Our Hope Here

Na ra ga eem ha shee-o myo
de shee ha ne re soh ee-roo oh cheen go ka chee
dang e so doo ee ro oh chee ee da!

Whether we are hammering away at our computers with editing and layout, attempting to learn the language, cooking, birding, teaching, shopping or reading the Bible for morning devotions, the verse above undergirds the diversity of our activities with everlasting hope and purpose. For example . . .

When we go out on a birdwatching hike we keep alert and do our best to find and identify new species. But God must bring the birds by.

 Korea 2012-2828Korea 2012-2798

In ministry, we offer our services and have the joy of investing things of eternal value in the lives of others. But God alone deserves the credit for helping us to be available for these two months and orchestrating the skills and schedules of the staff. What a joy to see the body of Christ interact in view of a common objective, furthering Christ’s kingdom work in hearts.

Four strong P1110406.1 P1110413 vertical

The next miracle is the way God brings opportunities to train and equip future teachers: each occasion has been a blessed experience, for the teacher as much as the students!

And in our cooking escapades, believe me, when the kelp soup or the biscuits turn out it is a miracle to give thanks for.

P1110485 2P1110481P1110479

As far as a church to attend, while the largest ones in the world are within driving distance, we rejoice just as much for the God-honoring fellowship that can radiate from even the smallest of home churches.

Take Chris Hogan’s meetings for another example: through the simple, straightforward conversations taught over the course of a few hours, relational barriers were broken down and marriages restored! The God of the impossible changes hearts that have been hardened for years.

Korea 2012-0012Korea 2012-2745Korea 2012-0014  

And in communications! This country is is one of the most advanced when it comes to technology. With the many activities both personal and project-related we appreciate the high-speed services. But here again we know that behind the many messages that come and go in a day there are eternal things at stake in this country!

The country . . . is Korea.

 Korea 2012-2534Korea 2012-2753P1110463

The verse above, which summarizes our hope here, is Matthew 6:10 as it might sound if you were to read it in Korean. But whatever language we use, as with anywhere else in the world, we may heartily say here:

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

On earth as it is in heaven!

5 Comments

  1. Michael June 8, 2012 at 9:49 pm #

    It’s great to hear about the progress being made there!
    Hey, looks like a lot of kelp in that there pot! Maybe you won’t have to worry about iodine deficiency for a while. 🙂

  2. Robert Staddon June 8, 2012 at 10:36 pm #

    Amen, Donald! It looks like quite an exciting adventure. Say “hi” to our friends over there! And eat all the kelp soup you like, because we won’t be serving you any when you get back to Chicago. 🙂

  3. Esther Staddon June 9, 2012 at 3:51 pm #

    This is great! It’s so much easier to picture what you are doing over there now. 🙂 What a marvelous series of miracles – God’s will being done on earth. Enjoy the kelp soup! 😉

  4. Donald June 11, 2012 at 3:45 am #

    Praise the Lord, I have that verse memorized now as well as parts of the next one: “Give us this day our daily bread”. So here is an update on our daily bread. . . .
    Koreans rarely have bread. Therefore I was surprised to see the whole wheat bread baked by the families of those on staff. Last week Mr. Hwang brought some of the fresh loaves Mrs. Hwang had made and they didn’t last long!
    This Sunday we had another Korean favorite at the Moons’ house: bu-beem-bop. 🙂 It is the Korean taco salad with all kinds of vegetables and mushrooms, sprouts, anchovies, and rice. You can add their hot sauce too which is very thick.
    Today at lunch I added the hot sauce paste to my tuna sandwich (since there were no tomatoes or pickles) and it turned out great!
    In the restaurant picture we are enjoying ja-jyung-myun, noodles with meat sauce, is particularly liked by children. (They say when a soldier comes back from the service he always looks forward to having this specialty with his family again.)
    Back to the topic, food and clothing are a given when you seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness! We are very well taken care of. Getting meals on the table is one of the least of our worries thanks to you Mom and the No Guesswork Cookbook.
    We are very grateful for the situation here. It prompts us also to remember those a few miles north. May life be brought to their country soon as well.

  5. Marilyn August 9, 2012 at 11:48 am #

    Hi Donald,

    I have really been enjoying your photos of Korea. I spent a year there in the 90’s teaching English as a Second Language. It was an amazing opportunity and experience. I’d love to go back and see how Korea has changed over the years, but will presently content myself with going to a Korean restaurant and enjoying Bulgogi and Tol-Sot-Bibim-Bap (the dish you described above but prepared in a cast iron bowl – with an egg on top!)

    Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed your pictures and I wish you well. Take care.

Leave a Reply

Notify me of followup comments via email.