the CLIMB

honestly, it was very challenging.
hiking in the heat of the day, carrying gallons of water.

also, for food challenge/training,
we faced the RETURN OF BBEUN DAE-GI!!!
& the gasoline i mean Durian wafers.

I feel like these things are meant to remind me of how weak I am.
I especially hate the crunchy part. & the flakiness of the wafers..

But the good points we reaped from today:
1. Suffering together = Team bonding, Learning how to love each other.
2. Be prepared at all times to share the gospel to any stranger/friend.
3. Know your Bible. finally, Roll up your sleeves to avoid farmer's tan.


God is good & His creation testifies of His wonder & glory. Peace!

Destination; JAPAN! :)

This was a wall-decoration at our Cafe Night Saturday.
Keep trusting in God. He is Faithful! :)

Parallel Parking & Discipline

Living in LA has taught me to never take parking spots for granted.
It's not unusual to cruise around, sometimes even 20-30 minutes.
As soon as we see one spot open, we pounce on it like it's prey.
Of course, even the vacancies aren't always an easy fit.
Before college, I've never had to Parallel Park.
Living at the apartments, I only Parallel Park.

Usually it takes me an average of about 5-7 tries (reverse, drive, reverse, drive..)
And that's WITH assistance. When I attempt solo, it's around 7-10.
Maybe that's a little exaggerated, but reality is, I sucked!

That is why today was an unusual and happy day.
After coming back from a dorm dinner, I was in search mode for an open spot.
I've noticed when I pray and ask God for a spot, I find one right away.
I did, but I didn't specify the size; it was barely big enough for my Civic.
I drove up, reversed into it like I'd been instructed to do/done before.
TO my surprise, It only took me like 3 tries!!! hALLELUJAh!! :)

Of course, I'm not perfect at it (yet). But my passengers do notice a more pruned, confident, experienced parallel-parker in me than before.
This little episode not only left me really shocked and slightly proud of this achievement, I realized something. I do believe every aspect of life can reflect and serve as metaphors for a greater truth. Even something like Parallel Parking.

1) I really sucked at it.
2) I kept doing it.
3) I got better!

Simple, but true. Why not apply this to other aspects of life, like discipline?
I realize I'm not the only one who struggles with doing daily devotionals.
Our spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Maybe the spirit needs a boost too.
Anyways, although now we may be undisciplined, we (out of necessity) must keep at it.
And eventually, VOILA! It'll come naturally and flow out of habit/refined expertise.
Experience is the teacher. Even if it means lots of failed attempts.

LET'S STRIVE ON BROTHERS&SISTERS! :)

So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

"Super Saturday"

On top of the normal weekly Sunday night mission trainings, once every couple Saturdays we meet from 9am - 5pm. Today was one of those days.

It was surprisingly beautiful and enjoyable.
Location: a nearby park with friendly green grass and a lovely lake (with ducks).
Training: Open-air body worship, praising & dancing like no other.
Challenge: Culture Shock foods. 3 plates of- Durian wafers, Silkworm, Jackfruit, Some sort of chunky anchovy in a maroon sauce, some sort of mystery meat that looked like cat-food/tasted like spam, & lychee(that saved us- we ended up stuffing the Silkworm aka "Bbeun-dae gi" inside and then using the jackfruit to wash it down).
Lunch: Delicious Hot dogs- praise God for "normal" food.
Group: Here was the beautiful moment- we gathered for team time- found a nice patch of grass near the water, it was slightly inclined, slightly breeze-prone, warmly sunny on our shoulders/faces. Our teammate led us into "How Great is our God" and then "Heart of Worship". Eyes closed, I experienced peace just worshipping God and soaking His presence with my team..
Surprise: They had us fooled- we thought we were done with the funky foods. They saved the best for last- "BALUT!" A balut is a fertilized duck (or chicken) egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell.
We definitely experienced involuntary gag-reflexes and questioned the strength of our stomachs when we saw the size of those eggs. The worst part was the smell (reminded me of a chicken coup in a farm - the smell stayed on your fingers even after soapage).

It was tough. Literally, they overcooked the egg so the yolk esp was very dry going down. x)

It's amazing how much closer you can feel with someone else when you both have to eat weird stuff together. I understand now why they made us go through that~

All in all, our leader was pointing us back to God, in hopes that we may grasp a little more of how Great and HOly and AWESOME He is. Right now, we don't see it.
1 Corinthians 13:12- Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Tomorrow at Chapel, our Japan team will be selling Rice-Balls, Ramen & Tea as a fundraiser! All proceeds go to God's glory! :)

Still in awe,
Shalom