In Guinea

Hey Prayer Buddies,

The team just got back from a 8 hour ride into the northern part of the country visiting some missionaries there and visiting some unreached villages ... some of the team taking 4 hour hikes just to get there ...

Everyone is healthy and safe so far, so thanks for your prayers ... but it's been pretty challenging for some of the people on the team ... so please continue to pray for strength, joy, energy and protection for all of us.

Next week is a 13 hour ride to some never-before-reached villages and people groups! Exciting stuff!!! Pray for Christ to shine through the team ... and for healing and salvation for the land. You're prayers are making a difference in our lives ... thank you!!

Thailand and Guinea Teams

Pray for us ... =O) Thank you!

Guinea: December 5-31

Thailand: December 5-23

Morocco: November 28-January 28


We'll be meeting at the airport at 10AM tomorrow (Monday) morning for those coming out to see the teams off. Partner with us by being a very precious prayer shield for our teams! We cherish each prayer lifted up on our behalf ... remembering that "your prayer support is our life support!"

I also added a slideshow of various pictures I took from my Melbourne trip a couple of weeks back. You can view them here.

All the team members are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us during our mission trips. It's been a wild ride so far during prep ... and it's only just begun! We'll try and update when we can ... blessings to you all and have a great Christmas! =)

Currently Listening All That You Can't Leave Behind By U2 Grace

We Got It!!!!!

We have visas!!

Hey, thanks for those who were praying for our visa situation for Guinea. I just got word 1 minute ago that the Guinea offices gave the OK for us to go in. Just in time ... that's the timing of God. So thanks again ... wow, we're not even there yet and there's been so many adventures for our team this year.

We also recently got word that we'll have to move out of our current place of worship for Sundays (Riverside High School's Gym) ... so now a new adventure begins of looking for a new place to have our weekend services before the new year (not a lot of time!).

Can you please pray for God to provide the right place for us? I have a feeling that next year is going to be a year of new changes for our ministry as well ... and this news only confirms it in various ways. God's keeping us all on our toes ... and keeping our lives pretty interesting I would say! =) Thankful for your prayers ...

EDIT: "Hello, hello" ... and we also have Vertigo ...

U2 Tickets!! I picked up my U2 tickets today and will be keeping them in a safe place until March 31, 2006. =) Nice! I must have been one of the first people to pick them up because my conversation with the guy at the box office was like this:

Me: "I'm here to pick up my U2 tickets."

Guy: "What? U2? They don't go on sale until Monday."

Me: "I know, but I was able to get pre-sale tickets early."

Guy: (looking at me very questionably ... either very doubtful or very jealous or both =P)

Me: "I heard you just need my name and confirmation number." (so I give it to him ... he types in my name and info and out come my U2 tickets ... and I walk away very happy).

Hee hee hee ... so giddy now ...

Listening To ... Jars of Clay By Jars of Clay Flood

Interesting Updates ...

An urgent prayer request:

We were supposed to receive our Guinea visas by now, but it seems that the Guinea offices are having second thoughts about giving them to us (!) ... they called yesterday to let us know (!) ... how nice of them to give us so much time to work with! So we'll find out tomorrow (Friday) if we have them or not. We also need our passports returned to us by their offices by Monday (the day we're supposed to leave!) in order to even get to France (the country we're flying through). So now everything is a race against the clock ... (how exciting!) =p

Our flight is at 6PM on Monday, as long as we get our passports mailed back (FedEx) by the morning or afternoon, we can do some debating in France for the Guinea visas ... otherwise there may be a new country God wants our team to go to this year that we didn't know about prior! Again ... how exciting(!?) =) So please pray for God to open the right doors and for our team to be ready to go anywhere He desires. God's been making this year's missions prep so interesting so far ... =)

On a lighter note:

My buddy from San Francisco, Sam Baik, and his brother Ben arrived yesterday morning and will be vacationing in Australia for about 2 weeks.

