So the last few days have been so much fun. We explored Seoul, visited a palace with a really long name that I can't remember, shopped, toured a 600 year old village, frolicked in a river, went to the scary no man's land between North and South Korea, saw the graves of the Christian missionaries who brought the Bible to Korea, and spent countless hours on a party bus. It's honestly the coolest bus I've ever been on! It's hot pink on the outside, with colorful lights all over the ceiling, a sparkly floor, royal blue curtains, and a shimmery red steering wheel. And it has a flat screen tv in it. But anyway, it was a great time. We also got to meet up with one of our favorite middle school teachers, Mr. Tillman, who is currently living in South Korea. He's still pretty awesome, in case anyone was wondering.
Today is a down day. We didn't do much of anything but hang out. Our Red Lion friends leave tomorrow :( I'm pretty bummed about that, but they all live in our area so I'm sure we'll see them again. Tomorrow, the tocs team starts our training for the English camp which I am very excited for. I consider the English outreach camp the most important part of this trip. I'll keep everyone posted on how that goes once I know more about it.
Once again, thank you all for your prayers and support and for taking the time to follow our blog! Now I need to go mentally prepare myself for another delicious round of rice and kimchi.
Bye bye :)
Valerie
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Greetings from Korea:
This is my first ever blog and understandably I'm nervous. My daughter (Hannah) continually reminds me on how "tech distressed" I am but I am so filled with awe at God's provision that I need to share what's happening over here.
Standing back and watching how God uses us to plant and cultivate while at the same time convict and challenge our walk with Him is humbling. For the past 10 days, I've been blessed to see our team challenge others and be challenged in so many ways. I'v been inspired as our students have made it a point to reach out to the other teams and the staff here a GVCS to build build bridges and relationships. While not always reciprocated, they go out of their way to to engage everyone they encounter. It reminds me of how Jesus made it a point to reach out many times to the unlovely and to engage with those that would mock and scoff Him. Our team has a joyful spirit that is shared daily with everyone here - Prov. 15:30.
Switching gears, our last day of touring ended yesterday. We spend the morning touring the DMZ (see photo below). Our host took us to tunnel 3 (Tunnel of Aggression). Discovered in 1975, these tunnels are more that 2 miles long under the DMZ connecting North Korea to South Korea. Each tunnel was designed to move a thousands of soldiers into South Korea in advance of a mass invasion. So far the ROK has found four of these tunnels but there may be as more as 20 more. Tunnel 4 was discovered in 1990.
We walked down the entrance to a depth of approximately 300 feet below the surface then walked another 300 feet to a steal and concrete reinforced door where we were able to peer into N. Korea. What a dark and ominous place.
Driving back to the compound you are constantly reminded that the two Korea's are still at war. Barbed wire fencing and observation posts line the river and bay separating the two countries. It was rainy and dreary so I couldn't see the other side very clearly. I can only imagine what life must be like there especially if you're a believer. Again, I am so humbled by what God has privileged me with when you are reminded what our brothers and sisters in North Korea risk everyday.
After lunch, we were bussed from from the DMZ to the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery outside Seoul. This a place were many of Korea's first missionaries are buried. We were blessed to view an excellent presentation on how God brought the Gospel to Korea over a 100 years ago. Korea's Christian heritage is built on the obedience and suffering of these men and women of God.
Thank you for your prayers. We definitely feel your support...more than you can know.
Matt Crismon
This is my first ever blog and understandably I'm nervous. My daughter (Hannah) continually reminds me on how "tech distressed" I am but I am so filled with awe at God's provision that I need to share what's happening over here.
Standing back and watching how God uses us to plant and cultivate while at the same time convict and challenge our walk with Him is humbling. For the past 10 days, I've been blessed to see our team challenge others and be challenged in so many ways. I'v been inspired as our students have made it a point to reach out to the other teams and the staff here a GVCS to build build bridges and relationships. While not always reciprocated, they go out of their way to to engage everyone they encounter. It reminds me of how Jesus made it a point to reach out many times to the unlovely and to engage with those that would mock and scoff Him. Our team has a joyful spirit that is shared daily with everyone here - Prov. 15:30.
Switching gears, our last day of touring ended yesterday. We spend the morning touring the DMZ (see photo below). Our host took us to tunnel 3 (Tunnel of Aggression). Discovered in 1975, these tunnels are more that 2 miles long under the DMZ connecting North Korea to South Korea. Each tunnel was designed to move a thousands of soldiers into South Korea in advance of a mass invasion. So far the ROK has found four of these tunnels but there may be as more as 20 more. Tunnel 4 was discovered in 1990.
