Wow...its been far too long since I last posted. Time presses on so quickly and subtly, being quite a mystery. On the one hand, the older I get the more each year feels far longer than a year when I think of all the momentous changes and events that took place. Yet, on the other hand, because so much happens so fully and quickly, the more each year feels like it's continually running on fast forward. One thing's for sure, I take far too many days and moments for granted, as I am blessed beyond belief through the provision of God in giving me all of you, the Yoo's, the church I'm a part of, the friends I'm making in Korea, health, food, a place to live, and a rich and full life. More than all of that, though, I have been given a Savior, who has given up His glory, beauty, and life for me, and who is risen from the dead today and forever! How often I miss the wondrous, life-changing dimensions of the resurrection that we've just celebrated: the risen Christ is alive, and not just as an abstraction, but as a living Being in me, who makes every moment and part of my life overflowing with purpose and meaning through Him. Death has no hold on me, fear has been put to rest, and I share in the love and glory of God, my Father, as I am His, and He is mine. What if I actually lived like that were true? Nothing could be more real and vital, and I rarely even meditate on the resurrection of my Lord and Savior. I pray that David's psalm/song would become mine: "I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, not will you let your Holy One see decay" (Psalm 16:8-10). May we live every moment of every day in the full, unshakable knowledge that our God will never abandon us, because of Christ and His resurrection. May we live boldly, fully, and sacrificially to lead others into this deep, life-transforming assurance and salvation in Jesus.
I am very excited to tell you that over the past three weeks Covenant Church has begun worshiping together! We have both a Korean and English worship service with the former at 1p.m. and the latter at 3:30p.m. The English service has been the larger of the two thus far with up to 20 people in one of our service's, consisting of both believers and nonbelievers. After concluding each English service, we've had a group of 10+ people stay with us for fellowship and eat dinner together, which has been a very rich blessing. God is beginning to form community in our small body, and I have really enjoyed being a part of it! I am definitely starting to feel a lot more connected here since we've started worship, and as relationships with friends and people I'm meeting are beginning to deepen. Living as Christ's body is a tremendous challenge, and please pray that God would really show us how to move deeper into fellowship, and to love each other and all those who come to be a part of this body. There's a great deal of excitement in starting a church, developing gospel vision and community, and coming together to make strangers family. Yet, having said that, there's an immense challenge in starting a church as well, since it's a constant temptation to rely on numbers, worldly ideas of success, and become more wrapped up in pride in what we're doing and saying, rather than trust and faithfulness in what God is doing and promised. Please, please keep me, the Yoo's, and this church in your prayers, as things are constantly developing, challenges are always arising, and sin and pride is constantly tempting and raising its ugly head. Pray for God to root US in the gospel in the process of this church and ministry, making us see that to lead is to be led by Christ, never to lead by our own gifts, righteousness, and strength. I'm learning more and more how difficult following Christ and the gospel in leadership is, and more often than not I put myself and being affirmed before Christ and the gospel being proclaimed. Pray for repentance in my heart over my daily sin, and for constant meditation and faith in Jesus that I would always be led to live through Him in His perfect life, death, and resurrection in this church and ministry.
These last two weeks have been crazy and a whole lot of fun! I've had 4 different people stay with me in my little room 12 out of the last 15 nights, as a friend named Sky needed a place to stay for 5 nights before leaving for Southeast Asia; a friend named Chris needed to say for 4 nights before he moved into his new apartment for his new teaching position; an friend named Emmanuel came over for 1 night for fellowship; and a friend on our Launch Team came up for the weekend to teach and be in our service's. God definitely used these busy, often tiring days to deepen and grow these relationships and provide great encouragement and blessing for all of us. It's such a blessing to begin to really meet and share in the lives of other people here.
Though these past few weeks have been filled with work and busyness, bulletin making, worship preparation for presiding in the English service, class teaching and preparation, outreach, they have also been filled with times of great fun and enjoyment! I went to the Dangsan festival with two Korean friends named Ji-son, and Jung-he, along with a member of our Launch Team, to see the beautiful cherry blossoms and other flowers in bloom and ride bikes--awesome time! I also went to Suwon with Dan Baker and Kelly De Boer, two members of our Launch Team, and Jae Yoo to see a famous Korean castle and bell tower! It was such a beautiful Spring day in Korea, as cherry blossoms were everywhere in full bloom, and we were able to stop working in an office and enjoy God's beautiful, living creation! I'm really beginning to enjoy living in Korea, as I meet more people, grow closer to friends, see more of this country, and learn more about who people are. It has such a beautiful, enriching blessing to see God provide for me on the other side of the world, and to see over and over again that He is present everywhere to impart Christ, and the life-giving power of the gospel that is manifested in every place. God is definitely deepening my desire to be, live, and serve here, and I pray that He would continually teach me what it means to really and truly love Him here in my daily walk, and to love the people in Korea that He brings into my path each day. God's resurrection life is everywhere present and manifested in all the world, and I pray for eyes, ears, and a heart to see, hear, and embrace Him and those around me. I'm so bad at that, and the more I see the reality of what Christ's life, death, and resurrection mean, the more I see my failure. Thankfully, that is exactly where God shows us Jesus and His grace, mercy, and power. May you know, see, hear, and believe that very gospel and its glorious mystery, Christ in you, every day that you live. Nothing in mine and your life is beyond the Sovereign grace of God but all flows from that life well, being given to us that we might come to know and share more of Christ while it is still today. May we always exhort one another to live in Christ, standing firm in Him, confessing in Him, rejoicing in Him, giving Him, dying to ourselves in Him, living in Him, and finding all that we are and have in Him. You are missed and prayed for in South Korea. Please let me know more specifically how I can be praying for you as well. It is such a joy to share in your lives, and to share my life with you. So long from the other side!
