All

When I think back on all of the amazing memories I have of my trip to Seoul, it is so hard to hammer out a list of favorites. I met so many truly amazing people, people that I want to know for the rest of my life. I saw so many things that made me say "whoa!" and take out my camera as quickly as possible. I experienced life in a whole new way that week, and I am so glad that I did. Teaching in the schools was incredible, as previously stated, and I want to do that again so badly. But really, while the competition is stiff for what moments are my favorite memories, there is absolutely no contest as far as my very favorite moment is concerned.

To properly set the moment up, however, I'll need to give you a little background. The night before we left for Seoul, October 2, Mark and I went to a Jars of Clay/Switchfoot/Third Day concert. After we got back home that night, I opened up my Bible to Isaiah like I had been doing for the 51 nights previously. I asked God to show me something that I could cling to on this trip, which I anticipated would be great, but I was still afraid of. He did not let me down. I got to verse 7 of the chapter I was reading, 52, where God says "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." I was so excited to read this verse because it is God's way of saying that he is God of us all.

Fast forward now to Friday, October 10. I am standing in the 1988 Olympic gymnastics stadium in Seoul, attending the Passion World Tour. I am surrounded by thousands of Koreans singing "How Great is Our God" with Chris Tomlin in Korean. Then it hit me. God is God of us all. What had previously been a powerful verse that I understood just became a powerful verse that I was living. How incredible. I was in that state where I just stood back and took it all in. The best part of it all is that the feeling of how we all are God's will never get less intense for me. After that moment, I truly understand that all nations are equally God's. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from; God unites us all.

There were so many amazing things that happened at Passion, so many times of prayer where the volume of prayers going up to God was nearly deafening, times when Koreans prayed for the people of Tokyo, that I just can't get over. I will never be the same after this trip. I challenge you to find something that will leave you changed forever. Trust me. It's worth it.

Seoul '08 Photos

So Seoul

Let me just start this post by saying that I have never experienced anything quite like Seoul before. This place is phenomenal. There are neon signs everywhere you look, advertising coffee shops and banks, as well as any number of other things. There is hardly a blank surface in sight; every building it seems has an unlimited array of signs advertising this or that in Korean, which adds to the amazing rainbow of lights every night.

The people here have been nothing but kind and generous, giving us gifts, providing food and offering us their warmest wishes. From the schools we have taught at to the churches we have attended, we have been received like royalty.

The traffic here is never-ending, with cars weaving in and out, pedestrians jumping in front of buses and motorcycles riding on the sidewalks. There are people everywhere, walking around with their purchases, on their way to work, or just taking a break on the sidewalk. It is quite evident that we are in a city of ten million.

The market places that we have visited have been bustling with crowds, the boutiques and street vendors all trying their best to give such a good deal that you can't refuse. I can't adequately describe the colors, sights and sounds that fill them. The money is thankfully different sizes and colors based on the denomination, so knowing that 5,000 won is the orange one makes paying in a currency that we aren't used to very easy.

When we visit the churches, it is so clear that these people have such a heart for God. They are so authentic in their worship that we can really feel the Holy Spirit at work, regardless of the language barrier.

Teaching in the schools has been a huge blessing. This kids are all so eager to learn, or at least experience hanging out with some crazy Americans! It has been my favorite part of the trip, and every time I've taught, I've fallen more in love with them.

We still have three days left in our trip, and I can't wait to experience what they have to offer!

Seoul Power!

So in a week and a couple of days, I will be in South Korea. :) I cannot really express how excited I am to be able so say that. There is just an awesome feeling of anticipation that just makes me happy every time I realize that it is almost time.

I can't wait to just experience what it is like to be able to be surrounded with another culture, and to have the chance to be inspired by the awesome Christians in Korea and to witness to those people that we meet who need Jesus. I am looking forward to being able to teach children English, to love them and play games with them.

I can't wait to help out at the Passion conference, making friends with South Korean college students who are totally sold out for God. I know that God is going to do so much in out time in Korea and I can't wait to experience it!

Blogs of Note

I don't know if you are a fan of Blogger's Blogs of Note feature, but I sure am. I love hearing what other people have to say (comments are simply adored here!) about things going on in their lives, about their passions, or about whatever strikes their fancy. Blogs of Note helps me find really excellent blogs that I may never find on my own. I love to find something new to subscribe to, and I usually find a link to a cool blog or two from the lucky blogs on Blogs of Note.

These blogs that are featured on Blogs of Note are very often about some special subject, like reading or parenting, but sometimes they are just the ramblings of a regular person with a knack for saying the usual in an unusual way. I love those blogs the most. :)

It takes a dedicated readership to be featured on BON, but I hope to get there someday. Right now I have a max number of viewers on one day of 70...and that was the result of a sneaky trick in which I may or may not have said that I had webbed feet. At any rate, I was really happy that the trick worked, because it got me tons more exposure than I have ever had before (so visit often...I like being excited about my numbers!).

