September 30, 2011 Issue #7
Dearest Friends and Faithful Partners,
Autumn has arrived in Seoul and the change in
weather is both refreshing and a warning of the cold that comes next. Life is often full of these mixed signals. Helaine and I are entering the final stages of our language training which encourages us to look forward to returning to Jeju-do, however, the advanced levels are always the most difficult. Please continue to lift us up in prayer to our heavenly Father as we struggle with much more complex language structures and increased levels of vocabulary.
I praise God for blessing this past summer with special moments of encouragement. In July we gathered together with other missionary friends for a week of inspiration and training at a beautiful retreat center east of Seoul. Our family spent some quality time together as David and Daniel were home on summer break from boarding school at TCIS. Following this meeting we travelled to Jeju for a week of vacation and thoroughly enjoyed renewing our fellowship with friends and neighbors. Finally, we returned to Seoul and were blessed with the opportunity to begin an English class for high school students at Central Baptist Church in Sinchon.
In early August, I took David and Daniel back to TCIS and enjoyed a wonderful weekend of visitation with our prayer partners at Daeheung Baptist Church and Christian International Church on TCIS campus. I’m excited to report that several people have indicated a desire to travel to Jeju next year in support of our ministry to the blue collar works in the remote villages on Jeju. I enjoyed sharing my vision to begin a new strategy of story-telling and was pleased with the response to participate. We are looking forward to coordinating these short-term mission trips beginning as early as spring 2012.
The Lord continues to bless the work of my partner in Seoul that translates my new stories. He has just completed working on story #4 about Jacob’s Dream and I’ve included it in both English and Korean as an attachment to this newsletter. As the time draws near for our return to Jeju, I plead with you my dear friends to faithfully intercede on behalf of the farmers, fishermen and heanyo in the villages of Hado-ri, Changcheon-ri, and SoGil-ri. These three villages will be the focus of our efforts to spread the good news of Jesus Christ using the story telling methodology. Ask the Father to visit these people in the power His Spirit to draw them unto Himself. Pray that their hearts will be softened and their ears opened to His message of hope and love. Thank you all again for your faithful support and prayers.
HAMLINE HAPPENINGSOur family has gotten off to a busy start for the fall. Everyone is in school and working hard to accomplish our assignments.
Please remember David and Daniel’s school during these days. This is David’s senior year and Daniel’s sophomore year. They are in separate dorms this year and once again blessed with great dorm parents. PTL!!
Andrew is getting settled into his eighth grade year. Noah is enjoying having a male fifth grade teacher this year. He gets to begin learning a band instrument this semester and is very excited.
We expect to return to homeschooling our younger two sons again next semester as we move back to Jeju. Please pray for Andrew and Noah as they leave friends and go back to schooling at home again. Pray for Helaine as she returns to teaching the boys and trying to balance her responsibilities.
Our family has gone through lots of adjustments in the past year and a half. We praise the Lord for being with us and helping us throughout this time. We are so thankful for the many ways He has blessed us and provided for us.
Oct 20, 2011
Sep 24, 2011
Story Set #3 Jacob's Dream
Jacob’s Dream and Election
In our last story we saw God’s choice of Isaac over
Ishmael as the son of Abraham through which His blessing to all the nations of
the earth would flow. We know that God’s
plan is to create the perfect community in which we humans can enjoy the
blessing of His presence and fellowship.
Admission into this community with God is based on our faith and
obedience. The story of Abraham and
Isaac proved again that “The Lord Will Provide” a solution to our problem of
sinful disobedience. Remember that
Abraham’s faith was tested but his willingness to offer his son Isaac as a
sacrifice was blessed by God’s provision of a substitute. So what was God’s next step in creating His
perfect community?
This is the story of God’s Election or choice of Jacob
over his elder brother Esau.
Isaac was the child of promise by which God would
establish His model community. God’s
plan was to establish a new nation of people that would serve as an example of
faith and obedience. Abraham sent a
servant to find Isaac a wife among his own tribe. This servant found a woman named Rebekah who
was a close relative of Abraham. She and
Isaac were married and soon after she conceived twin sons. While in the womb the two boys struggled so
violently that Rebekah fearfully asked God for an answer. God said, “The sons in your womb will become
two rival nations. One nation will be
stronger than the other; the descendants of your older son will serve the
descendants of your younger son.” Rebekah’s
time of delivery finally came and the firstborn son was covered in red hair; so
they called him Esau. The second son
came out grasping his brother’s heel; so they called him Jacob. As the boys grew their lives took very different
paths. Esau became a skillful hunter and
outdoorsman while Jacob stayed close to home and tended flocks. Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob.
One day Esau returned from a long day in the field
hunting and was very hungry. Jacob had
prepared a delicious stew and Esau asked if he could have some. Jacob said, “First sell me your
birthright.” Esau said, “Look, I’m dying
of starvation! What good is my
birthright to me now?” Jacob made his
brother swear an oath and then gave him a bowl of stew in return for his
firstborn rights of inheritance. Later,
when Isaac was old and almost blind, he called Esau and said, “I am an old man
now and I expect every day to be my last.
Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows out into the open country, and
hunt some wild game for me. Prepare it
just the way I like it so it’s savory and good, and bring it here for me to
eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing
that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.” But Rebekah was listening and developed a
plot to have Jacob steal his father’s blessing by deceit while Esau was
hunting. With his mother’s help and
because of his father’s poor eyesight, Jacob was able to convince Isaac that he
was Esau. Isaac proclaimed this
blessing, “May God always give you plenty of dew for healthy crops and good
harvests of grain and wine. May many
nations become your servants. May you be
the master of your brothers. May all
your mother’s sons bow low before you.
All who curse you are cursed, and all who bless you are blessed.” Soon after Jacob left his father, Esau
returned from hunting and prepared Isaac’s favorite dish. When he brought it in to Isaac they quickly
discovered Jacob’s deception. Issac
said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has carried away your blessing.” Esau said bitterly, “No wonder his name is
Jacob, for he has deceived me twice, first taking my birthright and now
stealing my blessing.” Esau hated Jacob
and said, “My father will soon be dead and gone. Then I will kill Jacob.”
When Rebekah became aware of Esau’s plan to kill Jacob
she convinced Isaac to send him away to her brother’s house in a distant
land. So Isaac called Jacob and said,
“May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants become a great
assembly of nations! May God pass on to
you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham.”
While Jacob was traveling to escape his brother’s wrath,
he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped for the night. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that
reached from earth to heaven. And he saw
the angels of God going up and down on it.
At the top of the stairway was God who said, “I am the Lord, the God of
your grandfather, Abraham and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to
you. I will give it to you and your
descendants. Your descendants will be as
numerous as the dust of the earth! All
the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.”
This story is important because it clearly shows God’s
Election. While they were still in the
womb and before they had done anything good or bad; God chose Jacob over
Esau. The Bible tells us that Esau had
position, power and the favor of Isaac. However, God chose Jacob, in spite of his
obvious sinfulness, to be the father of a new nation. It may be a mystery to us why God Elects but
it is clear that He does. His plan to
establish a model community of faith and obedience could not be left to
chance. Our future is in God’s plan if
we trust Him and obey. Next time we will
learn more about the new nation of Israel.
야곱의 꿈과 선택
1. 지난 번 이야기에서 우리는
하나님께서 지상의 모든 국가들에게 하나님의 복을 흘러
넘치게 하시려고 아브라함의 아들로서 이스마엘 보다는 이삭을 택하신 것을 보았습니다. 하나님의
계획은 인간이 하나님의 임재 속에서 교제의 축복을 즐길 수 있는 완전한 공동체를
창조하시는 것임을 우리는 알았습니다.
2. 하나님과 함께 하는 이
공동체 속으로 들어 가는 것은 믿음과 순종에 기초합니다. 아브라함과 이삭의 이 이야기는 하나님은 불순종의 죄 문제 해결을 “준비 하시는 주님” 이심을
다시 증명했습니다. 하나님께서
아브라함의 믿음을 시험하셨지만 그가 자원하여 자기 아들 이삭을 희생제물로 드림으로써 하나님께서 미리 예비하신 대체희생물을 복으로 받았음을 기억하십시오.
3. 이제 완전한 공동체를 창조하시려는
하나님의 다음 단계는 무엇이었습니까?
4. 이 번 이야기는 형 에서
대신 야곱을 하나님의 약속의 자녀로 선정 또는 선택 하시는 이야기 입니다. 이삭은 하나님이 완전한 모델 공동체
설립을 위한 약속의 자녀였습니다. 하나님의 계획은 믿음과 순종의 모범으로서 섬기는 새로운 사람들의 국가를
세우는 것이었습니다.
5. 아브라함은 자신의 부족
중에서 이삭의 아내를 찾으려고 그의 종을 보냈습니다. 이 종은 리브가 라는 한 여성을 찾았습니다.
그 녀는 아브라함의 가까운 친척이었습니다. 그 녀와 이삭은 결혼을 했습니다.
그리고 곧 두 쌍둥이를 임신했습니다.
6. 태에 있는 동안 두 쌍둥이는
격렬하게 싸웠습니다. 리브가는 두려워서 하나님께 물었습니다. 하나님께서는
“너의 태에 있는 아이들은 두 경쟁 국가들이 될 것이다. 한 국가가
더 강하게 될 것이다. 형의 후손들이 동생의 후손을 섬길 것이다.” 라고 말씀하셨습니다.
7. 마침내 리브가의 출산 일이
되었습니다. 첫 번 아이는 붉은 머리털로 덮여 있었습니다. 그래서 그를
에서라고 불렀습니다. 그 다음 두 번 째 아이는 형의 발 뒤꿈치를 잡고 나왔습니다. 그래서 그를 야곱이라고 불렀습니다.
8. 그 아이들이 성장해 가면서
그들은 매우 다른 길을 택했습니다. 에서는 숙련된 사냥꾼으로써 야외 활동을 하는 사람이 되었고,
반면에 야곱은 집 근처에 머물면서 가축을 돌보는 일을 했습니다. 이삭은 에서를 사랑했고
리브가는 야곱을 사랑했습니다.
9. 어느 날 에서는 들에서
사냥을 하다가 여러 날 만에 돌아 왔고 매우 배가 고팠습니다. 야곱은 맛 있는 죽을 준비하고 있었습니다.
에서는 그 죽을 먹을 수 있겠느냐고 물었습니다. 야곱은 “먼저 형의 장자의 상속권을 나에게 팔라.”고 말했습니다. 에서는 “내가 굶어 죽게 되었다. 나의 장자의 상속권이
무슨 좋은 것이냐?” 라고 말했습니다. 야곱은 형에게 맹세를 하라고
했습니다. 그 다음 장자의 유산 상속권 대가로 죽 한 그릇을 주었습니다.
10. 후에 이삭이 나이 많아
거의 볼 수 없게 되었을 때 이삭은 에서에게 말했습니다. “나는 나이 많은 늙은 사람이다. 언제 죽을 지 모른다. 네 화살 통을 들고 들에 나가서 나를 위해 사냥을 하라.
내가 좋아 하는 별미를 만들어 먹게 하라. 그 다음 내가 죽기 전에 마음 것 나의
장자인 너의 축복을 선포할 것이다.”
11. 그러나 리브가가 이 말을
듣고 있었습니다. 리브가는 에서가 사냥을 하는 동안 야곱이 아버지를 속여 그 축복을 도둑질 하여 갖도록 계략을
꾸몄습니다. 어머니의 도움과 아버지의 약한 시력 때문에 야곱은 그가 에서라는 것을 아버지 이삭에게 확신시킬
수 있었습니다.
12. 이삭은 다음과 같이 축복했습니다.
