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Originally uploaded by come and see africa.

How beautiful

Love endureth all things

Zach, Simon and Dillia,

I love you and miss you so "manta" on this V-day.
mom~

Iraq War is Real

Can you imagine that someone who you don't know will come to you and announces the death of your son? This happened to one of our church family, Annabel. Annabel has been asking for our Church to pray for her grandson Michael who was serving in Iraq. We have been praying for him every Sunday, and asking Annabel when he is going to be at home. He is at home, but not the way you expected. He died when a humvee that he was in it was blown off. He was caught in a war zone. He was only 23 years old. Why? We are at war. But I didn't think about it, or I should say that the war didn't seem real to me until today. The war is real and our soldiers give their lives for this country. Michael gave his life for you and me.

It was so hard to face Michael's father, mother, and his only brother James. As I think of Michael's death, I can't stop thinking about my own children. Michael is only 23. I never had a chance to know him in person, but through Annabel I have been praying for him and his safe return. Rest in Peace, Michael.

New semester

School started on Wed. For me, school started last week. I have been busy with conferences and workshops last week and this week. Grant workshop was very helpful. I hope to apply for faculty development for Africa and community based curriculum development.

Simon and Dilia are in Venezuela. I have not heard from him for a week, so I am little worried. Zach made a safe journey from SF to Washington via Dallas. My old car was faithful to him, he made to DC with that old car in the mid winter.

Letters from a father to his son--Iraq

Read this, weep.

Surprise visit

Jungwha and John came to the church and surprised me. I can't believe Jungwha has two kids already. I introduce them six years ago, and they got married a year later. I have not seen them for four years! It is so wonderful to see these two.



Lelia's visit. I pray that she will stay healthy while she is in Africa.

Zach came and gone.


We celebrated New York New Year. This means we embraced the year 2007 at 9 p.m, New York time. While we are waiting for the dawn of new year, we played pictionary, had a time of reflection on 2006 and shared dreams for 2007. We prayed as we step into the year 2007. I am excited to see what God is going to do with our church, my family, and myself. I am so excited, I can't contain my joy.

Adventure? or Trouble?

Chris is in Africa. He left on Dec. 28 with Lelia to London. They will meet with Frank in London, then Lelia will travel alone to Africa then meet Chris and Frank in Kigali.
Zach left on Dec. 28th to go back to D.C via Dallas . He called me from Dallas and told me that he is having trouble with the car. I tried to persuade him not to drive the old car during this time of the year. Zach insisted, and Chris encouraged. It is so hard to understand him and Chris. They think this is an adventure. To me it is a trouble. I wouldn't mind having an adventure, but I want to avoid troubles. How do you distingush an adventure from a trouble? It is time to let him go. Zach is an adult, and he can take care of himself. I did my best to help him not getting into trouble. Fixing the car, which cost me $1000, and helping him with gas. It is now out of my hand, I need to let him be an adult. I am trying very hard to distance from his adventure. Now it is his adventure that he needs to experience the consequences.

Christmas Cantata

Our choir was fantastic! We had great turn out, and the mix of music was informal at the same time reverenced. I met so many new people; they seemed to be friends and family of choir members. We had about 100 people. I am praying that by next Christmas,our membership will be 100. After the cantata, we had a candle light service and refreshment. We made a circle along the wall, then lighted candles. While each candle is lighted up, we sang, then we touched the shoulder of the next person in order to make the complete circle (we could prayed or blessed that person we touched). When we made the complete circle, we walked to get back to our seat. The moving crowds with lighted candles were really neat to see from the sound booth. I took several pictures as people sang and walked.

I learned how to embed slideshow

Learning from children

It was a rainy Sunday. When I saw Tim and his little brother Chris, I was looking at the seat where Annabel sits every Sunday. I didn't think Annabel would be here since Jane and Al will not be at the church this Sunday. But she was sitting pretty in her Sunday pink dress. I turned my head toward to Tim to tell him to say Annabel is here. Before I open my mouth, I saw Tim was walking toward Annabel, then he gave her a big hug. His brother Chris followed him and sat next to Tim. If Annabel is his grand mother or he knew her before, this may not be anything that I would think about.

