Dusting Off Diamonds

The other night while eating dinner with some of the kids at the children’s home we were discussing their studies.  A 9th grader, Soo Jin, then asked me if I could see her as either a doctor or as a teacher.  She wasn’t sure which would fit her better.  I thought for a moment about how Soo Jin has good people skills, is smart, and how the kids tend to listen to her.  I told her I could see her more as a college professor, not just as a teacher.  That got her thinking some, staring off as she thought about the potential.  I think she had limited herself to a regular teacher and the thought of being a professor increased her confidence in herself. 

I then brought up North Korea with her.  The kids know of my plans to eventually go into the country to build children homes and a number of them have pledged to go with me, but I know they don’t know much about North Korea and that it seems more like a dream than a soon reality.  I told Soo Jin that rather than teaching or medical work, I could see her directing one of the children’s homes, due to both her experience and those character traits I listed above (and other reasons as well).  I told her that with sincereity. 

Today as I was praying for my kids I felt God prod me to make a document with their names listed and pray over each kid, listing the positive traits I feel God has given them and then a possible job God might call them into.  For some of the tougher kids it was a little harder to think of positive traits at first, but I as I prayed I could see that where there is stubborness in a child there is actually persistance and loyalty.  Where there is anger and passion there is actually a warrior spirit waiting to be revealed.  Their sinfulness is not of them, it’s of the enemy.  When the Spirit comes in greater measure, those traits will either be wiped away or redeemed.  These kids have so many diamonds within them, they just need to be dusted off and revealed. 

I’m realizing more and more that the influence God gives us over people is to be used for His glory.  We are meant to draw out the gold from people.  God is continuing to show me the power of the words I speak over the kids.  That as I speak belief into them of who they are and the potential they hold (“I could see you as a college professor”), they are able to develop into that potential and even more. 

Isaiah 45:3a – I will give you the treasures of darkness; riches stored in secret places.

What Happens When Kids Take My Camera…

Some of the girls in Love Room got a hold of my camera for a while as I was in another room.  Soo Yun took most of the pictures.  Enjoy!

Soo Yun and Min Seung

Inquisitive Hae Ran

Soo Yun pretending to sleep

Min Seung pretending

Da Heen

Jin Hwa… the girls loved doing this

Hae Ran

Soo Yun

Getting goofier

With Hae Ran flinging their long hair

Not sure what is going on here…

Hae Ran

My favorite of the pictures

Last, Soo Yun with Hyun Hee (our only senior in high school)

God bless!

They Will Be Called Oaks (Isaiah 61:3)

Different people have asked me why it seems we have to pray for the same things so often, whether for the children in the orphanage ministry or for small group members or even in prayer for North Korea.  There can be a desire to see progress and move into something different. 

I’ve realized that this continual prayer is like plowing the ground and watering the seeds.  There is a continual need for watering and sometimes it can seem mundane, but there is something that is happening underneath the surface that can only continue to develop if the water continues to be poured out.  And for the bigger plants/trees, it will often take a longer time for life to appear above the surface.  But even then watering is still needed.  And for the greatest of trees, this watering must go on for years. 

This is the heart of God, also known as the Master Gardener or the Owner of the Vineyard.  He continually pours out and never loses patience.  This is also the heart of a good father and a good mother.  It may seem like its the same prayers and the same actions towards their children over the years, but there is the knowledge that at some point the child will bear good fruit and return a blessing, both for the parents and for the world around them.  Continual prayer can require patience, perseverance, and faith, but I really believe it reveals the Father’s heart of God.

Isaiah 64:4 – From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. 

Yay for Miscellaneous!

Its time for a miscellaneous photo update… I have some random pics from the past month or two that never made it up here… hope you enjoy!

Love Room girls getting treated to wolf dip… the wonderful chip dip I like to make for the kids now and then =)

Some of the other girls… the dip was gone in minutes

Young Sun’s birthday party before he left the home (he graduated in February)

The candles made an interesting glare off of Ye Rang’s glasses… but we still had a good time^^

Girls taking over my cell phone camera… this is Soo Jin

Sun Ran

Yoo Jin and Young Eun… typical Korean pose…

Wii pictures… boxing with Soo Ah

I like this picture of her, despite the blur… she was good!

Girls playing Mario Kart… I love their facial expressions… Se Bin (third from left) seems to be winning…

Uh oh, struggling now…

Doing better now… Soo Ah (far right) ended up being the best of the group… quite the concentration for a 4th grader!

God bless!

The Backwards Great Commission

The video below is part 2 of a great message by Jaeson Ma.  He was a former gang member/drug addict who got saved and has gone wholeheartedly after the Lord.  In this video he is speaking at the University of Texas.  Part 1 is good but part 2 is where the really good stuff is.  He is just beginning to speak about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).  Enjoy!

God bless!

Buffet Time!

