finding my star...

you see

there are countless stars
glowing in the dark night sky

one of them is mine for sure,
but i haven't found it yet

where are you
can you please shine brighter than other stars just for a second

only if i knew where you were
...
only if
...

My Painting: 구세주 LORD Savior

I was soooooo inspired to paint this piece this morning.
I don't know why, but I dated it as 2009, not 2008.
I will just leave it as it is.

Title:
Lord Savior (In Korean: /Goo-Se-Joo/)

Inspiration:
I will never, ever change my spiritual conviction
just because the whole world is telling me
that I'm not doing what they are doing.

Got it?
GOD it!!!

Oh, yeah!
I feel good.
Really good.

ENCAMP 2008

English Camp in Mok-Po 2008

A KPCA sponsored English camp for kids in Korea

Theme: Love God and Love Neighbors
(Mark 12:29~31)

ENCAMP truly tested our love for Jesus and our students, who are our neighbors.
7 teachers
7 teachers' aids
around 20 or close to 30 students per class
It seemed impossible.
God proved that it was possible.
And He knew it all along.
We passed the test!
Our faith in Him got stronger.
Glory to the LORD most high!
Father God, thank You for using us.

Group picture with some KPCA pastors after the send-off service

It was a very last minute event that was put together by the grace of God.
I wasn't planning on going to Korea for ENCAMP at all.
I just heard from some people that a group of students were being trained to go to Korea for an English camp. It sounded interesting, but that was it. I did not want to know any more details or get myself involved in it.

I was just very excited about the trip I planned to go back to Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii this summer. This is a very, very special place to me because my mom and I almost drowned there a couple of years ago, but God saved us. ;)

All of the sudden my pastor called me and asked if I could lead the camp.
He explained that the person in charge of the camp just told him that she couldn't do it any longer due to her personal issues in her family.
Great...
He asked me to pray about it. He added that time is of the essence right now, and I am the only person who they can turn to. He even shared that he couldn't sleep a couple of days because of this problem.
What do I do now?!
Prayed.
Prayed.
Ok, I will OBEY...
It had to be out of obedience.
It was total surrender to God and the situation I was placed in.

It happened that the camp dates were the same as my Hawaii trip dates.
Who said DOUBLE TROUBLE???!!!
I cancelled the flights and hotel reservation and felt really good about it even though I had to pay the fine. Why?
I learned what it means to obey God no matter what!
What a priceless lesson I learned from this whole thing!

As Billy Graham once put it:
"If Jesus says you MUST, then you MUST!"

With the help of Pastor Kim and Paul JDSN from my church,
we were able to finish the remaining training sessions and get ready to leave for Korea.

God planned it.
God did it.

Group Pic: Outside

The team at the prayer cabin where the camp took place

I woke up early.
I went to the place where all the kids would come for the camp.
The place was deadly silent.
The place looked so big.
My heart started beating faster and faster.
I said a prayer.
God said, "I am, not you."
I was peaceful at last.

The banner was hung.
The kids came and settled.
We were more than ready to put our very best to glorify God and teach English to the students who came to the camp!

Teacher Mike's & Michelle's Class

Teacher Justin's & Lea's Class

Teacher Vicki's and Josh's Class

Teacher Kevin's & Jane's Class

Teacher Vivian's & Julie's Class

Teacher Sam's and my Class

Teacher Jane's & Seung-Eun's Class

Activity Time

It was soooooo hot in the place!

Student volunteering to read their answers written in English
Great job!!!

Students busy at work ;)
There were some college and young adult students in Kevin's class!











Teacher Justin was the best drummer!





We were losing our voices from teaching in one big hall with all other teachers and students.
We had close to 20 or more students in each class.
We spoke English, and the students had a hard time understanding what we were trying to say.
Therefore, we all had to use our very loud voices in order to get students' attention.

Well, it was our last praise worship time.
We seriously lost our voices from singing so loud with our already lost voices.
It took 3 weeks for me to get my voice back!
I almost thought my voice had completely changed to husky, manly voice!
Thank God for giving my voice back!!!! /(^0^)/

Seung-Eun the pianist
Jane the bassist
Go Girls!!!
(Mike is...posing? ;p)





Craft Time!










Games! Games!


Body Worship Team!

One of my boys...
He always fell asleep like this.
I almost thought he was praying at first. hahaha ;D
My church's senior pastor
Pastor Kim delivered messages to us in Korean before we did our Bible studies.
It truly helped.
I thank my pastor with all my heart for organizing and getting all the stuff ready for this camp.
He is such an organized minister who knows how to see the mountain and also the little trees in it. A big round of applause to you!!


Break time before the closing service on the last day of camp



Got sick of all the V's
Let's do the W for West
California!

Just the Calvary Presbyterian people
3 lost duckies: cute, mad, and sad
kkk

Pastor Kim and Elder Lee
My pastor went back to Cali. after the camp,
and the Elder Lee took care of our team afterwards
Thanks to you all!
The camp was over at a blink!
3 nights and 4 days seemed as if one night and 2 days!
Jet-lag
Buckets of sweat
Mosquitoes
Icy cold shower
Unfamiliar Korean food one after another
A small room with many bodies to sleep
Dirty bathrooms
and
the
list
goes
on
and
on
...

But none of these stumbled us from serving God the whole time we were there.
We all agreed how we were able to do it if it wasn't God who gave us the strength!
We were half dead and lying on the floor in our small room whenever we had a break time.
When the break time was over, we all ran out the door to greet the kids again with a big, bright smile and served them with passionate hearts and energy.

God did it!!

We all wished we had more days to spend with our students,
for some of the students barely started getting out of their shells
and talking to us in English.
Our faithful Korean teachers!
Thanks a million to you all!!!
Testimony Time
What a blessing it was!

Father God,
You truly are in control of everything.
You surely are the giver of all things.

Again, the ever comforting and encouraging line from God!

(Ephesians 4:13)
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Amen!