Hellooo friends and family~
Some of y'all LOVE these types of letters, some are probably indifferent, and I'll guess a few of you just plain don't like em. To the latter folk: I don't blame you, I won't judge you :) But you must know that this letter, along with all of the other letters you have and will receive throughout your lifetime, is a pretty cool testament to the community around you as well as to the work that God is doing around the globe. Amen? Yes and "AMEN!"
To give you the quick and dirty: I've been in Seoul, Korea for the past 5.5 years and I'm still loving it. God is definitely doing His thing all around, but I'm especially excited about what He's doing in and through Korea - poised to have a huge influence into the rest of Asia and to the ends of the earth - so, until called to be elsewhere, I'll be here to see what God does next.
The last year and a half had me in a business venture with a friend, but I recently realized it was not the right fit for me and have stepped down. As I close that chapter, I take with me HUGE lessons and incredible growth. This new season, as I continue to keep my eyes (as best as I can - and only successfully through amazing grace) fixed on Jesus, I'll be applying for full-time study in seminary. I believe that God has burned in my heart a love for the broken; for those marginalized and on the fringes - and I always pictured myself doing long-term missions some time somewhere in the future. It only made sense, then, to say that someday, I'd go to seminary to prepare for that future. But, I did not actively engage that vision until now. So, we'll see how that goes~!
In the meantime, I will continue to live out the anthem to be salt and light, to be Jesus' hands and feet, to usher in the glory of God's kingdom, in whatever way I can. This summer, Jubilee Church is sending missions teams into China, Cambodia, Indonesia, and right here in Korea. I'll be joining in Heartland missions, an outreach project into the rural area of Korea, to serve around 200 'underprivileged' children in a VBS (vacation Bible school) style program that shares the Gospel through activities, arts and LOVE.
While the cost of this trip is pretty darn low, I still ask you to consider partnering with me financially. Jubilink makes giving really easy, even while you may be halfway around the world, so PLEASE GIVE :)
Because money and programs can only go so far - and because God is Lord over all the riches of the world / Creator of every mind that formulates any program - I also ask you to consider partnering with me in prayer.
Pray for:
1. Supernatural love, energy, smiles - that the children will
experience fun that straight up brings life to their souls.
2. Team unity - we have a beautiful group of brothers and sisters
going on this trip. Pray that God increases that beauty a
hundredfold to display His awesome glory.
3. Preparation of hearts - that every child, no matter their age,
would feel their need for a Father and Savior; and as the Gospel
goes out, Truth would set roots in their hearts and they would
know their identities as God's beloved.
Thanks so much for reading! If your heart was stirred by any of this, please let me know! If you've committed to giving financially and/or for praying for me and this mission trip, please please let me know! And even if not, I know I'm not the best at keeping in touch sometimes, but shoot me a message to just say "hi"! Also, if you've got any prayer requests to share, I promise to join you in praying! :)
Love,
John