Summer, 2005

Text Box: REFRESHING RETURN TO THE STATES As much as I enjoy the work in Korea, and see myself making inroads into the language and culture, and possibly doing some good for the Kingdom, it is still good to return to one¨s family and native country.   In late June, Vicki and I were able to drive to Texas to see Brandon.  He decided to stay in Abilene this summer to take some summer classes, and continue his part-time job at Starbucks.  So if you ever are driving through southwest Abilene, and feel the urge to go through a Starbucks drive-thru, you just might catch a glimpse of our son, happily at work. There were two other big activities for me personally this summer. One of these was a 10 day hiking trip with 9 brothers in Christ, mostly from the White Station congregation in Memphis.  Our trip was called ＾Quest. ＾  Our goal was not only to enjoy the fantastic scenery of the Rockies in southwest Colorado, but also to seek the Lord and His will for our lives. What our ＾Band of Brothers￣ discovered together was that Christians really do need each other.  There is a divine purpose for Christian relationships.  For most of our hike, I felt as if I were transported to the inside of a nature calendar.  As I walked with the 50 pounds on my back, I praised God for His creativity and the gift of such scenery.   If you care to see a 4 minute video of our trip, click here.  The second big event was Vicki and my cruise in the Caribbean.   The occasion was the twenty-fifth year of our marriage.  (My! How time flies!)   Some of our cruise¨s path was diverted to avoid the aftermath of Hurricane Emily, which meant that we missed Jamaica altogether.  Our shore excursions were also drenched in rain.  Still, we had a fabulous time together.   It was also an interesting experience to go from hiking in the wilderness to being thoroughly pampered.     KCU BEGINS NEW ASSOCIATION WITH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY During my first week back in the States, Vicki and I drove over to Lexington, Tennessee to meet with Dr. Wil Goodheer.  Dr. Goodheer is the President of our brotherhood school, International University, in Vienna, Austria.   While this school is primarily an institution for granting degrees in Business and International Diplomacy, every student is also required to take Bible classes.   During the past year, Korea Christian University has been pursuing an exchange relationship with International University, similar to the one established with Freed-Hardeman a year ago.  My meeting with Dr. Goodheer was to finalize the agreement, and to have him sign the exchange agreement document.   With this new cooperative effort, both students from Europe as well as from here in Korea will have new opportunities for enriched education, personal growth, and an increase in the Kingdom.   INTERVIEW FOR KOREAN PUBLICATION Churches of Christ are still quite small in Korea compared to our numbers and strength in America.  Because of this, many Koreans are not only suspicious about us, but wonder if we might even be a dangerous cult.   This summer, one popular religious publication in Korea contacted me as a resource person to explain the purpose and mission of the churches of Christ to Korean preachers who may not be familiar with us.  I was asked questions about our identity, our beliefs about church growth, the Holy Spirit, and even my assessment about why churches of Christ have not grown as other groups in Korea.  To read the full text of the questions and answers, click here.  I tried to explain that since churches of Christ have no leader other than Jesus himself, and there is no central headquarters, dictating all of our beliefs, I felt hesitant to try to speak for our whole movement.   Instead, I related that our goal, rather than to point to any of our individual churches as a model for other groups to emulate, is to be like the church that Jesus and the apostles established.    ＾KAHM- SAH-HAHM-NEE-DAH￣  (THANK YOU) My work this fall in Korea will begin on August 23.   As I return to Korea, I know that I am in the thoughts and prayers of many of you.  I know because you have told me this, not only through your thoughtful cards and emails, but also when we have been together face to face.  It is the Lord that connects all of us.  "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.￣                              (Philippians 1:3-6)                                       

Home
Kinder in Korea