“하나님께서 항상 너에게 풍성한 수확을 할 수 있도록 많은 이슬을 내려 주시고 곡식과 새 포도주가 너에게 넉넉하게 하시기를
원하노라. 많은 나라들이 너의 종이 되기를 원하노라. 너는 네 형제들의
주인이 될지라. 네 어머니의 자녀들이 네 앞에서 절을 할지어다. 너를
저주하는 자들이 저주를 받고 너를 축복하는 자들이 복을 받을 지어다.”
13. 야곱이 아버지를 앞을
떠난 후 곧 에서가 사냥에서 돌아 왔고 이삭이 좋아하는 음식을 준비했습니다. 그가 음식을 이삭에게 가져 왔을
때 그들은 야곱이 속였다는 것을 곧 알게 되었습니다. 이삭은 “네 동생이 여기 있었고 그가 나를 속였다.
그가 네 복을 가져갔다.” 에서가 비통하게 말했습니다. ‘예, 그 이름이 야곱입니다.
그는 나를 두 번이나 속였습니다. 처음에는 나의 장자의 상속권을 갖더니 지금은 나의
복을 움쳤습니다.”
14. 에서는 야곱을 미워했고
그리고 말했습니다. “나의 아버지께서 곧 돌아 가실 것이다. 그 때
내가 야곱을 죽일 것이다.” 리브가는 야곱을 죽이려는 에서의 계획을 알고 난 후 야곱을 먼 외국 땅 오빠의
집으로 보내기로 이삭을 납득시켰습니다.
15. 이삭이 야곱을 불러 말했습니다.
“전능한 하나님께서 너를 축복하시고 너에게 많은 자녀를 주시기를 원하노라. 너의
후손들이 큰 나라들을 이루기를 원하노라. 하나님께서 아브라함에게 약속하신 그 축복이 너와 네 후손들에게 전달
되기를 원하노라.”
16. 야곱이 형의 진노를 피해
여행하는 동안 그는 하루 밤을 묵을 좋은 장소에 도착했습니다.
그가 잠들었을 때 그는 층계가 땅에서 하늘로 연결된 꿈을 꾸었습니다. 그리고 그는 하나님의 천사가 그 층계를 오르락 내리락 하는
것을 보았습니다. 층계 꼭대기 위에서 하나님께서 말씀하셨습니다. “나는
너의 조부 아브라함과 너의 아버지 이삭의 주 하나님이다. 네가 누어 있는 그 땅은 너의 것이다.
내가 그 땅을 너와 네 후손들에게 줄 것이다. 네 후손들이 바닷가의 모래처럼 많아
질 것이다. 세상의 모든 가족들이 너와 너의 후손들로 인하여 복을 받을 것이다.”
17. 이 이야기는 하나님의
선택을 보여 주는 것이기 때문에 중요합니다. 그들이 옳고 그른 일을 하기 전 아직 그 태에 있을 동안 하나님께서는
에서 보다는 야곱을 택하셨습니다.
18. 성경은 에서는 아버지
이삭으로부터 지위, 힘 그리고 총애를 받았다고 말하고 있습니다. 그렇지만
야곱의 명백한 죄악에도 불구하고 하나님은 야곱을 택하셨고 새로운 국가의 조상이 되게 하셨습니다.
19. 하나님의 선택의 이유는
우리에게 신비스럽기만 합니다. 그러나 그것은 분명히 하나님께서 하신 일입니다. 믿음과 순종의 모델 공동체를 설립하시는 그의 계획은 저절로 되지 않습니다. 운에 맡기지 말아야 합니다.
20. 만일 우리가 하나님을
신뢰하고 순종한다면 우리의 미래는 하나님의 계획 안에 있습니다. 다음 시간에 우리는 이스라엘이라는 새로운
국가에 대하여 배울 것입니다.
Jun 20, 2011
Story Set #1 Creation and the Fall of Mankind
Creation and the Fall of Mankind
Before there was anything, God was not alone. In Himself dwells a community of three persons. This is a great mystery and difficult to explain but very important and true. God is Father, God is Son, and God is Holy Spirit. Each personality is unique and yet perfectly in harmony with each other. God created many creatures to share his community of three. The Bible tells us these unseen creatures are called angels or messengers of God. They are magnificent and powerful but the one known as Satan became very proud and thought he should be equal with God. Together with about one third of all the angels, Satan is in rebellion against God. These “fallen angels” are now called demons.
In the beginning of what we call time, God decided to create a new being and the Bible tells us that they would be “in His own image”. This new creature was man. However, man would be different from the angels in several ways. First, they would have physical bodies that require an environment. So, God created the heavens and the earth to be the dwelling place of man. Second, the originals would be able to produce offspring that could also reproduce. So, God created both man and woman. Finally, these human beings would be a unique combination of mind, body and soul that in some mysterious way was similar to their creator. Humans are not now and never will be God. However, we are a special creation of God that has the ability to relate to Him in a unique manner.
All that we know exists was created by God as the physical environment for man. God designed it perfectly. However, we know that the earth and mankind is not perfect. So, what happened?
This is the story of mankind’s fall from perfection. When God was finished creating all things that exist He placed man in the Garden of Eden. The Bible tells us that God called this first man, Adam and his wife, the first woman was called Eve. They were placed in a perfect environment with clean air and consistently warm temperature and cool breezes in the evening. The animals all co-existed without the need to attack or harm one another because God provided plants and water for their sustenance. Adam and Eve were provided the various fruits of trees to eat and it was more than sufficient. All that God created was good. Community life between God and man was perfect. Until one day Satan decided to disrupt the harmony between God and man.
Satan had the ability to appear in various shapes and the Bible tells us that he came to Eve one day as a beautiful serpent creature that could speak. Satan asked Eve if she had ever tasted the fruit of the tree located in the center of the garden. This tree was one –of-a-kind. God called it the tree of knowledge between good and evil. He had warned both Adam and Eve never to eat of its fruit or they would die. Eve told Satan what God had said but Satan lied and told her that they would not die. Satan told Eve that if she ate of this fruit she would become like God and know all things. He also tempted her by saying that the fruit was the most delicious of all God’s creation. Eve was weak and perhaps a little envious of the “forbidden knowledge” so she took fruit from the special tree, ate some and gave some to Adam who was nearby. He also ate. They did not physically die but they became aware of their nakedness and were ashamed for their disobedience so they made clothes from leaves and hid from God. When God came looking for them He knew already what they had done. He called them out and informed them that they had broken the special relationship between God and mankind by their act of disobedience which the Bible calls Sin.
The punishment for this original Sin was the death of their individual soul or spirit. Their physical bodies would also now suffer the curse that God proclaimed. God ordered them out of the Garden of Eden and put a faithful Angel to guard the entrance so that man could never return. He cursed the serpent form that Satan had used to deceive Eve and said that it must always crawl on its belly in the dust of the earth. He also created a natural fear between serpent and human so that we would crush them with our heels but they would bite us in the foot. Eve was punished with additional pain during childbirth and was put under the authority of her husband. Adam was cursed to work hard all his life in an effort to produce food by the sweat of his brow in order to survive. The entire universe was cursed because of Man’s Original Sin and is suffering the effect of degeneration.
The guilt of Adam has been inherited by all of his ancestors. That includes you and me here today. We suffer all our physical lives to survive but each and every one of us eventually dies physically. The real problem many of us are not even aware of is the spiritual death we also inherited from our common forefather Adam. This spiritual death means separation from God eternally. Our souls or spirits are dead to God. We are eternally separated from His community. This serious problem is not without hope. The Bible teaches us that God loves us, His creation, so much that He provided a solution. We will learn more about this “Good News” as were hear the stories from God’s Word, the Bible.
Before there was anything, God was not alone. In Himself dwells a community of three persons. This is a great mystery and difficult to explain but very important and true. God is Father, God is Son, and God is Holy Spirit. Each personality is unique and yet perfectly in harmony with each other. God created many creatures to share his community of three. The Bible tells us these unseen creatures are called angels or messengers of God. They are magnificent and powerful but the one known as Satan became very proud and thought he should be equal with God. Together with about one third of all the angels, Satan is in rebellion against God. These “fallen angels” are now called demons.
In the beginning of what we call time, God decided to create a new being and the Bible tells us that they would be “in His own image”. This new creature was man. However, man would be different from the angels in several ways. First, they would have physical bodies that require an environment. So, God created the heavens and the earth to be the dwelling place of man. Second, the originals would be able to produce offspring that could also reproduce. So, God created both man and woman. Finally, these human beings would be a unique combination of mind, body and soul that in some mysterious way was similar to their creator. Humans are not now and never will be God. However, we are a special creation of God that has the ability to relate to Him in a unique manner.
All that we know exists was created by God as the physical environment for man. God designed it perfectly. However, we know that the earth and mankind is not perfect. So, what happened?
This is the story of mankind’s fall from perfection. When God was finished creating all things that exist He placed man in the Garden of Eden. The Bible tells us that God called this first man, Adam and his wife, the first woman was called Eve. They were placed in a perfect environment with clean air and consistently warm temperature and cool breezes in the evening. The animals all co-existed without the need to attack or harm one another because God provided plants and water for their sustenance. Adam and Eve were provided the various fruits of trees to eat and it was more than sufficient. All that God created was good. Community life between God and man was perfect. Until one day Satan decided to disrupt the harmony between God and man.
Satan had the ability to appear in various shapes and the Bible tells us that he came to Eve one day as a beautiful serpent creature that could speak. Satan asked Eve if she had ever tasted the fruit of the tree located in the center of the garden. This tree was one –of-a-kind. God called it the tree of knowledge between good and evil. He had warned both Adam and Eve never to eat of its fruit or they would die. Eve told Satan what God had said but Satan lied and told her that they would not die. Satan told Eve that if she ate of this fruit she would become like God and know all things. He also tempted her by saying that the fruit was the most delicious of all God’s creation. Eve was weak and perhaps a little envious of the “forbidden knowledge” so she took fruit from the special tree, ate some and gave some to Adam who was nearby. He also ate. They did not physically die but they became aware of their nakedness and were ashamed for their disobedience so they made clothes from leaves and hid from God. When God came looking for them He knew already what they had done. He called them out and informed them that they had broken the special relationship between God and mankind by their act of disobedience which the Bible calls Sin.
The punishment for this original Sin was the death of their individual soul or spirit. Their physical bodies would also now suffer the curse that God proclaimed. God ordered them out of the Garden of Eden and put a faithful Angel to guard the entrance so that man could never return. He cursed the serpent form that Satan had used to deceive Eve and said that it must always crawl on its belly in the dust of the earth. He also created a natural fear between serpent and human so that we would crush them with our heels but they would bite us in the foot. Eve was punished with additional pain during childbirth and was put under the authority of her husband. Adam was cursed to work hard all his life in an effort to produce food by the sweat of his brow in order to survive. The entire universe was cursed because of Man’s Original Sin and is suffering the effect of degeneration.
The guilt of Adam has been inherited by all of his ancestors. That includes you and me here today. We suffer all our physical lives to survive but each and every one of us eventually dies physically. The real problem many of us are not even aware of is the spiritual death we also inherited from our common forefather Adam. This spiritual death means separation from God eternally. Our souls or spirits are dead to God. We are eternally separated from His community. This serious problem is not without hope. The Bible teaches us that God loves us, His creation, so much that He provided a solution. We will learn more about this “Good News” as were hear the stories from God’s Word, the Bible.
Story Set # 2 Noah and the Flood
Noah and the Flood
God’s purpose for creating mankind was to develop a community. Humans would have to be perfectly obedient to God in order to live in community with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, we know that our common ancestors Adam and Eve failed to be obedient. They disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and were punished with both physical and spiritual death. What then has become of God’s plan for a perfect community? The Bible tells us the stories of God’s actions throughout human history to correct the problem that we are not able to fix.
All humans have inherited Adam’s disobedient nature. We struggle to do the right thing and try to obey our God-given conscience but without exception we all eventually fail and disobey God. The Bible calls disobedience to God “sin” and teaches that everyone is a sinner. Spiritually we are all separated from God’s community because we have inherited Adam’s sinful nature. God, however, is perfectly fair and holds us most accountable for our own individual disobedience.
