December 29, 2011
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Six Years
Six years ago on December 29th, 2005 I flew out to Korea. I arrived on December 30th, which just so happens to be my wife’s birthday.
For my first three years I lived in the children’s home with my focus almost solely on my kids. Then for two and a half years I lived by myself in a small, simple apartment near the home with God opening up more areas of ministry within my church and the city. And now for the past few months I have been living with my wife in a much homier apartment with God releasing visions for even more.
For my first year I had almost no friends outside of the children’s home and was barely involved in my church outside of Sunday service and Sunday Bible study. For the following three years I served faithfully as a member on the church’s prayer team, attending Friday prayer meetings and gradually getting more involved. For the past two years I became a pastor and led a church plant team of 10 into another part of Seoul to help establish a church that averaged about 95 people this month in attendance.
For my first year I started a small orphanage volunteering ministry with two other people (one who had to quit within the first few months) and we had about 7 volunteers join us. Since then well over a hundred people have volunteered part time, four more people have volunteered full time, and we have held 9 Christmas Secret Angels for two homes, 4 summer soccer camps, 3 winter arts and crafts camps, and one mission trip to Thailand with some of the kids.
All this to say that God is good. He is so good! I had no idea what to expect when I first arrived in Korea. I had my own little five year plan and some of that was indeed fulfilled, but what God has brought me through has been far greater than I had expected. I’ve learned that the safest and most joyful place I can be is completely in His will and fully looking to Him. I never thought that living as a missionary could be so joyful, but I should have known since joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit. =)
Here is to an even better 7th year in Korea! God is good!!!
