Oct / Nov report 2004

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Text Box: TWO MONTHS IN ONE ... If your schedule is like mine, two months often fly by as quickly as one.  This has been my experience this fall.  So below, I will give you the account of my past two months, both of which never were at a loss for activity.   I apologize for skipping my account of October.  For those who wondered what I have been up to or if I am still among the living, here is my latest reporting:  New congregation has first meeting Finally, after much hesitation about when to begin, how it would be conducted, meeting times, and much prayer, we decided to begin our English worship service.   Several of the students in the BCC (Bible Correspondence Course) program as well as Sunset students here had been asking us for a long time to please consider beginning an English worship.  Most of the requests were for from those seeking a method to learn English.  Others wanted a place which could serve as a model church for those seeking to just follow the New Testament. (Presently we are meeting on the 7th floor of the building pictured on your right.) We had hoped to begin a little sooner in the fall, but in early October, the father of brother Yang Sang Yong passed away.   Brother Yang is the director of the Bible Correspondence Center here, and through his connections is the main recruiter for our new congregation.   I was deeply saddened by his loss.   When brother Yang was just a teenager, his father gave him nearly all the money he had and said, ¡°Son, there is no hope for you in this small town where we live.  Take this and go to Seoul and find your way.¡±   His father then put Sang Yong on the bus and told him goodbye, hiding his many tears until he returned home.   Brother Yang never forgot the great sacrifices his father had made for him, and in recent years as his father¡¯s health declined, took care of his father and his mother in his own apartment in Seoul, until his father passed away.   Our first service was held on November 15.  We had no idea of who would show up.  At the last minute several called us and said that they were busy on that day, but would be there for the next week.   We wondered if anyone would come.  Finally, at 2 p.m., Sunday afternoon, I welcomed the group of 6 people to join with us in worship.   We sang English songs, had prayers, a Bible reading, and the Lord¡¯s Supper in English. George Carmen, from the Sunset International Bible Institute preached a message (with Korean interpretation) based on Matthew 16, where Jesus asked his disciples, ¡°Who do people say that the Son of Man is?  Paul Whitehead served at the Lord¡¯s table.  Yang Sang Yong gave the closing announcements and invited people to stay for fresh home made bread, and to come back next week.   We had hoped for a larger crowd for our first meeting, but were satisfied that a few had come.  We have since met three more times.  The second Sunday we had 13 in attendance, more than doubling our numbers from the previous week.  (I thought to myself that if we keep doubling our numbers every week, we could be up to a thousand in no time – haha!)  Yet, next week we were back to 6 in attendance.  And then last week we had 13 in attendance again.  We know this a difficult work, and ask for your prayers in this.  Realistically, our goal at this point is to at least fill up the room where we are meeting.  We will solve the expansion problem later when we get there.   (The above picture was taken of our group on our second Sunday, enjoying homemade bread and fellowship after the service.) We are still considering what name to identify ourselves by.  Brother Yang suggested we use the name ¡°Seoul Church of Christ.¡±  I informed him that there is already a group in town with that name (one of the International churches of Christ uses that name).  So for now we are just the church of Christ that meets at the B.C.C. building.  One person suggested we use ¡°BCC Church of Christ.¡±  This may not be the best idea since it puts too much emphasis on BCC.  It is the Lord we want to uphold and honor.   Anyway, I am reminded of a married couple I knew in Iowa a few years back that took a month to name their child after it was born.   We will have a name soon, and let you know.    Korean Language Korean language is tough.  The more I learn of the language, the more I learn that there is still so much more to learn.  One of the very first questions a Korean will almost always ask you is, ¡°May I ask your age?¡±  At first, I thought they were being just a little nosy.  Later, I realized that this information will let them know what level of language to use with you.  There is different vocabulary and even verbal endings depending on whether you are a peer in the same basic age level, older or younger.   I think I now have a handle on these differences, but it still will take a lot of practice before I can master them.  This week I finished the exams for Level 3 of the Korean Language program at YonSei University.  The final exams were given over two days.  The first day covered writing and speaking.  The second day covered reading and listening.   Personally, I felt that I really blew the listening part of the test.  For much of that part of the test, two teachers stood at the front of the class, and read a dialogue.  We then had to answer questions in Korean based on the dialogue.   I did recognize a lot of what they said, but more often than not, in the time I took to understand a section of the dialogue here and there, the teachers would already be 3 or 4 sentences ahead of me.   Ah, the joys of living in a foreign culture!   I have noticed that as my ability improves, my Korean friends are now more hesitant to talk about me with each other in Korean while I am in the same room.  