This is the story of mankind’s punishment for sin.
Adam and Eve multiplied and the number of people on earth grew rapidly. God continued to bless His creation in spite of their tendency towards disobedience. Unfortunately, mankind responded to God’s loving care not with obedience but with ever increasing evil. One day God observed how wicked the people’s thoughts were and became sorry that He had ever created mankind. He decided to destroy what He had created. But in all the earth one man called Noah found favor in the sight of God.
Noah consistently obeyed God and enjoyed the intimate relationship of their community. God told Noah of His plan to destroy His creation with water because it had become totally corrupt. He instructed Noah to build a special structure out of wood and seal it with tar, inside and out. God gave Noah very specific details for building a craft that would float on the water as it rose and covered all the earth. It would be a large boat that had the capacity to hold Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives and miraculously two of every kind of creature that lived on the earth at that time. Noah worked very hard on the boat for many years and did everything exactly as God commanded. Then he began collecting sufficient food for his family and all the animals in accordance with God’s instructions. Finally, God called a male and female pair of all the animals He had created and brought them to Noah to be placed in stalls on the boat. He also told Noah to take along extra pairs of male and female animals that had been approved for eating and offering to God as a sacrifice. At last the day came when God said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteous.” Noah and his family entered the boat and God shut them inside. It began to rain.
For forty days and nights waters from beneath the earth burst forth and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky. Flood waters began to rise and cover the earth but Noah’s boat floated safely on the surface. Finally, the water covered even the highest peaks on earth and all things that lived on land and breathed air died. Mankind was completely destroyed except for Noah and his family which God had preserved in accordance with His plan for salvation.
Then God sealed up the underground water and the rains stopped but the flood waters covered the earth for 150 days. As God sent a strong wind to blow across the waters the flood began to go down. Exactly five months from the time the flood began, Noah’s boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (a region in modern day Turkey). Two and a half months later, as the waters continued to go down, other mountain peaks began to appear. After another forty days, Noah opened the window God had instructed him to build in the boat and sent out a dove to see if it could find dry ground. It returned because the water was still too high. Seven days later he released a dove again and it returned with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. A week later, Noah released the dove and this time it did not come back. Finally, after ten and a half months the earth was again dry and God said to Noah, “Leave the boat, all of you.”
Noah built an altar of stones and sacrificed animals to God that had been approved for that purpose. God was pleased with the sacrifice because He knew that Noah was grateful for the protection and care that his family had received. God blessed Noah and his family and told them, “Multiply and fill the earth. I promise never to send another flood like this and have placed my rainbow in the clouds as a reminder of this covenant. Never again will there be a flood that destroys all life.” Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah, survived the flood with their father. From these three sons of Noah came all the people now scattered across the earth.
Again we can see that God desires community with His creation. Even when mankind becomes totally corrupted and deserves punishment for their sin, God provides a solution that we cannot provide for ourselves. His love for us is so great that He has provided a lifeboat big enough to hold everyone who will obediently respond to the invitation to join His Community.
God’s purpose for creating mankind was to develop a community. Humans would have to be perfectly obedient to God in order to live in community with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, we know that our common ancestors Adam and Eve failed to be obedient. They disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and were punished with both physical and spiritual death. What then has become of God’s plan for a perfect community? The Bible tells us the stories of God’s actions throughout human history to correct the problem that we are not able to fix.
All humans have inherited Adam’s disobedient nature. We struggle to do the right thing and try to obey our God-given conscience but without exception we all eventually fail and disobey God. The Bible calls disobedience to God “sin” and teaches that everyone is a sinner. Spiritually we are all separated from God’s community because we have inherited Adam’s sinful nature. God, however, is perfectly fair and holds us most accountable for our own individual disobedience.
This is the story of mankind’s punishment for sin.
Adam and Eve multiplied and the number of people on earth grew rapidly. God continued to bless His creation in spite of their tendency towards disobedience. Unfortunately, mankind responded to God’s loving care not with obedience but with ever increasing evil. One day God observed how wicked the people’s thoughts were and became sorry that He had ever created mankind. He decided to destroy what He had created. But in all the earth one man called Noah found favor in the sight of God.
Noah consistently obeyed God and enjoyed the intimate relationship of their community. God told Noah of His plan to destroy His creation with water because it had become totally corrupt. He instructed Noah to build a special structure out of wood and seal it with tar, inside and out. God gave Noah very specific details for building a craft that would float on the water as it rose and covered all the earth. It would be a large boat that had the capacity to hold Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives and miraculously two of every kind of creature that lived on the earth at that time. Noah worked very hard on the boat for many years and did everything exactly as God commanded. Then he began collecting sufficient food for his family and all the animals in accordance with God’s instructions. Finally, God called a male and female pair of all the animals He had created and brought them to Noah to be placed in stalls on the boat. He also told Noah to take along extra pairs of male and female animals that had been approved for eating and offering to God as a sacrifice. At last the day came when God said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteous.” Noah and his family entered the boat and God shut them inside. It began to rain.
For forty days and nights waters from beneath the earth burst forth and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky. Flood waters began to rise and cover the earth but Noah’s boat floated safely on the surface. Finally, the water covered even the highest peaks on earth and all things that lived on land and breathed air died. Mankind was completely destroyed except for Noah and his family which God had preserved in accordance with His plan for salvation.
Then God sealed up the underground water and the rains stopped but the flood waters covered the earth for 150 days. As God sent a strong wind to blow across the waters the flood began to go down. Exactly five months from the time the flood began, Noah’s boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (a region in modern day Turkey). Two and a half months later, as the waters continued to go down, other mountain peaks began to appear. After another forty days, Noah opened the window God had instructed him to build in the boat and sent out a dove to see if it could find dry ground. It returned because the water was still too high. Seven days later he released a dove again and it returned with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. A week later, Noah released the dove and this time it did not come back. Finally, after ten and a half months the earth was again dry and God said to Noah, “Leave the boat, all of you.”
Noah built an altar of stones and sacrificed animals to God that had been approved for that purpose. God was pleased with the sacrifice because He knew that Noah was grateful for the protection and care that his family had received. God blessed Noah and his family and told them, “Multiply and fill the earth. I promise never to send another flood like this and have placed my rainbow in the clouds as a reminder of this covenant. Never again will there be a flood that destroys all life.” Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah, survived the flood with their father. From these three sons of Noah came all the people now scattered across the earth.
Again we can see that God desires community with His creation. Even when mankind becomes totally corrupted and deserves punishment for their sin, God provides a solution that we cannot provide for ourselves. His love for us is so great that He has provided a lifeboat big enough to hold everyone who will obediently respond to the invitation to join His Community.
Mar 31, 2011
Phil's article--Why Me Lord?
“Why Me, Lord?” I’m certain you have asked this same question at some point in your Christian walk. Some of you that read this will no doubt conclude that I’m just suffering from stress brought on by our peculiar situation. I ask all who read to understand this one simple truth about me, “I would rather be playing golf.”
Please bear with me as I provide a little background for any new prayer-partners that might be reading my reflections for the first time. As a retired Army officer who married late in life and sired four sons, it is my core belief that God must have a serious recruitment problem given He wants me to serve as His representative to the people of Jeju-do, South Korea. I have worked at the Company for over ten (10) years now and I’m not getting any younger. In August of 2011 my Korean-American partner, Sue Park, decided the limit of her patience had been exceeded and asked to be reassigned. Our supervisor agreed and she is now off somewhere else serving the Lord with gladness. As for me and my house, working alone requires going back to the basics and for this missionary that meant Korean Language School.
Helaine and I are both full-time language students at an institute in Seoul. David (17) and Daniel (15) are high school boarding students at Taejon Christian International School, while Andrew (13) and our baby Noah (10+) are attending Seoul Foreign School for the next year. The Company has provided adequate living accommodations but our comfort stuff remains in our home in Hallim on Jeju Island. This brings you all up-to-date with the radical changes we are processing and sets the stage for my annual “January Week of Prayer and Fasting” which is the context for this opportunity of reflection. As in years past, I expected to spend seven (7) days during January in prayer and fasting for insight and direction from the Lord Jesus Christ. This has always been a challenging but very rewarding time alone with the boss.
This year was different on many levels. First, our circumstances dictated that I spend the week “alone” only in a symbolic manner of speaking. Our bedroom was my sanctuary of solitude, at least during the day. While I was observing a complete abstinence from food, the smells from the kitchen below our bedroom was pervasive as Helaine and the boys maintained a healthy diet of nutritious dining each day. The distractions of parenthood couldn’t be entirely avoided either as our boys often require the firm hand of father administered discipline to stay the course of righteousness. Still, the spirit was willing and strong enough to control the weak flesh for the first three days of the week. However, as day four dawned, the Second major crisis arose. I do not know what hit me but the result was diabolical. Some sort of demon bug crawled into my digestive tract and wreaked havoc on my will power. If only a simple cold or sinus infection I might have sustained, but whatever attacked me hit below the belt. Third, and finally, the dryness of my empty-stomach heaving was being matched by a spiritual dryness in prayer.
My ship was sunk by a calamitous convergence of circumstances. Dead in the water due to a severe lack of Spiritual Wind in my sails, I was swamped by a tsunami of external distractions when they struck my already weakened physical vessel. This is all to say, I’m sorry to report that I failed to achieve the goal.
I gave up the ghost after five (5) days and broke my fast. I’m sorry.
That’s the bad news. I would like to report the good news that God blessed in spite of my shortcoming and provided many keen insights and clear direction. Again, I’m sorry.
The worse news is that after five days of fasting and prayer, I had NSR! [Nothing Significant to Report] Instead of experiencing a spiritual high complete with profound wisdom and a strong sense of purpose; I discovered myself wallowing in a sea of pity asking the ridiculous question, “Why Me, Lord?”
It has always been clear to me that the best way to reach a people group with the gospel of Jesus Christ is from within the circle of their native culture, language and social relationships. Therefore, I’ve prayed for the Lord of the harvest to provide a co-worker that is a Jeju native and a committed brother in Christ. After five (5) years of struggle NTS! My Company provided partners have been a linguistic crutch that I relied upon so heavily my own skills deteriorated and now I must pay the piper his due. So, it’s back to school with the added pressure that failure is now measured by what should have been fluency already.
Meanwhile, the blue-collar workers of Jeju complacently grope through their spiritual darkness in a vain attempt to achieve a meaningful life, totally oblivious to their absolute corruptness outside of our Lord Jesus Christ. I cry out in my soul for someone to go out into the villages of Jeju and warn them of their desperate condition. I plead with sweat and tears for someone to have compassion enough to share the good news of God’s Love with the farmers, fishermen and heanyo of Jeju before it’s too late. I beg on my knees for a servant of our Savior to fulfill His Great Commission and go to Jeju and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teach them to obey all His commands. The answer from heaven has been consistent; it rings in my ears with resounding clarity: I Sent You!
Oh for shame! I am undone. My flaw has been exposed. I am the answer to my prayers. Pity the poor souls on Jeju Island because their message of hope is delayed and will be garbled at best when finally delivered. What divine folly is this? Why Me, Lord?
OK, enough of this poetic nonsense. What is my point? My dearest friends, partners in prayer for the Jeju people, I recognize and confess my sin before God and all of you. Linguistically, I’ve failed to reach even the most basic level of competency as a missionary and therefore am incapable of fulfilling my responsibilities. However, God is gracious and through the Company has provided a second opportunity to correct my language deficiency. With a firm commitment to study hard to show myself approved and confidence sustained by your faithful prayers the Hamline family will return to Jeju Island in 2012 if the Lord tarries. Meanwhile, stay true to your commitment and pray that the Holy Spirit will work even in our absence growing the seeds we planted over the past several years. To Him be all glory, honor and praise! Hallelujah and Amen!
