June, 2011
My flights to South Korea have now become very routine to me, and as familiar as driving from Kelowna to Penticton! I know the names of the Captains and the flight attendants and the seating arrangements and flight schedules by memory. I know that if I choose a seat by an exit door to accommodate my height, I will be very cold, but on the upside I will have room to fully extend my legs.
I arrive as usual, in Incheon at 3:30 p.m. (Korean time) and am relaxed as I am driven at break neck speed to the guesthouse in Seoul, where I settle in for a nap. (I know I won’t have much time to rest, as Koreans are always punctual and highly scheduled.) I've been here several times in the past so I know the routine and the idiosyncrasies of the accommodation that is like a second home to me. The toilet, shower head, sink and washing machine are squeezed into a tiny room and use the same drainpipe. I also am fascinated by the rubber hose that brings the natural gas to the hot plate in the kitchen, (the hose being 3 inches away from the flame) and I wonder how many have malfunctioned? I peak into the welcome basket and am once again amazed at the size and quality of the local fruit and am pleased to see packages of instant lattes lining the basket!
This trip I would be ministering at BEDTS Schools - all of them being around 200 – 250 students. I love this because it allows the staff to get involved in ministry and exercise what they have learned!
On one of the days, we took a lunch break at 12:30 in a room on the 11th floor of this building. The elevator was acting up so we were ten minutes late getting back to the afternoon session. When we walked in the eager students had removed the chairs, set padding down on the floor and were standing quietly listening to soaking music. The Presence in the place was so sweet, I dare not interrupt it with teaching! My plan to teach for an hour went out the window! Obviously Holy Spirit had other plans! And good plans they were - Wow...He fell so hard...another round of deliverance and then laughter and then impartation. The entire staff of 40 were excited to be part of a ministry team and we were all amazed at the grace He released!
I am beginning to understand that things go much more smoothly when one watches for God’s timing! Later that day, the lesson was confirmed again, when I met with a gentleman for lunch. A very successful Christian Physician, he had a year long waiting list for patients to receive treatment and education on health and weight management. He offered to do the treatment for me, however, as it involved some practices as well as some Chinese medicines which I was not comfortable with, I said I needed to pray about it. I felt a strong warning from the Lord not to allow man to manipulate the life force which God had breathed into me. And so I graciously declined the test, but was able to engage in a long and very good conversation. The conversation really challenged my thinking in the sense that I need to dialogue without an attitude and to make it graciously clear where I stand without offending him, as a person. It went very well, because the timing was God’s!
I love this nation; the culture, the cuisine, the hospitality, the generosity, and the passion of the people for more and more of Jesus. And every time I receive an invitation to minister to Koreans, I am filled once again with hope, anticipation and confidence that the Lord has something incredible to impart to these beautiful people!