We went to Morocco and Guinea together earlier this year ... it's good to see him again. We mainly hung out in the city yesterday after the usual visits to the Thai place and Koorong next to my home.

And in order to make me very happy, he gave me the new U2 concert DVD ... hot off the US press =) Muchos gracias for that Sam! How did you know??? =)

And oh yeah ... one more thing ...

I got U2 tickets baby!!!!!!!!!! My unused "special code" from the previous concert tour in the USA opened up the opportunity to buy "pre-sale" tickets for their March 2006 concert in Sydney.

God is good. Tickets go on sale to the public Monday (the day we leave!) ... so that's one less thing for me to worry about on Monday. Thank you God!!!!

But please do pray for our visa situation with Guinea ... and that our team would trust in Him, knowing that He works out all things for the good of those who love Him ... and have been called according to His purpose. I'll let you know what we find out tomorrow. Until then, see you in His presence as we pray ...

Finally Watching ... U2 - Vertigo 2005 - Live From Chicago (Deluxe Edition) By U2 DVD Set

EB and EB

Melbourne

Thank you to everyone who prayed for me during my time in Melbourne. I had a great time and ate extremely well (as I usually do in that city). It's always an honor when God gives me the opportunity to share the Word of God with others. Above all else, I was thankful to spend time with our very missed brother Eric Bae. He was (and still is) an amazingly dedicated and faithful partner in the Gospel during his time in Sydney and his void is still felt. I can't wait until he finishes his Ph.D in Melbourne and can return to his true "home" here. =)

Missions Night

Saturday was our annual Missions Night for our teams to raise up prayer and financial partners. They did a GREAT JOB! I saw them practicing some of the dances before I left for Melbourne and must admit I was wondering what it would look like by Saturday, but they worked hard and put in many, MANY long hours ... and made me so proud of them at the Missions Night. Then on Sunday we had our final "full" meeting before we take off next week for Thailand and Africa. This is it ... we're in the final stretch!

Morocco Team Send Off


Then at 6:30AM this morning (Monday), we sent off our Morocco team at the airport. Mike and Jane + the other members from Come Mission will be gone for about 2 months now. Please keep them in prayer. It was strange not being able to go with them on this trip. I was actually a bit sad to see them go ... almost like a parent sending off their kids away to camp or something ... I wanted to go with them to make sure that they'd be OK. But I know they're in God's hands and He's a much better guardian than I ever could be =) And the rest of the teams will be off next Monday ...

Currently Listening All Because of You By U2 All Because of You

Happy Thanksgiving

To my family and friends in the US, I wanted to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving ... and I'm always thankful for the ways God has blessed me with all of you. It's kind of strange. I've been out of the US for 10 years now and for the last 7 years, the holiday season (between Thanksgiving and Christmas) didn't really hit me very much. Maybe because we're always getting ready for a mission trip or something ... but this year it's been hitting me more that I won't be spending this season in the US. It's so weird for me that's I'm getting so sentimental.

Thanksgiving Memories

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood is gathering together with family on Thanksgiving at my great-aunt's house, eating a huge turkey dinner with my aunt's famous broccoli and cheese dish (mmmm!), watching the Dallas Cowboys play (yea!) ... going out and playing something with all my cousins ... and then catching a movie with everyone later ... then somewhere in between all that we would draw names for our Christmas gift exchange. We'd say our good-byes and do it all over again a month later at Christmas :)

Then Christmas ...

Then the day after Thanksgiving (which is the biggest shopping day in the US) I'd meet with a bunch of church friends and we'd hang out at the malls or go downtown to begin our Christmas shopping, along with the rest of America.

