There are so many things which I wish I had the time and the patience to write down. I think I'll copy my dear brother Ryan and summarize a few happenings and thoughts.

Summary #1
I lead a Bible study with two women twice a week. One lady is a Korean co-worker from my hagwan (cram school) teaching days named Grace, and the other is a Canadian who has lived in Pohang for three months. Grace used to be a strong Catholic but is dealing with a lot of doubts. She actually initiated the Bible study in hopes of getting some questions answered.

So, the other day, while we were discussing what it meant to really give your entire life to God, Grace suddenly turned to me and started asking me about my ministry plans. When I told her she replied by stating, "You're going to fail, you know that right?" I was a little stunned by her bluntness and couldn't think of anything to say except, "Oh, really?" I was also slightly distracted by the fact that I found her comment amusing. I knew people had their doubts about this ministry, but I never thought I would encounter it so obviously. In any case, I questioned Grace why she thought so and she told me they would never listen to what I had to say. Some how, the conversation deviated off the topic at that point.

A good hour later, Grace explained her comment a little more by saying something I found rather interesting. She told me following God wasn't about success or failure as the world sees it, it was about following God. She still believed that I would fail, but she respected the fact that I would willingly fail for God. Failing, if you do it for God, is success. All I could think of to say was,"....interesting," but I though long and hard about her comment and my perception of success. What would you have said?

Summary #2
I've been feeling a little ill recently. Every time I eat I feel like I want disown my stomach, to disconnect it from my body so it can suffer alone. I prided myself on being able to count the times I have thrown up on one hand. I pride myself on my stomach of steel that handles cross-cultural nastiness in stride. I may be sick, but I never throw up. Thus, I never experience nausea. Until now.

It started a week ago, suddenly, just as I was going to sleep, and it kept me up half the night. Having exhausted every home remedy I knew, I reluctantly went to get help yesterday. I can't say I went to see the doctor because what I actually did was participate in a church ministry that provides free medical exams for foreigners with out insurance--a ministry that only occurs once a month and whose doctors, nurses and staff are all volunteer. Wow, lucky me! As a constant tourist in Korea I have no insurance and was a little worried about my tendency to put saving money before saving health. Now I didn't have to worry.

When I walked into the make shift medical exam room at the church (a small auditorium with random desks arranged in a large circle and the choir practicing in front) I was immediately swarmed by people, tons of people who were so happy, exuberant, proud, delighted to see me. I was whisked off to see the man in charge to shake his hand. While we were talking, a church member took candid photos of us, probably to display them in a power point presentation showing the success of the ministry.

I found it very amusing that, even though other foreigners were around, I was the only one being treated like a superstar. I decided it was because I was the only foreign looking foreigner present; the others there were Asian and looked Korean, most of them could even speak Korean. A suspicious church board might be able to claim that the ministry had hired random Korean and had placed them there to look like foreigners. I, on the other hand, could not be explained away so easily. What ever the case, I was left feeling very impressed with their ministry (perhaps that was their secret intention...). The church was filling a need in the community and they were doing it so happily.

As for my sickness, the doctor decided to treat my symptoms instead of attempting to discover the cause--something I'm a little bitter about. What good is dulling the pain if the pain will return with the medicine runs out? And in my case, the medicine isn't working to begin with. I think I might have to take a trip to the real doctor tomorrow. Luck for me, since I was such a hit at the church, the guy in charge told me he'd go along with me. I'm hoping that implies my visit will be paid for. I'm hoping...

Well, this entry is getting long so I'll summarize my summaries and leave you with a few fact about my life.

Fact 1. I'm leaving Korea on Friday.

Fact 2. My church decided to support my ministry by donating $1,500. Yipee!

Fact 3. I went to a Korean bath house yesterday and was scrubbed almost bleeding by a Korean lady.

Fact 4. I sold all my belongings at a yard sale yesterday and made $200! My stuff was annoying me. I'm to mobile to have a bunch of junk tying me down.