광주 to
Christ!
Jonathan's Journal
WANTED: MISSIONARY FOR CHRIST - Some traveling required
Day 1 – July 12, 2011
July 11,2011, we began our first traditional term in Korea. The time line of this is as follows
Went to bed at 1:30 am (est),
Got up at 3:30 am(est)
Left for Airport at 4:20 am(est)
Arrived at Airport 6:00 am (est)
Checked in completed at 6:40 am (est)
Breakfast (6:40-7:30) am (est)
Flight 1 – 8:30 – 11:14 from Norfolk to Chicago
Lunch in airport –
Flight 2 12:00 – 5:00 From Chicago to southern California
Wait in airport
Flight 3 7:30-9:00 pm (est) from Sothern California to Sacramento CA
Arrive in Sacramento 9:00 pm (est)
Got luggage and rental car 9:pm – 10:30 est
Went to dinner 10:30-12:00 est
Drove to Rachael’s grandparents house 12:00 am – 1:30am (est)
Unloaded and crawled into bed 1:30 – 2:30 am (est)
So the beginning of our missionary journey took 23 hours. He that desires the office of a bishop desires a good (and tired) work (emphasis mine)
The day did not go as expected but it was a wonderful day. It was hard to leave mom and dad. My dad has been a mentor, friend, helper, encourager, and much more to me over the last 32 years. However, any discomfort of separation pales in comparison to the ‘eternal weight of glory’ awaiting me in the presence of Christ. Compared to eternity in hell it is a small price to pay for the redemption of precious souls in Kwangju. I cannot express how wonderful it is to have a father and mother who feel the same way. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
I am so excited to get to Kwangju and fulfill the task God has for me to do. It is my desire that God will glorify himself in and through me. I desire that my life will exude Matthew 5:16. I want to radiate Christ like Moses glowed with the Shikina Glory. I want God to use our marriage to instruct others of Himself. That He will use our children to draw many into His kingdom. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed but I long to be His ‘go to’ tool. I want to be the screwdriver that He looks for when He desires to accomplish a job. I know the analogy breaks down eventually, but as best I know my heart I want to be used of God to further His kingdom and to reach precious souls for Christ.
I have a long way to go. However, "He that began a good work in me will perform it until the day of Christ". Every word in God’s book is true. This evening as the second day of the missionary journey comes to an end I raise my Ebenezer here. By God’s help I have come to this place. I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ, my Savior, has begun a good work in me and will continue it to completion in the day of Christ!
I am so proud of my kids. Yae-Chan is 6, Yae-Sun is 4, Hyae-Lan is 2. They did a great job! They carried their luggage. They obeyed. They walked nicely with me and Rachael. I praise the Lord for my kids. They are wonderful children. I was blessed and rebuked by Yae-Chan yesterday. We were not expecting the second airport stop. We were tired and disappointed. As we were walking in the airport Rachael and I were talking and one of us said "I don’t know why we had to get delayed" Yae-Chan piped up and said "I don’t know either, but God has a purpose for it". Wow, thank you Lord for doing a work in my son’s heart. He is hearing what we are teaching, and seems to be assimilating it. Lord, please continue to do that precious work in His heart.
I am so proud of my wife also. She is such a wonderful wife. She is quite a trooper. She packed us very well. 9 suitcases, 3 blue plastic tubs and 10 carryon bags don’t pack themselves. She is such an organizer. She is wonderful. I am very blessed to have such a wonderful wife. I would not be the man I am or have the ministry I have without her.
Day one in the bag. Interesting note – This entry started with "the day did not go as expected" I wonder how many more entries will be started with that phrase. As long as God expects it – and I know he does – that is a very comforting beginning.
Amen
California Dreaming (Part 1)
Day 2 – July 12, 2011
Today was our first day in California. We are staying with Rachael’s grandparents. They are both in their mid 80’s and have been married to each other for over 60 years. These guys are the prime example of what old married love should look like. Here is their daily schedule. Every morning they get up and have bible time together during breakfast. Grandpa goes out and does whatever he needs to do. On Wednesday he goes golfing. Before he retired, he was an almond farmer (properly pronounced am (like ‘I am’) nd). At 10:00am he comes back to the house and grandpa, grandma, and whoever happens to be at the house will have snack time (generally cookies and coffee). Then Grandpa will go out and work some more. Then at noon they will have lunch together. Then grandpa returns to his whatever it is he is doing that day. Then at 3:00 it is time for snacks. Coffee and cookies and talking about whatever (if there is company rook is in order) Then grandpa does his thing till dinner. The most remarkable aspect of the relationship comes after dinner. When no one is visiting they will watch a few game shows together, then they will play a game or two together. I have never seen a couple being married for over 60 years still working on their marriage like these guys do. I want to be like that! It is wonderful to have godly examples in every stage of life to look to. I hope to be a shinig example of marital faithfulness for my children, grand-children and great grand-children.
Today we got up about 8:00 and had breakfast. Aunt Debbie came over around 10:30 and we visited. (6 year old, 4 year old, and 2 year old translation: Aunt Debbie came over and life got boring!) We played rook (crazy, call partner, rook low, 5 people in the game at a time rook) It was a blast. We had hotdogs for lunch. I went swimming with the kids. About 5:00 Uncle Steve came over and we had dinner. Steve is a landlord. He owns 14 doors (some duplexes, some triplexes etc). They are very nice people. I told him how the key money works in Korea and he said he would consider becoming a Korean land lord. =) After dinner I went swimming with the kids again. Then they went to bed about 8:30. We played some more games with grandma and grandpa. Then went to bed about 11pm
I love spending time in California. The weather is great. Their grilling motto is like that of our sending church "our season lasts forever". Today it’s a whopping 80 degrees, 0 humidity, and about as close to heaven as one can get in America. I could live here. It’s peaceful, and just a different culture. I realize of course that I am on vacation and life is not always like that – anywhere. I suppose that is one thing that separates mature people from immature people – the ability to distinguish between daily life and vacation. Dating is like vacation – married life is like work (in a wonderfully good yet sometimes exhausting way).
As of today we have 6 days and 10 hours before we land in Korea. God has been so faithful to bring us to this point. I don’t deserve any of the mercies He has shown me in my life. He has preserved me. He has loved me. He has provided for me. He has been ‘an unchanging savior’ as the song reminds us. I desire to walk worthy of the Lord.
The kids have been great today. They are playing beautifully with each other. Aunt Sandy brought over some toys for them to play with. They are riding bikes, playing with balls, swimming and having all kinds of fun. Today Hyae-Lan rode a bike on her own for the first time. She has sat on ride toys before and has pushed them with her feet. Today, however, she got on the tricycle and began to pedal. It was quite humorous to watch. She would begin to pedal and would be so focused on her feet that she would not look where she was going. She would be quite happy about her pedaling when she would run right into a chair or post or the picnic table. Steering was not her strong suit. (I would like to receive credit for not making some snide generalization about women drivers at this point) However, by the afternoon she was riding around and avoiding almost all obstacles. They grow up so fast. Every moment is a ministry moment, not just to the lost around us, but to the kids God has blessed us with. God help me to make the most of every stage of life with my wife and each of my 3 wonderful children.
