L'Abri Newsletter, June 2013

June 7, 2013

Dear L’Abri praying family,

It feels as if spring has just arrived, yet the hot breeze of summer already surrounds us. I recently spent a few days helping with the renovation of Baek-Am-Dang house, installing a window in a concrete wall. Despite the sweltering heat that made me want to escape from work at every opportunity, the volunteer who led the project did not even complain. On the night after we finished, while attending to my aching legs, I was reminded of King Solomon’s words: “See you a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29)

During his forty-year reign, Solomon built the Temple, received royal visits from and traded with many other countries, and fortified Israel’s borders. How did he, with so much work to do, choose the right people to work for and with him? In the passage above, Solomon suggests two standards for finding workers. The first criterion is that he should have “his business” (mel-aw-kaw). This doesn't mean that he should be the CEO of a business, but that there should be a skill or specialized area to which he is devoted heart and soul. The New International Version translates this phrase as “a man skilled in his work.” The second standard is whether he is “diligent” (mahir). The word means “quick,” “skilled,” or “ready”: a diligent man is one who is “industrious and ready to do one’s work with competence.” To meet such a person is a great pleasure; I myself, though I should be one, have usually failed to be one.

I am especially thankful that God, knowing this fact very well, sent us so many people this year who could have stood before a king. Volunteers helped us with renovations and sprayed herbicide on our garden, knowing that our small mowing machine cannot handle the summer weeds. JaeYong Shin, a pharmacist who has long been praying for us, agreed to serve as an auditor for the Korean board of trustees. God also gave us MinHyun and BoKyung, who have been helping our work for two years already, as well as ChunSeong, who returned as a part-time worker, postponing his plans to study abroad. In addition, Pukkoung and Cynthia Kim are going to stay in Baek-Am-Dang for ten months beginning in September, as special lecturers. Please pray for us to rejoice in praying and working with them.

Please pray for the upcoming summer term. It starts on June 5 and proceeds for eight weeks until August 18, except for a two-week break in July. The summer term also includes the School of Christian Worldview program. Please see the attached lecture schedule for the program, and please pray that many young people who are torn with questions about faith and life could come and stay with us.

Please also pray for group visitors. As if to compensate for the small number of students this spring, many large groups are visiting L’Abri these days. Yesterday we received about 50 students and parents of Joshua Homeschooling Group, who had read Shaeffer’s How Should We Then Live? beforehand. We had wonderful discussions. Tomorrow, Professor Cordell Schulten of Handong University will visit with his multinational students; it will be the fourth time that he has brought his students here, and this time Cordell is also scheduled to give a sermon at a church in Sokcho. We are also expecting to meet 9 members of the CAM missionary organization, about 20 young leaders of Ju-An Presbyterian Church, and more over the course of the summer. Please pray that we, armed with your prayer, encouragement, and donations, may bear much beautiful fruit in serving them.

May the Lord protect you and us all throughout the summer.

InKyung

Translated by Haejin Sung