No matter the number of daily visitors I have, I am really glad that I have any people at all who bother to read this crazy little blog. After all, there are days (almost all of them) when I can count the number of visitors I have one one hand. But at least they are there. Thanks to everyone who keeps my numbers above zero!!! :)

Looking Ahead

On my wall right above my desk, a beautiful map of China is prominently displayed. I love China. The Chinese people that I have met are wonderful (many of my good friends are Chinese), the literature I read from China is awesome, and the books and articles that I have read about China and the TV shows that I have watched are eye opening. I haven't been to China yet, but someday I will go...and I am so excited for that time, believe me! The point of the above declarations is to let you know that God has placed such a love for China on my heart.

I don't feel called to be a full time missionary in China, although I used to want to teach English there. I do feel called, however, to witness to the Chinese people here in America. I know that God wants me to reach them in a way that sounds totally crazy to many people, but sounds absolutely perfect to me. I want to start an outreach center for Chinese immigrants (I love immigrants, too) somewhere with a large population of said people. I want to help them become citizens, learn English, develop skills that they couldn't back home, and, most importantly, learn about God's love for them.

To do this, I will need to fully rely on God. I will be learning Mandarin eventually, taking classes that help me learn how to start something like this, getting certified to teach ESL, getting my masters in something that will help me to do this, and much, much more. There is no way I can do any of those things without God's help! Just looking at the list terrifies me. How can I do all of these things?

Without God, this dream of mine would be as impractical as trying to dig my way to China. With him, though, I can rest assured that it will happen.

Wow!

So, this is what you can do with Picasa (a super sweet photo editing tool from Google that is free!), which really impresses me. Compared to the price of Photoshop, Picasa is great! There is a lot of value in this program, and it is very easy to use. The new beta edition is a vast improvement over the older version, with better features and fewer crashes. I definitely recommend it! :)

McCain and Obama

I have noticed one thing in listening to the speeches of both aforementioned candidates. Before I say it, I just want to let you know that I am really very moderate.

Anyway, I have noticed that when you listen to Obama just to listen, without any regard for what he is saying, it is verrry easy to get swept away in the man's sheer ability to express himself. He can make anything sound like the best idea ever, a skill that is highly valuable. However, when I listen to the concepts he talks about, I find that there is a little bit of substance lacking.

Conversely, listening to McCain isn't usually very exciting...he doesn't have that dynamic appeal that makes you want to hear him speak. He just talks, and sometimes chuckles. Listen to what the man says, though, and you get a pretty solid picture of what is going on. I like that.

Eventually, I want to be able to prove what I'm talking about here, you know, using transcripts and the like, but I don't have time just now. It would be pretty neat though.

Conventional Wisdom

Like the DNC earlier, the RNC has consumed a lot of my television watching time (not that there is a whole lot of that) lately. These conventions have been a mixture of speeches both mediocre and phenomenal, surrounded by people wearing crazy clothes and hats holding up homemade signs, on stages that are dazzling displays of neon and LCDs. Although the Democrats had the cooler looking stage, I like how the GOPers have a mostly simple background behind thier speakers. You can't really get distracted from the boring (I mean, informative) speeches.

The point of this post, though, is the amount of fun that the delegates and convention-goers seem to be having. Watching these old ladies, high powered businessmen and politicians and regular joe types dance around like a bunch of crazy kids is hilarious! They wave their signs and their hands, clapping and smiling all the while. I don't know when the last time I had that much fun was! It is clear by watching these people...political conventions are the place to be!

Honestly, Abe

I had the coolest museum experience of my life on Wednesday. Mark took me to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL. This place was, hands down, the greatest museum ever. From the moment you walk in the door, you are greeted by the man himself, Abraham Lincoln. His family joins him in front of a giant facade of the White House. They are not cheesy actors, but very realistic-looking wax figures that Madame Tussaud would be proud of.

From there, you get to see what Lincoln's life was like as a boy in Kentucky and Indiana and as a man in Springfield. There are lots of really interesting displays and artifacts from this period, as well as a really interesting look at what Lincoln's campaign, and those of his competitors, would look like if he had access to today's modern media coverage.

After that, you get to follow the Lincolns to the White House, where interesting information about Mary Todd Lincoln greets you. In this part of the museum one finds the most interesting displays of how the creators of the exhibits combined amazing techniques using light and sound with the more traditional mural/diorama displays. You feel like you are part of the action in many cases because the saturation of your senses is pretty much complete.

For example, one of my favorite parts of the museum was the Hall of Whispers. In this part of the museum, the lighting is very strange, and you see pictures of political cartoons of Lincoln hanging on the wall. Their frames are skewed and disproportionate, to match the outrageously negative things they say about Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. There are negative quotes on the walls, and (this is the cool part) voices of gossips can be heard whispering nasty things about the first family. I was impressed by this blatant showing of how many people found them to be detestable. From Abe's desire to help the union be preserved at the cost of slavery to the type pf dresses worn by Mary, no facet of the Lincoln's lives remains untouched.

There are many more interesting sights and sounds in this museum, but it would take pages to describe them all, and none of it can really be done justice by words alone. I really encourage everyone who can to visit this amazing museum. I know I look forward to doing so time and again.