Please bear with me as I provide a little background for any new prayer-partners that might be reading my reflections for the first time. As a retired Army officer who married late in life and sired four sons, it is my core belief that God must have a serious recruitment problem given He wants me to serve as His representative to the people of Jeju-do, South Korea. I have worked at the Company for over ten (10) years now and I’m not getting any younger. In August of 2011 my Korean-American partner, Sue Park, decided the limit of her patience had been exceeded and asked to be reassigned. Our supervisor agreed and she is now off somewhere else serving the Lord with gladness. As for me and my house, working alone requires going back to the basics and for this missionary that meant Korean Language School.
Helaine and I are both full-time language students at an institute in Seoul. David (17) and Daniel (15) are high school boarding students at Taejon Christian International School, while Andrew (13) and our baby Noah (10+) are attending Seoul Foreign School for the next year. The Company has provided adequate living accommodations but our comfort stuff remains in our home in Hallim on Jeju Island. This brings you all up-to-date with the radical changes we are processing and sets the stage for my annual “January Week of Prayer and Fasting” which is the context for this opportunity of reflection. As in years past, I expected to spend seven (7) days during January in prayer and fasting for insight and direction from the Lord Jesus Christ. This has always been a challenging but very rewarding time alone with the boss.
This year was different on many levels. First, our circumstances dictated that I spend the week “alone” only in a symbolic manner of speaking. Our bedroom was my sanctuary of solitude, at least during the day. While I was observing a complete abstinence from food, the smells from the kitchen below our bedroom was pervasive as Helaine and the boys maintained a healthy diet of nutritious dining each day. The distractions of parenthood couldn’t be entirely avoided either as our boys often require the firm hand of father administered discipline to stay the course of righteousness. Still, the spirit was willing and strong enough to control the weak flesh for the first three days of the week. However, as day four dawned, the Second major crisis arose. I do not know what hit me but the result was diabolical. Some sort of demon bug crawled into my digestive tract and wreaked havoc on my will power. If only a simple cold or sinus infection I might have sustained, but whatever attacked me hit below the belt. Third, and finally, the dryness of my empty-stomach heaving was being matched by a spiritual dryness in prayer.
My ship was sunk by a calamitous convergence of circumstances. Dead in the water due to a severe lack of Spiritual Wind in my sails, I was swamped by a tsunami of external distractions when they struck my already weakened physical vessel. This is all to say, I’m sorry to report that I failed to achieve the goal.
I gave up the ghost after five (5) days and broke my fast. I’m sorry.
That’s the bad news. I would like to report the good news that God blessed in spite of my shortcoming and provided many keen insights and clear direction. Again, I’m sorry.
The worse news is that after five days of fasting and prayer, I had NSR! [Nothing Significant to Report] Instead of experiencing a spiritual high complete with profound wisdom and a strong sense of purpose; I discovered myself wallowing in a sea of pity asking the ridiculous question, “Why Me, Lord?”
It has always been clear to me that the best way to reach a people group with the gospel of Jesus Christ is from within the circle of their native culture, language and social relationships. Therefore, I’ve prayed for the Lord of the harvest to provide a co-worker that is a Jeju native and a committed brother in Christ. After five (5) years of struggle NTS! My Company provided partners have been a linguistic crutch that I relied upon so heavily my own skills deteriorated and now I must pay the piper his due. So, it’s back to school with the added pressure that failure is now measured by what should have been fluency already.
Meanwhile, the blue-collar workers of Jeju complacently grope through their spiritual darkness in a vain attempt to achieve a meaningful life, totally oblivious to their absolute corruptness outside of our Lord Jesus Christ. I cry out in my soul for someone to go out into the villages of Jeju and warn them of their desperate condition. I plead with sweat and tears for someone to have compassion enough to share the good news of God’s Love with the farmers, fishermen and heanyo of Jeju before it’s too late. I beg on my knees for a servant of our Savior to fulfill His Great Commission and go to Jeju and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teach them to obey all His commands. The answer from heaven has been consistent; it rings in my ears with resounding clarity: I Sent You!
Oh for shame! I am undone. My flaw has been exposed. I am the answer to my prayers. Pity the poor souls on Jeju Island because their message of hope is delayed and will be garbled at best when finally delivered. What divine folly is this? Why Me, Lord?
OK, enough of this poetic nonsense. What is my point? My dearest friends, partners in prayer for the Jeju people, I recognize and confess my sin before God and all of you. Linguistically, I’ve failed to reach even the most basic level of competency as a missionary and therefore am incapable of fulfilling my responsibilities. However, God is gracious and through the Company has provided a second opportunity to correct my language deficiency. With a firm commitment to study hard to show myself approved and confidence sustained by your faithful prayers the Hamline family will return to Jeju Island in 2012 if the Lord tarries. Meanwhile, stay true to your commitment and pray that the Holy Spirit will work even in our absence growing the seeds we planted over the past several years. To Him be all glory, honor and praise! Hallelujah and Amen!
April Newsletter Issue #5
Old Dogs I’ve heard it said, “You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.” I’m not sure about that; however, I can totally affirm that an old dog finds it very difficult to learn a new bark. Helaine and I are immersed in a one-year Korean language training program that is interesting but extremely challenging for a couple of old hound dogs such as us. We desperately covet your prayers as we seek the Father’s blessing on our new scholastic adventure. The pressure to “master” the Korean language is appropriate for the job we are called to accomplish, but nonetheless, I have very little hair left to lose because of stress! Our company has done everything possible to assist us and make life less complicated while we focus on learning this “foreign” way to think and communicate. Helaine and I are committed to provide our best effort and so we now rely on the Father to bless the process through which He has called us to minister to the people of Jeju Island. Please remain faithful to intercede on behalf of the farmers, fishermen and haenyo of the villages in which we last worked: Hado-ri, SoGil-ri, and Changcheon-ri. During our absence from Jeju it is your prayers and the work of the Holy Spirit that will accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God.
During our stay in Seoul, we worship at Central Baptist Church which is within walking distance of our home. Pastor Ko and his congregation have been very gracious to welcome us and allow us the freedom to practice our limited Korean during fellowship meals each Sunday. Also, one member of this church has volunteered to assist me in developing and translating the “Bible Story Set” which I plan to use for evangelism upon our return to Jeju-do. Please pray that Ms. Jo and I will be granted a double measure of wisdom to finish this task before the end of this year. Another prayer request is for Pastor Jang, a retired Baptist minister that has agreed to tutor me in my language development. This poor soul must suffer the torture of my poor pronunciation in order to exercise my Korean speaking skills. I ask that you plead with the Holy Spirit for long-suffering patience and gentleness in correction as I’m certain Pastor Jang will require much of both.
Finally, I direct your attention to our blog page in order to read my attached article (English Only). During this past January, I was able to complete a time of prayer and fasting in order to gain insight concerning my call. I composed a short essay entitled “Why Me, Lord?” which consists of my reflections from this retreat. As always you are welcome to respond with questions or comments concerning this newsletter, any of my writings, or our ministry to the blue-collar workers of Jeju Island.
Hamline Happenings
We are all adjusting to our new classroom settings. Some have made the transition quickly and some are still struggling to figure out how to do all that is expected. Andrew’s recent report card states that he has fully assimilated into his new classes. The other boys had grade updates about a month ago. Those updates showed that they had some adjusting to do. This week we received updates for two and report cards for the other two. Praise the Lord there is progress in the right direction for all of the boys.
Phil and I get a chance to adjust to a new class every month. We get a new teacher and many times new fellow students. The Lord has blessed us with improvements every day. We have been the older ones in class most times. There is comfort in studying and practicing with others as we all seek to learn this language.
In February we gave out a goodbye gift bag to our February class since all of them would be leaving Korea at the end of February. We had some treats, an English/Korean Bible and Gospel tracts inside the bags. Our prayer is that as they remember their time in Korea and their desire to learn Korean that they will be drawn to read this Korean book. Most of the students were Japanese. We pray for them as they go through a difficult time in their country since their return.
Please pray that we will learn Korean so we can effectively share His Word with the lost of Jeju Island. Please pray that we will be salt and light as we interact with other foreigners in our classes. Please pray for our sons to continue to adjust to their new school situations. Please pray that they too will be salt and light in their daily lives.
Feb 15, 2011
TRAVELING ON MY KNEES
Last night I took a journey
To a land across the seas.
I didn't go by ship or plane –
I traveled on my knees.
I saw so many people there
In bondage to their sin,
And Jesus told me I should go,
That there were souls to win.
But I said, "Jesus, I can't go
To lands across the seas."
He answered quickly, "Yes, you can –
By traveling on your knees."
He said, "You pray, I'll meet the need.
You call, and I will hear.
It's up to you to be concerned
For lost souls far and near."
And so I did, I knelt in prayer,
Gave up some hours of ease,
And with the Savior by my side
I traveled on my knees.
As I prayed on, I saw souls saved
And twisted persons healed.
I saw God's workers' strength renewed
While laboring on the field.
I said, "Yes, Lord, I'll take the job.
Your heart I want to please.
I'll heed Your call and swiftly go
By traveling on my knees."
(Lundstrom 207-208)
Quoted by Lee E. Thomas, Praying Effectively for the Lost. John the Baptist Printing Ministry, Milford, Ohio. 2003.
Last night I took a journey
To a land across the seas.
I didn't go by ship or plane –
I traveled on my knees.
I saw so many people there
In bondage to their sin,
And Jesus told me I should go,
That there were souls to win.
But I said, "Jesus, I can't go
To lands across the seas."
He answered quickly, "Yes, you can –
By traveling on your knees."
He said, "You pray, I'll meet the need.
You call, and I will hear.
It's up to you to be concerned
For lost souls far and near."
And so I did, I knelt in prayer,
Gave up some hours of ease,
And with the Savior by my side
I traveled on my knees.
As I prayed on, I saw souls saved
And twisted persons healed.
I saw God's workers' strength renewed
While laboring on the field.
I said, "Yes, Lord, I'll take the job.
Your heart I want to please.
I'll heed Your call and swiftly go
By traveling on my knees."
(Lundstrom 207-208)
Quoted by Lee E. Thomas, Praying Effectively for the Lost. John the Baptist Printing Ministry, Milford, Ohio. 2003.
Jan 6, 2011
Newsletter Issue #4 December 31, 2011
Dearest Friends and Prayer-Partners,
I hope that this fourth edition of our newsletter finds you and your loved ones in good health, safe from harm, and full of the joy that faithful service to our Lord provides. We are busy with the final preparations for our January return to the “Land of the Morning Calm.” Our Stateside Assignment to our hometowns of Seminole, Texas and Kansas City, Missouri have been wonderfully blessed by sweet fellowship with relatives, friends and fellow believers in the body of Christ. The Lord has provided us with an abundance of opportunities to share our ministry on Jeju-do with eight (8) different Southern Baptist Churches from Iowa to Texas. We are happy to report that 54 new prayer-partners have made the commitment to join our efforts to intercede with the Father on behalf of the people of Jeju Island. We also give thanks for the promise of at least two mission teams planning for trips to Korea in 2012.
As I informed you in our last newsletter, Helaine and I will be attending a language institute in Seoul upon our return. We covet your prayers as we will first undergo Korean Language testing to place us in an appropriate level for advanced language training. Our supervisors have graciously made this opportunity possible so that we can acquire sufficient proficiency to work alone on Jeju due to Sue Park moving to another ministry field within the IMB. I pledge to dedicate my time and effort to this work but I desperately need your prayers and the work of the Holy Spirit to open my mind in order to “think” Korean rather than attempting to translate from English to Korean in my head. We have been blessed with one year of study time to achieve the high standard of proficiency required to return to Jeju-do.