I was pleasantly surprised by Tim a few weeks ago when he wanted help Annabel to Jane's car. He seemed to be restless, and a typical 10 year old boy who has lots of energy. But when he helped her out, he was so gentle to her. I had to stop what I was doing, and watch those two walked out from the church. How kind and sweet he was to Annabel. Most kids, I thought, they don't pay attention to old people, even to their own grandparents. But I was wrong. Some kids pay attention to even to strangers. Annabel was a stranger to Tim. Sometimes, kids teach older people how to love others while adults just talk about it.

Reason for the Season--Born is the King of Israel

We decorated our house with Christmas lights and a rain deer on our rooftop. I love this
season, and this year is such a special year. We are so blessed to live on the same ground where our church is. It is so wonderful to see the beautiful church several times everyday. Christmas season started right after the Thanksgiving. We decorated the church and the parsonage. Last Friday (Dec. 1st), we went to Assoc. Christmas party, and on Saturday (Dec. 2nd) was our church party.

My favorite season is Christmas season. This year, my joy has been multiplied with so many many blessings. The first blessing is our church, the second blessing is also our church, and the third blessing is again our church. What a joy to serve God in this way! We went out for caroling Monday night (Dec. 5th). Last time when I went out for caroling was in Korea in 1969. What a joy to experience it again.

Driftwood Nursing Home visit

We sang hymns and old classics. There were about thirty people who are in wheel chairs. Some were singing along with us, some were sleeping during the service. It reminded me the time when my mother was in a nursing home. I am sure that no one here in this nursing home chose to be here. What can you do when you are struck by strokes, and no one to take care of you. How do you respond to this kind of event in your life? When they were young and healthy, I don't think they ever thought they would end up in a place like this. Surely I don't think that way now, but what do you do when you need full time care. I wanted to hug everyone, but I didn't. I went around and reached out my hands to those who reached out to me. Wouldn't it be nice if I could bring in children from a Korean church to sing and dance for them? Children can learn to serve older people, and these wheel chiar bound people can enjoy children's singing and dance.

Visiting Homeless Shelter on Thanksgiving day

We went to a shelter on Thanksgiving day. It was so hard to see their faces straight from the place where I was sitting. They avoided and I avoided their eye contacts. They look so tired and beatten from cold, rain, and sun. On my way out, I said "hello" to a young family, and baby waived goodbye to me. It is so hard to say "God bless you or Happy Thanksgiving" to those who are really suffering. What do you say when you see someone who lost all hopes?

Joyce played piano, Linda is holding cup cake box, Ken and Mike in the background.

Anna and Enyoung

I had a surprise visit--Anna and Enyoung visited us. I have been praying for two directees for several months. I need to give the names to SDI on Dec. 9th. Whenever I asked “how should I get directees”, Sister tells me, God will send right ones, just wait. Now I know what she is talking about. These two showed up at my doorstep and surprised me. The way God works is always amazing. These two young ladies are the ones God sent to my way as I am getting a training to be a spiritual director.

This baby is so cute. Every time I hear his laugh, I laugh too.

So cute.

Why can we laugh like this any more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HttF5HVYtlQ

Baptism service

Baptism service--Jeri

We had a grand time on Sunday 19th. Two people were baptized and one person joined the church. What a wonderful day it was! We had a chance to keep two ordinances that Jesus ordained for the church to do. In the morning, we had a baptism, and in the evening we had a communion.

Burden and York are lifted

We have been moving since October 1st, and our aim was that we rent the Mill Valley house out by November 1st. But it didn't work out that way. We just sign a contract to rent the house on Dec. 1st.

