporary shelter in order to remember their deliverance from Egypt and journey through the wilderness.)

Following this, the people joined together in a vow to God. They recommitted themselves to observing the prescribed ordinances and laws. They also detailed their offerings and donations to the temple, including silver, grain and animals for the offerings. As I read, I was halted by verse 34: "We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our ancestral houses at the appointed times each year. They are to bring [the wood] to our God's house to burn on the altar of the Lord our God as it is written in the law." The last phrase refers to Leviticus 6:12 where the priests are instructed to keep a fire burning on the altar, but I have never thought or read about the donation of wood.

I've cut wood all my life. You could say it's a family thing. I remember watching my dad return home after dark with a truck load of firewood. I remember finally being old enough to go with him. I remember early mornings, peanut butter and honey sandwiches and our old Coleman water jug. I remember the smells and the sounds (man sounds: engines and grunting). I remember the work. And I remember the satisfaction.

I've never been very good at naming trees, but I can tell you how they will burn. In Boy Scouts, I specialized in towers and campfires. I can build you a fire that will burn for days and won't fall down. And I enjoy it. There is nothing like the smell of a freshly cut tree, and a warm, crackling fire is a great reward. That's why I was stopped by verse 34.

I can see the woodcutter. He has cut wood all his life. He cuts wood for his home and perhaps to sell to his neighbors, and he enjoys a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. But today is different. Today is special, because he is cutting wood for the temple. Today, the results of his handiwork will serve the Lord God on the altar of sacrifice. I can almost feel the joy he feels, and I can hear him singing as he works.

(To the tune of "London Bridges")
Cuttin' firewood for my Lord... for my Lord... for my Lord...
Cuttin' firewood for my Lord... and His Temple.

As I enjoyed this picture, God reminded me of something Paul said in Colossians 3:23-24: "Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ."

The woodcutter is encouraged to have the same joy whether he is cutting for the temple or his own cook fire. I am to rejoice in whatever task is before me, not because of recognition or even the satisfaction of finishing the job. I am to work with all my heart...for Him. My joy comes from knowing that every effort is for the Lord, and I continually praise Him for the privilege.