Finally, I once again plead with you to remain steadfast and firm in your commitment to pray for the haenyo, farmers, and fishermen that make up the majority of our people group on Jeju Island. They especially need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to work supernaturally in our absence as seed we have planted needs to take root and grow. Please keep in mind the villagers of Hado-ri, SoGil-ri, and Changcheon-ri. These three villages remain our priority prayer requests as we conducted the majority of our ministry acitivity in and around these areas before our departure on STAS. The Hamline family wishes you all a very happy and fruitful New Year of 2011. May God richly bless you and yours.
Hamline Happenings
The past few months have been a real blessing to the Hamline family. It was so neat to see how the Father had prepared our time in Seminole. We were blessed with a wonderful house to live in, and teachers and counselors ready and willing to guide our sons into public school. It is with full hearts that we leave and return to Korea. The boys are all better prepared to enter international school this spring semester. They all made the honor roll each of the three six weeks. We aren’t sure what the standards are to make it, but our sons were so excited to see their names in the newspaper each time. The younger three had homeschooled with mom for the past 5 years so it was exciting to see that they could make it in a “real” school setting. It was so nice for each one to have their own class and friends.
We have an exciting transition coming in January. The boys are all dealing with sadness at leaving a town, school, church and friends where they were very happy. They are looking forward with nervousness to the new adventure that begins January 1st as we travel back to Korea. School in Korea will begin on January 10th for all four sons. David and Daniel will pack and move to TCIS, a boarding school in Taejon (or Daejeon), South Korea. It is about an hour by high speed train away from Seoul where we will be living. This is the same school they attended when we first moved to Korea for language training. There are still some kids there that remember them. They are excited about renewing their friendships again and seeing some of their former teachers. Andrew and Noah will enter Seoul Foreign School. This will be a first for them as they have never lived in nor gone to school in Seoul. It will provide them many opportunities to be involved in sports and after school programs as well as to make many new friends. Transitions while exciting, are rarely easy. Please pray for all of us as we all are going through many new, exciting changes.
I hope that this fourth edition of our newsletter finds you and your loved ones in good health, safe from harm, and full of the joy that faithful service to our Lord provides. We are busy with the final preparations for our January return to the “Land of the Morning Calm.” Our Stateside Assignment to our hometowns of Seminole, Texas and Kansas City, Missouri have been wonderfully blessed by sweet fellowship with relatives, friends and fellow believers in the body of Christ. The Lord has provided us with an abundance of opportunities to share our ministry on Jeju-do with eight (8) different Southern Baptist Churches from Iowa to Texas. We are happy to report that 54 new prayer-partners have made the commitment to join our efforts to intercede with the Father on behalf of the people of Jeju Island. We also give thanks for the promise of at least two mission teams planning for trips to Korea in 2012.
As I informed you in our last newsletter, Helaine and I will be attending a language institute in Seoul upon our return. We covet your prayers as we will first undergo Korean Language testing to place us in an appropriate level for advanced language training. Our supervisors have graciously made this opportunity possible so that we can acquire sufficient proficiency to work alone on Jeju due to Sue Park moving to another ministry field within the IMB. I pledge to dedicate my time and effort to this work but I desperately need your prayers and the work of the Holy Spirit to open my mind in order to “think” Korean rather than attempting to translate from English to Korean in my head. We have been blessed with one year of study time to achieve the high standard of proficiency required to return to Jeju-do.
Finally, I once again plead with you to remain steadfast and firm in your commitment to pray for the haenyo, farmers, and fishermen that make up the majority of our people group on Jeju Island. They especially need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to work supernaturally in our absence as seed we have planted needs to take root and grow. Please keep in mind the villagers of Hado-ri, SoGil-ri, and Changcheon-ri. These three villages remain our priority prayer requests as we conducted the majority of our ministry acitivity in and around these areas before our departure on STAS. The Hamline family wishes you all a very happy and fruitful New Year of 2011. May God richly bless you and yours.
Hamline Happenings
The past few months have been a real blessing to the Hamline family. It was so neat to see how the Father had prepared our time in Seminole. We were blessed with a wonderful house to live in, and teachers and counselors ready and willing to guide our sons into public school. It is with full hearts that we leave and return to Korea. The boys are all better prepared to enter international school this spring semester. They all made the honor roll each of the three six weeks. We aren’t sure what the standards are to make it, but our sons were so excited to see their names in the newspaper each time. The younger three had homeschooled with mom for the past 5 years so it was exciting to see that they could make it in a “real” school setting. It was so nice for each one to have their own class and friends.
We have an exciting transition coming in January. The boys are all dealing with sadness at leaving a town, school, church and friends where they were very happy. They are looking forward with nervousness to the new adventure that begins January 1st as we travel back to Korea. School in Korea will begin on January 10th for all four sons. David and Daniel will pack and move to TCIS, a boarding school in Taejon (or Daejeon), South Korea. It is about an hour by high speed train away from Seoul where we will be living. This is the same school they attended when we first moved to Korea for language training. There are still some kids there that remember them. They are excited about renewing their friendships again and seeing some of their former teachers. Andrew and Noah will enter Seoul Foreign School. This will be a first for them as they have never lived in nor gone to school in Seoul. It will provide them many opportunities to be involved in sports and after school programs as well as to make many new friends. Transitions while exciting, are rarely easy. Please pray for all of us as we all are going through many new, exciting changes.
January Requests
Prayer Partners,
Thank you for your willingness to pray for the people of Jeju-do, South Korea. Please pray for Mr. P who is one of our neighbors in Jeju. Mr. P is a farmer who asked Christ into his life over a year ago. He had recently gone through some financial troubles as well as a divorce. Our team witnessed to him, lead him to the Lord and began to disciple him. He was baptized in the ocean, was studying the Bible and learning to tell others about Jesus. He seemed excited about the truths he was learning. Then suddenly a month into his disciple training, he decided to quit and returned his Bible and materials to us. He stated that he didn’t have time to study any longer. Please pray asking the Holy Spirit to convict him of his need to return to the One True God. Pray that he will hunger to know more about the One whom he professed last year.
Continuing requests--
--GOAL-Our goal during our stateside time has been to add 50 new prayer partners to commit to pray for the salvation of the Jeju people. We have acquired around 40 new partners! We would still like to get at least 15 more people who will commit to pray faithfully for the Jeju people. If you know someone who would be interested in partnering with us in prayer, please let us know. We desire to have MANY praying for the salvation of this group of people especially during this time where we have no personnel actively working with this group.
--GOAL- We hope to find 1 to 2 groups willing to commit to come on a mission trip to Jeju in the summer of 2012. If you are interested in joining in with a group that comes to Jeju, let us know.
--Please pray for Phil and Helaine as they reenter language study in January. Pray that they will learn quickly and be able to share their faith effectively in the Korean language.
Thanks again,
The Hamlines
Thank you for your willingness to pray for the people of Jeju-do, South Korea. Please pray for Mr. P who is one of our neighbors in Jeju. Mr. P is a farmer who asked Christ into his life over a year ago. He had recently gone through some financial troubles as well as a divorce. Our team witnessed to him, lead him to the Lord and began to disciple him. He was baptized in the ocean, was studying the Bible and learning to tell others about Jesus. He seemed excited about the truths he was learning. Then suddenly a month into his disciple training, he decided to quit and returned his Bible and materials to us. He stated that he didn’t have time to study any longer. Please pray asking the Holy Spirit to convict him of his need to return to the One True God. Pray that he will hunger to know more about the One whom he professed last year.
Continuing requests--
--GOAL-Our goal during our stateside time has been to add 50 new prayer partners to commit to pray for the salvation of the Jeju people. We have acquired around 40 new partners! We would still like to get at least 15 more people who will commit to pray faithfully for the Jeju people. If you know someone who would be interested in partnering with us in prayer, please let us know. We desire to have MANY praying for the salvation of this group of people especially during this time where we have no personnel actively working with this group.
--GOAL- We hope to find 1 to 2 groups willing to commit to come on a mission trip to Jeju in the summer of 2012. If you are interested in joining in with a group that comes to Jeju, let us know.
--Please pray for Phil and Helaine as they reenter language study in January. Pray that they will learn quickly and be able to share their faith effectively in the Korean language.
Thanks again,
The Hamlines
Dec 6, 2010
Nov 2, 2010
November Requests
Prayer Partners,
Thanks for supporting us and the ministry in Jeju. Please pray for the village of Hado-Li. This is the village where Grandma K lives. She is the 100 old retired haenyo. Several months ago Phil and Sue were able to lead her to the Lord. Before leaving Korea, we left an audio Bible with her. Please pray that she will be drawn to listening to God’s Word using this device. Please pray for her son and daughter-in-law who live next to her. Pray that their hearts will be softened so the Holy Spirit can convict them of their need for a savior. This village has a large number of women divers, haenyo. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts revealing His Truth. Pray that He will convict them concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.(John 16:8-11)
Continuing requests--
--50 new prayer partners to commit to pray for the salvation of the Jeju people. We would still like to get at least 25 more people who will commit to faithfully praying for the Jeju people. If you know someone who would be interested in partnering with us in prayer, please let us know. We desire to have Many praying for the salvation of this group of people especially during this time where we have no personnel actively working with this group.
--1 to 2 groups willing to commit to come on a mission trip to Jeju in the summer of 2012. If you are interested in joining in with a group that comes to Jeju, let us know.
--Please pray for Phil and Helaine as they reenter language study in January. Pray that they will learn quickly and be able to share their faith effectively in the Korean language.
Thanks again,
The Hamlines
Newsletter Issue #3 September 30, 2010
Howdy Y’all, I’m writing to you this quarter from the great state of Texas. We are settled down in a mission house provided by the First Baptist Church of Seminole, which is the exact location that Helaine and I officially began our journey together over 18 years ago. During this Stateside Assignment (STAS) we’ve been blessed with so many “convenient circumstances” that I want to begin by giving glory, honor and praise to the Great Provider and coordinator of life’s circumstances, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I will defer to Helaine to provide you with the details of God’s benevolence towards our family.
I want to thank you all for your faithful prayers as Team Jeju BLUE experienced very significant changes over the last several months. As you are aware from our last newsletter, Sue Park and our family have both left the island for a period of STAS in the USA. Sue will not return to Jeju, and we will be delayed for one year of language training in Seoul beginning January 2011. Please continue to pray for Sue Park as she seeks the Lord’s will for her life and ministry. Also pray for Helaine and I as we make preparations while on STAS to transition back into our language student mode of operation.
Praise the Lord, PTL! Our summer mission team from the Global Mission Church in Maryland came to Jeju in July and together with members of the Sun In Baptist Church near Jeju City conducted a very successful Vacation Bible School program for elementary and middle school children. We witnessed eleven (11) young people give their lives to Jesus Christ and ask that you pray for Pastor Won and his congregation as they now take responsibility for growing these new Christians in their faith. This team also conducted prayer-walks of our target villages on Jeju-do. Please join us in our prayers that the Holy Spirit will draw a person-of-peace from each of these villages and that we will have the opportunity to share the gospel effectively with the haenyo of Hado-ri and the farmers of SoGil-ri and Changcheon-ri.
Our time in America is proving to be very fruitful in the recruitment of additional prayer partners and the enlistment of a mission team from Iowa to come to Jeju in 2012. During September, I enjoyed the opportunity to participate in an “On Mission Conference” in Des Moines, Iowa. This experience also involved sharing our Jeju ministry with several church groups in the area and the Lord provided us with fourteen (14) new commitments to pray for the lost of Jeju-do. A dear friend of mine from Stuart, Iowa, Pastor Robert Taylor and his wife Cindy from Heartland Baptist Church, have committed to lead a team from Metro Baptist Association in Des Moines to travel to Jeju in the summer of 2012. Please join me in lifting this couple up before the Lord as they recruit and train a mission team to minister on Jeju-do.
