Journal Entry February 15, 2009

Yewon Presbyterian Church:
Talking with the kids:
Today we were asked to help out with the children's choir.
So I asked the 5th and 6th grade Korean choir after practice today, "How would you like to be speeding through the streets of Seoul in a bus driven by a six-year old?" Nooo...they replied. How about getting on a big ship in the ocean and going out to sea in the Pacific, only to find out there is no Captain on board and no one who knows how to steer or navigate the ship back safely to a harbor? NOOOOO....they replied. Again I asked, "How would you like to get on a big airplane and fly to America, only to find out halfway there, that you don't have a pilot anymore?" NOOOO...they exclaimed! Then why do so many people live there lives like they know by themselves how to direct their spiritual bodies safely into heaven, without guidance from the one who knows the way to eternity...who has been there and back...who knows how to overcome death...and who already understands how your body will someday die, but your spirit will live forever and ever. Wouldn't you want to have the "Captain of your soul, your spirit be the one who made you and knows you best? Jesus is the captain of my spirit, he has been since I was seven years old. Today I am 51 and looking forward to letting my Captain guide my ship or spirit into eternity! You can invite Jesus into your heart today, and he will be your Captain too...forever! Then the Korean teacher explained this simple message of salvation to the children once again.

Susan had introduced us to the children very well, and the kids were eager to listen. The leader of the choir was a man who sings in the opera, and boy can he sing! He had those kids doing vocal exercises that few of us in Michigan get before high school or college! When they sang "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the the highest", I thought I was listening to a choir of angels. Their little voices, when they talk, instantly transformed into a well-trained harmony of music. Wow! Were their voices loud, powerful and incredibly on key! I got goose-bumps! They are soooo good!

Church was wonderful again today! When we arrived in the church's parking garage, our vehicle was blocked in. This is very common in Korea. With so many people, and so many cars in so little space, you simply park wherever you can. At church people usually leave their keys in the car, so a deacon can move it to let others leave. Since there are four services every Sunday in our church of about 10,000 people, car owners are coming and going from the parking garage at all different times of the day. They also leave their cell phone number visible in the window, if the car is locked. Two cars parked in front of ours were locked. We were about to contact the owner of one car, when our friend Bang happened along, and he pushed one of the cars out of the way! It was in neutral! So we tried the other car and again, it was in neutral! So we were able to get our car out and drive home. Driving to and from church used to take 75-90 minutes each way. But we are getting comfortable on the roads in Seoul now. With the help of our friends, we have learned several short-cuts. Now we can make the trip in 25-45 minutes, even with traffic!

Our Lead Pastor Chung is going to Los Angeles this week. They are officially opening the Remnant University in Los Angeles. This is a state and federally approved University of higher learning in its early stages. Students from Korea and other countries will be able to study there and obtain their degrees. I don't know very much about it yet, but it intrigues me, and we are asking for more information about this educational/Christian endeavor in the USA. Perhaps we shall visit there someday!

Road Trip:
Yesterday we went to the DMZ, De-Militarized Zone, the border between North and South Korea. It was an awesome and educational experience! It is easy to forget that six million people lost their lives in this war. The North is about forty years, or more, behind the South Koreans today. The income, $1,400 annual average per capita in the North betrays the awful desperation and even malnutrition that many people in NK are forced to live with. They are led by a tyrannical dictator who has gone to great measures to "protect" his country from the influence of the "decadent" South Koreans, who still try to reach out to their brothers and sisters to the North. It has been estimated that two-three million people have died of starvation and disease in the North in the past 12-15 years. Many more could die in the years to come. These people have been systematically brain-washed into a type of hero-worship of their Idol-leader. It may be hard for many of us to understand, since we are so free, but try to see this kind of sin for what it is not. It is not the arrogance that fosters such independence that makes a person unable to depend on the true and living God. It is not the lust for wealth or even such a high standard of living that makes a person forget his poor and hurting neighbor. No this is something we westerners cannot really understand. This is a type of sinful nature that only survives in the heart of a starving, under-developed ego of one who only wants to survive to see another sunrise and sunset! North Koreans, about 22 million of them, are very much a forgotten people.

We saw soldiers and buildings, monuments to fallen heroes and dioramas depicting the area along the border. Susan and I were allowed to step across the border within the building located right on the border. We were shown tunnels used by would be insurgents to infiltrate the South, given briefings to better understand the war that has no end yet, and shown some of the most pristine wilderness areas, protected by soldiers, farmers and minefields. It left us with a better understanding of those who gave so much, a hunger to learn more about the language and culture of this interesting people, and a yearning to see a better day with reunification and reconciliation. Perhaps the Lord will return before that day, but I suspect he will give us a chance to reach the little remnants of the North before that great Judgement Day comes. For some, it may come too soon, and for others it is long overdue!

Our picture album is available on facebook. It is free and easy to navigate. I hope you all will get to take a look.

We met a Pastor from South Carolina who was also on this tour of the DMZ with us. He was here doing research for his book. He represented for us just one of the many interesting people we can meet every day in Seoul. His current book is on the topic of prayer, and he is wise to do research here on that topic. I know of no where on this planet where millions of people get up every morning for Worship and Prayer Topics six days a week! Even if you do this yourself, try getting a few million people to join you tomorrow! Do you think a country that keeps this up will see incredible revival? I am thinking, YES!

Holiday:
Well, tomorrow we take a day off to remember our nations' Presidents. Yes, a good time to reflect on what just happened in America. Our new President, Barack Obama, has the most difficult and I dare say perhaps the most important job in the world now. He will need everyone to pray earnestly for him, his family and everyone in his administration. As a federal employee myself, I covet your prayers for our Commander-in-Chief! It is time for us all to move forward to a better day. I pray that it is not too late to correct the path we have been on in the banking industry. It may be too late for many of us to save our homes, but I pray that those who are just barely hanging on, will be able to fix a broken system. It may have cost us a great deal, but we are optimistic about the future and we hope we can rebuild our own finances as needed. My father told me that he had to start over financially, three times in his life from nothing. He never earned more than $10,000 per year in his lifetime. And yet, as I reflect, he was able to send me to Germany three times before I turned 18. I was never starving, and I remember our times together growing up under the Oak tree in the back yard of our 112 acre farm in Millington as a very blessed time!
 
Friedhelm & Susan Illian
a.k.a. Sung-Ho & Su-Ji
Prayer of the Remnant (from scripture, it means God's faithful people still here, especially Youth)
Lord, I cannot see You, whether my eyes are open or closed,
At times, I wander because I cannot believe, though I want to,
But even then, You hold fast to me with Your mighty right hand.
You knew me before the time of creation,
Before I was even formed in the womb,
You know me and You called me by name,
As Your son, as Your daughter,
And for that, I sincerely thank you, O God of the Covenant.

At this time, fill our souls, hearts, and thoughts with Your Holy Spirit
So that we may look only to You.
Lead us by Your Holy Spirit so that our eyes and feet
May be led to Your greatest desire.

May we quietly make our way before You,
To receive the grace and love that You have prepared.
So that we may speak of Your consuming passion.
So that we may live out Your consuming passion.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray. Amen