Tell Me Your Story.

Today we had testimonies. I've got to say that this was the most INTENSE day we've had so far. You just...you just...can't judge a book by its cover. Nothing prepared us for today.

Nothing.

We got up this morning and had our usually conversations about God, life and interpersonal relationships and stepping out, we have started this tradition of praying together. Today, Daniel prays for us as we remark that we're excited about the day will bring as God has been supplying out every need AND addressing every concern, fear and issue we bring up. Ever. Single. One.
So he prays a prayer of thankfulness for the ability to walk, talk and to laugh, things we often take for granted. Then we scurry on to breakfast and in orientation, Pastor Kim Jong Ee (or Pastor Golden Paper as he prefers to be called) tells us of his testimony over Lupus (which resonates with me because unbeknownst to most, I had a very tangible scare of that very same illness in my early teens) and identifies the 7 wonders of the world:-

1. To see
2. To hear
3. To smell
4. To touch
5. To taste
6. To laugh
7. To love

o_O      really Jesus? Really?

ANYway, he gets done and we're brought forth to testimony time and boy when I tell you...I've been sitting with these people in training for four days now, cutting up and making friends having no idea about the depth of their stories! As much trouble as I gave God about coming here, I'm in a group with people who attempted suicide, overcame eating disorders, left their cancer-ailing parents at home and are children of date-rape [and made to feel it]. I resonated with near-everyone's story. We most all had one thing in common...that we were supposed to be here in August and something happened making us all come in October. By the time this exercise was done, we were convinced that it was by no coincidence that we were all in this class together. This is what God wanted for us.

By the time I went did my testimony, I was overwhelmed and not sure that what I had to say was even relevant. I did my best though, not to impress anyone but to be as dreadfully honest about my spiritual life [or rather my lack thereof and hunger for better] and I apparently had an impact. Hand-shakes, hugs and tears sprung about but I think because of this, we have all become a little closer and can now function as supports for each other concerning our time here and our personal issues. The tangibility of God's presence here is soooooo real! Our staff personnel are so honest and sincere about their love for Jesus it's hard not to be infected by the desire to be and do better. I've needed to be surrounded by this for a loooooooooooooooong time. And I told them. I told them all that they are the best group of Seventh Day Adventist company I've met and liked in a 4 day period and I was glad to be there with them. They all expressed the same thing. We did Korean101with the students of the All-Day Club, which essentially are the students who want to get more English time in BUT also want to do Bible Study. They were friendly, humble and fun to have in class. I was ducking this older gentleman who was looking for me to be his partner but I was not successful (and rightfully so). I thoroughly enjoyed myself talking to him and working on pronunciation with me and he helped me learn my name in Korean which would be [원준] which translates as Won Jun. Don't judge the book by its cover. Caribbeans, Africans, Americans, Koreans...we're all called in some way, shape or form and as more time goes by, I find myself being saddened by the fact that these folks and I will all be split to separate institutions in almost a week's time. We're going on our first official outing tomorrow.


Guess I'd better make the best of the time I have with them now, right? OR maybe we could corporately pray for a supermiracle that all of us (or at least the coolest ones) all somehow end up assigned to the same school!