Finally, I want to encourage everyone to visit our “blog” at the internet address listed below for monthly prayer updates and photographs of recent ministry activity. Helaine and I also post our “reflections” on this blog site and I would love to hear your thoughts and comments in response. I’ve posted on our blog a new article “Reflections on Death” which provides my insights into the “supernatural” events surrounding the recent death of my Aunt Margaret. I hope you are blessed and challenged by the message I present. Thank you all for your faithful prayer support and I ask our Heavenly Father to provide for your every need. In His Love, your co-worker in Christ, Phil Hamline
Hamline Happenings
Our stateside time has been very busy. It has been nice getting to visit with family and friends again. The boys have enjoyed getting to know the US more. They are getting a good opportunity to do this by attending public school for the fall semester. The three younger boys have been homeschooled for the past 6 years. David was homeschooled for 4 years and then attended Faith Academy in the Philippines for the past 2 years. He is enjoying eleventh grade in the high school here in Seminole, Texas. He really likes being able to be home with family. He is enjoying the lighter homework load. Daniel is a freshman in high school and playing football. He has really enjoyed getting to be part of a team and making friends. Andrew is enjoying art classes and getting to race boys in PE. He has won several races so it has been a positive experience. He is in seventh grade. Noah is a fourth grader. He likes all the kids in his class and is becoming an ace speller. Spelling always gave him fits before so he feels good being so successful this year.
The house here is very spacious, and First Baptist has been very kind and generous in their furnishing of it and providing for us. Many of those that attend FBC also work in the schools. They have all been very helpful in guiding the boys to adjust. We are very blessed.
I want to thank you all for your faithful prayers as Team Jeju BLUE experienced very significant changes over the last several months. As you are aware from our last newsletter, Sue Park and our family have both left the island for a period of STAS in the USA. Sue will not return to Jeju, and we will be delayed for one year of language training in Seoul beginning January 2011. Please continue to pray for Sue Park as she seeks the Lord’s will for her life and ministry. Also pray for Helaine and I as we make preparations while on STAS to transition back into our language student mode of operation.
Praise the Lord, PTL! Our summer mission team from the Global Mission Church in Maryland came to Jeju in July and together with members of the Sun In Baptist Church near Jeju City conducted a very successful Vacation Bible School program for elementary and middle school children. We witnessed eleven (11) young people give their lives to Jesus Christ and ask that you pray for Pastor Won and his congregation as they now take responsibility for growing these new Christians in their faith. This team also conducted prayer-walks of our target villages on Jeju-do. Please join us in our prayers that the Holy Spirit will draw a person-of-peace from each of these villages and that we will have the opportunity to share the gospel effectively with the haenyo of Hado-ri and the farmers of SoGil-ri and Changcheon-ri.
Our time in America is proving to be very fruitful in the recruitment of additional prayer partners and the enlistment of a mission team from Iowa to come to Jeju in 2012. During September, I enjoyed the opportunity to participate in an “On Mission Conference” in Des Moines, Iowa. This experience also involved sharing our Jeju ministry with several church groups in the area and the Lord provided us with fourteen (14) new commitments to pray for the lost of Jeju-do. A dear friend of mine from Stuart, Iowa, Pastor Robert Taylor and his wife Cindy from Heartland Baptist Church, have committed to lead a team from Metro Baptist Association in Des Moines to travel to Jeju in the summer of 2012. Please join me in lifting this couple up before the Lord as they recruit and train a mission team to minister on Jeju-do.
Finally, I want to encourage everyone to visit our “blog” at the internet address listed below for monthly prayer updates and photographs of recent ministry activity. Helaine and I also post our “reflections” on this blog site and I would love to hear your thoughts and comments in response. I’ve posted on our blog a new article “Reflections on Death” which provides my insights into the “supernatural” events surrounding the recent death of my Aunt Margaret. I hope you are blessed and challenged by the message I present. Thank you all for your faithful prayer support and I ask our Heavenly Father to provide for your every need. In His Love, your co-worker in Christ, Phil Hamline
Hamline Happenings
Our stateside time has been very busy. It has been nice getting to visit with family and friends again. The boys have enjoyed getting to know the US more. They are getting a good opportunity to do this by attending public school for the fall semester. The three younger boys have been homeschooled for the past 6 years. David was homeschooled for 4 years and then attended Faith Academy in the Philippines for the past 2 years. He is enjoying eleventh grade in the high school here in Seminole, Texas. He really likes being able to be home with family. He is enjoying the lighter homework load. Daniel is a freshman in high school and playing football. He has really enjoyed getting to be part of a team and making friends. Andrew is enjoying art classes and getting to race boys in PE. He has won several races so it has been a positive experience. He is in seventh grade. Noah is a fourth grader. He likes all the kids in his class and is becoming an ace speller. Spelling always gave him fits before so he feels good being so successful this year.
The house here is very spacious, and First Baptist has been very kind and generous in their furnishing of it and providing for us. Many of those that attend FBC also work in the schools. They have all been very helpful in guiding the boys to adjust. We are very blessed.
Oct 3, 2010
Reflections on Death
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8
I guess I’m getting old. Most of the close relatives that I’ve loved in my life are gone. My Dad died over 17 years ago and he was preceded by an older brother now dead almost 25 years. Most of my parents’ siblings have passed on and my mother has begun to wonder if she will be the last one to say goodbye to her generation (she’s a mere 85 years young). The “Circle of Life” philosophy is depressing if you ask me. I much prefer the “Eternal Life” theology of God’s Word.
Last month, August 2010, my family and I began our journey home to the USA for about 5 months of what we call Stateside Assignment (STAS). We left Seoul, Korea on Monday, 9 Aug, and stopped over in Vancouver, BC for a 4-day visit with our friends the Thompsons. On Friday, 13 Aug, we completed our journey to the USA when we arrived in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. That evening we had dinner with my immediate family and I was made aware that my Aunt Margaret was not expected to live much longer. The next day, Saturday, 14 Aug, my family and I went to the hospice which was providing final care for Aunt Margaret in order to pay our respects to the family and say goodbye. Our travel plan called for only six days in Kansas City because we needed to get the boys to Texas for the beginning of their public school experience.
Nancy and Judy, my cousins, Aunt Margaret’s only children were present along with many members of their respective immediate families. Aunt Margaret had been placed in the hospice over four weeks prior to my visit. Soon after her arrival, she had slipped into a coma which they didn’t expect her to awake from prior to death. Her family was honoring her wish that no extreme measure be carried out to sustain her life and this included even intravenous feeding. Still the caregivers were saying that her vital functions remained stable and relatively strong after almost a month without sustenance. The girls had been maintaining a constant presence and many others visited regularly in order to provide comfort. The wear and tear on each person’s face made it evident that the four weeks of waiting was taking a toll and the emotions were on edge. I decided that while my responsibility as a nephew/cousin had been met, it was apparent that the family needed spiritual support as well. I had previous pastoral experience in ministering to families at the time of a loved one’s death and asked if we could read some Scripture and have a time of prayer. Reminding them all of God’s presence and providence eased their suffering. I had each of my four sons come forward and say goodbye to their great-aunt Margaret then promised that if time allowed on Sunday I would try to stop by once more before we left for Texas. It was a good visit and ministry opportunity which also provided a chance to teach my boys about facing death.
I wish this was the end of the story because the rest is an uncomfortable exercise in transparency. My purpose in sharing these intimate details is to trust that the Holy Spirit will use my experience to teach you something about how we as born-again believers should be prepared to cross death’s doorway into our eternal future with Jesus Christ. I don’t have many conclusions to make only reflections for thought.
Sunday, Aug 15, will always be a special day in my spiritual walk with the Lord. It was planned to be a day of celebration with my immediate family as we scheduled a “covered dish dinner” following the morning worship services at my nephew’s church in Lee’s Summit, MO.; but God had much bigger and better plans. After a late Saturday night visiting with my family and an early Sunday morning of worship, followed by an afternoon of fellowship, I was ready for a nap. I remembered my promise made to Judy and Nancy but thought that the previous day’s ministry would be hard to top and decided to call it a day. As we settled in for the evening at my nephew’s, my mother and sister decided it was time to go as they had plans to stop by the hospice on their way back to Independence where my sister and mom live.
The nagging ache of conviction kept me from my nap. I knew my 85 year old mother, suffering from chronic arthritis and bursitis, was much more in need of rest than me, yet motivated by love she made the sacrifice to once again go out of her way to visit the sick much as Jesus had demonstrated time and time again. I’m slow but not stupid! I gathered my family together and off we went to visit a comatose aunt and her family that nobody in the car except for me knew anything about.
Sunday afternoon in the hospice was busy and crowded with staff and visiting family members. Most of the doors along the corridor were open in order to contain the standing room only audiences of grieving loved ones gathered to say final farewells. Aunt Margaret’s was no exception. On Sunday, even the kids came out and her room was full of people I didn’t even recognize. In my heart, I secretly rejoiced that my quick hello and goodbye would meet with little resistance. I left my family in the hallway and took the plunge into a swirling eddy of tears and grief. Nancy gave me an update of no significant change and as far as I could see, Aunt Margaret’s breathing sounded normal and she appeared peacefully asleep. It also became readily apparent that she was the only one in the room at peace. I’m uncomfortable when women cry. Several men in the room on the verge of tears was more than I could handle so I decided to change the environment. I ask permission from no one in particular if we could have a time of worship. This is my comfort zone, and besides it was Sunday and I figured most of those present, especially Nancy and Judy, had not had the chance to attend worship today.
Nancy is the worship leader at the small Baptist Church she attends, so I ask her if she would lead us in singing the old standard hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven.” I was expecting that Nancy and I would basically sing a subdued and shaky duet. Instead, she led a magnificent choir in a heavenly rendition that filled the entire wing of the hospice to everyone’s delight. Now that I had the undivided attention of an audience that included staff and guests from other rooms it occurred to me that I was totally unprepared as to what message God wanted shared. In a moment of surrender mixed together with trembling fear, I was guided by the Holy Spirit to the Scripture verses from 2 Timothy listed above. As I read these inspired words and shared my thoughts on a life well lived and pleasing to God, I challenged everyone that Christians should not only live well but we should die well also.
It was my intent to close our worship with a moment of prayer at Aunt Margaret’s bedside. As I stood next to her and laid my hand upon her head it is my testimony to you all that the prayer I prayed came not from me but literally from He who indwells me, the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. I’ve prayed over dying people several times in my pastoral ministry and I knew what I wanted to say. It was my desire to thank Aunt Margaret for her positive Christian lifestyle witness and to simply say that we all looked forward to the day when we would join her and our loved ones that had gone before. Instead I spoke in a clear and strong voice the following: “Aunt Margaret let go and go home!”
My friends, I witness to you that my first emotion was fear. I was afraid of the negative response that I expected from my cousins as I heard these words come out of my mouth. As I lifted up my head and made eye contact with them, I was sorry for what I had prayed. Never before in my life had I thought of praying such a prayer. Literally embarrassed, I turned and started mumbling my goodbye as I started to leave the room. My mother was sitting next to Aunt Margaret’s head softly crying when she broke the uncomfortable silence that had come over the room. She said to Nancy and Judy that Aunt Margaret had stopped breathing. I stopped in my tracks and pivoted to see Nancy and a nurse rush over to check her vital signs. The nurse said Aunt Margaret had no pulse and we all stared in silence at the body lying on the bed waiting for the final words of closure.
Secretly, I prayed that her heart would start beating again. My mother broke the silence by looking at me and stating that Aunt Margaret had waited for permission to go home. I thought to myself this was nonsense and just hoped that no one else was listening. Several minutes passed and finally the nurse officially pronounced that Aunt Margaret was gone. The dam burst and everyone in the room broke into a crescendo of tears mixed together with praise as the family of God joined in Spirit to say goodbye to a dearly loved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and Aunt.
Three days later, on Wednesday, 18 Aug, at Nancy and Judy’s request I officiated at Aunt Margaret’s funeral service. The message I gave was a personal testimony of God’s Grace to let me and my family be a part of the learning process that Aunt Margaret’s passing had become for everyone. I’m still not sure of what all God wanted me to learn from this experience. Also, I’m certain that people got a variety of lessons especially tailored for their circumstances from the same event. However, I feel confident to say at least this much, our Christian testimony is sealed as much by the way we die as by the way we live!