Christmas decorations would start going up outside all the houses and all the stores. And late at night, we'd drive around some of the neighborhoods that had the best decorations and light deplays ... snow would begin falling a week or two later ... and we'd all be dreaming of a white Christmas. (Dude, what's up with me right now??) :P

Back to Melbourne

Anyways ... we had our spiritual warfare session for the Melbourne mission team last night ... and all I can say is that there is definately a spiritual realm in this world and Jesus is the Lord of all of it. With all the spiritual activity I've seen in my lifetime so far, I'm fully convinced that demons love to play havoc in peoples lives and it is only at the Name of Jesus Christ that demons flee. Amazing. I'm so glad to be on His team :) There is power in the blood and in the Name of our Savior ... and from tonight I'll be speaking at the Melbourne Saesoon Church until Saturday morning. Pray God would save the lost and sanctify His saints ... and for major breakthroughs to happen in His Church in Melbourne.

Mission Field Melbourne

I arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday and have been spending most of my days with EBae and the Melbourne gang here so far. It's good to see our EM brother again. I met up with their mission team that's preparing to go to China/NK this December ... it was great to see how Eric is training the members here in Melbourne .. it reminded me of 2 Timothy 2:2.

All my meetings will be in the evenings so I've been able to get some good work done in the library at the University of Melbourne, where Eric is doing his Ph.D. He's been grading papers and I've been writing papers ... and sermons and planning for next year. It's been so long that I've worked in a large school library ... it was bringing back so many memories. Wow, I sometimes miss life as a student ... it was so carefree back then. But then when I see our guys studying for their exams, it brings me back into reality that I'm glad to be out of school now :)

The harvest is plentiful ... but the workers are few ....

But I've also been able to talk to various people here about the spiritual situation for the 2nd generation here and it's tough to hear about the struggles (as well as the many people who have left the church) because of the lack of pastoral leadership here for the 2nd generation. Though there's still a big need in Sydney, at least Sydney has some 2nd Gen pastors and English ministries ... in Melbourne there are no pastors for them and there are no services for them either.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest fields ...

For my US buddies, pray about possibly coming out here to Melbourne too if you'd like to be a part of some pioneering work for a whole city in need of workers ... and we can network the two cities closer together too. And for my Sydney buddies, as you pray for Melbourne, pray also for God to possibly send some of our up-and-coming servants/workers from our congregation to this mission field as well ... maybe even you! :)

Please continue to pray for as I still have 4 more sermons to preach in the next few days ... pray for strength (I'm tired) ... and pray for lives to be transformed by His Word and for God to raise up a new generation of workers within this city that is in desparate need of shepherds to lead these people. Thanks always for your partnership. I cherish each prayer.

They're Coming ... March 31, 2006 Sydney

U2 - City Of Blinding Lights

Investing

SATURDAY

Saturday night was our annual "Volunteer Appreciation Dinner" =) Minsang and Wonza worked hard to get a spit going with some nice portions of beef and lamb to satisfy everyone's stomachs. It was a good time hanging out and eating together ... it's been a good year ... filled with blessings and challenges, but above all else, lives were changed and God was glorified.

So a big "THANK YOU" to all our ministry team members who chose to invest their lives this past year in serving our King and in building His Kingdom. I appreciate you all and thank God for each and every one of you. Our ministry would not have been the same without you. And may God bless you BIG TIME for all you've done for Him. God will remember and God will reward =)

SUNDAY AM

And we started a new series today: "It's Best to Invest", looking at the servants of the king who were called into account for the "minas" that were given to them. May each of us also be found faithful in the end when our service is put through the fire ... all for Him ... and only for Him may we live!

SUNDAY PM

Our final committee leaders meeting for the year was held this afternoon. In looking back, it was great serving with people that are so dedicated to their respective ministries. Thanks guys! I couldn't have done it without you ... you guys have been awesome. I always thank God for you.

Then in the evening, we had our second-to-last missions meeting before we go. I can't believe our 15-week missions prep is nearly finished and our teams will be off to Thailand and Africa so soon. It's exciting because I know that each person's life will never the be the same because of their obedience in getting on mission with God. And I can't wait to see how God will change each member's life through these mission trips as well. God, may you open their eyes and give them your heart for these nations!