Chris got the senior pastor position on Oct. 1st with FSBC. Since Sept 24th, we have been moving things out from MV to Sl every time we came to the church from MV. We rented a UHaul twice andd Ken and Al used their trucks to help us to move. Al went to the house several times and repaired rotten steps. I thank God for his talent and willingness to help.

Chris focused on moving and I focused on cleaning and renting it out. I advertised the house and many people came by, but no takers. I asked a man to provide me with his honest fee dback about the house. He (and also Chris) pointed out that we need to paint and update the house. After we moved our furniture, we started painting. Chris hired Stacy and John to help us paint. But the painting job was getting bigger and bigger so we needed more people to paint and also more experienced ones. I hired Luis and Milquin right off the street. They worked really hard also they were experienced painters. We paid them close to one grand for painting, but it would have been much more if we had hired a professional painter. The house looks really clean and nice.

Now we need to update the kitchen. Barry referred me to talk to Peter. I wanted to put new cabinets and floor, but I learned that we need more than ten grand. So, we will not have any new cabinets or new floor this time. Peter put a black granite counter top and fixed all plumming for three grand.

Chris painted steps and fixed things outside. I cleaned inside. It took almost for 2 weeks to clean. On November 18th, I had an open house. Six people wanted to rent the house, and they gave me a down payment. I think I put the rental price too low. But I am not sure if we charged more money, then we may not have an opportunity to choose the best from many applicants. We found a family; Vernonica and Nathan are so happy with the house, and I have good feeling that they will take care of the house.
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Thank God we are done with Mill Valley house now. Our body and mind were at SL, but the unfinished business in Mill Valley pulled us from the behind, we could not run as we should and as we wanted. It was almost like I was running forward but my head was turned backward. it was a tough two months. Now we are free, it is over! We can’t wait to visit our congregation and start a real work that matters to us the most.

We are welcomed!

Pastor Installation--Nov. 5th

During the morning service on Nov. 5th, the church family welcomed us and gave commitment to support for the pastor. Lyman welcome Chris to the association, Jeanne (Chris’ sister) introduce her brother to this congregation and also tried to talk about him as his sister, Jane talked about the pastor search process, Al asked Chris about his commitment to the church, Jean prayed for Chris and me, then Craig talked about Chris as a friend and a colleague. Craig spoke so well; about teaching (Thursday Men’s Bible Study), compassion (SanQuintin ministry), and leadership (CASA ministry). I was told that 84 people attended the morning service. Jeanne came down from Portland, Valerie, James, and Jael came from Sacramento. Ted came form San Jose.

In the evening, Chris and I gave testimony. Chris showed pictures of our family, and he shared his three different time callings. The last one he answered. I shared my encounter with God, which I termed as my holy mountain experience. Lisa and Drew came, they want to come to our church from San Francisco, well we will see. Brian, Lili, Doo San, also Shirly from Chinese church came. Several area pastors came and welcomed him to the association. What a joy to serve our God with brothers and sisters in Christ.

My New Church Family

We moved from Mill Valley to San Lorenzo, well, almost. We spent last night for the first time at our new house. I slept on a couch, because our bed is still in our Mill Valley. Al and Ken came to the house at 6:30 a.m. We started early to beat the traffic at the toll plaza. We made pretty good time to get to Mill Valley house. Brian was there already. He came last Monday and also this Monday to help us. We loaded our bedroom furniture and computer room stuff, then came back to our SL house around 10:30 a.m. We finished unloading around noon, had a lunch from last night's party. Here is our Fifth Sunday Night gathering. Also we celebrated Al's retirement.


The secret is out. We love to eat.



See what we played. Look we are are singing and dancing, sort of. We sang "deep and wide" with motions. If that counts for dancing. Al is showing us what wide means, "This is Wide"

Can you guess the theme for tonight? Who says Southern Baptist people don't know how to have fun. We just don't get drunk to get a good time.