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
I guess I’m getting old. Most of the close relatives that I’ve loved in my life are gone. My Dad died over 17 years ago and he was preceded by an older brother now dead almost 25 years. Most of my parents’ siblings have passed on and my mother has begun to wonder if she will be the last one to say goodbye to her generation (she’s a mere 85 years young). The “Circle of Life” philosophy is depressing if you ask me. I much prefer the “Eternal Life” theology of God’s Word.
Last month, August 2010, my family and I began our journey home to the USA for about 5 months of what we call Stateside Assignment (STAS). We left Seoul, Korea on Monday, 9 Aug, and stopped over in Vancouver, BC for a 4-day visit with our friends the Thompsons. On Friday, 13 Aug, we completed our journey to the USA when we arrived in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. That evening we had dinner with my immediate family and I was made aware that my Aunt Margaret was not expected to live much longer. The next day, Saturday, 14 Aug, my family and I went to the hospice which was providing final care for Aunt Margaret in order to pay our respects to the family and say goodbye. Our travel plan called for only six days in Kansas City because we needed to get the boys to Texas for the beginning of their public school experience.
Nancy and Judy, my cousins, Aunt Margaret’s only children were present along with many members of their respective immediate families. Aunt Margaret had been placed in the hospice over four weeks prior to my visit. Soon after her arrival, she had slipped into a coma which they didn’t expect her to awake from prior to death. Her family was honoring her wish that no extreme measure be carried out to sustain her life and this included even intravenous feeding. Still the caregivers were saying that her vital functions remained stable and relatively strong after almost a month without sustenance. The girls had been maintaining a constant presence and many others visited regularly in order to provide comfort. The wear and tear on each person’s face made it evident that the four weeks of waiting was taking a toll and the emotions were on edge. I decided that while my responsibility as a nephew/cousin had been met, it was apparent that the family needed spiritual support as well. I had previous pastoral experience in ministering to families at the time of a loved one’s death and asked if we could read some Scripture and have a time of prayer. Reminding them all of God’s presence and providence eased their suffering. I had each of my four sons come forward and say goodbye to their great-aunt Margaret then promised that if time allowed on Sunday I would try to stop by once more before we left for Texas. It was a good visit and ministry opportunity which also provided a chance to teach my boys about facing death.
I wish this was the end of the story because the rest is an uncomfortable exercise in transparency. My purpose in sharing these intimate details is to trust that the Holy Spirit will use my experience to teach you something about how we as born-again believers should be prepared to cross death’s doorway into our eternal future with Jesus Christ. I don’t have many conclusions to make only reflections for thought.
Sunday, Aug 15, will always be a special day in my spiritual walk with the Lord. It was planned to be a day of celebration with my immediate family as we scheduled a “covered dish dinner” following the morning worship services at my nephew’s church in Lee’s Summit, MO.; but God had much bigger and better plans. After a late Saturday night visiting with my family and an early Sunday morning of worship, followed by an afternoon of fellowship, I was ready for a nap. I remembered my promise made to Judy and Nancy but thought that the previous day’s ministry would be hard to top and decided to call it a day. As we settled in for the evening at my nephew’s, my mother and sister decided it was time to go as they had plans to stop by the hospice on their way back to Independence where my sister and mom live.
The nagging ache of conviction kept me from my nap. I knew my 85 year old mother, suffering from chronic arthritis and bursitis, was much more in need of rest than me, yet motivated by love she made the sacrifice to once again go out of her way to visit the sick much as Jesus had demonstrated time and time again. I’m slow but not stupid! I gathered my family together and off we went to visit a comatose aunt and her family that nobody in the car except for me knew anything about.
Sunday afternoon in the hospice was busy and crowded with staff and visiting family members. Most of the doors along the corridor were open in order to contain the standing room only audiences of grieving loved ones gathered to say final farewells. Aunt Margaret’s was no exception. On Sunday, even the kids came out and her room was full of people I didn’t even recognize. In my heart, I secretly rejoiced that my quick hello and goodbye would meet with little resistance. I left my family in the hallway and took the plunge into a swirling eddy of tears and grief. Nancy gave me an update of no significant change and as far as I could see, Aunt Margaret’s breathing sounded normal and she appeared peacefully asleep. It also became readily apparent that she was the only one in the room at peace. I’m uncomfortable when women cry. Several men in the room on the verge of tears was more than I could handle so I decided to change the environment. I ask permission from no one in particular if we could have a time of worship. This is my comfort zone, and besides it was Sunday and I figured most of those present, especially Nancy and Judy, had not had the chance to attend worship today.
Nancy is the worship leader at the small Baptist Church she attends, so I ask her if she would lead us in singing the old standard hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven.” I was expecting that Nancy and I would basically sing a subdued and shaky duet. Instead, she led a magnificent choir in a heavenly rendition that filled the entire wing of the hospice to everyone’s delight. Now that I had the undivided attention of an audience that included staff and guests from other rooms it occurred to me that I was totally unprepared as to what message God wanted shared. In a moment of surrender mixed together with trembling fear, I was guided by the Holy Spirit to the Scripture verses from 2 Timothy listed above. As I read these inspired words and shared my thoughts on a life well lived and pleasing to God, I challenged everyone that Christians should not only live well but we should die well also.
It was my intent to close our worship with a moment of prayer at Aunt Margaret’s bedside. As I stood next to her and laid my hand upon her head it is my testimony to you all that the prayer I prayed came not from me but literally from He who indwells me, the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. I’ve prayed over dying people several times in my pastoral ministry and I knew what I wanted to say. It was my desire to thank Aunt Margaret for her positive Christian lifestyle witness and to simply say that we all looked forward to the day when we would join her and our loved ones that had gone before. Instead I spoke in a clear and strong voice the following: “Aunt Margaret let go and go home!”
My friends, I witness to you that my first emotion was fear. I was afraid of the negative response that I expected from my cousins as I heard these words come out of my mouth. As I lifted up my head and made eye contact with them, I was sorry for what I had prayed. Never before in my life had I thought of praying such a prayer. Literally embarrassed, I turned and started mumbling my goodbye as I started to leave the room. My mother was sitting next to Aunt Margaret’s head softly crying when she broke the uncomfortable silence that had come over the room. She said to Nancy and Judy that Aunt Margaret had stopped breathing. I stopped in my tracks and pivoted to see Nancy and a nurse rush over to check her vital signs. The nurse said Aunt Margaret had no pulse and we all stared in silence at the body lying on the bed waiting for the final words of closure.
Secretly, I prayed that her heart would start beating again. My mother broke the silence by looking at me and stating that Aunt Margaret had waited for permission to go home. I thought to myself this was nonsense and just hoped that no one else was listening. Several minutes passed and finally the nurse officially pronounced that Aunt Margaret was gone. The dam burst and everyone in the room broke into a crescendo of tears mixed together with praise as the family of God joined in Spirit to say goodbye to a dearly loved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and Aunt.
Three days later, on Wednesday, 18 Aug, at Nancy and Judy’s request I officiated at Aunt Margaret’s funeral service. The message I gave was a personal testimony of God’s Grace to let me and my family be a part of the learning process that Aunt Margaret’s passing had become for everyone. I’m still not sure of what all God wanted me to learn from this experience. Also, I’m certain that people got a variety of lessons especially tailored for their circumstances from the same event. However, I feel confident to say at least this much, our Christian testimony is sealed as much by the way we die as by the way we live!
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Aug 1, 2010
August Prayer Requests
1. A volunteer team from the US is here doing a VBS. We have had 7 kids pray to receive Christ so far. These are elementary through college aged kids attending. We have two more days of VBS on Monday and Tuesday. We will have some of the same kids and some new kids too. Our volunteer team is doing a great job interacting with the kids and witnessing as well. Praise! Please pray that SunIn church will be able to disciple these new believers. Please pray that these new believers will grow in their faith, knowledge and obedience to the Lord.
2. Please pray for the villages of Hado-Li, SoGil-Li, and ChangCheon-Li. At the first of July we had a team from Daehyung church in Taejon come to the island for prayerwalking. We visited all three villages, praying and looking for opportunities to witness and hand out tracts. We pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the villagers. Pray that they will be convicted of their sin and need of a Savior.
3. Please pray for Grandma K in Hado-Li. We visited her on our prayerwalking trip at the first of July. We gave her an audio Bible that we had received from Faith Comes by Hearing. We pray that it will be a blessing to her. We pray it will be a source of peace and comfort as she listens to His Word and a witness to her family as well. We have pictures from our prayerwalking trip on our blog.
Thank you for keeping the people of Jeju in your hearts and prayers!
Jul 21, 2010
Jul 1, 2010
Helaine's insights from her Bible study--2nd Quarter
I finished my Bible study On Mission With God this past quarter. The study’s focus was to encourage Christians to go on missions. It also really challenged a lot of today’s way of thinking. Although I didn’t need more challenge regarding being willing to go where God leads me, I do need challenge in how I go about serving God. Throughout the study I was challenged to look carefully at my motives, attitudes and expectations.
Several points in the study really stuck out to me. Here are a few. One says that God sends you to the place where He can best work through you to accomplish His mission. It goes on to say that no where the Lord calls us to go can compare to Christ’s mission to come to earth to provide the way of salvation. This really helps me get my priorities and attitude straight.
It always amazes me how the Lord teaches us what we need when we need it. This portion of the Bible study was very timely and what I needed to hear the past few months. “Modern Christians often forget that suffering accompanies service. Perhaps you have answered God’s invitation to go on mission with Him, only to be met by discouragement and difficulties along the way. Be like Paul as you determine to endure and even embrace unfolding events.”
The lessons I have learned through this study are very applicable to me right now as we enter a time of change and transition. I am challenged to be faithful when it would be very easy to be overwhelmingly discouraged. I love how I can be feeling very discouraged and overwhelmed. Then I start reading and studying His Word, and all of the sudden His Holy Spirit comes and illuminates His Word and brings encouragement to my soul.
I just started a new Bible study. It is by Beth Moore, Believing God. Already, it is helping me to focus and choose to believe, trust and have faith.
Several points in the study really stuck out to me. Here are a few. One says that God sends you to the place where He can best work through you to accomplish His mission. It goes on to say that no where the Lord calls us to go can compare to Christ’s mission to come to earth to provide the way of salvation. This really helps me get my priorities and attitude straight.
It always amazes me how the Lord teaches us what we need when we need it. This portion of the Bible study was very timely and what I needed to hear the past few months. “Modern Christians often forget that suffering accompanies service. Perhaps you have answered God’s invitation to go on mission with Him, only to be met by discouragement and difficulties along the way. Be like Paul as you determine to endure and even embrace unfolding events.”
The lessons I have learned through this study are very applicable to me right now as we enter a time of change and transition. I am challenged to be faithful when it would be very easy to be overwhelmingly discouraged. I love how I can be feeling very discouraged and overwhelmed. Then I start reading and studying His Word, and all of the sudden His Holy Spirit comes and illuminates His Word and brings encouragement to my soul.
I just started a new Bible study. It is by Beth Moore, Believing God. Already, it is helping me to focus and choose to believe, trust and have faith.
Jun 30, 2010
Requests for July 2010
Prayer Partners,
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for us and the ministry here in Jeju, South Korea.
Requests
1. Please pray for the people that live in SoGilRi; a small farming village with no Christian witness. We have conducted several prayer-walks in this village and are searching for a person-of-peace to open the doors of opportunity for sharing the gospel message with these shamanistic senior citizens. A team from Daehyung Baptist church are coming to minister next week. They will be here for two days and will do prayer walking and witnessing in this village as well as some others. Please pray for good opportunities to meet villagers and witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
2. We will be hosting a summer mission team from the USA at the end of July. Sue Park is taking the lead in coordinating this effort to sponsor a Vacation Bible School at Sun In Baptist Church near Jeju City. Please join us in praying for a harvest of young people from a nearby apartment complex as we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with these children and their parents.