We walked down the entrance to a depth of approximately 300 feet below the surface then walked another 300 feet to a steal and concrete reinforced door where we were able to peer into N. Korea. What a dark and ominous place.
Driving back to the compound you are constantly reminded that the two Korea's are still at war. Barbed wire fencing and observation posts line the river and bay separating the two countries. It was rainy and dreary so I couldn't see the other side very clearly. I can only imagine what life must be like there especially if you're a believer. Again, I am so humbled by what God has privileged me with when you are reminded what our brothers and sisters in North Korea risk everyday.
After lunch, we were bussed from from the DMZ to the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery outside Seoul. This a place were many of Korea's first missionaries are buried. We were blessed to view an excellent presentation on how God brought the Gospel to Korea over a 100 years ago. Korea's Christian heritage is built on the obedience and suffering of these men and women of God.
Thank you for your prayers. We definitely feel your support...more than you can know.
Matt Crismon
Tunnel of Agression
The Team at the DMZ
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Hello Everyone!!!
I apologize for the silence over the past few days! The words of encouragement that we have received from friends and family at home have been so powerful and encouraging! Thank you again for you support and prayers.
The first few days of our trip have been packed! And let me tell you...these past seven days have been some of the most challenging and excited days of my life. Our flight went smoothly from Philadelphia to Toronto, and then from Toronto to Seoul. We were retrieved at the Seoul airport and rode on a bus to the GVCS campus in Mungyeoung. It was about 30 hours total of travel!!! Jaime, Audra, Valerie and I got to our room and crashed! As for the time difference, it barely affected us and we suffered minimal jet lag. Our first day here was quiet and we unpacked our clothes and prepared for the Global Youth Forum. During the second day, we watched other presentations under the categories "Social Media and Psychological Impact" and "Social Media and Education". We all watched in anticipation as we knew that our turn was rapidly approaching. Then the big day came! After practicing a few more times and proofing the Prezi one last time, our team headed for the stage to present the fruits of our labors. Our presentation went smoothly and each one of us performed to the best of our abilities. We were unsure whether or not we would be chosen to move on to the final round because some of the other teams' presentations were so good! We anxiously awaited to hear the results of the preliminary rounds with our friends from Red Lion! Much to our surprise, Delaware pulled though! Both Tall Oaks and Red Lion were chosen to advance to the next round of competition.
That evening, we practiced some more and got a good night's sleep! In the morning, the team gathered for our daily devotions. Josh suggested that we sing our favorite song "Fairest Lord Jesus". After singing, we felt that this song would be the perfect conclusion for our presentation. Not because the five of us have wonderful singing voices...because we certainly don't! Later that afternoon our team sat in the auditorium waiting to present our project one last time. Let me tell you, never have I ever been so afraid. In my life. Sweat was pouring down my back as I envisioned myself singing the soprano descant...alone and without Sabrina...into a microphone!!! I looked around at my team mates. Audra, Jaime, and Josh were completely at ease and Valerie and I were seriously contemplating flight. But then Mrs. Baumann reminded us that we weren't singing for our own glory, but to share the glory of God with those around us. Suddenly, the fear subsided as I realized that I didn't need to impress the people sitting before me. I was singing with my closest friends to God.
We all walked up on stage together and presented our project one last time. Then came the moment of truth. The Song. After Josh gave his concluding remark, we all looked at each other and began to sing a song that we have all sung a million times before. But this time was different. It wasn't different because we were on stage in front so many people, but because I truly sang it to the Lord. After we sang the past few bars, we all held hands and bowed, partly to the audience, but mostly to the Lord. That is a moment that I will never forget.
At this point, I didn't really care what the outcome of the competition would be. I knew that my team and I put forth our best effort and did something that was out of our comfort zone. GVCS treated us to a beautiful gala dinner and we all dressed up and enjoyed an evening of fellowship together. The food was amazing!!!! Josh ate for a good hour. I don't think I have ever seen him so happy. We then headed down to the auditorium for the closing ceremony. We watched as popularity awards and awards of participation were distributed. We then sat in anticipation while 3rd and 2nd place were announced. We all grasped hands as Pastor Pak prepared to announce the Grand Prize Winner. Our hearts were in our chests and our breathing paused as he called out our school name. What a moment to share with my friends. I was so shocked and humbled. After hours of travel and weeks of preparation, God graced us with a win. I am having difficulty even finding the words to describe this experience.