MONDAY

I hope to simply rest on my day of tomorrow (today) ... it's been a full (and wonderful) weekend. But in the evening, it looks like I'll be speaking on spiritual warfare for the Come Mission Team to Morocco ... please pray for strength and energy for that. And pray that God would prepare that team well and use them mightily for the 2 months that they are there. All of the members of this team are missions candidates and are preparing for a lifetime on the mission fields of West Africa. May God prepare you well ... to use you well.

TUESDAY

Then on Tuesday, I'll be heading off to Melbourne for some speaking engagements for a couple of churches down there (from Wednesday to Saturday). Please pray for anointing and God's power to be upon me and for God to speak through me this week. I'll be in Melbourne till Saturday afternoon ... and then we have our Missions Night on Saturday evening ... and then it's Sunday again!! But I am looking forward to seeing some old friends in Melbourne (esp. our buddy EBae! We all miss you man!)

Whew! I'm tired just thinking about the week ahead! So please partner with me through prayer and let's serve Him together as servants and as shields ... always and forever ... in His presence. And may you never forget that "your prayer support is my life support." Really! =)

Currently Watching U2 - Rattle and Hum DVD

Released ...

Released ... DVD

The new U2 concert DVD (Live from Chicago) has been released in most the world ... but delayed in Austrlaia ... but mine is on its way =)

The DVD comes on two discs.

Disc One

• City Of Blinding Lights
• Vertigo
• Elevation
• Cry/Electric Co.
• An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart
• Beautiful Day
• New Year’s Day
• Miracle Drug
• Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
• Love And Peace Or Else
• Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Bullet The Blue Sky
• Running To Standstill
• Pride (In The Name Of Love)
• Where The Streets Have No Name
• One
• Zoo Station
• The Fly
• Mysterious Ways
• All Because Of You
• Original Of The Species
• Yahweh
• 40

Disc Two

1. BEYOND THE TOUR – DOCUMENTARY

2. BONUS MATERIAL: Surveillance Cuts

• Love And Peace Or Else
• An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart
• Cry/Electric Co.
• Running To Stand Still

Released ... Concert News

And it's official ... they definately coming to Australia early next year (March). We'll have to get in line quite early to get tickets though ...

Released ... Pix

And a few baptism pictures have found their way to the church family pictures section ... or click here for a direct view ... but still waiting for more.

Released ... Cheap Computer

The $100.00 notebook computer was released this past week. It's vision from the MIT creators was to have a computer for every child in the world. It also makes for some pretty cool missions opportunities and gifts for outreaches to developing nations. Check out the website with info here.



And just for fun ... ha ha ha! =)

Patiently Waiting For ... U2 - Vertigo 2005 - Live From Chicago (Deluxe Edition) DVD U2

When Harry Met Satang ...

Satang is back ... our very extroverted, mega-photographer, natural tour guide and Thai brother is back in Sydney and also back at Harry's =) He made a mad "hot dog de wheels" that made my stomach very happy the other night.

It's always amazing seeing him and thinking back of how our mission team met him in Thailand a few years ago. For those who may not know, here's a brief bio: God led us to him ... God led him to Sydney a year later ... and then God led him to Christ. Pretty cool.

We were doing campus ministry at his university a few years back during our mission trip in Thailand. While hanging out in the student center, he was the first person our group met. We hung out, talked a bit and then said our good-byes.

Before we left, we told him about a campus Bible study that we were going to be at later that night. The meeting started and ended with no sign of Satang ... oh well (we thought) ... until much later that night he shows up at our base. It turned out that he was trying to find our meeting but couldn't ... so he and a friend went looking for us for about 3 hours (!) ... talk about dedication ... esp. for a buddhist looking for a Bible study!