3. Please pray for our family as well as Sue Park as we all leave the island to go on our stateside times in August. We will all be going through a time of transition when we finish our stateside time. Please pray that the Lord will direct our paths, give us endurance, and give us the ability to do the jobs we have been given. Phil and Helaine will be entering full-time language school for one year when they return to Korea in January 2011. Please pray that they will grasp the Korean language and will be able to effectively communicate the Gospel.
Again, thank you for your support of the work in Jeju.
The Hamlines
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for us and the ministry here in Jeju, South Korea.
Requests
1. Please pray for the people that live in SoGilRi; a small farming village with no Christian witness. We have conducted several prayer-walks in this village and are searching for a person-of-peace to open the doors of opportunity for sharing the gospel message with these shamanistic senior citizens. A team from Daehyung Baptist church are coming to minister next week. They will be here for two days and will do prayer walking and witnessing in this village as well as some others. Please pray for good opportunities to meet villagers and witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
2. We will be hosting a summer mission team from the USA at the end of July. Sue Park is taking the lead in coordinating this effort to sponsor a Vacation Bible School at Sun In Baptist Church near Jeju City. Please join us in praying for a harvest of young people from a nearby apartment complex as we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with these children and their parents.
3. Please pray for our family as well as Sue Park as we all leave the island to go on our stateside times in August. We will all be going through a time of transition when we finish our stateside time. Please pray that the Lord will direct our paths, give us endurance, and give us the ability to do the jobs we have been given. Phil and Helaine will be entering full-time language school for one year when they return to Korea in January 2011. Please pray that they will grasp the Korean language and will be able to effectively communicate the Gospel.
Again, thank you for your support of the work in Jeju.
The Hamlines
Newsletter Issue #2 June 30, 2010
Team Jeju BLUE
Believing, Loving, Understanding, Equipping
June 30, 2010 Issue #2
My dearest friends and prayer partners, I ask the Father for his continued blessings upon you and your families. We hope that you are experiencing good health and happiness as well as success in all efforts to extend the Kingdom of Heaven. Thank you very much for all the faithful prayer support offered on behalf of our ministry to the Jeju people. We depend on it as much as the air we breathe!
I have so much to be thankful for it seems a shame to spend this time sharing with you about a situation that reflects failure and pain. However, I trust you with good news and bad. My partner, Sue Park, and I have reached an impasse in our relationship which requires a course correction. In August of this year we will both leave Jeju for what we call Stateside Assignment (STAS). Sue will go on to serve the Lord in some other capacity with our sending organization but will not be returning to Jeju Island. The Hamlines will spend about five (5) months in the USA and return to Korea in January 2011. With sorrow and some degree of shame I admit a personal failure to properly lead the Jeju Team to victory in Jesus Christ.
My personal shortcoming is also evident in my very limited grasp of the Korean language. My supervisor has very graciously agreed to relocate our family to Seoul upon return from STAS in order to enroll in a formal language training program. I have been given one (1) additional year of full-time study to acquire an adequate level of proficiency in Korean to competently carry out my responsibilities as a missionary. With your prayers, God’s Grace and my hard work, I hope to return in January 2012 better equipped to facilitate a church planting movement among the blue-collar workers of Jeju Island. Please pray for Sue Park and my family as we undergo these major changes in our lives and ministries.
On a more positive note, we will be hosting a summer mission team from the USA in July. Sue Park is taking the lead in coordinating this effort to sponsor a Vacation Bible School at Sun In (선인) Baptist Church near Jeju City. Please join us in praying for a harvest of young people from a nearby apartment complex as we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with these children and their parents. I would also ask you to pray for the people that live in SoGilRi (소길리) a small farming community with no Christian witness. We have conducted several prayer-walks in this village and are searching for a person-of-peace to open the doors of opportunity for sharing the gospel message with these shamanistic senior citizens.
Finally, I ask you to continue interceding for the lost of Jeju Island. I’m claiming the promise of God found in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Our Father is Sovereign, and even in our personal failures He insists on receiving unto Himself great Glory. I don’t know how, when, or where but I’m certain that God’s plan is for many of the people of Jeju to come to him in faith through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I still want to participate with Him in this plan and I encourage you my brothers and sisters in Christ to keep the faith and remain firm in your prayer advocacy for these lost souls of Jeju Island.
Hamline Happenings
The end of the school year has finally arrived. David is now home with us. He did much better this second semester. Please pray that he will learn some positive lessons from his experiences of this past school year. Daniel just finished testing for his black belt in Taekwondo. He is really excited about this accomplishment. Andrew is going through a big growth spurt and is becoming a teenager. He doesn’t turn 13 until November, but he is already stretching his wings. Noah just celebrated his 10th birthday. He has really matured this past school year, and he is taking a bigger interest in his schoolwork. YEAH! This coming school year, we will be in America for our stateside time. The boys will be in public school for the fall semester. They are really excited about this new experience but are also a little nervous. The younger three have been homeschooled for the past 6 school years so this will be a big change. There will be lots of opportunities to be involved in many activities. Please pray that they will not be too overwhelmed by all the new things they will experience, and that they will grow socially as well as spiritually during this time of change.
Believing, Loving, Understanding, Equipping
June 30, 2010 Issue #2
My dearest friends and prayer partners, I ask the Father for his continued blessings upon you and your families. We hope that you are experiencing good health and happiness as well as success in all efforts to extend the Kingdom of Heaven. Thank you very much for all the faithful prayer support offered on behalf of our ministry to the Jeju people. We depend on it as much as the air we breathe!
I have so much to be thankful for it seems a shame to spend this time sharing with you about a situation that reflects failure and pain. However, I trust you with good news and bad. My partner, Sue Park, and I have reached an impasse in our relationship which requires a course correction. In August of this year we will both leave Jeju for what we call Stateside Assignment (STAS). Sue will go on to serve the Lord in some other capacity with our sending organization but will not be returning to Jeju Island. The Hamlines will spend about five (5) months in the USA and return to Korea in January 2011. With sorrow and some degree of shame I admit a personal failure to properly lead the Jeju Team to victory in Jesus Christ.
My personal shortcoming is also evident in my very limited grasp of the Korean language. My supervisor has very graciously agreed to relocate our family to Seoul upon return from STAS in order to enroll in a formal language training program. I have been given one (1) additional year of full-time study to acquire an adequate level of proficiency in Korean to competently carry out my responsibilities as a missionary. With your prayers, God’s Grace and my hard work, I hope to return in January 2012 better equipped to facilitate a church planting movement among the blue-collar workers of Jeju Island. Please pray for Sue Park and my family as we undergo these major changes in our lives and ministries.
On a more positive note, we will be hosting a summer mission team from the USA in July. Sue Park is taking the lead in coordinating this effort to sponsor a Vacation Bible School at Sun In (선인) Baptist Church near Jeju City. Please join us in praying for a harvest of young people from a nearby apartment complex as we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with these children and their parents. I would also ask you to pray for the people that live in SoGilRi (소길리) a small farming community with no Christian witness. We have conducted several prayer-walks in this village and are searching for a person-of-peace to open the doors of opportunity for sharing the gospel message with these shamanistic senior citizens.
Finally, I ask you to continue interceding for the lost of Jeju Island. I’m claiming the promise of God found in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Our Father is Sovereign, and even in our personal failures He insists on receiving unto Himself great Glory. I don’t know how, when, or where but I’m certain that God’s plan is for many of the people of Jeju to come to him in faith through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I still want to participate with Him in this plan and I encourage you my brothers and sisters in Christ to keep the faith and remain firm in your prayer advocacy for these lost souls of Jeju Island.
Hamline Happenings
The end of the school year has finally arrived. David is now home with us. He did much better this second semester. Please pray that he will learn some positive lessons from his experiences of this past school year. Daniel just finished testing for his black belt in Taekwondo. He is really excited about this accomplishment. Andrew is going through a big growth spurt and is becoming a teenager. He doesn’t turn 13 until November, but he is already stretching his wings. Noah just celebrated his 10th birthday. He has really matured this past school year, and he is taking a bigger interest in his schoolwork. YEAH! This coming school year, we will be in America for our stateside time. The boys will be in public school for the fall semester. They are really excited about this new experience but are also a little nervous. The younger three have been homeschooled for the past 6 school years so this will be a big change. There will be lots of opportunities to be involved in many activities. Please pray that they will not be too overwhelmed by all the new things they will experience, and that they will grow socially as well as spiritually during this time of change.
May 29, 2010
Prayer Partners,
Thanks so much for keeping us and the Jeju ministry in your prayers. The children's English group in Seogwipo has finished up. The Solomon center is restructuring so it doesn't need this class anymore. We were able to share about discipleship with this group of young people and pray that their lives will be touched by the lessons they learned. We have lots of changes coming soon. We will go on our stateside assignment and be away from the ministry and Jeju for a while. Please pray for the people and groups we have been working with during this time where we will be away.
Jeju Team’s Top Three Priority Prayer Requests for June 2010
1. Please pray for the summer mission team that is coming from the Global Mission Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. A team of twelve (12) Korean-American volunteers will come to Jeju-do in July to help minister the gospel of God’s love to the blue-collar workers in the area of Doryun Dong in Jeju City. Pray that their travel will be safe and their ministry effective in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through a Vacation Bible School program.
2. Please continue to pray for “grandma” K from Hado-ri as this new born again believer grows in her faith and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask the Father to open the hearts and minds of her family and friends to the saving grace that “grandma” received. Pray that “grandma” will be bold and strong in her new faith as she learns to share what God has done for her and wants to do for the 500+ haenyo diving women that live and work in Hado-ri.
3. Please continue to pray for the senior tangerine farmers of Changcheon-ri and begin to pray for the farmers of Sogil-ri. This new village is another area of Jeju-do that has no Christian witness and we ask you to pray that God will call out a person of peace to open the door for the gospel message. Most villagers are senior citizens that cling to traditional island customs and beliefs so ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of Jesus to these predominantly Shamanistic farmers.
Thanks for supporting the work going on in Jeju!
Phil and Helaine Hamline
Thanks so much for keeping us and the Jeju ministry in your prayers. The children's English group in Seogwipo has finished up. The Solomon center is restructuring so it doesn't need this class anymore. We were able to share about discipleship with this group of young people and pray that their lives will be touched by the lessons they learned. We have lots of changes coming soon. We will go on our stateside assignment and be away from the ministry and Jeju for a while. Please pray for the people and groups we have been working with during this time where we will be away.
Jeju Team’s Top Three Priority Prayer Requests for June 2010
1. Please pray for the summer mission team that is coming from the Global Mission Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. A team of twelve (12) Korean-American volunteers will come to Jeju-do in July to help minister the gospel of God’s love to the blue-collar workers in the area of Doryun Dong in Jeju City. Pray that their travel will be safe and their ministry effective in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through a Vacation Bible School program.
2. Please continue to pray for “grandma” K from Hado-ri as this new born again believer grows in her faith and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask the Father to open the hearts and minds of her family and friends to the saving grace that “grandma” received. Pray that “grandma” will be bold and strong in her new faith as she learns to share what God has done for her and wants to do for the 500+ haenyo diving women that live and work in Hado-ri.
3. Please continue to pray for the senior tangerine farmers of Changcheon-ri and begin to pray for the farmers of Sogil-ri. This new village is another area of Jeju-do that has no Christian witness and we ask you to pray that God will call out a person of peace to open the door for the gospel message. Most villagers are senior citizens that cling to traditional island customs and beliefs so ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of Jesus to these predominantly Shamanistic farmers.
Thanks for supporting the work going on in Jeju!
Phil and Helaine Hamline
May 1, 2010
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