I have learned so much from this trip. I have learned so much about God and about what it means to be a follower of Him. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned is humility. We have been reading a book about humility together as a team and the words of the author really have resonated within me. I believe God granted us a win to provide us with an opportunity to exercise humility for His glory. There is no way that we won this competition on our own merit. No way. God has been with us every step of the way. Thank you so much to everyone who made this trip possible for me. I could never thank you enough for this invaluable gift.
Sincerely,
Hannah Crismon
I apologize for the silence over the past few days! The words of encouragement that we have received from friends and family at home have been so powerful and encouraging! Thank you again for you support and prayers.
The first few days of our trip have been packed! And let me tell you...these past seven days have been some of the most challenging and excited days of my life. Our flight went smoothly from Philadelphia to Toronto, and then from Toronto to Seoul. We were retrieved at the Seoul airport and rode on a bus to the GVCS campus in Mungyeoung. It was about 30 hours total of travel!!! Jaime, Audra, Valerie and I got to our room and crashed! As for the time difference, it barely affected us and we suffered minimal jet lag. Our first day here was quiet and we unpacked our clothes and prepared for the Global Youth Forum. During the second day, we watched other presentations under the categories "Social Media and Psychological Impact" and "Social Media and Education". We all watched in anticipation as we knew that our turn was rapidly approaching. Then the big day came! After practicing a few more times and proofing the Prezi one last time, our team headed for the stage to present the fruits of our labors. Our presentation went smoothly and each one of us performed to the best of our abilities. We were unsure whether or not we would be chosen to move on to the final round because some of the other teams' presentations were so good! We anxiously awaited to hear the results of the preliminary rounds with our friends from Red Lion! Much to our surprise, Delaware pulled though! Both Tall Oaks and Red Lion were chosen to advance to the next round of competition.
That evening, we practiced some more and got a good night's sleep! In the morning, the team gathered for our daily devotions. Josh suggested that we sing our favorite song "Fairest Lord Jesus". After singing, we felt that this song would be the perfect conclusion for our presentation. Not because the five of us have wonderful singing voices...because we certainly don't! Later that afternoon our team sat in the auditorium waiting to present our project one last time. Let me tell you, never have I ever been so afraid. In my life. Sweat was pouring down my back as I envisioned myself singing the soprano descant...alone and without Sabrina...into a microphone!!! I looked around at my team mates. Audra, Jaime, and Josh were completely at ease and Valerie and I were seriously contemplating flight. But then Mrs. Baumann reminded us that we weren't singing for our own glory, but to share the glory of God with those around us. Suddenly, the fear subsided as I realized that I didn't need to impress the people sitting before me. I was singing with my closest friends to God.
We all walked up on stage together and presented our project one last time. Then came the moment of truth. The Song. After Josh gave his concluding remark, we all looked at each other and began to sing a song that we have all sung a million times before. But this time was different. It wasn't different because we were on stage in front so many people, but because I truly sang it to the Lord. After we sang the past few bars, we all held hands and bowed, partly to the audience, but mostly to the Lord. That is a moment that I will never forget.
At this point, I didn't really care what the outcome of the competition would be. I knew that my team and I put forth our best effort and did something that was out of our comfort zone. GVCS treated us to a beautiful gala dinner and we all dressed up and enjoyed an evening of fellowship together. The food was amazing!!!! Josh ate for a good hour. I don't think I have ever seen him so happy. We then headed down to the auditorium for the closing ceremony. We watched as popularity awards and awards of participation were distributed. We then sat in anticipation while 3rd and 2nd place were announced. We all grasped hands as Pastor Pak prepared to announce the Grand Prize Winner. Our hearts were in our chests and our breathing paused as he called out our school name. What a moment to share with my friends. I was so shocked and humbled. After hours of travel and weeks of preparation, God graced us with a win. I am having difficulty even finding the words to describe this experience.
I have learned so much from this trip. I have learned so much about God and about what it means to be a follower of Him. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned is humility. We have been reading a book about humility together as a team and the words of the author really have resonated within me. I believe God granted us a win to provide us with an opportunity to exercise humility for His glory. There is no way that we won this competition on our own merit. No way. God has been with us every step of the way. Thank you so much to everyone who made this trip possible for me. I could never thank you enough for this invaluable gift.