Long story short ... he came to Sydney a year later to study ... God surrounded him with believers wherever he went ... and instead of just finding old friends, he found eternal life and a new family in Christ. He was then baptized and is now on a mission to see his family and his nation of Thailand find Christ ... as well as anyone else who comes along his path!

Pretty cool testimony I'd say ... good to have you back Satang ... may you keep growing strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. If you don't see him at New Life, you can find him at Harry's ... he's the guy talking to everyone =O) God bless you bro!

Currently Listening Walk On (The Single) By U2 Walk On

Baptism Sunday

Sunday was not only the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, but it was also Baptism Sunday for our EM. I think it was so awesome that these 2 events happened on the same day. Baptism for these persecuted countries is so precious because of the cost that's involved. It's a sign of new allegience to Christ and that will often mean that family members and long-time friends cast them out of their lives ... and sometimes even worse.

So it was great to celebrate this day at a beautiful beach, with beautiful weather ... and of course beautiful people. The freedom that we gather together and worship in is a sacred gift ... thanks be to God.

So congrats goes out to Matt, Kevin, Inkyu and Joe on taking this step of obedience signifying your new life in Christ. May God bless you, anoint you and use you greatly as you seek to follow Him for the rest of your lives. I'm waiting on the pictures from our 'official' photographer, so when I get those, I'll post them on my site. Until then, this picture of water will have to do =) So congrats once again and may God bless you richly ... always.

Currently Listening All That You Can't Leave Behind By U2 Beautiful Day

IDOP

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). It's a day for the Church around the world to be in prayer for our fellow brothers and sisters who are in places of extreme danger for being Christians. It's a day to pray for strength and protection for those who are in the midst of great opposition to their faith. It's a day to honor the lives of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice ... laying down their lives for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.

You can click on the image above to see which countries are in most need of support and prayer, and you can download various resources to become more aware of the situation around the world here. It's the official site for the IDOP.

If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to subscribe to the Voice of Martyrs, which is a prayer newletter that gives updates of urgent prayer requestes needed for the Suffering Church around the world. Here are the various links depending on the country you live in: USA, Australia, Canada.

Let's do whatever we can to raise up more people to go to the frontlines of battle, to pray for our family members around the world who are under severe attack, and to invest wisely into these areas of great need as we seek to build His Kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven ... so that the name of Jesus Christ might be know, honored and worshipped in all nations. May the peoples praise You, O God ... may ALL the peoples praise You. Amen.

Currently Listening Risk By Ten Shekel Shirt Risk

Cooking ... Kinda ...

I surprised Hyun by attempted to cook something this past week. Some may see it as a nice gesture; others may is it as cruelty … take your pick. Well, I basically tried to make a bunch of dishes with only a few ingredients (ala Ready Steady Cook or Iron Chief). So here were my ingredients:

• Shrimp (raw)
• Minced Pork (raw)
• Noodles (raw)

So what dishes did I make?

• Shrimp (cooked)
• Minced Pork (cooked)
• Noodles (cooked) and
• Noodles with shrimp and minced pork (or the “just throw everything together now that everything’s almost burned” dish

Hmmm ….

I was about to throw the leftovers away (out of mercy to any stomachs that might enter our home in the next few days), but Hyun not only saved the extras, she ate it for lunch the next day … what an amazingly kind wife …

And for today … please pray for her stomach … =P

[EDIT: This was such a rare occassion for me, we had to take pictures to remember this day ... ]

In the beginning ...

And before the end ...

hee hee ...

this is for all those stressing over exams ...
(click on image for larger view)

=)

my prayers are with you ...

Currently Listening ... If God Will Send His Angels By U2 "Jesus Never Let Me Down"

Wow!!!!

