Sojourning in Seoul

Moving On

I started the month of May living in a house on a quiet street across from unplanted rice fields. I ended the month returning to Korea to locate the one-bedroom apartment near Isu Station in Seoul, that has become my temporary home sweet home.

When Pastor DeVries and I expressed our desire to move closer to our Grace Mission Church last year, the church board approved our relocation. The lease on our house was scheduled to end May 20, so we began looking at apartments in our price range in February, March, and April. Realtors showed us places that met our basic specifications, but they were small, older places showing wear and tear. None of them thrilled us.

Time for Prayer

I spoke via FaceTime to my parents about this and my father suggested submitting our housing need to the Grace Bible Church’s prayer chain. I dared to dream and sent a description of what I really wanted. Two days later, we met Professor Kim, a brother from our church, prayed together, drove to a new realtor’s office, and in thirty minutes we were standing inside the answer to my prayers.

Wow! God is good, huh? Wait. It gets better. A few days later, Professor Kim called us to view another apartment that met the specifications, only this time the price was lower. Needless to say, this was the apartment we chose. The church has decided to call the apartment a “missions center” since missionaries will be living there.

Sojourning

Until the “missions center” is vacated by its current owners in July, this one-room apartment on the southern side of the Han River that divides Seoul is my earthly tabernacle. Sometimes being a missionary feels a little nomadic. As Christ’s disciples, we are all sojourners and pilgrims on this planet and we will never be truly home until we are with the Lord. But for now, we all have our “missions centers” where we live, and I look forward to moving into ours which is at the foot of Buramsan, our backyard mountain.

Home Visit

I spent most of the month of May in America visiting my family and church friends, staying in my parents’ and other people’s homes. I visited my grandmother’s recently vacated home. (She moved on heaven in April.) I ate barbecue on Memorial Day at my sister Beth’s home and celebrated my nephew’s high school graduation at my brother Doug’s home.

Veterans

It was my honor to spend time with Pastor Peter Vreeland and his wife Carole, missionaries to Norway, Hungary, and Pinhook, Maine. Missionaries that they are, they will soon be moving to a new mission field – Lexington, Kentucky – where they will no doubt impact many lives for God’s kingdom. Pray for the sale of their current home, their move, and for God to bless and provide them with a wonderful new home.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for everyone traveling to Korea for the East Asia Conference (July 18-22) and the following summer harvest trip to Japan. Pray for us to raise all the money needed for our “missions center” purchase. Pray for new contacts to be made in our new neighborhood and for new ministry ideas. Pray for God to do something awesome through us at the Winter Olympic Games here is Korea, February 2018. God bless you all!