"South Korea, Are You Serious???"

So, I'm at the airport again waiting to jump on the next flight to South Korea. I gotta hurry & type so I can conserve my computer battery since I left my charger at home, blast!!! Anyhoo, South Korea... "Didn't you just get home from Indonesia?" You ask? Yep, and honestly, I totally did not expect to be boarding a flight to South Korea one week later. I'm still in shock, but, as I shared before, 'God is not surprised.'

At the begining of October Pastor Sunhee asked if Andrea & I would like to go with her & Pastor Benjamin to South Korea. During the week she would be visiting family, PB would be connecting with the senior Pastors from New Philidelphia Church (Pastors Christian & Erin Lee) our sister church, & then on Saturday & Sunday I would help her train over 70 young adults for missions. I was super excited for the invite! My wife said she wouldn't be able to miss the extra week of school, but she said I could go! "This must be Jesus," I thought... But, with raising support for the Inodnesia trip I didn't feel right asking for another $700 - $1,000 (even though we were going to be ministering it wasn't considered an official 'missions trip'), so I just kept it in prayer.

Leading up to the Indonesia trip I just kept the whole thing in prayer telling the Lord, "I give it to you. You know I heeeeeeeecka want to go, but you also know I don't have the finances at all and I don't feel like I'm suppose to ask people for it... or am I?" So, I decided to just keep it in prayer all throughout the Indonesia trip and on the way home. How awesome would it be to be a part of training over 70 young adults to reach the world for Jesus! This is what I've been trained for. This is why God has deposited the things in me that He has... Not only that, but I'll get to me other young adults who are on fire for God & letting Jesus take them wherever He wants! "God, I give it to you..."

So, all through last week I just surrendered it to Jesus. I didn't really mention it to anyone & honestly, I just said in my heart,"God, I soooo want to go, but maybe next time..." I pretty much chalked it up as a no-go, but at the same time thinking, "should I just ask people." Ahhhhhh! I was conflicted, but I decided to keep it in prayer.

Sunday, service was powerful and I was completely tired (only slept 2 hours the night before, blasted jet lag!). I was talking with a friend and he said he really wished I was going to Korea. I said, "Me too, I hecka wanted to go! I was tempted to ask people for support, but it's not an official missions trip you know? But, it would be awesome to do help PS teach School of World Missions training with the young adults and to be able to meet the New Philly (Philidelphia) Church family..."

We went back and forth a bit about how cool it would be and then he said to me, "I have $600 for you right now if you want to go..." "What??!!??! Are you serious? Yea, right bro... naw, it's too late. Flights would be way over $1,000... I mean, that would be tight, but...... shoot, let me check the flights.... that would be crazy!" I checked the flights and there was one available for $700.50! Unheard of, the day before the flight! My other friends got their tickets a month before for around $660!!! "Hold up, I gotta check with PB first..." Then he asked, "Is it coo with your wife?" (gotta make sure you go throught he proper procedures 'ya feel?' if God don't confirm it with my baby, then it must not be Jesus!)

Within the next 10 minutes I got the 'go ahead' from my wife, PB and another friend helped with the remainder of the money! "South Korea, are you serious???!!!"

I cannot express how favored I feel by Jesus right now. I truly believe that God is making more and more real to me that "The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord." It was something I gave up to him, prayed about, but just committed to Him. I was believing for God to move, but when Sunday rolled around I really didn't expect it to happen.... Sometimes God blesses simply because we are his children. For no other reason than the fact that I am His son, "an heir of God and co-heir of Christ." David said "His goodness and mercy follows me all the days of my life." How many are walking around knowing that goodness and mercy are walking right in your footsteps. On Thanksgiving my dad reminded me that goodness and mercy chase me down the streets and overtake me... Boy was he right...

As I was holding my wife last night I couldn't help but say with great expection, "If God opened the door for me to go to South Korea this way, there must be something there He has for me... I'm so excited to see what it is... God is never surprised even though we may be... What is unknown to me is known to Him..."

I believe God is going to do something powerful! I'll be traveling with Pastor Benjamin, Pastor Sunhee & Pastor Robert Daniel's (PB & PS's spiritual father - what a powerful team!), Mickey Cho & Daniel Kim. What an honor, what a privelege. I feel so favored. I feel like a little boy whose Father is taking him by the hand and saying, "I got a surprise for you, watch what I'm going to show you..."