Sincerely,
Hannah Crismon
Hello dear friends!
We've been in South Korea for almost a week, and we are having a great time! We're very familiar with the campus now, and we've all had many chances to talk to our families (: It's also been a blessing to read encouraging cards and notes from home too!
This morning we had our first worship service in Korea (it's Sunday morning here). It was so wonderful! One of the leaders of the forum, Joshua Kang, led us in beautiful worship songs, and one of the speakers from the forum, Brad Huddleston, opened the Word of God to us. The Lord has blessed us so richly, and he has answered so many of our prayers!
We have been studying the book Humility by C.J. Mahaney together. It has been a challenge and a blessing for all of us. Hebrews 3:13 tell us,
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Our quiet after breakfast devotion times have been so sweet for reminding us of God's truth and building each other up and seeking the Lord together! We are so thankful that the Lord has given us unity and has helped us to get along so well (:
This afternoon, we are going a place called Andong, which is known for producing traditional Korean masks. We will also be doing some touring tomorrow and Tuesday. We are especially excited to go to Seoul on Tuesday!
Last night we had a Gala right before the closing ceremony of the 2013 Global Youth Forum. The Gala was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far! [One of my other highlights has been running through the village, country roads, or rice fields in the early mornings :)] We dressed up and had a fancy dinner in the Vision Café here on campus. It was a catered meal, and it was sooo good!!! The food was amazing, and everyone loved it. They had spreads of salads, fruits, sushi, nuts, skewers, stir frys, desserts, and more.
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
With love,
Jaime
Below are some pictures from the last few days.
We've been in South Korea for almost a week, and we are having a great time! We're very familiar with the campus now, and we've all had many chances to talk to our families (: It's also been a blessing to read encouraging cards and notes from home too!
This morning we had our first worship service in Korea (it's Sunday morning here). It was so wonderful! One of the leaders of the forum, Joshua Kang, led us in beautiful worship songs, and one of the speakers from the forum, Brad Huddleston, opened the Word of God to us. The Lord has blessed us so richly, and he has answered so many of our prayers!
We have been studying the book Humility by C.J. Mahaney together. It has been a challenge and a blessing for all of us. Hebrews 3:13 tell us,
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Our quiet after breakfast devotion times have been so sweet for reminding us of God's truth and building each other up and seeking the Lord together! We are so thankful that the Lord has given us unity and has helped us to get along so well (:
This afternoon, we are going a place called Andong, which is known for producing traditional Korean masks. We will also be doing some touring tomorrow and Tuesday. We are especially excited to go to Seoul on Tuesday!
Last night we had a Gala right before the closing ceremony of the 2013 Global Youth Forum. The Gala was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far! [One of my other highlights has been running through the village, country roads, or rice fields in the early mornings :)] We dressed up and had a fancy dinner in the Vision Café here on campus. It was a catered meal, and it was sooo good!!! The food was amazing, and everyone loved it. They had spreads of salads, fruits, sushi, nuts, skewers, stir frys, desserts, and more.
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
With love,
Jaime
Below are some pictures from the last few days.
Week 1 of Korea!
Dear Friends and Family,
The first week (and first portion) of our trip is drawing near to a close, but before giving you a rundown of the week, I would like to thank you all for the dedication you have put into praying for our trip.
Now, despite a cafeteria version of food that we are not accustomed to, sleepless nights over a lack of A/C, and long nights spent working on our presentation, we are so thankful for everything that has happened on this trip. Although these things may come across as uncomfortable and unpleasant for us, I can honestly say I would not want it any other way. The hardships (if they can even be called that) that we have experienced on this trip have been blessings. For as much we enjoy looking at the light of a picture, without the contrasting darkness, there would be no picture.
We were fortunate enough to have proceeded to the final round of the forum, and to have come out with the Championship title! As much as we would like to think that this win came of our brilliance, it didn't. It's really that simple. So often do we as humans try to take credit for amazing things that occur in our lives, but this placement of hope and awe is misguided and dangerous. We would like you, as devoted readers and fellow Christians, to not think highly of us, but of the God who put us where we are today. Without his hand guiding us the entire way, none of this would be possible.
With the tour approaching, new things lie ahead. New journeys. New beginnings. With every room we leave to enter another, we pray we will never become so narrow-minded as to forget the doors and rooms we've left behind. Moreover, we pray we shall never forget whose house we are in in the first place. May we never forget our true calling and purpose in this world.