A U2 fan in Dallas last weekend got the chance of a lifetime when he joined the band onstage for a song. Sunjay Devarajan was close to the stage at the American Airlines Arena on Saturday (October 29th), holding up a sign that read "Angel Of Harlem," with the chords written out. It also said, 'In case you forgot," since U2 hadn't played the song on tour this year.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Bono looked at Devarajan during the first encore of the night and asked, "Do you know how to play it?", and the 19-year-old pre-medical student yelled back, "Yeah! Yeah, I can play it!" So they brought him onstage and gave him a guitar, and he did the song with them, in front of 20,000 people. Bono even shared the microphone with Devarajan, who got to do the last chorus by himself.

The 19-year-old said, "Once we started, I felt so much encouragement from the band. They were all smiling. I looked at each one of them. I had Bono on my left. He's smiling, singing the first words to the song. I turned to my right and Edge, who's one of my inspirations, is sitting there smiling and playing with me. Adam Clayton is jamming with his bass, and Larry Mullen is having a great time. So I just felt this encouragement from the band, and that really allowed me to ease up and I really didn't feel frightened after that."

To make it even more special, Devarajan got Bono to trade sunglasses with him. The college student walked off with the singer's rose-tinted Armani shades, while Bono would up with a pair of sunglasses bought at an Eckerd drug store.

Currently Practicing on Guitar ... Ultra Violet (Light My Way) Achtung Baby By U2

More Podcasts ...

I added a new link to the audio downloads section of my site from Chinesepod.Com. It's a cool new podcast I found on learning Chinese. So for those who always wanted to learn Chinese but never got around to it, you can now start learning at your own pace through your MP3 player or computer. And the quality of this program is pretty good ... and hey, it's free.

Also Yahoo has a new podcast search engine at http://podcasts.yahoo.com, which has the most comprehensive podcast library online to date. You can find a podcast on just about anything.

And for all you "Be the Reds" fans wondering what to do next, you can now be the "Eat the Reds" who represent Korea with pride ... as our very own kimchee has made headlines in the possible fight against the bird flu. A friend of mine from the US (thanks Sam) posted a link to a video news clip that talks about the possible impact this discovery can have for the world as this disease keeps spreading. To see the video clip, click here. Who would of ever guessed ... amazing. Sam, btw, will be visiting Sydney at the end of this month =) He's a cool guy I met while on my mission trip with Come Mission. Looking forward to seeing you again bro!

Currently Listening Angel of Harlem (The Single) From the Album Rattle and Hum By U2

Face Lift

Our website just got a facelift ... a big thanks to the our media and web team for getting this together ... and many thanks to Chris for his long hours changing everything in our system. You can visit the new site by clicking here.

We're also finally upgrading our DVD's to a much higher standard. So thanks to Kevin for working hard on those. Hopefully they'll be ready within a week or two ... with maybe a promo video in the coming weeks as well.

Currently Listening Wide Awake in America By U2 A Sort of Homecoming

Finally Final ...

Pray for us ... =O) Thank you!

Celebrate Good Times ...

Today is day of celebration for many people close to my heart ...

A Happy Anniversary wish to Hyun =O) It's been a blessing saturated, love, joy and laughter-filled 4 years ... I'm so happy to be with you. You are a gift from God each day of my life. I'm so thankful to God for you. Always.

A Happy Birthday to Daniel. Always thankful for your service and sacrifices you've made for our ministry. You've grown in so many ways. It's a blessing to see you growing into the man of God He desires you to be.

A prayer-filled blessing goes out to my grandfather in Korea ... as he and my relatives gather together to remember my grandmother's life and legacy during her memorial service ... already 5 years ... time flies. To my grandmother: I long for the day we will all be reunited in our final Home in Heaven. You'll have to show me around when I get there =)

And on a final note ...

Congrats to the Chicago White Sox on winning the World Series and ending an 88 year drought.

Finally a championship in Chicago for the baseball world. As all the Cubbie hopefuls would say, "What till next year" ...

Currently Listening October By U2 October

Thailand Team 2005

Partner with us in prayer! =)

Yes, it's real.