L'Abri Newsletter, May 2011

May 16, 2011

Dear Praying Family,

Fresh green and fragrance of wild herbs exude the vitality of spring. How have you been? It is always stunning to see the dead mountain and river in winter time come back alive again in spring. Are you not surprised to find the law of God’s kingdom that “once dead is now alive” works in the nature? However, people deny the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as they have the habit of disobeying the law.

It is also hard for people who believe in God’s grace to rely on the death and resurrection of the Lord in their daily lives. Instead of following Paul’s example to die everyday (1 Corinthians 10:31), we opt to reveal ourselves and do whatever it takes to satisfy ourselves. It is time for us to reflect on ourselves as we observe spring that once was dead and now is alive according to God’s law.

As I am writing this letter, workers and students are gathering their strength and skills in building the roof on the left side of the main house to protect it from rain. In a matter of days, we will also replace new staircases underneath the new roof. Drilling sound, laughing students, a student scrubbing bathroom pipes, and children’s joyous conversation… these are beautiful scenes I hate to miss. Would it be great if we are only surrounded by all these beautiful things?

But we know the answer to this question is negative in reality. While working, we feel great accomplishment, get sick, and cut nails to remove splints that are buried underneath. Children get sick against our hope for them to stay healthy while we are at work. Not so much different from the last term, we have many short term visitors this semester. There are Korean students, foreigners, and students who are back from studying abroad.

Please pray for long- and short-term visitors to meet God. There are some who left their homes due to troubling hearts to become a part of L’Abri’s family. There are some who are here to know God more in making important decisions for their future.

It is joyful and honorable job to witness how God works among them. It would be the same kind of joy and honor for you to see reviving souls and growing lives at your household, workplace, or church. It is natural to praise Jesus with thanks for he died for us who are full of scars and sins. But it is sad to witness such moments are evaporating as there are few who confess their faith in Jesus and fewer who had drastic change of character after conversion.

As always we ask you to pray that God would pour river of grace upon us as we work for those visitors. It is certainly an honorable work but not an easy task to fulfill. I believe your prayer is in anyway less important but more honorable work.

Workers are ready to yield their private time, space, and composure for others; but it is difficult to determine how far they can stretch when they face their own limit. It becomes more difficult as L’Abri is under its influence. “Take off your shoes and get into students’ sneakers” pops into my head often enough, but it is challenging to follow up.

Please continue to pray for MoKyung’s health; she was very sick last term, but we hope she would be fine this summer.

Our helpers, MinHyun and BoKyung are doing their best to get used to new life in YangYang. BoKyung is away to take care of her new born grandchild in the U.S. We ask you to pray for her health and safe return home. MinHyun’s hands are full as he prepares meals and tea, farms and participates in construction job. Please pray for their daughter HaEun’s future.

ChunSung was elected as a member at Members’ Meeting last month. ChunSung has been occupied by doing house maintenance work and leading bible study. SuYeon helps out L’Abri in between her full-time work at elementary school. Their children JiHo and JiMin are recovering from hand-foot-mouth disease. Let us pray for them to grow in health.

EunChol and EunHa are visiting UK and other European churches for 3 weeks as a part of their search for their future work. Please pray for them to take a good rest, learn and return safely under God’s leading hand. In the meantime, GaHee and HanHee are taken care of by their grandparents and uncle’s family. Please pray for their health and children’s emotional stability.

The next day after arriving in Korea from Members’ Meeting, InKyung headed off to Melbourne, to lead Easter Retreat for Korean Students. For us, we ask you to pray that we would stay awake and keep our discernment in God.

We have a special prayer request for HaeJin. She has not been able to complete her study due to her aching back. She is aiming to finish her study by next spring. She loves to study, but her failing health does not help her much. So now she needs to extend her visa in Canada. Please pray for her so that she may have 1-year-worth of tuition (which amounts to USD 25,000) by June 15th.

Before closing the letter, I would like to share a bible verse with you: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NASB)

As people of hope for resurrection, we should be firm in our position and do our best in a given work. In the mist of busyness and temptation of today, I remind this verse for you and for me. I believe that your prayer, offering, and devotion will not go in vain but bear many fruits in the end.

With Love,

KyungOk

Translated by MoKyung Choi