I am feeling better about this, yet there are many more levels to conquer before I can hope to preach or teach in this language.   Tuesday night was the mad rush night for me.  I went to language class across town on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights.   Usually I would be at KCU in the afternoons preparing lectures, and then take a bus to YonSei for the 6:30 p.m. class.  The class usually let out about 9:10 or so.  But Tuesdays I always had to leave early to get back to KCU to teach my course on ¡°History of the Early Church¡± which began at 8:30.   So I would excuse myself from Korean class around 8 p.m., quickly hop into a taxi, and hope that I could make it back to KCU by 8:30.  Surprisingly, I was never late, though there were a few times when I wondered if we could work our way through traffic in time.  Korean taxis are not for the faint of heart!    New Name for K.C.U. Korea Christian University began in 1958, having been founded by Haskell Chesshir and others as a tool to basically train preachers who would work in local churches throughout South Korea.   ¡°Korea Christian University¡± is the English name for the school.   This name appears on all official documents as well as publicity statements about the school.  However, since the 1960s, the Korean name for the school has been a little different.  To reflect its emphasis on training preachers and church workers, the school used the name ¡°Christ Theological College.¡±  This communicated more to the Korean mind the intent of the school.  In recent times, as the school has sought to expand its program, it realized the limitations of such a name.  The University has had programs in Music, Social Welfare, and Information Management for a number of years, while continuing to place its major emphasis on the Bible department.  Finally, in November, the Board approved a change in the name for the school.  This new name will better match the name used in English, and let students know that whatever field they choose to study will still have a Christian emphasis.  The new name is ¡°Christ University.¡±   I personally think this is a wise decision by the administrators and board of the school.  It better reflects the total character of the school, as well as upholds the name of Christ for all in the community. Furthermore, it opens up wider avenues for recruiting students who might go elsewhere rather than to a ¡°theological¡± school for their degree.  Agreement with Freed-Hardeman University One of my roles with Korea Christian University is that of Director of International Exchange.  Basically, I am the one who contacts our brotherhood schools in the States to see what working agreements can be made between our schools.  K.C.U.  is a small, struggling school whose students constantly feel the denominational pressure to compromise their beliefs in their ministry.  Our goal here is to train preachers, elders, teachers and others as best we can.  Hopefully, our training is biblically based and will provide them the resources they need to do well in whatever Christian service they choose.  We recognize, however, that there is still the great need for more effective leaders to work among the Korean churches.  For some, additional training in the United States will be valuable.  To this end, we have recently concluded an agreement for a full international exchange program with Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee.  Every year, FHU will award two full-time tuition scholarships to two of KCU¡¯s best and most promising students.   KCU has agreed to the same arrangement for two of Freed-Hardeman¡¯s students who might wish to study at KCU.  Korea is the doorway into Asia, and a wonderful mission opportunity.   Additional, other faculty and administrators may visit the other school for research and consultation.  To see the full copy of this agreement, click here.  Please pray for us as we continue to expand this program, and enlist the help of other brotherhood schools in the States and elsewhere.  My Place The drama of who owns the place where I am staying continues¡¦though slowly.  Another step in the legal process was completed last month when the local judge decided to appease both parties by giving YonSei University all the property of the deceased Mr. Kim, and awarding the nephew¡¯s family a huge sum of cash.   However, this did not conclude the matter since the University decided not to abide by this decision, and will move to take the matter to the Supreme Court in Korea.  As in the States, the legal process rolls on.  Some guess the matter still will not be decided for another year or two.  Good news for me!  This means that I can continue to live in this apartment, which though small is very comfortable and convenient.     See You Soon!! I will be returning to the States on December 12.  It is interesting that my flight here leaves at 12:00 noon, and then arrives in Memphis, Tennessee at 4:45 p.m. the same day.  That makes for some very fast flying!   Actually, don¡¯t forget that I gain a day as I fly back over the International Date line.  This means that when I arrive back in Memphis at 4:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon, it will be 7:45 a.m. Monday morning back in Seoul, my departure place.  So my short trip back home will take about 19 hours!  After a few days of jetlag recuperation, I hope to be seeing many of you soon.   Vicki, Brandon and I will be driving to Baltimore, Maryland to visit with my relatives for the Christmas holidays, and then back to Memphis before the New Year¡¯s.  As always, I appreciate you thoughts, prayers and loving partnership in my work here.  God bless all of you in this holiday season and in the new year ahead.