With Love from Korea,
JHF
Deuteronomy 8:3-4
3. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
4. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
The first week (and first portion) of our trip is drawing near to a close, but before giving you a rundown of the week, I would like to thank you all for the dedication you have put into praying for our trip.
Now, despite a cafeteria version of food that we are not accustomed to, sleepless nights over a lack of A/C, and long nights spent working on our presentation, we are so thankful for everything that has happened on this trip. Although these things may come across as uncomfortable and unpleasant for us, I can honestly say I would not want it any other way. The hardships (if they can even be called that) that we have experienced on this trip have been blessings. For as much we enjoy looking at the light of a picture, without the contrasting darkness, there would be no picture.
We were fortunate enough to have proceeded to the final round of the forum, and to have come out with the Championship title! As much as we would like to think that this win came of our brilliance, it didn't. It's really that simple. So often do we as humans try to take credit for amazing things that occur in our lives, but this placement of hope and awe is misguided and dangerous. We would like you, as devoted readers and fellow Christians, to not think highly of us, but of the God who put us where we are today. Without his hand guiding us the entire way, none of this would be possible.
With the tour approaching, new things lie ahead. New journeys. New beginnings. With every room we leave to enter another, we pray we will never become so narrow-minded as to forget the doors and rooms we've left behind. Moreover, we pray we shall never forget whose house we are in in the first place. May we never forget our true calling and purpose in this world.
With Love from Korea,
JHF
Deuteronomy 8:3-4
3. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
4. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Hi everyone,
Sorry we've kept you all waiting! We've been busying. The first few days were slightly rough. We were pushed well out of our comfort zone. We had to acclimate to the food, the time zone, the heat, missing our families, and living together in close corridors, but everyone here has been so gracious and hospitable, and we adjusted after about two days.
God's presence here has been absolutely overwhelming. I've met and learned from incredible speakers, and Mrs. Baumann and Mr. Crismon have been so encouraging throughout this whole experience. Yesterday was an especially challenging and exciting day. I was terrified. Never have I ever sung on a stage with a mike, nor do I claim to have any vocal abilities whatsoever, but I'm glad we did it. I think it got our message through to the audience and represented what we stand for in Christ. So I have no regrets. I am so blessed to be here with my team members. I really couldn't ask for better friends. I also want to make a shout out to the Red Lion team. We've had each other's backs on this trip, and I'm going to miss them so much when they leave! (They aren't staying for the camp).
With that being said, thank you all for your prayers and support. They mean the world, and we couldn't have won without them!
God Bless,
Valerie
Sorry we've kept you all waiting! We've been busying. The first few days were slightly rough. We were pushed well out of our comfort zone. We had to acclimate to the food, the time zone, the heat, missing our families, and living together in close corridors, but everyone here has been so gracious and hospitable, and we adjusted after about two days.
God's presence here has been absolutely overwhelming. I've met and learned from incredible speakers, and Mrs. Baumann and Mr. Crismon have been so encouraging throughout this whole experience. Yesterday was an especially challenging and exciting day. I was terrified. Never have I ever sung on a stage with a mike, nor do I claim to have any vocal abilities whatsoever, but I'm glad we did it. I think it got our message through to the audience and represented what we stand for in Christ. So I have no regrets. I am so blessed to be here with my team members. I really couldn't ask for better friends. I also want to make a shout out to the Red Lion team. We've had each other's backs on this trip, and I'm going to miss them so much when they leave! (They aren't staying for the camp).
With that being said, thank you all for your prayers and support. They mean the world, and we couldn't have won without them!
God Bless,
Valerie
Hi Everybody!
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement! We are blessed to have completed our first week of life in Korea. We have been tried and tested during the past week, but the Lord has been good to us and given us more than we could have imagined or asked for.
Although it has been said before on Facebook, I too am overwhelmed with thankfulness for the learning involved in the youth forum and the friends we've made. I am also extremely grateful for the award that our team was able to win at the end of the forum. We were titled "Grand Prize Winners." None of us expected to win, and it is a humbling experience. We had great competition, and were caught off guard by this award.
Church this morning was led by a godly man named Brad Huddleston. He talked about the importance of a close relationship with Christ, and we closed in singing. It was an excellent service! This picture is our team with Mr. Huddleston after the final presentation yesterday.
Thank you for all the prayers. We have definitely felt them and need them.
Thanks again,
Audra
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)