A few weeks ago we celebrated Pastor Chae’s birthday by all going to a really nice buffet place near the home.  It was a high class place and it was funny to see the kids react to the table settings and all the food that was offered.  At one point the younger boys discovered the sugar cubes near the coffee machines and devoured those for a while before we realized what they were doing.  That made for some very hyper young boys…   Enjoy the pics!

Sun Hee and Soo Ah

Jung Hwan, Do Kyoon (dignified look) and Byung Ho

With Dal Woo… dignified… but not really…

Pastor Chae, his wife, and some of the kids singing happy birthday to him

Everyone laughing except Sung Shik who has quite a funny expression on his face… not sure just what happened

Won Bin and Han Bin

Eun Ji, Jin Hwa, and Da Heen peeking over at me 

Yo Han and Min Shik

Il Ho and Soo Hoon… weird picture, but its all good…

I had some better pictures but the files aren’t uploading for some reason… those will have to do…

God bless!

“If Jesus has all authority, then that means that someone has none“ (quote by Kris Vallotton)

I had a dream last week that I entered a house that had a thick, oppressive atmosphere about it.  I knew the place had a strong demon in it.  A woman and a man, owners of the house, came to me and were thankful I had arrived.  They had been praying for a while and she didn’t seem in the best of shape.  I took authority over the evil spirit and commanded it to leave.  Immediately the oppressive weight in the air lifted and the place became brighter.  Praise God!

But then the scene changed and I felt like I was in a very scary horror movie.  Some sort of monster/huge demon was coming towards the neighborhood and it got extremely dark outside.  I saw people shutting up their homes hoping the evil presence would pass them by.  I too began to close up the house I was in and felt fear filling me because the demon approaching was so huge and menacing.  And then I woke up…

Immediately upon waking up I felt anger and frustration in my spirit.  I was frustrated that I had let myself get scared.  I was angry that I hadn’t gone outside and run at the demon.  I had just taken authority over one and cast it out.  Why was I now scared of one that was “bigger” but still absolutely no match for the Holy Spirit?  This would be like David taking down Goliath but then running from a giant who is two feet bigger than Goliath.  What’s the big difference?  In the natural we don’t have a chance either way, but in the spirit there is no giant big enough to overcome us. 

What it comes down to is identity.  When we fully know who we are in God, there is no room for fear or shrinking back (1John 4:18, Romans 8:37-39, Hebrews 10:37-39).  Instead we walk in confidence knowing that we are sons of God, royalty, seated in the heavenly realms, fearless and powerful (2Timothy 1:7).  If Jesus has all authority, then that means someone has none. 

God bless!

Videos!

My new phone has a video option on it and my kids like it a lot.  Here are a few recent videos taken on it…

In this first one I’m in Love Room (girls dorm room) on a Monday evening.  My friend Anna in the video volunteers there Monday nights and teaches two kids, including the one who happily greets me in this video (Hae Ran).  Soo Jin’s English has improved a lot and I’m proud of her, despite her lovely words for me in the video.  =)

Hae Ran wanted to video me and I finally conceded.  She shoots me for a bit before running around the room.  I apologize because it gets crazy once she starts running around.  I chose not to edit that part out though.

Min Ho is our youngest boy outside of the baby room.  Here he performs a Christmas song for me.  You’ll probably catch the word “Bethlehem” in it.  If you don’t, its okay, just enjoy his cuteness.  =)

Last, here is a video documenting my hopeless competitiveness.  I am way too competitive!  But I am working on it!  I take down poor Soo Ah twice in Wii boxing before letting her get me once.  I will say in my defense that the other kids get upset if I don’t try, but I imagine I would have chosen to win anyway.  I’m sorry!  I’m working on it!  =)

God bless!

Identity #29 – I am a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12:1)

As with every identity we have in Christ, this one is a choice.  We can choose to be a light in the world.  We can choose to walk in freedom.  We can choose to walk in friendship with God.  There is a reason why we need to claim these identities, speak them out over our lives, and walk in them. 

The body that we are born into is a body that carries the consequences of sin.  Since Adam and Eve, all of man have beared these consequences… sickness, sin, aging, and death.  Our body, if it had its way, would only look out for itself.  Like any animal, we would live only for our survival and for our pleasure.  But in God we are a new creation (identity #1).  And in order for us to overcome the desires of our body, or of our flesh, we have to be filled with God’s power and His grace.  And in order to receive this power and this grace, we need to offer ourselves over to Him. 

When a sacrifice is set on the altar, flames are then set underneath it.  All the fat and all the toxins are burned away.  A pleasing aroma comes forth.  For us, its as we set ourselves before God and lay down our desires, our will, and our bodies, that His fire comes down on us and begins to purge us of all that is not of Him.  Some people fear this process because they want to hold onto parts of themselves.  What we have to understand though is that God created us and knows us through and through.  His fire comes only to purge the things that the enemy and this world has put in us.  As His fire burns and as we walk as living sacrifices, we are then able to be who He truly created us to be. 

God bless!